came on the one side of the bridge and the Duke on the other being both accompanied with a great number of men of armes especially the Duke They fell in communication togither vpon the bridge at the which were present on the Dukes side onely three or fower 5 But after they had talked a while the Duke either through earnest sollicitation of those that were with the King or of a desire he had to humble himselfe before him vnboulted the wicket on his side and the others on theirs Three of the Dukes men went through before him and then himselfe passed being the fourth and was immediately slaine 6 and they also that accompanied him wherefore ensued great miseries and calamities to this realme 7 as all the world can witnes This historie was before my time wherefore I forbeare further to speake therof but thus the King rehearsed it to me word for word at the same time that this enteruiew with King Edvvard was appointed saying that if there had beene no wicket no occasion had beene to desire the Duke to passe through the grate and then that great misfortune had not happened The authors whereof were certaine of the Duke of Orleans seruants that was slaine who were then in great credit with King Charles The Notes 1 The King vpon a super slition kept holy twelue daies in the yeere viz. euerie moneth one in remembrance of the Innocents day and the day heere mentioned was one of them 2 These eleuen yeeres was in the text but one yeere the Printer for onze ans auoit hauing printed vn an auoit For the Duke of Orleans was slaine ann 1407. the 22. of Nouember and the King of England laid his siege before Roan 1418. the last of Iuly but Meyer saith in Iune and it was yeelded to him the 19. or 16. as some write of Ianuarie 1419. which was eleuen yeeres and somwhat more after the Duke of Orleans death 3 All authors report that not onely Roan but tall Normandie was taken before D. Iohn of Burgundie was slaine for Roan was yeelded to the English 1419. the 19. of Ianuarie and the Duke slaine the same yeere in Nouember September or August for authors so diuersly report the time but Commines maner as himselfe writeth is not to stand so exactly vpon times Further authors agree not among themselues about this matter Lastly this place may be vnderstood that when Duke Iohn leuied his armie his meaning was to raise the siege before Roan though he could not come time ynongh to execute his enterprise Of the Dukes death reade Meyer lib. 15. fol. 255. 256. Chron. Fland. fol. 281. Annal. Burgund c. 4 Note that this notwithstanding he was not King yet but Daulphin 5 The French writers say each of them hauing ten Knights 6 The French to excuse the Daulphin say that Tanneguy du Chastell somtime seruant to the Duke of Orleans that was slaine slue Duke Iohn with one blowe of a battell axe bicause of certaine arrogant words vsed at that time to the Daulphin wheras Commines and Meyer report that too great humilitie was cause of his death Tanneguy du Chastell Oliuer Layet Peter Frotier and William Batilier slue Duke Iohn and the Lord of Nouaille with him who drew his sword in the Dukes defence Annal. Burgund Introduct de la Marche Meyer 7 For Duke Philip of Burgundie to reuenge his fathers death entred into league with the English men How the two Kings met and sware the treatie before concluded and how some supposed that the holy Ghost came downe vpon the King of Englands pauilion in the likenes of a white pigeon Chap. 10. OVr grate being finished as you haue heard the next day the two Kings came thither in the yeeere 1475. the 29. of August 1 The K. had with him about eight hundred men of armes and arriued first at the grate on the King of Englands side stood all his armie in order of battell which vndoubtedly was great both of horsemen and footemen yet could not we discouer his whole force We on our side seemed but a handfull to them and no maruell for the fourth part of the Kings armie was not there It was appointed that each of the Kings should be accompanied at the grate with twelue persons which were alreadie named of the noblest personages and such as were neerest about them Moreouer on our side were fower of the King of Englands seruants to view what we did and as many of ours on their side The King as I told you arriued first at the grate and twelue of vs waited vpon him among whom were the late Duke Iohn of Bourbon and the Cardinall his brother It pleased him that I should weare that day a sute of apparell like his owne for he had vsed of long time and that verie often to command one or other to be apparelled like himselfe The King of England came along vpon the causey aboue mentioned with a maruellous goodly traine as was conuenient for the maiestie of a Prince he was accompanied with the Duke of Clarence his brother the Earle of Northumberland and diuers other noble men namely the Lord Hastings his Chamberlaine his Chauncellor and others But there were not past three or fower besides himselfe apparelled in cloth of golde Further he ware on his head a black veluet cap with a maruellous rich iewell being a Flower de luce set with stones He was a goodly tall Prince but inclined now to be somewhat grosse I had seene him before much beautifuller than at this present for sure when the Earle of Warwicke chased him out of England he was the goodliest gentleman that euer I set mine eie on When he came within fiue foote of the grate he tooke off his cap and bowed downe within halfe a foote of the ground the King in like maner who was leaning vpon the grate vsed great reuerence towards him when they came to embrace each other through the grate the King of England againe made low obeisance Then the King began the talke and said Cosin you are most hartily welcom there is no man in the world whom I haue so much desired to see as you and praised be God that we are met heere to so good a purpose heereunto the King of England answered in good French This talke ended the Chancellor of England who was a Prelate and Bishop of Elie began his oration with a prophesie whereof the English men are neuer vnfurnished 2 which said that in this place of Picquigny an honorable peace should be concluded betweene the realmes of Fraunce and England The Bishops oration being ended the letters were opened that the King had deliuered to the King of England touching the conclusion of the treatie and the said Chancellor asked the King whether they were written by his commandement and whether he auowed them whereunto the King answered yea Then the Bishop asked him againe if he held himselfe contented in like maner with those letters and
The Duke contrary to their opinion whose aduise he asked determined to meete them at the entrie of the mountaines where they yet lay greatly to his owne disaduantage for he was encamped in a place very wel seated for the battel being fortified on the one side with his artillery and on the other with a lake so that by all presumption they could not haue endomaged him He had sent a hundred archers before him to keepe a strait directly ouer against the mountaine where the Swissers lay and marched forward himselfe and his enimies encountred him the greatest part of his army being yet in the plaine The first rankes of his men thought to retire to ioine with the rest but those that were behinde supposing these to flie began to turne their backs and by little and little the Dukes army retired towards his campe some of them valiantly behauing themselues But to be short whē they drew neere to their campe they neuer stood to defence but fled all 5 So that the Almaines wan the Dukes campe his artillery al his tents and pauilions and his mens also whereof there was great abundance and other riches and treasures infinite 6 for nothing was saued but the men onely Moreouer the Duke lost heere all his goodly iewels notwithstanding in this battell were slaine onely seauen men of armes all the rest fled and himselfe also A man may iustlier say of him that he lost this day honor and reputation than of King Iohn of Fraunce who valiantly defending himselfe was taken prisoner by the English men at the battell of Poictiers This is the first misfortune that euer happened to this Duke for all his other enterprises turned him either to honor or profit But what a deadly wound receiued he this day by following his owne braine and despising good aduise what damage receiued his house heerby in how miserable estate is it yet and shall be we knowe not how long how many men became his enimies and declared themselues against him that the day before spake him faire and temporized with him And for what quarrell began this war forsooth for a lode of sheepes skins taken by the Earle of Romont from a Swisser passing through his countrie Sure if God had not vtterly abandoned the Duke of Burgundie it is not to be thought he would haue put himselfe into so great danger for so small a trifle considering both the offers made him and the men he had to do with by vanquishing whom he could obtaine neither riches nor honor For at that time the Swissers as touching their valor were not esteemed as they be now and their pouertie was so great that a Knight of their countrie who was one of their first ambassadors to the Duke told me that among diuers other reasons he vsed to disswade him from this war this was one that by conquering them he could gaine nothing bicause their countrie was barren and poore and void of all good prisoners so far foorth that he thought verily if all their countrie men were taken they should not be able to pay a raunsome to the value of the spurres and bridle bits in his campe But to returne to the battell the King being immediately aduertised of all that was happened by the sundrie spies and messengers he had abrode in the countrie most of them were strangers reioiced much at these newes and sorrowed onely that so few were slaine Further bicause of these affaires he lay at Lyons to the end he might the sooner be aduertised of all that happened and the better countermine all such enterprises as the Duke had in his head For the King being a wise Prince feared least he should ioine the Swissers to him by force As touching the house of Sauoy the Duke disposed thereof as of his owne the Duke of Milan was in league with him King Rene of Sicilie was fully bent to haue put the countrie of Prouence into his hands So that if his affaires had receiued good successe he should haue held vnder his dominion all that lieth betweene the west and east seas and haue so brideled the subiects of this realme that they could haue stirred no way out of Fraunce but by sea without his permission Sauoy Prouence and Lorraine being vnder his subiection To euerie one of these Princes the King sent ambassadors The one namely the Duches of Sauoy was his sister but friend to the Duke of Burgundie to the vttermost of hir power The other to wit King Rene of Sicilie was his vnkle who hardly gaue his ambassadors audience but referred all matters to the Duke of Burgundie The King sent also to these confederates of Almaine but with great difficultie for bicause the passages were stopped he was forced to send beggers pilgrims and such kinde of men The said confederates gaue him a proud answer that vnlesse he would declare himselfe for them they would make peace with the Duke and ioine with the Burgundians against him which notwithstanding that he greatly feared yet thought he it not time as yet to discouer himselfe the Dukes enimie doubting also least some of his messengers whom he sent about the countrie should be taken and so all his practises discouered The Notes 1 These townes were Basill Strasburg Slecstat Colmar Sunggau and Brisgau 2 He laide his siege before Granson the 12. of February 1476. beginning the yeere at New yeeres tide with 50000. men and 500. peeces of artillery Annal. Burgund 3 Others write but 400. 4 Others write that they would not yeelde vnlesse the Duke would receiue them to his mercie which he did and yet after put them cruelly to death 5 This battell was fought on Saterday the second of Aprill or of March as some say the Swissers at this battell were not aboue 5000. and the most harquebusiers Annal. Burg. 6 All that the Duke lost that day was valued at three millions of crownes Annal. Burgund How after the ouerthrow at Granson the Duke of Milan King Rene of Sicilie the Duches of Sauoy and others departed from their league with the Duke of Burgundy Chap. 2. LEt vs now see how the world changed after the battell and how the courage of the Duke of Burgundy and his confederates altered and withall how wisely the King gouerned his affaires For this shall be a goodly example for yoong Princes that attempt foolish enterprises not considering what may ensue therof and despise the counsell of those whose aduise they ought to vse notwithstanding that themselues be vtterly void of all experience First the Duke himselfe sent the Lord of Contay to the King with a lowly and humble message contrarie both to his accustomed maner and to his nature Marke heere how suddenly he was changed euen in a moment he desired the King faithfully to keepe the truce and excused himselfe for not comming to the meeting appointed at Auxerre promising shortly to meete him there or else where at his pleasure The King receiued the said Contay very honorably assuring
Princes namely Mathias King of Hungarie and Mahomet Ottoman Emperor of Turkie This King Mathias was sonne to a valiant knight called the white knight of Vallachie 8 a gentleman of great wisdome and vertue who gouerned long the realme of Hungarie and obtained many goodly victories against the Turks 9 who border vpon the said realme by reason of the Seniories they haue vsurped in Greece and Slauonie 10 Soone after his death King Lancelot came to mans estate 11 who was right heire not onely of the realme of Hungary but also of Bohemia and Polonia He by the counsell of certaine caused the white knights two sonnes to be apprehended alleaging that their father had vsurped too great rule and authoritie in the realme and that the sonnes being gentlemen of great courage might peraduenture attempt the like Wherefore the said King Launcelot resolued to lay them both in prison and incontinent put the elder to death 12 and sent the said Mathias prisoner to Bude the chiefe towne of Hungary where he remained not long And I suppose that God tooke in good part the great seruices his father had done For soone after King Launcelot was poisoned at Prage in Bohemia 13 by a gentlewoman of a good house whose brother my selfe haue seene of whom he was enamored she likewise of him so far foorth that she being displeased with his mariage with the daughter of Charles the seuenth King of Fraunce now called Princesse of Vienna against his promise made to hir poisoned him in a bathe as she gaue him a peece of apple to eate hauing conueighed the poison into the haft of hir knife Incontinently after King Lancelots death the Barons and Nobles of the realme assembled to choose a new King for the custome of the countrey is when the King dieth without issue that the Nobles may proceed to an election And while they were there in great diuision about their chose the white Knights widow mother to Mathias came into the towne with a goodly traine for bicause she had great treasure left hir by hir husband she was soone able to leuie great forces and further I thinke she had good intelligence both in the towne and also among the Nobilitie bicause of the great sway hir husband had borne in the realme She rode straight to the prison and tooke hir sonne out of it 14 Whereupon part of the Barons and Prelats there assembled for the election fled for feare the rest chose the said Mathias King who raigned in the realme with as great prosperitie as any King these many yeeres and hath been as highly praised and commended yea more in some points than any of his predecessors He was one of the valiantest men that liued in his time and obtained great victories against the Turks without all damage to his owne realme the which he inlarged on all sides aswell towards Bohemia the greatest part whereof he held as also towards Valachie where he was borne and towards Sclauonie In like maner vpon the frontiers of Almaine he wan the greatest part of Austrich from the Emperor Frederic now raigning and possessed it till his death which hapned in the yeere 1491. in Vienna the chiefe towne of Austrich This King gouerned his affaires with great wisdome aswell in peace as war but a little before his death perceiuing himselfe to be feared of his enimies he grew maruellous pompous and sumptuous in his Court and amassed an infinite quantitie of goodly stuffe iewels and plate for the furniture of his house All his affaires were dispatched by himselfe or by his direction Before his death his subiects stood in great feare of him for he waxed cruell and soone after fell into a greeuous and vncurable disease being but yoong to wit eight and twenty yeeres of age 15 or thereabout He died hauing spent his life in much more labor and trauell than pleasure The Turke aboue mentioned 16 was a wise and noble Prince but vsing wiles and subtiltie more than courage and valor True it is that his father left him great for he had been a hardy Prince and wan Adrianople 17 which is as much to say as the citie of Adrian This Turke that I now write of tooke in the three and twentith yeere of his age the citie of Constantinople 18 I haue seene his pourtraiture when he was of those yeeres the lineaments whereof made shew of an excellent wit It was a shame for all Christendome to suffer the towne so to be lost for he tooke it by assault and the Emperor of the East whom we call Emperor of Constantinople was slaine himselfe at the breach 19 with a number of valiant men diuers women of great estate and noble houses rauished to be short no crueltie was omitted This was his first exploit but not his last for he continued till his death in atchieuing great enterprises so that I heard once an ambassador of Venice tell Duke Charles of Burgundy that he had conquered two Empires fower realmes and two hundred cities He meant the Empires of Constantinople Trapezonde 20 the realmes of Bosne 21 Syria Armenia and I thinke Morea 22 was the fowerth in the which the Venetians held two places He conquered also diuers goodly Iles in the sea called Archipell 23 neere to the said Morea with the Iles of Nigrepont 24 and Mitilene he subdued in like maner the greatest part of Albanie and Sclauonie And as his conquests were great against the Christians so were they also against them of his owne law of whom he destroied many a great Prince as the Caraman 25 and diuers others The greatest part of his affaires he gouerned by his owne wisdome as did our King and the King of Hungarie also who were three of the greatest Princes that raigned these hundred yeers But the curtesie and course of life of the King our Master and his good vsage both of his owne seruants and strangers far passed both the others and no maruell for he was the most Christian King As touching worldly pleasures this Turke had his fill for he spent the greatest part of his life in them and had he not been so much addicted to them vndoubtedly he would haue done much more mischiefe There was no fleshly vice that he was free from but in gluttony he passed and according to his diet diseases fell vpon him for euery spring as I haue heard those report that haue seene him his legs swelled as big as a mans body notwithstanding they brake not but the swelling asswaged of it self No surgeon could tell the cause of this disease saue onely that it proceeded of gluttonie and it may be that it was some speciall punishment of God His said disease was the cause he came so seldome abroad and kept himselfe so close in his chariot fearing that the miserable estate he was in would cause his subiects to despise him He died being two and fifty yeeres of age 26 or there about in maner suddenly notwithstanding he made his
THE HISTORIE OF PHILIP DE Commines Knight Lord of Argenton Jmprinted at London by Ar. Hatfield for I. Norton 1596 TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE MY VERY GOOD LORD THE LORD Burghley Lord Treasurer of England Knight of the honorable order of the garter and Master of hir Maiesties Court of Wardes and Liueries IT is now R. Honorable thirty yeeres since I presented to your L. and the late Earle of Leicester my Lord and Master the historie of COMMINES rudely translated into our vulgar toong the which of later times at the request of the late Lord Chauncellor sir Christopher Hatton I perused anew and enlarged with such notes pedegrees as seemed necessarie as well for explanation as in some few places for correction of the historie Since his death certaine gentlemen to whose hands the booke happened to come tooke so great pleasure and delight therein that they determined to put it to the presse supposing it a great dishonor to our nation that so woorthy an historie being extant in all languages almost in Christendome should be suppressed in ours Notwithstanding their resolution they forbare of curtesie to put in execution till their purpose should be made knowen to me And albeit that I alleaged many reasons why in my conceit bookes of this nature treating of Princes secrets were vnfit to be published to the vulgare sort the rather bicause the Author in some places seemeth to be of that opinion himselfe yet none of my reasons could preuaile but they continued in their former determination adding thereunto that others besides my selfe had taken paines in this historie and though I of peeuishnes would suppresse my labors yet they would not suppresse theirs So that would I nould I to the presse the booke must go being already warranted by publike authoritie thereunto I seeing the matter aduaunced thus far thought it no time to draw backe any longer but in the end tooke the burthen vpon my selfe doubting if I had done otherwise both the blemishing of the historie wherein I may boldly say that I haue more trauelled than any man that hath entermedled therewith and also that the worke should be presented to some patrone that had no interest therein Wherefore hauing againe examined it and freed it from some faults that me thought fit to be reformed I haue presumed to publish it vnder the protection of your Lorships honorable name to whom of right it appertaineth in many respects First bicause the author thereof was a noble man one of your owne cote the wisest and the best acquainted with all matters of state of any man in his time Whereunto I adde that he continued a Counsellor successiuely to so many French Kings that he was reputed one of the ancientest Counsellors in Christendome at his death wherein your Lordships fortune is not onely correspondent but hath also surmounted his Secondarily your Lordship hath the aisne title to it and lastly the right of suruiuor casteth it vpon you by course of common lawe Wherefore all these circumstances well considered my particular duties also notforgotten I thought it a kinde of sacrilege to suffer your Lordship to be robbed of your right May it therefore please you to receiue this historic into your honorable protection as your owne as well in regard of the Author being a man of such condition as aboue is rehearsed as also of the worke treating of that subiect wherewith your Lordship at this day is better acquainted than any man liuing and lastly in respect of your owne title thereunto Which no whit doubting but that your Lordship will most willingly vouchsafe to do beseeching the Almightie long to preserue you to the great stay of this flourishing estate most humbly I take my leaue this first of Nouember 1596. Your L. most humble and obedient to commaund Thomas Danett The life of Philip de Commines knight Lord of Argenton gathered out of diuers good authors togither with a briefe answer on his behalfe to certaine accusations wherewith IACOBVS MEYERVS a Flemming in his Annales of Flaunders chargeth verie vniustlie both Commines history and his life PHILIP DE COMMINES author of this present history was borne at Commines a towne in Flaunders being a gentleman of a very ancient house and ioined by blood and alliance to the best of that nation His surname was Clytus his father vncle had been both of them vnder D. Philip of Burgundy chiefe gouernours of Flaunders called by Meyer Summi pretores Flandriae and to them he giueth this title Domini Ruscurii Buscurii VVatenenses whereby appeereth of how great Nobilitie and goodly reuenewes Commines was not onely in Flaunders but also in Haynault In his youth namely from the nineteenth yeere of his age and the yeere of our Lord 1464. till the 27. of his age and the yeere 1472. he serued Charles Duke of Burgundie and afterward Lewis the eleuenth of that name King of Fraunce who emploied him in his weightiest and secretest affaires He was of tall stature faire complexion and goodly personage The French toong he spake perfectly and eloquently the Italian Duche and Spanish reasonably well He had read ouer verie diligently all histories written in French especially of the Romaines and bare them all in memorie He much acquainted himselfe with strangers thereby to increase his knowledge He had great regard to the spending of his time and abhorred all idlenes He was of an excellent yea an incredible memorie for he often indited at one time to fower Secretaries seuerall letters of waightie affaires appertaining to the state with as great facilitie and readines as if he had had but one matter in hand A vertue so rare that I haue not read the like of any but of Iulius Caesar and him Nothing more greeued him than that in his youth he was not trained vp in the Latin toong which his misfortune he often bewailed After he was entered into the seruice of King Lewis he was highly in his fauour and during his raigne bare great sway in the realme The said King also greatly aduanced him for he made him first one of his priuy chamber then of his priuy Counsell Seneschall of Poictu and Lord of Argenton He married being of good yeeres a gentlewoman of the house of Montsoreau vpon the borders of Aniou named Helena But after King Lewis his death he fell into great troubles for bicause he was a stranger many enuied his prosperitie so far foorth that at the length his enimies caused him to be imprisoned in the castle of Loches in the Duchie of Berry a place appointed onely for those that are attached of high treason where he was verie extremely handled as himselfe in his historie reporteth Notwithstanding his wife by earnest and continuall sute in the end obtained so much fauour that he was remooued thence and brought to Paris where when he had remained a certaine space he was led to the parlament house to be arraigned He had many enimies those mightie and of so
and the Earle of Charolois and his confederates page 40 Chap. 15 How by the diuision that hapned betweene the Dukes of Britaine and Normandy the King recouered the said Duchie which he had giuen his brother page 42 Chap. 16 How the new Duke of Normandy returned into Britaine in very poore estate and vtterly discouraged bicause he had failed in his enterprise page 43 The second Booke Chap. 1 Of the wars betweene the Burgundians and Liegeois and how the towne of Dinand was taken sacked and rased page 45 Chap. 2 How the Liegeois brake the peace with the Duke of Burgundie then Earle of Charalois and how he discomfited them in battell page 48 Chap. 3 How some of the Citizens of Liege agreeing to yeeld their towne and others refusing so to do the Lord of Hymbercourt found meanes to enter into it for the Duke of Burgundy page 52 Chap. 4 How the Duke of Burgundy made his entrie into the towne of Liege and how the citizens of Gaunt where he had beene euill intreated before humbled themselues vnto him page 55 Chap. 5 How the King seeing what had happened to the Liegeois made war in Britaine vpon the Duke of Burgundies confederats and how they two met and communed togither at Peronne page 57 Chap. 6 A discourse wherein is declared how greatly learning especially in histories profiteth Princes and Noble men page 60 Chap. 7 How and for what cause the King was staied and held prisoner in the castle of Peronne by the D. of Burgundies commandement page 62 Chap. 8 A discourse wherein is shewed that an enteruiew betweene two great Princes for treatie of their affaires hurteth more than profiteth page 64 Chap. 9 How the King to deliuer himselfe out of the castle of Peronne renounced his league with the Liegeois page 67 Chap. 10 How the King accompanied the Duke of Burgundie making war vpon the Liegeois who before were his confederates page 69 Chap. 11 How the King arriued in person with the Duke of Burgundy before the citie of Liege page 71 Chap. 12 How the Liegeois made a desperate salie vpon the Duke of Burgundies men where he and the King were in great danger page 73 Chap. 13 How the city of Liege was assaulted taken and spoiled and the Churches also page 75 Chap. 14 How King Lewis returned into Fraunce with the Duke of Burgundies consent and how the Duke proceeded in destroying the countries of Liege and Franchmont page 77 Chap. 15 How the K. by subtill meanes perswaded the Lord Charles his brother to take the Duchie of Guienne for Brie and Champaigne to the Duke of Burgundies discontentment page 80 The third Booke Chap. 1 How the King tooke occasion to make war anew vpon the Duke of Burgundy and how he sent a Purseuant of the Parlament of Gaunt to sommon him to appeere at Paris page 82 Chap. 2 How the townes of Saint Quintin and Amiens were yeelded to the King and for what causes the Constable nourished the war between the K. and the Duke of Burgundy page 84 Chap. 3 How the Duke of Burgundy tooke Piquigni and afterward found meanes to make truce with the King for a yeere to the Constables griefe page 86 Chap. 4 Of the wars among the Princes of England during these troubles betweene King Lewis and Charles Duke of Burgundy page 89 Chap. 5 How by King Lewis his aide the Earle of Warwicke chased King Edward out of England to the Duke of Burgundies great griefe who receiued him into his countries page 92 Chap. 6 How the Earle of Warwicke tooke out of prison King Henry of England page 96 Chap. 7 How king Edward returned into England where he slew in battell first the Earle of Warwicke and then the Prince of Wales page 99 Chap. 8 How the wars reuiued betweene king Lewis and Charles D. of Burgundy by the sollicitation of the Dukes of Guienne and Britaine page 101 Chap. 9 How the finall peace treated of betweene the Duke of Burgundy and the king brake off bicause of the Duke of Guiennes death and how these two great Princes sought to deceiue each other page 105 Chap. 10 How the Duke of Burgundy seeing that he could not take Beaunais before the which he had laid his siege went to Roan page 108 Chap. 11 How the king made peace with the Duke of Britaine and truce with the Duke of Burgundy how the Earle of Saint Paul escaped for that time a conspiracie that these two Princes made against him page 110 Chap. 12 A discourse very fit for this place of the wisedome of the king and the Constable with good aduertisements to such as are in credite with Princes page 114 The fourth Booke Chap. 1 How the Duke of Burgundie being seazed of the Duchie of Gueldres sought to encroch further vpon the Almaines and how he laid his siege before Nuz page 116 Chap. 2 How the towne of Nuz was succoured by the Emperor and the Almaines against the Duke of Burgundie and of other enimies that the king procured the Duke page 120 Chap. 3 How the king wan from the Duke of Burgundie the castell of Tronquey the townes of Montdidier Roye and Corby and how he sought to perswade the Emperor Frederic to seiz vpon all that the said Duke held of the Empire page 122 Chap. 4 How the Constable began to be had in suspition againe as well of the king as of the Duke of Burgundy page 124 Chap. 5 How the Duke of Burgundy leuied his siege before Nuz by composition and how the king of England his confederate sent to defie king Lewis page 126 Chap. 6 Of the trouble the Constable was in and how he sent letters of credit to the king of England and the Duke of Burgundy which after were in part cause of his death page 129 Chap. 7 How the king clothed a poore seruant in a cote armor with a scutchin and sent him to speake with the king of England in his campe where he receiued a very good answere page 131 Chap. 8 How truce for nine yeeres was treated of betweene the kings of Fraunce and England notwithstanding all the lets and impediments that the Constable and the Duke of Burgundy made page 133 Chap. 9 How the king feasted the English men in Amiens and how there was a place assigned for the enteruiew of the two kings page 136 Chap. 10 How the two kings met and sware the treatie before concluded and how some supposed that the holy Ghost came downe vpon the king of Englands pauilion in the likenes of a white pigeon page 140 Chap. 11 How the Constable after the truce made with the English men sought to excuse himselfe to the king and how truce was also concluded for nine yeeres betweene the king and the Duke of Burgundie page 143 Chap. 12 How the Constables death was fully concluded and sworne betweene the king and the Duke of Burgundy and how he went into the Dukes dominions where by his commandement he was
battle should rest twise vpon the way to the end the foote men mought breath them bicause the vaward and it were far asunder and the corne high and thicke which troubled their going yet notwithstanding the cleane contrarie was done as though men would purposely haue lost all Wherfore heerby God manifestly declared that he is the Lord of hostes and disposeth of the victorie as seemeth best to him and sure for my part I cannot be perswaded that the wisdome of one man is sufficient to gouerne such a number of men nor that an enterprise can be executed in the field as it is deuised in the chamber and farther I verily beleeue that who so ableth himselfe by his own wit and capacitie to giue order in so waightie a matter misbehaueth himselfe towards God Notwithstanding euery man ought to do his endeuour therein acknowledging the wars to be one of the accomplishments of Gods iudgements which oftentimes he beginneth vpon small occasions to the end that by giuing victorie now to one and now to another some great realmes and seniories may fall to ruine and desolation and other some increase and florish with large empire and dominion for farther proofe whereof marke this that foloweth The Earle of Charolois marched without any breathing giuen to his shot and footemen vpon the way The Kings men of armes passed through the hedge aboue mentioned at two seuerall places and when they approched so neere their enimies that they began to charge their staues the Burgundian men of armes brake their owne shot and passed through it not giuing them leaue to let one arrow flie notwithstanding that the shot were the principall force and onely hope of their armie for of the men of armes being to the number of twelue hundred I thinke hardly fifty knew how to charge a launce there were not foure hundred of them armed with quiracies and of their retinue not one armed all the which inconueniences grew partly bicause they had rested so long in peace and partly bicause this house of Burgundie for ease of their subiects entertained no soldiers in ordinarie But since that day these Seniors of Burgundie haue continued in troubles which euen at this present rather increase than diminish Thus the Burgundian men of armes as you haue heard brake themselues the chiefe force and onely hope of their armie yet notwithstanding so it pleased God to dispose of this matter that on the right side of the castle where the Earle himselfe stoode no resistance was found All this day I my selfe neuer departed from the Earle being lesse afraide than in any other battell that euer I was at since for I was yoong and knew not what perill ment but wondred how any man durst resist the Prince I serued supposing none to be comparable to him Such are the cogitations of men lacking experience which causeth them oftentimes to maintaine fond arguments grounded vpon small reason Wherefore it is good to follow his aduise that saith A man seldome repenteth him of too little speech but often of too much On the lefthand stood the Lord of Rauastin and master Iames of S. Paul with diuers others who well perceiued their force too weake to encounter with the enimie that came to charge them but they were now so neere ioined togither that it was too late to deuise any new order To be short these were vtterly ouerthrowne and persued euen hard to our carriage where certaine of the footemen relied themselues but the greatest part tooke the forrest being but halfe a league thence The principall that folowed the chase were the gentlemen of Daulphine and Sauoy with certeine companies of men of armes who supposed the victorie to haue been theirs and not without cause for sure the Burgundians flight was great on that side yea and of great personages The most part fled toward Pont S. Maxence 12 supposing it had held yet for the Earle In the forrest also a great number staied among whom was the Earle of S. Paul well accompanied for he stood neere to the forrest side and declared afterward that he held not the battell as lost The Notes 1 This Iohn Earle of Dunois was bastard to Lewis Duke of Orleans Meyer 2 Yet La Marche saith that the Earle of Maine was of the Princes confederacie 3 The Arriereban is an edict neuer proclaimed but in cases of great extremitie for all as well nobles as others are thereupon bound to repaire to the King diuers of the which before the proclamation therof are not bound by their tenure to mooue The Arriereban of Daulphine heere named were all those of the countrie of Daulphine that held by this tenure Reade the edict made by King Francis anno 1543. and Girarde of the state of Fraunce lib. 2. fol. 113. 4 The King by the perswasion of the Earle of Maine and the Seneschall Brezey resolued at the last to fight Annal. Burgund 5 Brezey had changed armor with the King which caused his death for those that slue him supposed it had been the King Annal. Aquitan but Meyer saith he was reported to be slaine by the Kings procurement vvhich I knovve not vvhere he findeth 6 Of the day of the battell Annal. Franc. agree vvith our author but Annal. Burg. Annal. Aquit say 17. Meyer hath 17. Cal. Augusti that is the 16. day of Iuly vvith him agreeth Gaguin La Marche vvho vvas present at the battell and knighted in it 7 The Duke vvas ioined vvith the English men but 15. or 16. yeeres as saith also Introduction de la Marche for the league began anno 1419. and ended anno 1435. 8 The Burgundians dismounted so suddenly that laying dovvne their complete armor they had not leasure to buckle their lighter armor about them vvhich vvas the cause of Lalains death Annal. Burgund 9 Contay vsed another reason to persvvade the Earle to assaile his enimies heere not expressed to vvit to preuent the Parisians vvho if they issued foorth should inclose him betvveene them and the King Annal. Burgund 10 This Lalain seemeth to be the father of him that vvas slaine 11 Betvveene Longiumeau vvhere the Earles battell lay and Montl'hery vvhere his vavvard ledged are fovver English miles 12 Pont S. Clou and Pont S. Maxence vvere yeelded by the Burgundians bicause the rumor was that the Earle of Charolois was slaine in the battell Meyer Of the danger the Earle of Charolois was in and how he was rescued Chap. 4. THe Earle of Charolois pursued his enimies on that side himselfe stood halfe a league beyond Montl'hery and found no resistance notwithstanding that he were but slenderly accompanied and met with maine enimies wherefore he held the victorie for his but suddenly an old gentleman of Luxembourg called Anthony le Breton came to him and aduertised him that the French were relied vpon the field so that if he followed the chase any further he should cast away himselfe But the Earle regarded not his speech notwithstanding that he repeated it twise
his especiall friend and so also the Duke shewed himselfe as well by the aide he sent him being fiue hundred men of armes and three thousand footemen vnder the leading of his eldest sonne Galeas afterward Duke of Milan who came as far as the countrey of Forrestz in Auuergne where he made war vpon the Duke of Bourbon and afterward returned home bicause of his fathers death as also by the counsell he gaue him at the treatie of peace held at Conflans where he sent him word to refuse no condition of peace but to seuer his companie and retain his owne forces still about him We had hardly been three daies before Paris when the King entred the towne immediately after whose arriuall sharpe war was made vpon vs especially vpon our forragers whom we were constrained to garde with great forces bicause they went far from our campe Now to speake somwhat of the towne of Paris we must needes confesse that it is maruellous well situate in the I le of Fraunce seeing the countrey about it was able to victuall two such huge armies for as touching vs we neuer lacked and they within the towne found nothing enhaunced saue onely a denier 2 vpon euery loafe of bread the reason wherof was bicause we held not the riuers aboue the towne being these three Marne Yonne and Seine besides diuers small streames that run into them Wherefore all things considered this towne is situate in the best and fruitfullest soile that euer I sawe yea it is almost incredible how great the prouision is that commeth thither I my selfe was resident there since the time I now write of halfe a yeere togither with K. Levvis being lodged at the Tournelles and ordinarily eating and lodging in the court Since his death also by the space of twentie moneths full sore against my will I was held prisoner in his pallace where I saw daily out of my windowe the prouision that came vp the streame out of Normandie and likewise downe the streame which was so great that I would neuer haue beleeued it had I not seene it Diuers bands as you haue heard issued daily out of Paris the skirmishes were great our watch being of fiftie launces stood neere to la Grange aux Merciers but our escouts rode as neere Paris as was possible the which were often beaten backe to our watch and eftsoones the enimie on their backe as far as our cariage retirng somtime a softpace and somtime a fast trot Then vsed we to renforce them with new supplies which beat backe the enimies hard to the towne gates and this was daily and howerly done for within the towne were aboue 2500. men of armes in verie good order and a great number of gentlemen of Normandy and franke archers besides that they sawe daily their Ladies which encouraged them to put foorth themselues Our force was also verie great but in horsemen we were not so strong as they for we had with vs onely the Burgundians being about two thousand launces good and bad nothing so well armed as they within Paris bicause of the long peace wherein they had liued as before is mentioned of the which number also two hundred men of armes were at Laigny with the Duke of Calabria but of footemen we had great force and those very good The Britains armie laie at Saint Denys making war on that side the towne of Paris all the waies they could and the other noblemen were disparkled some heere some there to make prouision of victuals In the end the Duke of Nemours the Earle of Armignac the Lord of Albret came to vs but their forces lodged a good way from our campe bicause they had no pay and should haue famished our armie if they had taken ought without money This I am sure of that the Earle of Charolois gaue them fiue or sixe thousand franckes and tooke order that they should come no neerer vs. They were at the least fiue or sixe thousand horse that did maruellous much harme in the countrey The Notes 1 Yet Meyer vvriteth that the King aftervvard poisoned the Bishop but Meyers vvords are no Gospell 2 A Denier is the tvvelfth part of threehalfepence starling How the Earle of Charolois artillerie and the Kings artillerie shot the one against the other neere to Charenton and how the Earle of Charolois caused another bridge to be built vpon boates ouer the riuer of Seine Chap. 9. NOw to returne to the campe before Paris you may be sure that no day passed without losse on both sides but no great exploit was done for the King would suffer no great force to issue out of the towne neither ment to hazard the battel but desired peace and wisely to disparkle this assemblie Notwithstanding one morning very early 4000. archers came and encamped along by the riuer side vpon the very banke directly ouer against Conflans The gentlemen of Normandie and certaine of the Kings ordinarie men of armes laie in a village but a quarter of a league from them and betweene them and their footemen was onely a faire plaine The riuer of Seine ran betweene them and vs and they began to dig a trench hard by Charenton which ran in length to the very end of our campe directly ouer against the which the riuer being betweene vs and them as you haue heard they built a bulwarke of wood and earth and thereon mounted greatstore of artilirie which at the verie first shot chased the Duke of Calabrias men out of the village of Charenton and forced them in great haste to come and lodge with vs with losse both of men and horses But the Duke of Calabria himselfe laie in a litle house betweene the riuer and the Earle of Charolois lodging directly ouer against the enimies This artilerie shot also into our campe and put the whole armie in great feare for the verie first shot slew certaine of our men and twise it strake through the Earle of Charolois chamber as he sat at dinner and slew a trumpetter vpon the staires bearing vp a dish of meate Wherefore after dinner the Earle remooued into a low parlor resoluing not to depart thence The next morning the Princes met at his lodging to consult what was to be done for they euer sate in counsell there and at their rising dined also there togither The Dukes of Berry and Britaine sate next to the wall vpon the bench and the Earle of Charolois and the Duke of Calabria ouer against them The said Earle placed euery one of them aboue himselfe as reason was he should some of them yea all of them seeing they were in his lodging There they deuised to countermount all the artillerie in their armie against the Kings wherof the Earle of Charolois had great store as had also the Dukes of Calabria Britaine for accomplishment of which their purpose they pearced the wals along the riuer side behinde Conflans and there mounted all the best peeces of their artillery saue the
their lacke of experience cause them either to conclude some dishonorable treaty or put their master in greater feare at their returne than there is cause why Farther a Prince ought to commit such affaires rather to those that haue receaued benefit at his hands than to such as neuer were benefited by him but especially to wise men for he shall neuer make profit by imploying a foole Besides this such treaties ought to be held rather far from his campe than neere vnto it and when the Commissioners returne the Prince must giue them audience himselfe alone or in presence of verie fewe to the end that if their newes be discomfortable they may be instructed how to answer those that will be inquisitiue for all men will desire to vnderstand newes of them yea and some of their familiars will thinke that they wil hide nothing from them notwithstanding if they be such men as I haue heere described and know their master to be wise they will reueale nothing to any man whosoeuer The Notes 1 Couperoit in the French is vndoubtedly to be read Coupleroit as I haue heere translated it for to read it Couperoit is senselesse for the better vnderstanding of this place peruse Valturius de re militari lib. 11. pag. 313. where you shall se the right description of this bridge 2 This Chastel Guyon Chasteau Guyen and Chasteau Guyon as our author also afterward nameth him was the Prince of Orenges sonne La Marche 3 The old copie saith he was slaine at Morat but De la Marche who was at the battell sayeth at Granson but heere is to be noted that the Chasteau Guyon mentioned by our author lib. 5. cap. 2. and by Annal. Burgund that went into Piemont after the battell of Granson was not this but sonne or brother to this which is prooued by Commines owne vvords for in that place he calleth him Mounseor De Chasteau Guyon qui est de present and vvhether this Chasteau Guyon vvere slaine at Granson or Morat he cold not be aliue in Charles the 8 time vvhen our author writ Thus much I haue said lest Commines should seeme to vary from La Marche or rather from himselfe A discourse vpon certaine vices and vertues of King Lewis the 11. Chap. 10. I Am entred into this discourse bicause I haue seene much falsehood in the world and many seruants deceaue their masters oftentimes through their masters owne fault for this I dare boldly auowe that proud and disdainfull Princes and such as will giue audience but to fewe are oftner abused then those that are curteous and readie to giue eare to euery man wherein sure King Levvis our master surmounted far all the Princes of his time for he was the wisest Prince in winding himselfe out of trouble and aduersitie the humblest in words the plainest in apparell and the greatest traueller to win a man that might do him seruice or harme that euer I knew Neither vsed he to relinquish his sute for the first refusal but labored the party continually by large promises and liberall gifts as well of great sums of money as also of such estates and offices as he knew would content him And as touching those whom he had banished and withdrawne his fauor from in peace and prosperitie he bought them deerely againe when he needed them and imploied them in his seruice cleane forgetting all offences passed He loued naturally men of meane estate and was enimie to all such as needed not to depende vpon him neuer Prince gaue audience to so many men neuer Prince was inquisitiue of so many matters nor desirous to be acquainted with so many strangers as he whereby he knew aswell all that were in authoritie and estimation in England Spaine Portugale Italie and the Seniories of Burgundie and Britaine as his owne subiects And by these vertues preserued he his estate which stood in great danger at his first comming to the crowne bicause of the enimies himselfe had procured to himselfe But his great liberalitie especially serued him to good purpose for as in aduersitie he wisely behaued himselfe so contrariwise in time of peace or truce he lightlie fell out with his seruants by picking trifling quarels to them and such was his disposition that he could hardly away with peace or quietnes In his talke he spared no man neither absent nor present saue such as he feared which were many for naturally he was very fearfull Farther when his talke had either turned him to displeasure or was like so to do he would endeuor himselfe to amend the matter by vsing these or such like words to the partie offended I know well that my toong hath wrought me much displeasure but it hath also oftentimes stood me in great stead notwithstanding reason it is that I should repaire the iniurie done and when he vsed this familiar speech he euer gaue withall some great present to the partie greeued Sure the knowledge of good and euill is a great gift of God to a Prince I meane when the good surmounteth the euill as it did in the King our Master who in mine opinion was much bettered by the trouble he sustained in his youth when he fled from his father and soiourned with Duke Philip of Burgundy the space of sixe yeeres 1 for he was constrained there to frame himselfe to the humor of those whom he stood in neede of which singular vertue aduersitie taught him But after his fathers death when he came first to the state he thought onely vpon reuenge but soone felt the smart thereof and therefore foorthwith changed his minde acknowledged his error repaired the harmes done and sought to recouer by large benefits those whom he had offended as heerafter you shall perceiue And I thinke verily he should neuer haue wound himselfe out of those troubles had not his education been better than noble mens commonly is in this realme who are brought vp altogither in wantonnes and dissolutenes as well in apparell as in talke they are vtterly vnlearned there is not one wise man about them they haue gouernors that dispose of all their affaires but they themselues do nothing yea some noble men there are hardly of fower nobles rent that glorie in saying Speake to my seruants thinking thereby to imitate great Princes But I haue oftentimes seene their seruants so make their profit of them that their folly hath thereby appeered to the whole world And if any of them happen at the length to looke about him and to attend to his owne busines it is so late that it seemeth almost to no purpose for all those that haue been great or done great things began in their tender age which vertue proceedeth either of their bringing vp or of the grace of God The Notes 1 King Lewis departed from his father into Daulphin anno 1447. and there remained till the yeere 1456. at the which time bicause of the force his father sent thither against him he was constrained to flie to
at variance somtime in open war and somtime in a dissembled truce wherein each party comprehended their confederates God shewed so great fauor to the realme of Fraunce that the ciuill wars in England were not yet fully ended notwithstanding that they began fifteene yeeres before and had continued with cruell and bloodie battels wherein many a good man lost his life For you shall vnderstand that there were in England two houses that claimed the crowne to wit Lancaster and Yorke for the which cause both the parties proclaimed their enimies traitors and the diuision of these two houses was the preseruation of the estate of Fraunce for doubt you not but that this realme had sustained great troubles if the English men had been in such estate then as in times past But to returne againe to our matter the Kings chiefe desire was to conquer Britaine both bicause it seemed easier to be subdued and of lesse defence than this house of Burgundy and also bicause the Britons receiued all his euill willers namely his brother and other his enimies that had intelligence in his realme Wherefore he practised continually with the Duke of Burgundy making him diuers offers if he would forsake the Britons and namely that he would in like maner abandon the Liegeois and all other the Dukes enimies Whereunto the Duke of Burgundy would not agree but made a new voiage against the Liegeois bicause they had againe broken the peace and taken and spoiled a towne called Huy 1 and chased his men out of it notwithstanding the hostages deliuered the yeere before vnder paine of death and the great summe of mony they had bound themselues to forfeit if they brake the said treatie The Duke leuied his armie about Louuain in Brabant and vpon the marches of Liege whither came to him from the King the Earle of Saint Paule Constable of Fraunce now become altogither French and resident continually with the King accompanied with Cardinall Balne and others who aduertised him that the Liegeois were the Kings confederates and comprehended in the truce wherefore the King would succour them if he inuaded them Notwithstanding they offered if he would abandon the Dukes of Berry and Britaine to the King that the King would then abandon the Liegeois to him Their audience was short and in open court neither staied they aboue one day The Duke excused himselfe and charged the Liegeois with breach of the peace alledging that they had inuaded his dominions wherefore he sawe no reason why he should not be reuenged on them without forsaking his confederates and this was his answer for that time Againe the next day after their arriuall the Duke being ready to take horse tolde them that he humbly besought the King to attempt nothing against the Duke of Britaine whereunto the Constable replied and said sir you choose not but take all for you will make war at your pleasure vpon your friends and constraine vs to lie still and not inuade our enimies as you do yours it may not be so neither will the King endure it Then the Duke taking his leaue said thus again the Liegeois are assembled togither within three d↑ies I looke for the battell if I be ouerthrowne I am sure you will do after your accustomed maner but if the victory fall on my side the Britaines shall liue quietly enough by you Which talke ended he mounted on horsebacke and the ambassadors repaired to their lodgings to make them ready to depart The Duke marched in armes from Louuaine with great force laid his siege before a town called Sainctron his power was maruellous great for all the strength of Burgundy was come to him so that this army was far greater than any other that I had seene with him before A litle before his departure he debated with his counsell whether he should put the Liegeois hostages to death or what he should do with them Some gaue aduise to kill them all especially the Lord of Contay so often aboue mentioned whom I neuer heard speake so cruelly as at that present Wherfore it is necessary for a Prince to haue more than one of his counsell for the wisest erre yea and that often Otherwhiles bicause they are partiall to the matters debated through hatred or loue somtime bicause they seeke to contrary some one that hath spoken before them possible also their bodies may be euill disposed for it is not to be held for counsell that is giuen after dinner But you will say that men subiect to such imperfections are vnfit to be of a Princes councill whereunto I answer that we are all men and that who so will haue no councillors but such as neuer faile to speake wisely nor are more troubled at one time then another must seeke them in heauen for he shall not finde them on earth But for redresse of this inconuenience somtime one of the councell will speake very well and wisely that vseth not often so to do and thus the one supplieth the others defects Now to return to the matter debated in this assembly two or three were of the said Contais opinion mooued thereunto by his great authority wisdome for in such assemblies a great number giue their opinion but as they haue heard some other speake before them not vnderstanding the matters debated but seeking onely to flatter some one being of credit and authority that hath already spoken After this the Lord of Himbercourt a gentleman borne neere to Amiens and one of the wisest knights that euer I knew being asked his aduise said that to the end the Duke might haue God on his side and discharge himselfe of cruelty and desire of reuenge before the world he thought it best to pardon all those hostages considering they came thither with a good intent supposing the treatie should haue been obserued notwithstanding he aduised the Duke at their departure to giue them to vnderstand how great grace and fauor he shewed them and to desire them to do their endeuor in perswading their citizens to peace which if they could not obtain yet at the least they themselues acknowledging his goodnes towards them should neuer after beare armes neither against him nor their bishop there present with him This opinion tooke place and the hostages when they were deliuered promised to do as the Duke required Farther this was told them at their departure that if any of them were herafter taken in armes against the Duke he should die and thus they were dismissed It is not amisse to reherse heere how after Monseur de Contayes cruell sentence pronounced against the hostages part of them which were come thither with a good meaning and vpon verie simplicitie one of the Counsell said thus to me in mine eare Marke well this man his bodie is healthfull ynough though he be old yet dare I laie a good wager he shall not liue a yeere to an end bicause of this cruell sentence he hath giuen and sure so it fell out
was their onely man of wisdome and experience in the countrey besides that generally the Britaines desire nothing more than peace with Fraunce bicause continually a great number of them haue good entertainment and be in good estimation in this realme not vnwoorthily for sure in times past they haue done great seruice heere Wherefore me thinke the King did very wisely in concluding this treaty notwithstanding that some not considering so deepely thereof as himselfe did thought otherwise of it He had a very good opinion of the Lord of Lescute knew there was no danger in putting those offices and places of charge that he did into his hands bicause he was a man of honor would neuer during these diuisions haue any intelligence with the English men nor consent that the townes in Normandie 2 should be yeelded to them but had beene the onely stay thereof which was the cause of all his preferment When the King had well debated this matter he commanded Sousplenuille to put in writing all that his Master required as well for the Duke as himselfe which done the King granted him all his demands being these A pension of 80000. franks for the Duke for his master the Lord of Lescute a pension of 6000. franks the gouernment of Guienne the two Seneschalships of Launes and Bordelois the captainship of one of the castels of Bordeaux the captainship of Blaye and of the two castels of Bayonne of Dax and of Saint Seuer 24000. crownes in ready mony the Kings order and the Earldome of Comminges All the which the King granted and agreed vnto saue that the Dukes pension was diminished by the one halfe and continued but two yeeres Further the King gaue the said Sousplenuille 6000. crownes which with the other 24. thousand giuen to his Master were to be paid in fower yeeres a pension of 1200. franks the Mayraltie of Bayonne the Bailywick of Montargis and certaine other small offices in Guienne All the which aboue rehearsed estates his Master and he enioied till the Kings death Philip d'Essars likewise was made Bailife of Meaux and lieutenant of the waters and forrests throughout the realme of Fraunce and had also a pension granted him of 1200. franks and 4000. crownes in ready money all the which offices and estates from that day till the King our Master his death they quietly enioied and the Lord of Comminges continued during his life his trustie and faithfull seruant The King hauing pacified all matters in Britaine marched straight toward Picardie for he and the Duke of Burgundie vsed alwaies when winter approched to make truce for sixe moneths or a yeere and some time more After the which their woonted maner they made truce at this present which the Chancellor of Burgundie with certaine others came to the King to conclude There the Kings Commissioners read the finall peace made with the Duke of Britaine whereby the said Duke renounced the league he was entred into with the English men and the D. of Burgundie wherfore the King required the Duke of Burgundies ambassadors not to comprehend the Duke of Britaine in the truce as their confederate whereunto they would not condiscend but agreed that the Duke of Britaine should be at his choise to declare himselfe within the time accustomed either the Kings confederate or theirs alleaging that heertofore also the said Duke had abandoned them by writing yet had not departed from their friendship Further adding that though he were a Prince wholy led and gouerned by others and doing little of himselfe yet in the end he euer yeelded to that which was best and most necessary for his estate All this was done in the yeere 1473. During this treatie they murmured on both sides against the Earle of Saint Paule Constable of Fraunce for the King and those that were neerest about him had conceiued maruellous hatred against him And the Duke of Burgundy hated him woorse than they as he had iust cause to do for I know the reasons that mooued them both to beare him ill will The Duke had not yet forgotten that he was the onely occasion of the losse of Amiens and Saint Quintin and perceiued well that he nourished this war betweene the King and him For in time of truce he spake him as faire as was possible but so soone as the war opened he shewed himselfe his mortall foe Further the Earle had sought to constraine him by force to marrie his daughter to the Duke of Guienne as before 〈◊〉 â—â—ue heard Besides all this there was yet another grudge for while the Duke lay before Amiens the Constable made a road into Henault and among other cruell exploits burned the castell of Seure belonging to a Knight named Master Baudouin of Launay before the which time they vsed on neither side to fire any place But in reuenge thereof the Duke this last sommer burned the countrie all the way his armie passed as before you haue heard Thus they began to practise the Constables destruction for the accomplishment whereof diuers of the Kings men conferred with such of the Dukes seruants as they knew to be his mortall enimies for the French had him in as great iealousie as the Duke of Burgundie had and accused him as the onely occasion of the war wherefore all his treaties and practises with both parties were ripped vp and discouered and they both sought his death Some man may peraduenture aske heerafter if the King alone were not of power sufficient to put him to death whereunto I answer that he was not For his lands lay iust in the middest betweene the King and the Duke further he held Saint Quintin a great and strong towne in Vermandois and of his owne Han Bohain and other very strong places neere to the said Saint Quintin the which he might man at all times with any nation at his owne pleasure He had charge vnder the King of fower hundred men of armes well paied of the which companie himselfe was controller and tooke the muster which was no small profit to him for his companies were not complete Besides all this he had a yeerely pension of 45000. franks and of euerie tunne of wine that passed through his countrie into Flaunders or Henault he receiued a crowne for impost He had also goodly seigniories and possessions of his owne inheritance and great intelligence as well in Fraunce as in the Dukes dominions where he had many kinsfolks and allies The truce betweene the King and the Duke continued a whole yeere all the which space this practise endured and the Kings men addressed themselues wholie to the Lord of Hymbercourt so often before named who of long time had beene the Constables enimy besides that their hatred was lately increased For in an assembly held at Roye where the Constable and others were commissioners for the King and the Chancellor of Burgundy and the Lord of Hymbercourt with diuers others for the Duke as they conferred togither of their affaires the
suum seque ipsos planè seruassent Siquidem statim post Caroli interitum ambo apud Gandauum accepêre talionem 6 The Constable died the 19. of December 1475. Annal. Franc. Gaguin Meyer in whom read the causes of his death fol. 368. A discourse of the fault the Duke of Burgundie committed in deliuering the Constable to the King contrarie to his safe conduct and what ensued thereof Chap. 13. THis deliuerie of the Constable was maruellous strange notwithstanding I speake it not to excuse his faults neither to accuse the Duke for sure he had iust cause to seeke his death But me thinke that he being so great a Prince and of so noble and honorable an house should not haue giuen him a safe conduct and then arrest him And vndoubtedly it was great crueltie to deliuer him where he was sure to die especially for couetousnes But soone after he had thus dishonored himselfe by this deede he receiued great losses and began to fall to ruine So that if we well consider the workes that God hath done in these our daies and daily doth we shal easily perceiue that he will leaue no fault vnpunished and that these strange punishments are inflicted onely by him bicause they surmount far the works of nature For his punishments are sudden especially vpon those that vse violence and cruelty who can not be meane persons but mighty men either in seniories or authority This house of Burgundy had long florished for by the space of a hundred yeeres or thereabout during the which time raigned fower of this house it was more esteemed than any other house in Christendome For all those that were mightier then it had suffered great afflictions and aduersities but it liued continually in perpetual felicity honor The first great Prince of this house was Philip surnamed the Hardy brother to Charles the fift King of Fraunce who maried the daughter and heire of the Earle of Flaunders being Countesse not onely of that countrey but also of Artois Burgundy 1 Neuers and Rethell The second was Iohn the third was the good Duke Philip who ioined to his house the Duchies of Brabant Luxembourg Lambourg and the Counties of Holland Zeland Hainault and Namur The fourth was this Duke Charles who after his fathers death was one of the richest and most redoubted Princes of Christendome and had in moueables namely iewels plate tapestry bookes and naprie more than three of the greatest Princes in Christendome Of treasure in coine I haue seene greater abundance in other Princes Courts for Duke Philip by the space of many yeeres leuied neither subsidies nor taskes yet notwithstanding at his death he left his sonne aboue three hundred thousand crowns in ready money and in peace with all his neighbors which long indured not notwithstanding I will not impute the whole occasion of the wars to him for others were as busie as he His subiects immediately after his fathers death vpon a small request graunted him very willingly a subsidie euerie countrey apart for the terme of ten yeeres amounting yeerly to the summe of 350000. crownes Burgundy not being comprehended therein Yea and at the time he deliuered the Constable he leuied yeerely ouer and aboue the former summe more then 300000. crownes and had aboue 300000. crownes in coine and all the Constables goods that came to his hands amounted hardly to the value of 80000. crownes for he had but 76000. in coine So that the Duke committed this foule fault for small gaine yet was the punishment thereof great for God raised vp an enimie against him of small force of yoong yeeres and of little experience in all things and caused his seruant whom he then most trusted to become false and traiterous He made also the Duke himselfe to mistrust his owne subiects faithfull seruants Are not these such manifest tokens and preparatiues as God vsed in the old Testament against those whose good fortune and prosperitie he meant to chang into misery and aduersitie Yet he neuer humbled himselfe before God but euen till the hower of death attributed all his good successe to his owne wisedome and prowesse before his death he was mightier than any of his predecessors and more esteemed through the whole world Before the Constables deliuerie he was fallen into a maruellous mistrust or great disdaine of his owne subiects for he had sent into Italie for a thousand men of armes Italians Before Nuz also he had great forces of Italians in his campe for the Earle of Campobache had vnder his charge fower hundred men of armes and better This Earle had no possessions for his maintenance for bicause of the wars the house of Aniou had made in the realme of Naples which house he serued he was banished his countrey and lost all his landes and serued euer since his departure out of Italie in Prouence or Lorraine vnder King Rene of Sicile or Duke Nicholas sonne to Duke Iohn of Calabria After whose death the Duke of Burgundie gaue entertainment to most of his seruants especially all his Italians namely this Earle of Campobache Iames Galeot a valiant honorable and faithfull gentleman and diuers others The said Earle of Campobache when he went into Italie to leuie his men receiued of the Duke of Burgundie 40000. duckets in prest for his companie But as he passed through Lions he fell in acquaintance with a Phisition named Master Simon of Pauy by whom he aduertised the King that if he would grant him certaine demands he would promise him at his returne to deliuer the Duke of Burgundy into his hands the like offer made he also to Monseur de Saint Pray then ambassador in Premont for the King Againe at his returne hauing his men of armes lying in the County of Marle he offered the King that so soone as he should be in campe with his Master he would not faile either to kill him or take him prisoner shewing withall the maner how he would do it which was this The Duke rode often about his campe to viewe it mounted vpon a little nagge and very slenderly accompanied at some such time this Earle said he would assault him and execute his enterprise He made yet also another offer to the King namely if the King and the Duke met togither in battell to turne with his men of armes on the Kings side vnder condition that the King would grant him certaine demands The King detested much the treason of this man and of a noble courage aduertised the Duke of his practises by the Lord of Contay aboue mentioned Notwithstanding the Duke would not credit the message supposing that the King sent him this aduertisement to some other end but loued the Earle all the better Wherefore you may see how God had troubled his wits in that he would giue no credit to those manifest demonstrations the King shewed him Well this Earle of Campobache was not so false and traiterous but Iames Galeot was as true and trusty who liued many
againe to the Dukes campe and then reuolted from him as you haue heard when he saw the Almains march of whom being refused he retired as I said before to this castell of Condy. The said Almains marched forward being accompanied with great force of French horse men that had leaue giuen them to be at the battell Diuers also there were that lay in ambushes neere to the place to the end if the D. were discomfited they might get som good prisoner or booty Thus you see the miserable estate this poore Duke of Burgundy was fallen into by refusing good aduise When the two armies ioined the Dukes hauing been already twise discomfited and being but small and in very euill order was incontinent broken and put to flight a great number escaped the rest were either slaine 3 or taken and namely the Duke himselfe died vpon the place Of the maner of his death 4 I will not speake bicause I was not there present but I haue communed with some that were there who told me that they saw him striken to the ground could not succor him bicause they were prisoners Notwithstanding to their iudgement he was not then slaine but after these came a great troupe which slew him in the midst of them stripped him and left him among the dead bodies not knowing who he was 5 This battell 6 was fought the fift of Ianuary 7 1476. vpon Twelfth euen 1477. begining the yeere as Newe yeeres tide The Notes 1 He departed vpon wensday with 180. Meyer saith almost 200. men of armes that is 800. horse and on saturday departed the Lords of Dauge or Augy as Meyer nameth him and Montfort with 120. men of armes that is 480. horse and vpon sunday was the battel Annal. Aquit Meyer Annal. Burgund 2 The castell of Condy was the passage vpon the bridge of the riuer of Moselle Meyer 3 The Duke lost in the battell of Nancy 3000. men Annal. Burgund 4 He had three wounds one with a halberd in the side of his head which claue his head downe to the teeth another with a pike through the haunches and the third a push also with a pike by the fundament Annal. Burg. He was born the 11. of Nouember 1433. and was 34. yeeres old when he began to gouerne he liued 43. yeeres one moneth and 26. daies and gouerned nine yeeres sixe moneths and twenty daies Meyer 5 The name of him that slue Duke Charles was Claude of Bausmont captaine of the castell of Saint Dier in Lorraine The Duke was mounted vpon a blacke courser and seeing his battel 's ouerthrowen tooke a little riuer supposing to haue saued himselfe but in the riuer his horse fell and ouerthrevv him and then this gentleman not knowing him and by reason he vvas deafe not hearing the Duke vvho cried to him for the safetie of his life ran vpon him slue him stripped him and left him lying starke naked in the ditch VVhere the next day after the battell his bodie vvas found so fast frosen in the ice that vvhen it vvas dravven foorth a peece of his cheeke tarried there behinde The Duke of Lorraine to his great honor solemnly buried him himselfe and al his nobles accompanying the corps in mourning attire The place vvhere the Duke vvas slaine vvas hard by S. Iohns Church vvithout Nancy vvhere the Duke of Lorraine erected a crosse for a memoriall thereof The gentleman that slue him died soone after of melancholie vvhen he vnderstood that he had slaine so vvoorthie and couragious a Prince Champier Annales Burgund 6 The battell at Nancy Meyer nameth the battell of Iaruilla 7 Being sunday and as others vvrite ann 1477. but the variance both in this place and diuers others betvveene Commines and them is bicause they end the yeere at Nevv yeeres tide and he not before our Lady day as by the course of his historie is most plaine A discourse vpon certaine vertues of the Duke of Burgundie and of the time his house flourished in prosperitie Chap. 9. I Saw at Milan since his death a signet that I haue often seene him weare at his brest which was a ring set with a camée hauing very curiously cut into it an iron to strike fire 1 wherein his armes were grauen This ring was sold at Milan for two ducats and he that stole it from him was a false knaue that had beene a groome of his chamber Many a time haue I seene him made ready and vnready with great reuerence and solemnitie and that by great personages But now when death came all these honors fleeted away and both he and his house were destroied as you haue heard in the selfesame place where a little before he had consented for couetousnes to deliuer the Constable to death I had knowen him in times past a mightie and honorable Prince as much yea more esteemed and sought to of his neighbours than any Prince in Christendome Further in mine opinion the greatest cause of Gods indignation against him was for that he attributed all his good successe and all the great victories he obtained in this world to his owne wisedome and vertue and not to God as he ought to haue done And vndoubtedly he was endued with many goodly vertues for neuer was Prince more desirous to entertaine noble men and keepe them in good order than he His liberalitie seemed not great 2 bicause he made all men partakers thereof Neuer Prince gaue audience more willingly to his seruants and subiects than he 3 While I serued him he was not cruell but grew maruellous cruel towards his end which was a signe of short life In his apparell and all other kinde of furniture he was woonderfull pompous yea somwhat too excessiue He receiued very honorably all ambassadors and strangers feasting them sumptuously and entertaining them with great solemnitie Couetous he was of glorie which was the chiefe cause that made him mooue so many wars for he desired to imitate those ancient Princes whose fame continueth till this present Lastly hardie he was and valiant as any man that liued in his time but all his great enterprises and attempts ended with himselfe and turned to his owne losse and dishonor for the honor goeth euer with the victorie Yet to say the truth I wot not well whether God powred out greater indignation vpon him or vpon his subiects for he died in battell without any long griefe but they sithence his death neuer liued in peace but in continual war against the which they haue not been able to make resistance bicause of their owne ciuill troubles and diuisions Yea and another thing that most greeueth them is that they that now defend them are strangers who not long since were their enimies namely the Almaines To conclude since the Dukes death neuer man bare them good will no not they that defend them Further if a man consider well their actions it seemeth that their wits were as much troubled as their Princes before his death for they despised
some of the which I spake who soone after became his faithfull seruants accordingly These countries were in marruellous feare and astonishment and not without cause for I thinke that in eight daies they could not haue leuied eight men of armes Further in all those quarters were not aboue 1500. soldiers horsemen and footmen which lay towards Namur in Henault were of those that escaped out of the battel where the Duke was slain Their woonted termes and maner of speech were now cleane altered for they spake lowly and humbly which I write not to accuse them as though in times past their words had been more arrogant than became them but the truth is when I was there they thought so well of themselues that they vsed not such reuerent language neither to the King nor of the King as they haue done sithence Wherefore if men were wise they would vse such faire speech in time of prosperitie that in aduersitie they should not neede to change their termes I returned to the Admirall to make report of my negotiation immediately whereupon we were aduertised that the King was at hand for he set foorth soone after vs and commanded letters to be written both in his owne name and diuers of his seruants names to cause certaine to repaire to him by whose meanes he trusted to bring all these seniories vnder his obedience The Notes 1 The pedegree in the end of this worke will shew how all these titles descended to this Lady Margaret A discourse not appertaining to the principall matters of the greatioie the King was in to see himselfe deliuered of so many enimies and of the error he committed touching the reducing of these countries of Burgundy to his obedience Chap. 12. THe King reioiced not a little to see himselfe thus deliuered of all those whom he hated and were his principall enimies of some of the which he had taken the reuenge himselfe namely the Constable of Fraunce the Duke of Nemours and diuers others his brother the Duke of Guyenne was dead whose inheritance was fallen to him In like maner all they of the house of Aniou were dead namely King Rene of Sicilie the Dukes of Calabria Iohn and Nicholas and their cosin the Earle of Maine and afterward of Prouence the Earle of Armignac was slaine at Lestore and all their lands and goods fallen to the King But bicause this house of Burgundie was greater and mightier than the rest and had made sharpe war with the English mens aide vpon his father K. Charles the seuenth thirtie two yeers without truce and had their dominions bordring vpon his and their subiects alwaies desirous to make war vpon him and his realme therefore he reioiced more at their Princes death than at the death of all the rest Further he now fully perswaded himselfe that during his life no man neither within his realme nor in the countries bordering vpon it would once lift vp his finger against him For he was in peace as you haue heard with the English men the which he trauelled to the vttermost of his power to continue But although he were thus void of all feare yet did not God permit him to take the wisest course for the atchieuing of this his enterprise being of so great importance And sure it appeereth both by that God shewed then and hath shewed since that he meant sharply to punish this house of Burgundy as wel in the person of the Prince as of the subiects and of those that liued amongst them For if the King our Master had taken the best course the wars that haue consumed them since had neuer hapned For if he had done as he ought to haue done he should haue sought to ioine to the crowne all those great Seniories whereunto he could pretend no title either by mariage or by courteous dealing with the subiects which thing he might then easily haue accomplished seeing the great feare miserie and distresse these countries were in at that time And if he had thus done he should both haue rid them of many troubles inlarged and enriched his owne realme through long peace which by this meanes had beene easily obtained He might also heereby haue eased his realme diuers waies especially of the charge of men of armes who continually rode vp and down from one corner of the realme to another oftentimes vpon small occasion While the Duke of Burgundy yet liued he eftsoones debated with me what were best to be done if the said Duke hapned to die And then he discoursed maruellous wisely thereof saying that he would trauell to make a mariage betweene the King his sonne now raigning and the Dukes daughter afterward Duches of Austrich which if she refused bicause of the Daulphin his sons yoong age then he would attempt to win hir to mary some yoong Lord of this realme to obtaine thereby hir friendship and hir subiects and recouer without blowes that he claimed to be his in the which minde he continued till eight daies before he vnderstood of the Dukes death But this wise deliberation he began somwhat to alter the selfe same day he receiued newes therof and the very instant that he dispatched the Admirall and me Notwithstanding he discouered not his purpose therein but made promise to diuers of lands and lordships that had been in the Dukes possession How Han Bohain Saint Quintin and Peronne were yeelded to the King and how he sent Master Oliuer his barber to practise with them of Gaunt Chap. 13. THe King being on the way comming after vs receiued good newes from all parts for the castels of Han and Bohain were yeelded vnto him and the citizens of Saint Quintins of their own accord receiued Monseur de Mouy their neighbor into the towne for him Further he assured himselfe of Peronne which VVilliam of Bische held and was put in hope both by vs and others that Monseur de Cordes would reuolt to him Further he had sent his barber called Master Oliuer to Gaunt in a village neere to the which he was borne and had dispatched diuers others into other places being in great hope of them all but the most part of them serued him rather with words then deedes When he drew neer to Peronne I went to meet him and found him in a village whither M. VVilliam of Bische and certain others came presented him the keies of the town wherof he was right glad The King abode there that day and I dined with him after mine accustomed maner for his pleasure was that seuen or eight at the least somtimes more should ordinarily sit at his owne table But after dinner he withdrew himselfe and seemed to be discontented with the small exploit the Admirall and I had done saying that he had sent Master Oliuer his barber to Gaunt to bring that towne to his obedience and Robinet Dodenfort to Saint Omers who was well friended there and those he commended as fit men to receiue the keies of a towne
spend both goods and liues in the wars wherefore it is reason they should vnderstand the cause of them before they begun Their subiects they poule in such sort that they leaue them nothing for notwithstanding that they pay them taskes and subsidies aboue their abilitie yet seeke they not to redresse the disorder of their men of armes which liue continually vpon their people without paiement dooing besides infinite mischiefes and iniuries as all the world knoweth For they are not contented with such cheere as they finde in the husband mans house and is set before them but beat also the poore men and constraine them to go foorth to buie them wine bread and victuals and if the good man haue a faire wife or a daughter he shall do wisely to keepe hir out of their sight Notwithstanding seeing these men of armes are duly paied this inconuenience might easily be redressed and order giuen that their paie should be made at euery two moneths ende at the furthest so should they not be able to alleage any pretence of their mischieuous dooings vnder colour that they want paie for the money is leuied and at the yeeres ende there is not one penie owing them I speake this for our realme which is more afflicted and plagued with these men of armes than any other countrey that I knowe But none can redresse this matter but a wise Prince other realmes bordering vpon vs haue other scourges Wherefore to continue this discourse is there any King or Prince that hath power to leuy one penie vpon his subiects besides his demaines without leaue and consent of those that must paie it vnlesse it be by tyrannie and violence A man will say that somtime the Prince can not tarie to assemble his estates bicause it would require too long time Whereunto I answer that if he mooue a war offensiue there needeth no such haste for he may haue leasure inough at his owne pleasure to make preparation And further he shall be much stronger and much more feared of his enimies when he mooueth war with the consent of his subiects than otherwise Now as touching a war defensiue that cloud is seene long before the tempest fall especially when it is forraine war and in this case good subiects ought not to complaine nor refuse any thing that is laid vpon them Notwithstanding such inuasion cannot happen so suddenly but that the Prince may haue leasure at the least to call togither certaine wise personages to whom he may open the causes of the war vsing no collusion therein neither seeking to maintaine a trifling war vpon no necessitie thereby to haue some colour to leuy money Money is also necessarie in time of peace to fortifie the frontiers for defence of those that dwell vpon them least they be taken vnprouided but this must be done measurably In all these matters the wisedome of a sage King sufficeth for if he be a iust Prince he knoweth what he may do and not do both by Gods law and mans To be short in mine opinion of all Seniories in the world that I know the realme of England is the countrey where the common wealth is best gouerned the people least oppressed and the fewest buildings and houses destroied in ciuill wars and alwaies the lot of misfortune falleth vpon them that be authors of the war Our King is the Prince in the whole world that hath least cause to alleage that he hath priuileges to leuy what him listeth vpon his subiects considering that neither he nor any other Prince hath power so to do And those that say he hath do him no honor neither make him to be esteemed any whit the mightier Prince thereby but cause him to be hated and feared of his neighbors who for nothing woulde liue vnder such a gouernment But if our King or those that seeke to magnifie and extol him should say I haue so faithfull and obedient subiects that they deny me nothing I demand and I am more feared better obeied and better serued of my subiects than any other Prince liuing they endure patiently whatsoeuer I lay vpō them and soonest forget all charges past This me thinke yea I am sure were greater honor to the King than to say I leuy what me listeth and haue priuileges so to do which I will stoutly maintaine King Charles the fift vsed no such termes neither did I euer heare such language proceede from any King but from diuers of their seruants who thought they did their Masters great seruice in vttring such speeches but in mine opinion they misbehaued themselues towards their Prince and vsed such language partly bicause they would seeme to be good seruants and partly bicause they knew not what they said But for a manifest proofe of the French mens loialty and obedience to their Prince we neede alleage none other example than that we our selues haue seene of late by experience when the three estates were assembled at Tours after the death of our Master King Lewis the eleuenth which was in the yeere of our Lord 1483. A man might then haue thought that this good assembly was dangerous for the Kings estate yea and diuers there were of meane calling and lesse honesty that said then and haue often said since that it is treason to make mention of assembling the estates and a thing tending to the diminishing of the Kings authority but they themselues are those that worke treason against God the King and the common wealth neither do any vse these speeches but either such as are in authority without desert and vnwoorthy thereof or such as are common tale-carriers and accustomed to talke of trifling matters or such as feare great assemblies least their doings should there be ripped vp and reprehended At this assembly I now speake of all men of what estate soeuer they were thought the realme much weakned and impouerished bicause it had paied by the space of 20. yeeres or more great and excessiue subsidies yea so great that they surmounted yeerely by the summe almost of three millions of francks all subsidies that euer were leuied in Fraunce For King Charles the seuenth leuied yeerely but eighteene hundred thousand franks 7 but King Levvis his sonne leuied at his death seauen and fortie hundred thousand 8 besides the charges of the artillerie and such like expences And sure it was a pitifull thing to behold the miserable estate of the poore people But one good propertie had the King our Master that he hoorded vp no treasure he tooke all and spent all and bestowed more vpon fortification of towns and places for the defence of his realme than all his predecessors ioined togither He gaue also much to churches but in some respects he had done better to haue giuen lesse for he tooke from the poore to giue to them that had no need But there is no man perfect in the whole world Well to proceed Notwithstanding that this realme were so impouerished and oppressed diuers waies did the people
yet after the King our Masters death raise any sedition against the K. that now is the nobilitie and commons tooke they armes against their yoong King went they about to chuse an other sought they to diminishe his authoritie or to bridle him that he should not vse the authoritie of a King I thinke no and to say the truth how could they though diuers glorious fooles said they might But his subiects did cleane contrarie for they all repaired to him as well the Princes as the gentlemen and Burgesses of good townes they all acknowledged him for their King and did him homage and fealtie and the Princes and nobilitie presented their requests in writing humbly kneeling vpon their keenes Further they chose among themselues a counsell of twelue men and the King being but thirteen yeeres of age commanded vpon report of the said counsell Moreouer at this assemblie certaine supplications were made and bils exhibited in the presence of the King and his Counsell in great humilitie for the common wealth of the realme referring all to the King and his Counsels pleasure They granted the King without any deniall all that was demanded and all that was shewed in writing to be necessarie for the maintenance of his estate The summe the King demanded was two millions and a halfe of franks 9 which was ynough and ynough againe yea rather too much than too little without some extraordinarie accident Further the said estates humbly required that at two yeeres end they might assemble againe saying that if the King had not money ynough they would giue him more at his pleasure They promised moreouer if he had wars or that any enimie should inuade him to aduenture their bodies to spend their goods not to refuse any thing for his seruice Are subiects that giue thus liberally to be choked with priuileges whereby the Prince may take what him listeth shall not the King do iustlier both before God and the world to leuie after this sort rather than by extraordinarie will seeing no Prince as I haue said before hath authoritie to command money but by grant vnlesse he will vse tyrannie and incurre the danger of excommunication But a number of Princes are verie beasts not knowing what is lawfull or vnlawfull for them to do in this behalfe Subiects there are also that offend their Prince and refuse to obeie him and succour him in time of neede yea in stead of aiding him when he hath great affaires in hand contemne him and stir vp rebellion and sedition against him contrarie to the allegeance that they owe him When I say Kings or Princes I meane either themselues or such as gouerne vnder them when I say subiects I mean such subiects as haue preheminence beare swaie in the common wealth The greatest mischiefes are wrought commonly by those that are mightie for the weake desire peace quietnes When I say mighty I meane aswell women as men somtime in some places where they haue rule and authoritie either bicause of their husbands affection towards them or bicause they gouerne their affaires or for that their Seniories are their wiues inheritance If I should write of men of meane calling in this world my discourse would be too tedious Wherefore it shall suffice to speake of great estates bicause in them the power and iustice of God is most apparant For although two hundred thousand mishaps chaunce to a poore man no man regardeth them but attributeth them either to pouertie or euill looking to as for example if he be drowned or breake his necke they say this chaunced bicause he was alone so that hardly men will giue eare to it But if some misfortune fall vpon a great citie it is otherwise talked of yet not so much as when it chanceth to a Prince What is the reason then that God sheweth his iustice rather vpon Princes and great men than vpon men of low degree bicause meane and poore men finde ynowe in this world to punish them when they offend yea oftentimes they are punished without desert either for examples sake or for their goods or peraduenture through the iudges fault sometime also they deserue punishment and then it is reason that iustice be done But as touching great Princes or Princesses and their gouernors and counsellors againe as touching prouinces and townes rebellious and disobedient to their Princes and gouernors who wil search out their liues Who wil informe the Iustice of their actions What Iustice will take notice thereof or who will punish their faults I speake of the euill not of the good but few there are of those What is the cause then that mooueth both them and all others to commit these faults aboue rehearsed and many mo which for breuitie I ouerpasse not regarding the power and iustice of God I answer that it is lacke of faith and in those that are ignorant lacke of wit and faith togither but especially of faith which in mine opinion is the onely fountaine of all mischiefes I meane such mischiefes as fall vpon those that complaine that they are troden vnder foote oppressed by those that are mightier than they For if men were fully perswaded the paines of hell to be such as indeede they are and beleeued firmely as we ought all to beleeue that who so hath taken ought by violence or possesseth ought that his father or grandfather tooke wrongfully shall neuer enter into the ioies of paradise vnles he make full satisfaction and restitution of all that he withholdeth from his neighbor whether it be Duchies Earldoms townes castels mooueables medowes ponds or mils euery man according to his estate there is no man liuing be he poore or rich or of what estate and condition soeuer he be that would withhold ought that is not his owne No if all men beleeued this firmely it is not to be thought that there is either Prince Princesse or any other man through the whole world what estate or condition soeuer he be of be he high or low spirituall or temporall man or woman that would wittingly withhold any thing from his subiect or neighbor wrongfully put any man to death hold him in prison take from one to giue to enrich another or seeke to procure dishonesty to his kinsfolks and seruants for his wanton pleasures as for women and such like which is the filthiest attempt that may be made No vndoubtedly we would neuer do as we do if we had a stedfast faith and beleeued that which God and his Church commandeth vs to beleeue vnder paine of damnation knowing our daies to be short and the paines of hell horrible and endlesse Wherefore we may conclude that all mischiefes proceede of want of faith For example whereof when a King or Prince is taken prisoner and feareth to die in prison is there any thing in the world be it neuer so deere vnto him that he will refuse to giue for his deliuerance as appeereth by King Iohn who being taken prisoner by
the Prince of Wales at the battell of Poictiers paied for his raunsome three millions of franks and yeelded to the English men all Aquitaine at the least all that he held in his hands with a number of other cities townes and places yea in a maner the thirde foote of his realme whereby he brought his realme into such pouertie that manie yeeres after they vsed leather monie with a little stud or naile of siluer in the middest thereof And all this gaue he and his sonne King Charles surnamed the VVise for his raunsome And if they would haue giuen nothing yet would not the English men haue put him to death but his greatest paine had beene imprisonment But admit they had put him to death yet had not that pain been so great by the hundred thousandth part as the least paine in hell Why gaue he then all this great raunsome aboue rehearsed destroying his children and subiects but onely bicause he beleeued that which he saw and perceiued well that he could not otherwise be deliuered But peraduenture when he committed the fault for the which this punishment fell vpon him his children and subiects he beleeued not firmely that the offence he made against God and his commandements should be punished Now to conclude there is no Prince or very few that will restore one towne they withhold from their neighbor for the loue of God or to eschew the paines of hell and yet King Iohn gaue all this to deliuer his bodie out of prison I asked a question before who will search out great mens faults who will informe the Iustice of them and who will be the Iustice to punish them Whereunto I now answer that the information shall be the lamentable crie and plaint of their subiects whom they tyrannize and oppresse so many waies without any compassion the sorrowfull lamentation of widowes and orphans whose husbands and fathers they haue wrongfully put to death by meanes whereof their wiues and children haue euer after liued in affliction and miserie and generally the complaints of all those whom they haue persecuted either in their persons or goods These I say shall giue information against them by their great mourning wailing and pitious teares and shall accuse them before the Lord God who will be the iust iudge thereof and peraduenture will not delay the punishment till the world to come but will also punish them in this world which punishment proceedeth of lacke of faith bicause they had not a firme and stedfast beleefe in Gods commandements We must therefore of necessitie confesse that God is forced to shew such tokens and examples to the end both Princes themselues and all the world may beleeue that these punishments fall vpon them for their misbeleefe and sinnes and that God sheweth his mightie power and iustice vpon them bicause none other in this world but he hath power ouer them At the first happily they amend not their liues for Gods scourges be they neuer so great and long But no misfortune falleth vpon a Prince vpon those that gouerne his affaires or vpon those that rule great commonalties but the issue is hurtfull and dangerous to the subiects When I say misfortunes I meane none but such as cause the subiects to smart for to fall from a horse to breake a leg to be punished with a sharpe ague are no misfortunes to a Prince bicause he may be cured of them and peraduenture they may do him good and teach him wit but I call these misfortunes when God is so displeased with a Prince that he will no longer suffer him to raigne but shew his power and iustice vpon him For then first he weakeneth his wits which is a shrewd blowe for all those that haue to do with him he troubleth his house and suffereth it to fall into diuision and disquietnes and the Prince himselfe is so far in Gods disgrace that he flieth the counsell and companie of the wise and aduaunceth none but yoong fooles voide of wit oppressors flatterers and such as soothe him in all his sayings If he take one penie they bid him take two if he threaten a man they bid hang him and after that sort in all other actions Further they giue him counsell in any wise to cause himselfe to be feared and they also behaue themselues cruelly and proudly trusting by this meanes to hold men in awe of them as though authoritie were their inheritance Those whom such Princes by the aduise of these new Counsellors haue banished and displaced hauing serued many yeeres and being well acquainted and friended in their countrie will storme at this vsage and for their sakes their friends and well willers also and peraduenture such iniurie shall be offered them that they shall be forced either to defend themselues or to flie to some Prince their neighbor who perchance is enimy to him that banisheth and chaseth them and so by inward diuision stangers shall enter into the land Is any plague or miserie so great as wars betwixt friends and acquaintance Is any malice so ranke and deadly As touching forren enimies when the subiects are linked togither they may easily make resistance bicause their enimies haue no intelligence nor acquaintance in the realme Thinke you that an vnwise Prince being accompanied with fooles can smell a far off how great a mischiefe diuision among his subiects is or beleeue that it can hurt him or proceedeth of God he eateth and sleepeth no whit the woorse for it he hath neither fewer horses in his stable nor fewerrobes in his wardrobe but many mo companions For he allureth men vnto him by promises and by parting among them the spoiles and offices of those whom he hath banished he giueth also of his owne to win thereby fame and renowme but when he shall least thinke of it God will raise vp an enimie against him whom peraduenture he neuer mistrusted Then will he waxe pensiue and suspect those whom he hath iniuried yea he will feare such as indeede owe him no euill will yet notwithstanding he will not haue his refuge to God in this extremitie but seeke to redresse this inconuenience by force Haue we not seene in our daies examples heerof euen among our next neighbors Haue we not seene the late King of England Edward the fourth of that name heire of the house of Yorke vtterly destroy the house of Lancaster vnder the which both his father and he had liued many yeeres Further the said King Edward hauing done homage to King Henry the 6. being of the house of Lancaster did he not afterward hold him prisoner many yeeres in the tower of London the chiefe citie of the realme where in the end he was put to death Haue we not also seene the Earle of Warwicke principall gouernor of all the said King Edwards affaires after he had put to death all his enimies especially the Duke of Sommerset in the end become deadly enimy to his Master giue his daughter in mariage to the
Prince of Wales sonne to King Henry attempt to set vp againe the house of Lancaster passe with the said Prince into England discomfited in the field and slaine both he his brethren and kinsfolks and diuers other noble men of England who in times past had done the like to their enimies After all this the children of these when the world turned reuenged themselues and caused in like maner the others to die which plagues we may be assured hapned not but by the wrath of God But as before I said the realme of England hath this speciall grace aboue all other realmes and dominions that in ciuill wars the people is not destroied the towns be not burned nor razed but the lot of fortune falleth vpon the soldiers especially the gentlemen whom the people enuy to too beyond reason for nothing is perfect in this world After King Edvvard was quiet in his realme and receiued yeerely out of Fraunce fifty thousand crownes paid him in the tower of London and was growen so rich that richer he could not be he died suddenly as it were of melancholy bicause of our Kings mariage that now raigneth with the Lady Margaret the Duke of Austriches daughter For so soone as he was aduertised thereof he fell sicke and began then to perceiue how he had been abused touching the mariage of his daughter whom he made to be named the Lady Daulphinesse Then also was the pension which he receiued out of Fraunce taken from him which he called tribute although indeed it were neither the one nor the other as before I haue declared 10 K. Edward left by his wife two goodly sonnes one Prince of Wales the other D. of Yorke and two daughters The D. of Glocester his brother tooke vpon him the gouernment of his nephew the Prince of Wales being about ten yeeres of age and did homage to him as to his soueraigne Lord and lead him to London pretending that he would there crowne him King hoping by that meanes to get the other brother out of the Sanctuary at London where he was with his mother who began already to be iealous of his proceedings To be short by meanes of the Bishop of Bathe who hauing been somtime of K. Edwards Councell fell afterward into his disgrace and was put in prison and made to fine for his deliuerance the D. of Glocester executed this exploit which you shall now heare This Bishop aduertised the Duke that K. Edvvard being in loue with a certaine Lady promised hir mariage vpon condition that he might lie with hir wherunto she consented so far foorth that the said Bishop maried them togither none being present but they two and he himselfe Which matter this Bishop being a iolly courtier neuer disclosed during K. Edvvards life but caused also the said Lady to conceale it so that it was kept secret After this the said King falling againe in loue maried the daughter of an English knight called the Lord Riuers being a widow and mother of two sonnes But after K. Edvvards death this Bishop of Bathe reuealed this matter to the D. of Glocester whereby he egged him forward not a little to the executing of his mischieuous pretended enterprise For the said D. murthered his two nephewes crowned himselfe King by the name of Richard the third proclaimed his brothers two daughters bastards in open parlament tooke from them their armes and put to death all the faithull seruants of the late King his brother at the least as many as he could lay hands on But this cruelty remained not long vnpunished for when the said King Richard thought himselfe safest and liued in greater pride than any King of England did these hundred yeeres hauing put to death the Duke of Buckingham and hauing a great army in a readines God raised vp an enimy against him of no force I meane the Earle of Richmond then prisoner in Britaine but now King of England of the house of Lancaster though not This error of Commines touching K. Henry the 7. you shall finde controuled by the peâ—egree in the end of this booke the neerest to the crowne 11 whatsoeuer men say at the least so far as I can learne The said Earle told me a little before his departure out of this realme that from the fift yeere of his age he had liued continually like a prisoner a banished man And indeed he had been fifteene yeeres or therabout prisoner in Britaine to Duke Frances that last died into whose hands he fell by tempest of the sea as he fled into Fraunce accompanied with the Earle of Pembroke his vncle I my selfe saw them when they arriued for I was come of a message to the D. at the same time The Duke entreated them gently for prisoners after King Edwards death lent the said Earle great force of men a great nauie with the which he sent him hauing intelligence with the Duke of Buckingham who for this cause was afterward put to death to lande in England but the winde was against him and the seas so rough that he was forced to returne to Diepe and from thence by land into Britaine From whence soone after he departed with his band into Fraunce without taking leaue of the Duke partly bicause he feared to ouercharge the Duke for he had with him fiue hundred English men and partly bicause he doubted lest the Duke would agree with King Richard to his preiudice for he knew that King Richard practised with him to that ende Soone after the King that now is appointed three or fower thousand men to waft him ouer onely and deliuered those that accompanied him a good summe of money and certaine peeces of artillerie and thus passed he ouer in a ship of Normandie to land in Wales where he was borne King Richard foorthwith marched against him but a kinght of England called the Lord Stanley who was married to the Earles mother ioined himselfe with the Earle and brought vnto him at the least 26000. men 12 The battell was giuen King Richard slaine and the Earle crowned King in the field with the said Richards crowne Will you saie that this was fortune No no it was the iudgement of God and for further proofe thereof marke this also Immediately after the King had murthered his two nephews he lost his wife whom some say he murthered also Further he had but one onely sonne who died in like maner incontinent after this murther This example would haue serued better heereafter when I shall speake of King Edwards death for he was yet liuing at the time my former Chapter treateth of but I haue rehearsed it heere to continue my discourse which I am fallen into In like maner we haue seene of late the crowne of Spaine altered after the death of Dom Henry that last died For the said Dom Henry had to wife the King of Portugales sister last deceased by whom he had issue a goodly daughter which notwithstanding succeeded not hir father but was
put from the crowne vnder colour of adulterie committed by hir mother But the matter ended not without great contention and war for the King of Portugale tooke part with his neece and diuers great Lords of Castile ioined with him yet notwithstanding the said Dom Henries sister wife to the son of Dom Iohn King of Arragon obtained the crowne and possesseth it yet at this day and thus this partage was made in heauen as diuers others are Further you haue seene of late daies the King of Scotland and his sonne being thirteene yeeres of age in battell the one against the other the sonne and his faction preuailed and the King was slaine vpon the place 13 This King murthered his owne brother and was charged with diuers other crimes namely the death of his sister and such like You see also the Duchy of Gueldres out of the right line and haue heard what impietie the Duke last deceased vsed against his father Diuers other examples I could rehearse which should manifestly appeere to be punishments and scourges of God which scourges are the principall cause of wars whereof insue mortality and famine all the which euils proceede of lacke of faith Wherefore I conclude considering the wickednes of men especially of great men who know not themselues neither beleeue that there is a God that it is necessarie for euery Prince and gouernor to haue an aduersary to keepe him in feare and humilitie otherwise no man should be able to liue vnder them or neere them The Notes 1 He meaneth that this towne of Gaunt is situate where it is for a plague to the whole countrey of Flaunders which otherwise bicause of the great abundance thereof would soone forget God 2 Fregosi and Fregosini in other histories 3 This diuision began anno 1309. betweene the Abbot of Einsidlen and the village of Suitz and the said Abbot demanded aide of Leopolde Duke of Austrich 4 As for example Leopolde Duke of Austrich brothers sonne to the former that began this diuision whom they slue at the battell of Sempache 9. Iulij ann 1386. 5 The reason heerof reade in Aristot Politic. lib. 1. cap. 2. Problem Anthonii Zimarae 12. 6 Shame commeth of knowledge so that if a man do a fault and for lacke of learning know not that it is a fault he can neuer be ashamed of it nor seeke to amend it 7 1800000. franks are 225000. pound starling after eight souse to the English shilling and the French liuer at two shillings sixe pence starling 8 4700000. franks are 587500. pound starling 9 That is 2500000. franks which amounteth to 312500. pound starling 10 For it was due by the conditions of the treatie 11 How King Henry the seuenth was next heire of the house of Lancaster the pedegree in the end of the worke will declare where also Philip de Commines error is controlled 12 Our Chronicles say but 3000. and some 5000. 13 This King that slue his father in battell was Iames the 4. who married Margaret sister to King Henry the 8. THE SIXT BOOKE How the Duchie of Burgundie was yeelded to the King Chap. 1. NOw to returne to the principal matter and to proceede in this historie written at your request my Lorde of Vienna while the King brought vnder his subiection the places and townes aboue named in the marches of Picardie his armie lay in Burgundie the generall wherof in apparance was the Prince of Orenge 1 that now is who was borne in the countie of Burgundie and a subiect thereof but lately reuolted the second time from Duke Charles wherefore the King vsed his helpe for he was a great Lord well friended and well beloued both in the said countie and also in the Duchie of Burgundie But the Lord of Cran was the Kings lieutenant and he it was in truth that had the charge of the whole armie and in whom the King reposed his principall trust and sure he was a wise man and faithfull to his Master but somwhat too greedie of his owne gaine The said Lord of Cran when he drew neere the countrie of Burgundie sent the Prince of Orenge before him with certaine others to Digeon to perswade with the citizens to become the Kings subiects which enterprise so well they atchieued by the said Princes meanes that the towne of Digeon and all the other places of the Duchie of Burgundie yeelded to the King Aussonne and certaine castels excepted which held yet for the Ladie of Burgundie The King had promised the Prince of Orenge many goodly estates and to restore him to all his grandfathers inheritance in the countie of Burgundie for the which he was in sute with the Lords of Chauuerguion his vncles 2 whom as he said Duke Charles had fauored to his preiudice For this cause had been often pleaded before him with great solemnitie and once the Duke being accompanied with a number of lawyers gaue iudgement against the Prince at the least thus he reported wherefore he forsooke the Dukes seruice and went to the King But Monseur de Cran after he was entred into all these townes aboue mentioned and had gotten into his hands all the best places that should descend to the said Prince by right of inheritance refused to yeeld them to him notwithstanding both the Kings promise and the said Princes request The King also wrote often to him about this matter without all collusion knowing that he much misused the Prince notwithstanding he feared to displease the said de Cran bicause he had the charge of the whole countrie neither thought he that the Prince either would or could haue caused the countrie of Burgundie to rebel as afterward he did at the lest the greatest part therof But I will heere leaue these Burgundies affaires till another conuenient place shall serue to speake further thereof The Notes 1 This Prince of Orenge was Iohn de Chaslons the Prince of Orenge that now is is of the house of Nassaw 2 The olde copie hath Chasteauguion Annal. Burgund Chaumergnon Annal. Franc. Chauuerguion and so vndoubtedly it is to be read for Chasteauguion was brother to this Prince of Orenge Gaguin How the King entertained the English men after the death of Charles Duke of Burgundie to the end they should not hinder his conquest of the said Dukes dominions Chap. 2. THose that heerafter shall reade this historie and happily vnderstand the affaires both of this realme and the countries bordering vpon it better than my selfe will maruell that since the death of Duke Charles I haue hitherto by the space almost of one whole yeere made no mention of the English men and will woonder that they suffered the King to take the townes bordering so neere vpon them namely Arras Bolloin Ardres and Hedin with diuers other castels and to lie so long with his campe before Saint Omer 1 But you shall vnderstand that the reason thereof was for that our King in wisedome and sense surmounted far Edward King of England then
Whereunto she answered that she could do no otherwise bicause hir promise was past which she would not breake Which words the Duke hearing and knowing diuers about hir to be of the same opinion determined soone after to returne home into his owne countrey and relinquish his sute Thus was this marriage concluded for the accomplishment whereof Duke Maximilian came to Colen where certaine of the Ladies seruants met him and brought him money whereof I thinke they found him bare inough for his father was the hardest man either Prince or priuate man that liued in his time The said Emperors son being accompanied with seuen or eight hundred horse was conueied to Gaunt where the marriage was accomplished which at the first was more vnprofitable than profitable to the Ladies subiects for the Almains in steed of bringing money with them had money giuen them Their number was not sufficient to withstand the Kings forces and their conditions agreed not with hir subiects maners for they had liued vnder rich Princes which gaue goodly offices kept honorable and pompous houses both in furniture and fare and had sumptuous apparell both for themselues and their seruants but the Almains are of a cleane contrary disposition for they are rude fellowes and liue grossely I doubt not but that by sage and wise aduise and by the speciall grace of God the law Salicke was ordained in Fraunce which barreth women from the crowne to the end the realme fall not into the hands of a strange Prince nation For neither the French men nor any other people can easily digest the gouernment of a stranger And to saie the truth there is no great seniorie but in the end the dominion thereof remaineth to the naturall countrey men as appeereth by the realme of Fraunce a great part whereof the English men possessed the space of fower hundred yeeres and yet now hold nothing therein but Calice and two little castels the defence whereof costeth them yeerely a great summe of monie the rest they lost much sooner than they wan for they lost more in a day than they got in a yeere The selfe-same appeereth also by the realme of Naples the yle of Sicilie and the other prouinces possessed by the French men many yeeres where now is no memoriall of their being there saue onely their ancestors graues For notwithstanding that men may away with a strange Prince being wise accompanied with a small traine well disposed yet can they hardly digest a great number of strangers for if the Prince bring with him a great multitude or send for great forces vpon occasion of wars quarrels will arise betweene them and the subiects of the countrie bicause of the diuersitie of their maners and conditions and bicause they will not forbeare to offer the subiects wrong and are not beloued as the naturall countrie men be which inconuenience then happeneth especially when strangers seeke to haue the highest offices and estates and the gouernment of the affaires in the commonwelth Wherfore a Prince that goeth into a strange countrie had neede to be wise and carefull in setting all things in good order for if he lacke this vertue of prudence which proceedeth especially of the grace of God whatsoeuer other good parts be in him all is but lost and if he liue a mans age both he and those that liue vnder him shall taste of great troubles especially in his old age when his subiects and seruants despaire of amendment After this marriage aboue rehearsed was accomplished their affaires amended not for the Princes were both very yoong and Duke Maximilian for his part simple and of small vnderstanding aswell bicause of his yoong yeeres 2 as also for that he was in a strange countrey and vtterly vnacquainted in his education with any matter of state Lastly he wanted force sufficient for any great exploit so that for these causes these countries fell into great miseries wherein they yet remaine and are like to remaine Sure it is a greeuous plague when a Prouince is forced to seeke a strange Prince to gouerne it Wherefore God hath shewed great grace to the realme of Fraunce by the lawe aboue mentioned which barreth women from the crowne for by such marriages with strangers a priuate house I confesse may be inriched but to a great realme such as this many inconueniences should therof insue Soone after this marriage accomplished or while they were treating thereof the King wan the countrey of Artois It sufficeth me to rehearse the substance of these affaires and if I faile otherwise in the exact computation of the time a moneth or two I trust the Readers will hold me excused The Kings good successe daily increased for no man withstood him by meanes whereof he wan euery day some place or other vnlesse truce or some ouuerture of peace were made which notwithstanding could neuer be brought to conclusion bicause both the parties were vnreasonable Wherefore the war continued still Duke Maximilian and the Lady of Burgundy had issue the first yeere Archduke Philip now liuing 3 The second yeere they had a daughter called Margaret now our Queene 4 The third yeere they had a sonne named Francis of Francis Duke of Britaine 5 who christned him The fourth yeere she died 6 with a fall from hir horse 7 or of an ague but true it is that she fell some said she was with childe Hir death was a great losse to hir subiects for she was a vertuous and liberall Lady welbeloued of hir people more reuerenced and feared of them than hir husband and no maruell for she was Lady of the land She loued hir husband entirely well and was well reported of all men She died in the yeere 1482. The King held in Hainault the townes of Quesnoi-le Counte and Bouchain the which he restored againe wherat diuers woondered considering that he seamed not desirous of peace but rather to take all and leaue this house of Burgundy nothing And sure I thinke if he could easily haue dispersed and giuen away all the Seniories therof he would vtterly haue destroied it indeed But two causes there were as he afterwards told me that mooued him to render these places the one he said that a King ought to make more account of places of force and defence within his owne realme where he is annointed and sacred than of those that are out of his realme as these two were The other was bicause of the solemne oth and league that is between the Kings of Fraunce and the Emperors that they shall not incroche the one vpon the other and these places aboue mentioned were situate in the Empire and were restored the yeere 1477. The same cause mooued him to leaue Cambray also and to restore it to neutrality and to say the truth they receiued him into the towne vnder that condition The Notes 1 This was Charles Duke of Angoulesme father to King Frauncis the first 2 Maximilian was borne the 22. of March 1459. and
his conditions As touching suspicious all great Princes are suspicious especially those that be wise and haue had many enimies and haue offended many as the King our Master had Further he knew himselfe not to be beloued of the nobilitie of his realme nor of a great number of the commonalty Besides this he had more charged his people than euer had any of his predecessors notwithstanding he was desirous now in his latter daies as before I said to haue eased them but he should haue begun sooner King Charles the seuenth by the perswasion of diuers wise and valiant Knights that had serued him in the conquest of Normandie and Guyenne which the Englishmen held was the first that began to leuy subsidies at his pleasure without the consent of the States of his realme and to say the truth cause there was then so to do for the charges were maruellous great as well for the manning of the countries newly conquered as also for the defeating of the companies of robbers which went about spoiling the realme For the which cause the nobility of Fraunce consented to the King and had certaine pensions promised them in consideration of the summes of money that should be leuied vpon their lands If this King had alwaies liued and those of his councel that were about him he would sure greatly haue enlarged his realme But considering what hapned after his death is like further to happen he charged maruellously his soule and the soules of his successors by this fact for he gaue his realme a cruell wound which will bleed this many a yeere by entertaining in continuall pay a terrible band of men of armes after the maner of the Italian Princes The said King Charles leuied in his realme at the hower of his death but 1800000. franks all maner of waies and had in ordinary about seuenteene hundred men of armes the which he kept in good order and so placed in diuers prouinces for the defence of his realme that many yeeres before his death they rid not spoiling vp and downe the countrey to the great quietnes comfort of his people But the King our Master leuied at his death 4700000. franks he had in pay fower or fiue thousand men of armes and of footemen for the campe and in garrison aboue fiue and twenty thousand wherefore it is not to be maruelled if he had many phansies and imaginations in his head and thought himselfe not welbeloued But sure as these matters caused him greatly to feare some so had he a sure confidence in many of those whom he had brought vp and highly aduanced of the which I thinke there were a number whom death it selfe could neuer haue withdrawen from dooing their duty There came into Plessis du Parc which was the place where he lay very few besides his household seruants and the archers of his guarde being fower hundred of whom a great number all the day long kept watch and warde at the gate walking vp and downe the place No noble man or great personage lodged within the castell neither might be suffered to enter in saue onely the Lord of Beauieu Duke of Bourbon his sonne in law The said stell of Plessis he had made to be enuironed with a grate of great iron bars at the entrie into the ditches thereof had caused sharpe speares of iron euery one of them hauing many heads to be masoned into the wall He caused also fower strong watch houses of iron to be built and a place to be made in them where men might stande and shoote at ease which was a sumptuous thing to behold and cost aboue 20000. franks In the end he put into these houses fortie crossebowe men which were day and night in the ditches had commission to shoote at euery man that approched neere the castell after the shutting of the gates til they opened in the morning Further he had an imagination that his subiects would be very ready to take the gouernment into their owne hands when they should see conuenient time And sure some there were that consulted to enter into Plessis and dispatch the affaires at their pleasure bicause nothing was dispatched but they durst not attempt it wherein they did wisely for the K. had giuen good order for that matter He changed often both the groomes of his chamber and al his other seruants saying that nature delighteth in varietie and he had with him to beare him company one or two very meane men and of euill report who might well haue thought if they had been wise that immediately after his death they should at the least be put out of office and spoiled of all they had as also it hapned These informed him of no message that was sent him not of any matter that was written to him were it neuer so important vnlesse it touched the preseruation of the State or the defence of his realme for that was his onely care to be in truce and peace with all men He gaue to his Phisition ordinarily euery moneth ten thousand crownes and in fiue moneths he receiued of him 54000. He gaue also goodly lands to churches but this gift was made voide and not without cause for the clergie men had too much The Notes 1 It was fortie daies but bicause the old copie hath 15. daies and that himselfe also afterward in this very chapter saith thus This sicknes held him about fifteene daies I haue been bold to amend it 2 King Lewis was suspected to haue poisoned his father by Adam Fumée his fathers physition who was imprisoned by King Charles but soone after aduaunced to honor by King Lewis who so maruellously reioiced at the first newes of his fathers death being the selfe same day that his father died which was strange King Lewis being then at Genappe in Brabant that in the selfe same place he built a chappell to our Lady 3 It was 15000. but the olde copie had 1500000. and so vndoubtedly it is to be read for for 15000. franks will hardly maintaine 100. soldiers a yeere How the King caused the holy man of Calabria to come to Tours thinking that he could heale him and what strange things the said King did to maintaine his authoritie during his sicknes Chap. 8. AMong men famous for deuotion he sent into Calabria for one Frier Robert whom he called the holy man bicause of his holy life and in whose honor the King that now is caused a Church to be built at Plessis du Parc in place of the chappell neere to Plessis at the bridge foote This heremite being twelue yeeres of age entred into a rocke where he remained till he was fortie three yeeres old or there about to wit euen till this present that the King sent for him by one of the stewards of his house whom the Prince of Tarente the King of Naples sonne accompanied thither For the said heremite would not depart thence without permission both of the Pope and of his Prince which
Milan King Iohn of Arragon were all dead a fewe yeeres before him but betweene the death of the said Duches of Austrich of King Edvvard and of him there was no space to speake of In all these Princes there was both good and euill for they were all men but to speake vprightly there were in him many mo vertues ornaments appertaining to the office of a King than in any of the rest I haue seene them in maner all and knew what was in them and therefore I speake not at randon The Notes 1 It was Reims in the French but that vndoubtedly was false the old copie hath Rhine or Rhine others Rins the Italian Ries 2 King Lewis dranke childrens blood to recouer his health Gaguin How King Lewis the 11. caused Charles the Daulphin his sonne to come to him a little before his death and of the commandements and precepts he gaue both him and certaine others Chap. 11. IN this yeere 1483. the King desired to see the Daulphine his sonne whom he had not seene of long time for he kept him close and permitted no man to come to him both bicause of the childes health and also for feare least he should be taken from the place where he remained and vnder colour of him some rebellion arise in the realme For so had certaine noble men in times past by meanes of himselfe made an assembly against King Charles the seuenth his father he being then but eleuen yeeres of age 1 which war was called la Praguerie but it soone ended for it was rather a broile of court than a warre Aboue all things he recommended vnto his said sonne the Daulphine certaine of his seruants and commanded him expressely not to change certaine officers rehearsing to him how after King Charles his fathers death he comming to the State put out of office all the valiant and woorthie knights of this realme that had serued his father in the conquest of Normandy and Guienne in chasing the English men out of Fraunce and restoring the realme to peace and quietnes for himselfe found it both quiet and rich which his hard dealing with the said knights turned greatly to his preiudice for thereof sprang the war called THE WEALE PVBLIKE in this storie aboue mentioned which had almost set him besides his crowne Soone after his communication with the Daulphine his sonne and the accomplishment of this marriage aboue mentioned he fell vpon a monday into the disease whereof he died his sicknes endured til the saturday after being the 30. of August in the yeer 1483. And bicause I was present at his death I minde to speake somwhat thereof When this disease tooke him he lost his speech as before which being recouered he felt his body weaker than euer it was notwithstanding that he were so lowe brought before that he could hardly lift his hand to his mouth and looked so poorely and miserably that it pitied euery mans hart that sawe him he accounted himselfe now as dead Wherefore he sent incontinent for the Lord of Beauieu now Duke of Bourbon his sonne in law commanding him to go to Amboise to the King his son for so he termed him he recommended also vnto him diuers of his seruants and gaue him the whole charge and gouernment of the yoong King and commanded expressely that certaine whom he named should not come neere his sonne alleaging diuers good reasons on that behalfe And if the said Lord of Beauieu had obserued his commandements at the least part of them for some were vnreasonable and not to be obserued I thinke he should thereby haue benefited both the realme and himselfe considering what hath hapned since in Fraunce Soone after he sent also the Chauncellor and all the officers of the law to the said King his sonne and in like maner part of the archers of his guarde and his Captaines and all his haukes and hounds with all that appertained thereunto Further as many as came to visit him he commanded to go to Amboise to the King for so he termed him desiring them to serue him faithfully and by euery one of them he sent him some message or other but especially by Steuen de Vers who brought vp the said yoong King and was the first groome of his chamber and already aduanced to the bailiwicke of Meaux by the King our Master His speech neuer failed him after he recouered it neither were his wits so fresh at any time as then for he purged continually by meanes whereof all fumes voided that troubled his head In all the time of his sicknesse he neuer complained as other men do when they feele paine at the least I my selfe am of that nature and so haue I knowne diuers others and men say that complaining asswageth greefe The Notes 1 Others write that he was 16. yeeres olde this was was anno 1439. and King Lewis was borne anno 1423. so that he was 16. yeeres old when the Praguerie began and so vndoubtedly it should be read heere A comparison betweene the sorrowes and troubles that King Lewis suffered and those he caused diuers others to suffer with a rehearsall of all that he did and all that was done to him till his death Chap. 12. HE discoursed continually of some matter or other and that very grauely and his disease endured from monday till saturday night Wherefore I will now make comparison betweene the troubles and sorrowes he caused others to suffer and those he suffered himselfe before his death bicause I trust they haue caried him into paradise and been part of his purgatorie For notwithstanding that they were not so grieuous neither endured so long as those which he caused diuers others to suffer yet bicause his vocation in this world was higher then theirs by meanes whereof he had neuer beene contraried but so well obeied that he seemed a Prince able to haue gouerned all Europe this little trouble that he endured contrarie to his accostomed nature was to him a great torment He hoped euer in this good heremite that was at Plessis whom he had caused to come to him out of Calabria and continually sent to him saying that if it pleased him he could prolong his life For notwithstanding all these commandements giuen to those whom he sent to the Daulphine his sonne yet came his spirits againe to him in such sort that he was in hope to recouer and if it had so happened he would easily haue disparckled the assembly sent to this new King But bicause of the vaine hope he had in this heremite a Doctor of diuinitie and certaine others thought good to aduertise him that his onely hope must be in the mercie of God and they deuised that Master Iames Cothier his Phisition in whom he had reposed his whole confidence and to whom he gaue monethly ten thousand crownes in hope he would prolong his life should be present when this speech should be vsed to him This was Master Oliuer his barbars deuise to the end he might
wholie thinke vpon his conscience and leaue all his other imaginations conceiued of this holie man and of the said Master Iames his Phisition But euen like as he had aduanced the said Master Oliuer and others too suddenly without any desert to a higher estate than was fit for them euen so they tooke vpon them boldlie to do such a message to so great a Prince otherwise than became them not vsing that reuerence and humilitie that was to be vsed in such a case and such as they would haue vsed whom he had brought vp of long time and lately commanded out of his presence for the suspicions conceiued of them And againe like as vnto two great personages whom he had put to death in his time to wit the Duke of Nemours and the Earle of Saint Paule for one of the which he repented him at his death and for the other not he had sent a sharpe message of death by Commissioners appointed thereunto the which briefly pronounced their sentence vnto them and foorthwith gaue them confessors and but a verie short space to dispose of their consciences euen so the aboue named signified his death vnto him rudely and in fewe words saying Sir it is reason we do our duties hope no more in this holie man nor any other thing for sure you are but dead therefore thinke vpon your conscience for your hower is come and euery one of them said somwhat briefly to him to that effect But he answered I trust God will helpe me and peraduenture I am not so sicke as you suppose What a sharpe corosife was it to him to heare these newes and this cruell sentence for neuer man feared death more than he nor sought so many waies to auoide it as he did Moreouer in all his life time he had giuen commandement to all his seruants as well my selfe as others that when we should see him in danger of death we should onely mooue him to confesse himselfe dispose of his conscience not sounding in his eares this dreadfull word Death knowing that he should not be able patiently to heare that cruel sentence notwithstanding he endured both that and diuers other punishments till the verie hower of death more patiently than euer I sawe any man To his sonne whom he called King he sent many messages and confessed himselfe verie deuoutly and said diuers praiers answerable to the Sacraments he receiued which also he himselfe demanded He spake as hartily as if he had not beene sicke and talked of all matters touching the King his sonnes estate and among other things gaue commandement that the Lord of Cordes should not depart from his sonne by the space of halfe a yeere after his death and further that he should be entreated to attempt nothing against Calice nor elsewhere saying that notwithstanding he had deuised these enterprises for the Kings profit and the benefit of the realme yet were they verie dangerous especially that of Calice for feare of moouing the English men thereby to war Further he willed especially that after his death the realme should rest in peace the space of fiue or sixe yeeres a matter which he would neuer yeeld vnto during his life though verie needfull for notwithstanding that it were great and large yet was it in poore miserable estate especially bicause of the passing to and fro of the men of armes who continually remooued from one countrey to an other He gaue order also that no quarrell should be picked in Britaine but that Duke Francis should be suffered to liue in quiet and not be put in any doubt or feare of warre neither yet any other neighbour bordering vpon the realme to the end the King and the realme might rest in peace till the King were of yeeres to dispose thereof at his owne pleasure Thus you see how vndiscreetly his death was signified to him which I haue rehearsed bicause I began to make a comparison betweene those euils which he had caused diuers of his subiects to suffer and those he himselfe suffered before his death to the end you may perceiue that notwithstanding they were not so greeuous nor so long as I haue said yet were they greeuous to him considering his nature which demanded obedience had been better obeied than any Prince in his time so that one halfe word contrarying his minde was to him a greeuous punishment Fiue or sixe daies before his death he had al men in suspition especially all that were woorthie of credit and authoritie yea he grew iealous of his owne sonne and caused him to be straightly guarded neither did any man see him or speake with him but by his commandement at the length he began to stand in doubt also of his daughter and of his sonne in law now Duke of Bourbon and would needs know what men entred into Plessis with them and in the end brake off an assembly that the Duke of Bourbon his sonne in law held there by his commandement Moreouer at the same time that his said sonne in law and the Earle of Dunois returning from the conuoie of the ambassage that came to Amboise to the marriage of the King his sonne and the Queene entred into the castle of Plessis with a great bande of men the King who caused the gates to be straightly kept being in the gallerie that looketh into the court of the said castle caused one of the captaines of his guard to come to him whom he commanded to feele as he talked with the said noble mens seruants whether they wore any brigandines vnder their cloakes not making shewe as though he came purposely for that intent Heereby you may perceiue if he caused diuers others to liue in feare and suspicion vnder him whether he were paid now with the like himselfe for of whom could he be assured mistrusting his sonne his daughter and his sonne in lawe Wherefore thus much I will say not onely of him but of all other Princes that desire to be feared that they neuer feele the reuenge thereof till their age and then their penance is to feare all men What great greefe thinke you was it to this poore King to be troubled with these passions He had a Phisition called Master Iames Cothier to whom he gaue in fiue moneths 54000. crownes after the rate of 10000. the moneth and 4000. ouer besides the Bishopricke of Amiens for his nephew and other offices and lands for him and his friends The said Phisition vsed him so roughly that a man would not giue his seruant so sharpe language as he gaue the King and yet the King so much feared him that he durst not command him out of his presence for notwithstanding that he complained to diuers of him yet durst he not change him as he did all his other seruants bicause this Phisition once said thus boldly vnto him I know that one day you will commaund me away as you do all your other seruants but you shall not liue eight daies after binding
Testament which I my selfe haue seene wherin he made conscience of a subsidie lately leuied vpon his subiects if the said Testament be true Let Christian Princes then weigh well what they ought to do considering that they haue no authoritie in right and reason to leuy any thing vpon their subiects without their permission and consent The conclusion of the Author YOw see heere a great number of great personages dead in short space who trauelled so mightily and indured so many anguishes and sorrowes to purchase honor and renoume whereby they abridged their liues yea and peraduenture charged their soules I speake not this of the Turke for I make account he is lodged with his predecessors but our King and the rest I trust God hath taken to his mercy Now to speake of this point as a man vnlearned but hauing some experience had it not been better both for these great Princes themselues and all their subiects that liued vnder them and shall liue vnder their successors to haue held a meane in all things that is to say to haue attempted fewer enterprises to haue feared more to offend God and persecute their subiects and neighbors so many sundry waies aboue rehearsed and to haue vsed honest pleasures and recreation Yes sure For by that meanes their liues should haue been prolonged diseases should not so soone haue assailed them their death should haue been more lamented and lesse desired yea and they should haue had lesse cause to feare death What goodlier examples can we finde to teach vs that man is but a shadowe that our life is miserable and short and that we are nothing neither great nor small For immediately after our death all men abhorre and loath our bodies and so soone as the soule is seuered from the body it goeth to receiue iudgement yea vndoubtedly at the very instant that the soule and body part the iudgement of God is giuen according to our merits and deserts which is the particular iudgement of God The Notes 1 For ought I can reade in any historie this Frederike should be Henry and so appeereth by our author himselfe lib. 5. cap. 7. cap. 18. 2 Asin Britaine Sauoye and Prouence vnder King Rene. 3 Others write that he was but 14. yeeres olde when he married hir which was in the yeere 1437. and she died ann 1445. 4 This Ladies name was Margaret she was sister to Iames the second King of Scotland she was of a lothsome complexion and had an vnsauorie breth wherefore the King loued hir not 5 This is agreeable with Pompeies saying to Sylla that the Romanes did Orientem potius quà m occidentem solem venerari 6 The Earle of VVarwicks father was Richard Neuill Earle of Salisburie who was not slaine at the battell of VVakefield with Richard Duke of Yorke but taken and within a day or two after beheaded and his head sent to Yorke as the said Dukes had beene 7 Commines saith heere that King Edward had liued sixteene yeeres in delicacies when the Earle of VVarwicke chased him out of his realme yet before lib. 3. he saith twelue or thirteene yeeres somwhat neerer to the truth for indeede he was chased the 10. yeere of his raigne 8 This white knight is named Iohannes Huniades Coruinus his fathers name was Buth of the countrie of Valachie corruptly printed in the French Vallagine 9 To wit 20. and fought in one day against Amurathes and his Bashaes sixe great battels and obtained victorie in them all 10 Sclauonie is the countrie of Illyria 11 Some write that this Launcelot called in Latin stories Ladislaus came to full yeeres before Huniades death and gaue him in recompence of his seruice the Earledome of Bristrich and yet afterward sought to kill him by the perswasion of Vlrich Earle of Cilie the said Ladislaus vncle but Huniades valiantly defended himselfe and soone after died But indeede the truth is that Ladislaus was borne the 21. of February 1440. and Huniades died the 10. of September 1456. so that at Huniades death Ladislaus was almost 17. yeeres of age and by the perswasion of this Earle Vlrich had taken the gouernment vpon himselfe 12 The elder brothers name was Ladislaus The cause of his death was for that in defence of himselfe he had slaine the Earle Vlrich who assaulted him as before he had done his father and continually sought both his blood and his brothers VVherefore the King caused both the brethren deceitfully to be taken and beheaded the elder being fiue or sixe and twenty yeeres of age It is written that the hangman gaue him three strokes with the sword before he could pearse his skin 13 King Ladislaus died of poison the 21. of Nouember 1457. 14 Other histories varie much in this point from Commines for they make no mention of Mathias deliuerie by his mothers meanes but say that King Ladislaus being hated in Hungarie for Huniades elder sonnes death departedinto Bohemia leading Mathias with him as prisoner where soone after this Ladislaus died of poison as heere befoâ—â—â—ention is made After his death George Boiebrac vsurped the realme of Bohemia this Mathias being still prisoner at Prague but the nobles of Hungarie bicause of his fathers great seruices chose him their King and sent to the said Boiebrac requiring his deliuerie who not onely accomplished their request on that behalfe but also gaue the said Mathias his daughter in mariage and sent him into Hungarie nobly accompanied 15 This place is maruellously corrupted for King Mathias was borne the 24. of Februarie 1443. and died the fift of Aprill at Vienna of an Apoplexie the yeere 1490. or as our author saith 1491. so that by this computation he liued about 48. yeeres and so vndoubtedly this 28. must be read 48. 16 This Turke is Mahomet the second 17 Others write that Amurathes the third Emperor of Turkie wan Adrianople and it may be that the name deceiued our author for this Turks fathers name was also Amurathes but this was Amurathes the second and he that wan Adrianople Amurathes the first 18 Constantinople vvas taken ann 1453. the 29. of May. 19 This Emperor vvas named Constantinus Paleologus but as others vvrite he vvas not slaine at the breach but thronged to death in the gate as he would haue fled 20 Hovv he conquered Trapezonde Syria Armenia appeereth after in the figure 25 21 It is corruptly in the French Bressanne This realme of Bosne he conquered ouer Stephen King of that countrie ann 1463. but Mathias King of Hungarie soone after recouered it againe 22 Morea vvas in times past Peloponnesus 23 This Archipell is Mare Aegeum in the vvhich the yles called Cyclades lie 24 Nigrepont in times past vvas Euboea 25 The French bookes haue some of them the Carnian some the Carmanian and some bicause they vvill be sure not to erre nothing But vndoubtedly it is to be read as I haue heere translated it For further declaration vvhereof vve must vnderstand that about the yeere 1250. fovver
noble houses came out of Persia vvith their captaines and armies the Otthomans Assembecs Scandelors or Candelors and the Caramans All these fovver houses subdued euery one of them some region the Otthomans vvan Bithynia Phrygia Galatia The Assembecs Syria Armenia Cappadocia Paphlagonia The Scandelors held the greatest part of Pontus and the Caramans Cilicia Lycia Lycaonia Pamphylia But the house of Otthoman in the end deuoured all the other three The Assembecs vvere vanquished by this Mahomet ann 1459. For you shall vnderstand that Vsumcassanes King of the Assembecs fought three great battels vvith this Mahomet In the tvvo first he ouerthrevv him but in the third he vvas vtterly ouerthrovven by reason that Mahomet had great artillerie in his campe vvhich noueltie vnknovven before to the easterly nations discomfited Vsumcassanes armie vvho in this battell lost also his sonne Zeinalde After this battell Mahomet vvan all Cappadocia Paphlagonia and tooke Trapezonde the seate of the Assembecs empire vvith the greatest part of Armenia and Syria as mention is heere made Further after this battell Mahomet tooke from Pyramitus Prince of the Caramans the greatest part of Cilicia and after this Mahomets death Baiazet his sonne slue in battell Abraham the last Prince of the Caramans and vtterly destroied that house As touching the Scandelors after the Assembecs and Caramans vvere destroied the Prince of the Scandelors yeelded his countrie to Baiazet and in exchange thereof had certaine reuenues giuen him in Natolia And thus vvere all the three houses subdued by the house of Otthoman vvhich discourse for the better vnderstanding of this place I haue been forced to vvrite somvvhat at large 26 Others vvrite 58. and others 56. but sure our author reporteth his age truliâ—â—â— for he vvas borne ann 1430. the 24. of March and died of the collicke 1481. the thirde of May so that he vvas entred into his tvvo and fiftith yeere A SVPPLY OF THE HISTORIE OF PHILIP DE COMMINES FROM THE death of King LEWIS the II. till the beginning of the wars of Naples to wit from 1483. till 1493. of all the vvhich time Commines vvriteth nothing Of King Charles his comming to the crowne of the death of Oliuer King Lewis his Barber and others and of the reuoking of King Lewis his superfluous gifts Chap. 1. AFter the death of Lewis the eleuenth Charles the 8. his onely sonne being 13. yeeres of age and two moneths succeeded to the crowne notwithstanding his coronation was deferred till the moneth of Iune in the next yeere to the end he might be full fowerteen when he should be crowned The King his father had brought him vp at Amboise in such solitarines that none besides his ordinarie seruants could haue accesse vnto him neither permitted he him to learne any more Latine than this one sentence He that cannot dissemble cannot raigne which he did not for that he hated learning but bicause he feared that studie would hurt the tender and delicate complexion of the childe Notwithstanding King Charles after he was come to the crowne grew verie studious of learning aod gaue himseife to the reading of stories and bookes of humanitie written in the French toong and attempted to vnderstand Latine Before the Kings coronation the Princes of the blood and the nobles of the realme who so often had beene iniuried in the late King Levvis his time by Oliuer le Dain his barber by Daniell a Flemming the said Oliuers seruant and by Iohn D'oyac which three had wholie gouerned the said King Levvis caused informations secretly to be exhibited against them for diuers murthers rapines and other heinous crimes that they had committed in King Levvis his time yea and some of them by his commandement the which informations being seene by the court Parlament they were foorthwith apprehended their processe made and in the end all three condemned and the next yeere being 1484. the said Oliuer and Daniell his man were hanged at Paris and D'oyac had his eares cut off and his toong bored through with a hot iron One of the crimes committed by Oliuer and Daniell for the which they were executed was this A gentleman was committed to prison by King Levvis his commandement whose wife being yoong and beutifull was contented to abandon hir selfe to the lust of this Oliuer vpon promise that he should deliuer hir husband out of prison to hir but the next day he caused Daniell his man to put him into a sacke and to throwe him into the riuer where he was miserably drowned This Oliuer was a Flemming borne and had been barber to King Levvis and of greater credit with him than any man in all Fraunce which his credit grew by vile and slauish offices that he did about the King so far foorth that he ordinarily sucked the Kings hemorrhoides wherewith he was often troubled which base seruice he did not for good will that he bare the King but onely for couetousnes and to maintaine his credit which ended soone after the King his Masters death as you haue heard notwithstanding the great charge that the King vpon his death-bed had giuen his sonne to loue the said Oliuer and not to suffer him to be spoiled of that which he had bestowed vpon him bicause his seruice had long preserued his life But howsoeuer Princes maintaine such lewd ministers in their liues and how ready soeuer such seruants be to execute their Masters vnlawfull and wilfull commandements supposing that they shall neuer be called to account therefore yet in the end they finde that credit in Court is no inheritance and that God who leaueth nothing vnpunished findeth a time to reward them according to their deserts Further soone after King Lewis his death consultation was had of the superfluous superstitious gifts made by him in his life all the which were reuoked and all that was giuen reunited to the crowne Of the assemblie of the States held at Touars of the Duke of Orleance pursute for the regencie of the mad war raised by him and of his departure into Britaine Chap. 2. THe King in the moneth of Iuly after his coronation being the yeere 1484. held a generall and free assembly of the States of 1484 his realme at Touars far otherwise than had beene vsed in his fathers daies for none came to these generall assemblies in his time but such as were of his owne denomination neither durst any man speake his minde freely but was forced in all matters to yeeld to the Kings will which was for the most part vnreasonable and violent But at this assemblie the presence was great the voices free the complaints lamentable the Nobilitie Commons and Clergie euery one of them presented their griefes complaining of the burdens that the late King contrary to the lawes of the realme and customes of their ancestors had laid vpon them In this assembly it was enacted that there should be no Regent in Fraunce but that Anne Lady of Beauieu the Kings eldest sister should haue the
grounding himselfe vpon the Kings title to the said Duchie of Britaine which was said to grow by means of a certaine conueiance that Master Iohn of Brosse Lord of Boussac husband to dame Nicole of Britaine daughter and heire to Charles of Blois Earle of Ponthieure had made to the Kings ancestors togither with diuers other titles which were not yet prooued good adding that if the King had no right thereunto it should be a damnable and a tyrannous act to vsurpe another mans countrie that appertained not to him Wherefore his aduice was that according to the request of the ambassadors of Britaine being at Angiers certaine graue and learned men should be appointed to examine the right of both sides This opinion tooke place and according thereunto the King agreed with the ambassadors of Britaine that both he and the Duke would appoint some graue men of their Councell who should meete in some indifferent towne with the charters and writings of both sides to determine in conscience to whom the said Duchie did appertaine and that in the meane time the King should hold all the places in the said Duchie that alreadie he possessed The Duke of Britaine liked this agreement well and bicause the plague was vehement at Nantes he departed thence with his two daughters the Ladie of Laval the Lord of Alebret the Earle of Dunoys the Marshall of Rieux the Earle of Comminges and diuers other Lords to Coiron vpon the riuer of Loyer three leagues beneath Nantes where soone after namely vpon wednesday the seauenth of September in the same yeere 1488. he ended his life thorow a sicknes which he got by a fall leauing the gouernment both of his Duchie of Britaine and of his two daughters to the Marshall of Rieux to whom he appointed the Earle of Comminges for assistant His body was carried to Nantes and buried in the Church of the Carmelites Of the Kings mariage with the Ladie Anne of Britaine whereby Britaine was vnited to the crowne of Fraunce Chap. 6. Soone after the Duke of Britaines death died also Isabell his 1489. yoonger daughter by reason whereof the Ladie Anne remained his sole heire about whose mariage the nobles of Britaine fell at great variance for part of them inclined to the Lord of Alebret a great Lord in Guienne who also as it was reported but falsely was contracted to this yoong Princes with the Duke hir fathers consent but the daie before the Duke died but this faction was soone daunted bicause the yoong Ladie hir selfe vtterly refused this match part openly fauored furthered Maximilian the Emperor Fridericks sonne alleaging that he would not onely be a protector of the libertie of their countrey but also a strong rampier against all French attempts Neither was the King of Fraunce ignorant of this treatie but knew right well that ambassadors had passed to and fro betweene Maximilian and them so far foorth that the said Maximilian supposing al matters to be throughly concluded and agreed on began to imbrace al Britaine in his minde and thought no enterprise too high for him if to his low countries obtained by his first marriage he could now ioine the Duchy of Britaine by his second Great consultation was had in Fraunce how to repulse this terrible storme but Maximilians owne slacknes most furthered their deuises The K. councell in the end resolued that the King should refuse his wife being Maximilians daughter and seeke with all expedition the marriage of the Lady Anne of Britaine alleaging that the neighborhood of so mightie a Prince as Maximilian was could not be but dangerous to his estate of whom he could hope for nothing but dissembled friendship presently and assured war in time to come considering that the said Maximilian forgetting already his league and affinitie with the King stirred vp continually one war after another against him and by that meanes professed himselfe an open enimy to him and his realme Wherefore ambassadors were presently sent to treate of this marriage with the Lady Anne She at the first woondered at the matter and alleaged that she had giuen hir faith to Maximilian which she might not breake and further that she had beene solemnly married to him according to the accustomed maner of Princes by VVolfgangus Poleme of Austrich his proctor purposely sent by him into Britaine to that end But the Lady of Lauat and other noble women of Britaine whose company and familiarity this yoong Princes vsed and greatly delighted in being corrupted with French rewards and promises perswaded hir that this French match should be most for hir safety and auancement alleaging that if she married with Maximilian he should hardly be able to defend Britaine whereof already they had good proofe considering that he had euer disappointed them of the succors he had promised to send them And as touching hir scruple of conscience they said that the Pope who had power ouer all lawes Ecclesiasticall would easily be brought to dispence therwith the rather bicause this match should be best for hir safety and for the preseruation of hir estate The yoong Princesse though she were of a singular wit and rare vertues yet being vanquished by these perswasions yeelded to their request and deliuered both hirselfe and hir countrey into the Kings hands and soone after was the marriage solemnly accomplished to the great reioicing of the French And thus receiued Britaine the French yoake to the great griefe of all the subiects who desired to be gouerned by a particular Duke of their owne as they had euer been in times past Not long after this marriage the Earle of Dunois who had been the principall instrument of the peace a great furtherer of the mariage therby throughly reconciled to the K. suddenly died as he was on horsebacke for want of meat as it was said When the K. had set all things in good order in Britaine he returned into Fraunce and appointed that the Ladie Margaret of Flanders should remaine accompanied with the Princes of Tarent in the castell of Melun vpon the riuer of Seine Maximilian was forewarned of al these French practises and seemed to make no account of them but when he perceiued this marriage to be accomplished it doubled his hatred against the King so far foorth that he openly railed vpon him and vowed himselfe to destroy France with fire and sword and presently inuaded Picardie But the Lord of Cordes gouernor thereof made head against him and valiantly defended the countrey to his owne honor and the profit of Fraunce Further Maximilian meaning a thorow reuenge vpon this realme stirred vp the English men the ancient enimies of the crowne to passe into Fraunce promising them great aide both of men and money out of his dominions Wherefore I wil heere speake a word or two of the affaires of England bicause the Englishmen are our next neighbors and both in peace and war haue euer to do with vs and we with them Of the troubles in
the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist in the yeere 1498. at which time he was bound to restore them also to the said Archduke and so he promised and sware to do Whether the alteration of these mariages agreed with the lawes of holy Church or no let others iudge for many Doctors of diuinitie said yea and many nay but were these lawfull or vnlawfull sure all these Ladies were vnfortunate in their issue Our Queene had three sonnes successiuely one after another in fower yeeres one of them 3 liued almost three yeeres and then died and the other two be dead also The Lady Margaret of Austriche was afterward married to the Prince of Castile onely sonne to the King and Queene of Castile and heire both of Castile and diuers other realmes The said Prince died the first yeere of his marriage in the yeere of our Lord 1497. leauing his wife great bellied 4 who immediately after hir husbands death fell in trauel before hir time and was deliuered of a dead borne childe which misfortune the King and Queene of Castile and their whole realme lamented a long time The King of Romanes immediately after this change aboue mentioned married the daughter of Galeas Duke of Milan sister to Duke Iohn Galeas before named the which marriage was made by the Lord Lodouics onely procurement but it displeased greatly both the Princes of the Empire and many also of the King of Romanes friends bicause she was not of a house noble ynough in their opinion to match with their Emperor For as touching the Viscounts of whom the Dukes of Milan are descended small nobilitie is in them and lesse yet in the Sforces for the first of that house was Francis Sforce Duke of Milan whose father was a shoomaker 5 dwelling in a little towne called Cotignoles but a very valiant man though not so valiant as his sonne who by meanes of the great fauour the people of Milan bare his wife being bastard daughter to Duke Philip Marie made himselfe Duke and conquered and gouerned the whole countrie not as a tyrant but as a good and iust Prince so that in woorthines and vertue he was comparable to the noblest Princes that liued in his daies Thus much I haue written to shew what followed the change of these marriages neither know I what may yet heerafter ensue further thereof The Notes 1 Annal. Burgund vvrite vvith Philip the King of Romaines sonne but the best vvriters agree vvith our author 2 Maximilian vvas chosen King of Romaines anno 1486. Funccius 3 Of this childes death he vvriteth lib. 8. cap. 13. 4 Of this Princes death he vvriteth at large lib. 8. cap. 17. 5 Francis Sforces father as some write vvas first a cooke in the campe after he became a soldier and lastly for his valor vvas made a captaine and a knight How the King sent to the Venetians to practise with them before he enterprised his voiage to Naples and of the preparation that was made for the said voiage Chap. 4. NOw to returne to the principall matter you haue heard of the Earle of Caiazzes the other ambassadors departure from the King at Paris and of diuers practises entertained in Italy and how the King as yoong as he was greatly affected this voiage notwithstanding that as yet he discouered his meaning but to the Seneschall and generall onely Further he required the Venetians to giue him aide and counsell in this enterprise who answered him that he should be welcome into Italy but that aide him they could not bicause they stood in doubt of the Turke yet were they in peace with him and as touching counsell it should be too great presumption in them to giue counsell to so wise a Prince hauing so graue a counsell about him but they promised rather to helpe him than hinder him This they tooke to be a wise answer and so was it I confesse But notwithstanding that they gouerne their affaires more circumspectly than any Prince or commonaltie in the world yet God will alwaies haue vs to know that wisedome and forecast of man auaile nought when he is purposed to strike the stroke For he disposed of this enterprise far otherwise than they imagined for they thought not that the King would haue come in person into Italy neither stoode they in any feare of the Turke notwithstanding their forged excuse for the Turke then raigning was a man of no valor 1 but they hoped by this meanes to be reuenged of the house of Arragon which they hated extremely both the father and the sonne bicause by their perswasion as they said the Turke came to Scutary 2 I meane the father of this Turke called Mahumet Ottoman who tooke Constantinople and greatly endammaged the said Venetians But apart to Alphonse D. of Calabria they had many other quarrels for they charged him first as the onely author of the war the D. of Ferrara mooued against them wherin they consumed such infinit treasure that it had well neere cleane vndone them of the which war a word or two hath been spoken before Secondarily that he had sent a man purposely to Venice to poison their cesterns at the least as many as might be come vnto for diuers of them be enclosed and locked They vse there none other water for they are inuironed with the sea and sure that water is very good 3 as my selfe can witnes for twice I haue been at Venice and in my last voiage dranke of it eight moneths togither But the chiefe cause of their hatred against this house of Arragon was none of these aboue rehersed but for that the said house kept them frō growing great as well in Italy as Greece on both the which countries they had their eies fixed notwithstanding they had lately conquered the I le of Cyprus vpon no title in the world 4 For all these considerations the Venetians thought it their profit that war should arise betweene the King and the house of Arragon but they supposed that it could not haue ended so soon as it did that it shuld but weaken their enimies not vtterly destroy them and further that if the woorst fell either the one partie or the other to haue their helpe would giue them certaine townes in Pouille lying vpon their sea coast as also in the end it hapned but they had well neere misreckoned themselues Lastly as touching the calling of the King into Italy they thought it could not be laid to their charge seeing they had giuen him neither counsell nor aide as appeered by their answer to Peron of Basche In the yeere 1494. the King went to Lyons to attend to his affaires but no man 1494. thought he would passe the mountaines Thither came to him the aboue named Master Galeas of Saint Seuerin brother to the Earle of Caiazze with a goodly traine sent from the Lord Lodouic whose lieutenant and principall seruant he was He brought with him a great number of braue horses and armours to run in
had beene prisoners about fower or fiue and thirtie yeeres Further the said Moore immediately after the execution done departed into Barbarie to the end no man should know what was become of them To be short neuer was man more cruell than this King Alphonse more wicked more vicious more filthie nor a greater glutton Notwithstanding his father had been the more dangerous for no man could be acquainted with his humor nor know when he was pleased or displeased so that at feasts and bankets he tooke and betraied men as for example the Earle Iames sonne to Nicholas Picinio whom after that sort he tooke and murthered villanously being ambassador to him from Duke Francis of Milan whose base daughter he had married True it is that the said Francis was consenting to the murther notwithstanding he were his father in law for they both feared the said Earle Iames bicause the Braciques 4 in Italie were wholy at his deuotion After the like maner also tooke this Ferrande the Princes of his realme aboue mentioned and as touching pardon or mercie neuer was any to be obtained at his hands as diuers of his neerest kinsmen and friends haue often told me neither had he at any time pitie or compassion vpon his poore people to ease them of paiments and subsidies Moreouer he vsed within his realme all trade of merchandise himselfe so far foorth that he deliuered swine to his people to feede which they were constrained to fat to further their sale and if any of them happened to die they were forced to make them good In those places where the oile oliue groweth namely in Pouille he and his sonne bought it all vp at their owne price and in like maner the corne yet greene vpon the ground which they sold againe as deere as was possible and if the price thereof happened to fall they constrained their subiects to buie it besides that during the time of their sale all other were forbidden to sell If any of their noblemen were a good husband and thought to spare some good thing for himselfe they would foorthwith desire to borrow it and if he made refusall he was constrained to deliuer it perforce so that they vsed to take from them the races of their horses wherewith that countrie aboundeth and to cause them to be broken kept to their own vse yea and that such numbers as well of horses as of mares and colts that they were esteemed many thousands which also they sent to feede in diuers places in the pastures of their noble men and other their subiects to their great losse and dammage Both of them had forced many women and as touching the Church they had it in no reuerence neither would obey the lawes thereof so far foorth that they sold Bishoprikes for monie as for example the Bishoprike of Tarente sold to a Iew by King Ferrande for thirteene thousand ducats to bestow vpon his sonne who he said was a Christian Abbeies they gaue to faulconers and others to bestow vpon their children with this condition that some of them should enter them a certaine number of hauks and keepe them flying to their vse and other some entertaine a number of soldiers at their owne proper costs and charges The sonne neuer obserued Lent neither seemed to thinke there was any and many yeeres togither neuer confessed himselfe neither receiued the holy sacrament To conclude it was impossible for any man to commit more hainous crimes than both they had done yet some reported the yoong Ferrande to be woorse than them both notwithstanding that he were humble and curteous at his death and no maruell for he was then in great distresse The readers may happily thinke that I vtter all this of some priuate hatred against them which in good sooth I do not but rehearse it onely to continue my historie in the verie beginning whereof I haue declared that this enterprise could neuer haue been atchieued by those that were the chiefe managers thereof had not God alone gouerned it and giuen it good successe to the end he might make this good yoong King being so slenderly prouided both of good counsell and all other things necessarie his deputie to chastise these Princes so wise so rich of so great experience so well accompanied with wise and noble personages whom the defence of the realme touched as neere as themselues so allied and friended yea and the which saw the storme a far off and yet neuer could prouide for it nor make resistance in any place For out of the castle of Naples there was not one man that staied the King a daie and a night whereupon Pope Alexander now liuing saide that the French men came thither with wooden spurs and chalke in their harbingers hands to make their lodgings without further trouble which similitude of wooden spurs he vsed bicause yet at this daie when the yoong gentlemen of this realme rid about the streets on horsebacke their Pages thrust little sticks into their showes or pantofles wherewith they prick forward their mules And to confesse the truth this was so easie a conquest that our men very seldom armed themselues in all this voiage Besides that from the Kings departure out of Ast till his entrie into Naples it was but fower moneths and ninteene daies An ambassador would almost haue been as long in iourneying thither I conclude therfore agreeably to the opinion of diuers holie religious men and others and to the voice of the people which is Gods voice that God ment to punish these Princes so visibly that euery man might behold it to warne thereby all other Princes to liue well and according to his commandements For these Princes of Arragon lost both honor and realme with great riches goodly furniture of diuers and sundry sorts the which is so dispersed heere and there that a man can hardly tell what is become thereof besides that they ended their liues three in a yeeres space or little more but I trust their soules be in Paradise For you shall vnderstand that this old Ferrande bastard to King Alphonse a wise vertuous and honorable Prince was maruellously disquieted when he saw this French war first mooued against him which he could finde no meanes to pacifie For he was wise and knew that he and his sonne had liued ill and were maruellously hated in their realme diuers also of those that were neerest about him haue informed me that as he raced a certain chappell he found a booke whereon these words were written Truth vvith hir secret counsell 5 the which contained all the euils that afterward fell vpon him There were but three that sawe the booke for immediately after he had read it he threw it into the fire Another thing that greatly troubled him was this his sonne Alphonse and Ferrand his sonnes sonne could neuer be perswaded that the King would come into Italy Wherefore they vsed proude and threatning words against him and spake very contemptuously of him saying
had neuer chanced All the which inconueniences hapned bicause the King dispatched nothing himselfe neither would giue the messengers audience that came from them And as touching his seruants to whom he committed the gouernment of his affaires they were men of small experience idle and negligent and some of them I thinke had intelligence with the Pope whereby it manifestly appeered that God had now altogither withdrawen his grace from the King which at his going to Naples he had poured down so plentifully vpon him After the King had soiourned at Lyons about two monethes word was brought him that the Daulphin his sonne lay at the point of death and within three daies after that he was dead which newes he tooke heauily as nature would notwithstanding his sorrow soone ended But the Queene of Fraunce and Duchesse of Britaine called Anne lamented the death of hir sonne and that a long time as much as was possible for a woman to do And I thinke verily that besides the naturall griefe that women vse to conceiue in such cases hir minde gaue hir that some greater euill hung ouer hir head The King hir husband as I haue said mourned not long but sought to comfort hir by causing certaine yoong gentlemen to daunce before hir of the which the Duke of Orleans was one being of the age of fower and thirty yeeres who seemed to reioice at the Daulphins death bicause he was heire apparant to the crowne next after the King for the which cause the K. and he saw not one another in a long time after The Daulphin was about three yeeres olde a goodly childe bold in speech and no whit fearing those things that commonly children vse to feare Wherefore to be plaine with you his fathers sorrow soone ended for he began already to doubt if this childe grew to yeeres and continued in his noble conditions that happily he might diminish his estimation and authoritie for the King himselfe was a man of very small stature and no great sense but of so good a nature that it was impossible to finde a gentler creature Heerby you may perceiue in how miserable estate Kings and Princes liue who stand in feare of their owne children King Lewis the eleuenth who was so wise and vertuous a Prince stood in feare of this King Charles his sonne but he prouided well for it and afterward died leauing his said sonne King being but fowerteene yeeres of age The said King Lewis also had put King Charles the seuen his father in feare of him for being but thirteene yeeres of age he mooued war against him with certaine noble men and gentlemen of the realme that misliked those that bare the sway in Court gouerned the estate as K. Lewis himselfe hath eftsoones told me but this broile soone ended Afterward also being come to mans estate he fell at great variance with his father and retired himselfe into Daulphine and from thence into Flaunders leauing the countrie of Daulphin to the said King his father as I haue made mention about the beginning of this historie written of King Lewis the 11. Wherefore it is manifest that no creature is exempt from trouble but that all men eate their bread in trauell and sorrow as God promised vs that we should soone after he had created man the which promise he hath truly performed to all sorts of men But great diuersitie there is of troubles and sorrowes for those of the bodie are the lesse and those of the minde the greater the sorrowes of wise men are of one sort and the sorrowes of fooles of another but much greater griefe and passion endureth the foole than the wise man and lesse comfort receiueth he in his sorrowes though many suppose otherwise The poore man that trauelleth and toileth his body to get foode to sustaine himselfe and his children and paieth customs and subsidies to his Prince should liue in too great descomfort and despaire if Princes and great men had nothing but pleasure in this world and he nothing on the contrarie side but trauell and miserie But God hath otherwise disposed thereof for if I should take vpon me to rehearse the sundrie griefes sorrowes and passions that I haue seene diuers great personages sustaine as well men as women within these thirty yeeres onely a great volume would hardly containe them I meane not such great persosonages as Bocace writeth of in his booke 1 but such as we see abound with wealth liue in health and prosperitie yea such as those that haue not beene conuersant with them as I haue been would account in all respects happie bâ—â— I haue often sâ—â—ne their sorrowes and griefes arise of so small occasions that they that were vnacquainted with them would hardly beleeue it the most part being grounded vpon ielousies and reports which is a disease that lurketh secretly in great Princes Courts and traineth with it infinite mischiefs both to their owne persons their seruants and all their subiects and so much shorteneth their liues that hardly any King of Fraunce since Charles the great hath passed the age of sixtie yeeres For the which cause when King Lewis the eleuenth approched neere to that age being sicke of this disease he accounted himselfe a dead man His father King Charles the seuenth who had done so many noble acts in Fraunce conceiued an imagination in his sicknes that his seruants went about to poison him and therefore refused to receiue sustenance Likewise his father King Charles the sixt was troubled with so many suspicions that he lost his wits and all by reports And sure this is a fault greatly to be blamed in Princes that in these cases they cause not such matters as concerne themselues be they of neuer so small importance to be ripped vp which if they did they should not so often be troubled with false tales For if they would examine the parties the one before the other I meane the accuser and him that is accused no man durst report any thing to them that were vntrue But some Princes there are of so doltish disposition that they will promise and sweare to the accusers neuer to disclose their reports whereby they are often troubled with these anguishes before mentioned and hate and iniurie their trustiest and faithfullest seruants and subiects at the pleasure and vpon the complaint many times of lewd and naughtie persons The Notes 1 Of vnfortunate noble men How the King was aduertised of the losse of the castle of Naples and how the Florentines places were sold to diuers men of the treatie of Atelle in Pouille to the great dammage of the French and of the death of King Ferrande of Naples Chap. 14. THe Daulphin the Kings onely sonne died about the beginning of the yeere 1496. which was the greatest misfortune that euer happened or could happen to the King for he neuer had childe after that liued But this mischeife came not without company for at the very same time receiued he newes that the
Kings of Romanes and England 10 for the Prince of Wales was at that time very yoong were comprehended therein they had fower daughters the eldest of the which was a widow and had been married to the King of Portugales sonne that last died who brake his necke before hir as he passed a carrier vpon a ginnet within three moneths after their marriage The second and the third were married the one in Flaunders and the other in England and the fourth is yet to marrie After the Lord of Bouchage was returned and had made his report the King perceiued that de Clerieux had beene too credulous and that he had done wisely in sending du Bouchage thither bicause he was now assured of that which before he stood in doubt of The said de Bouchage aduertised him further that he could effect nothing but the conclusion of the truce the which he had libertie either to accept or refuse at his pleasure The King accepted it and sure it serued him to good purpose for it was the breach of their league which so much had troubled his affaires and which hitherto he could by no means dissolue notwithstanding that he had attempted all waies possible Thirdly the said de Bouchage informed the King that the King and Queene of Castile had promised him at his departure to send ambassadors immediately after him cause of their attainture was for that they had attempted to make him King of Portugale that now raigneth These Lords therefore and gentlemen were by meanes of this marriage recompensed in Castile by the King and Queene and their lands which they had forfaited in Portugale by attainture assigned to the Queene of Portugale now mentioned daughter to the said K. and Queene of Castile But notwithstanding all these considerations the said K. Queene repented them of this marriage for you shall vnderstand that there is no nation in the world that the Spaniards hate more than the Portugales so far foorth that they disdaine scorne them wherfore the said King Queene lamented much that they had bestowed their daughter vpon a man that should not be beloued in the realm of Castile their other dominions if the marriage had been then vnmade they would neuer haue made it which vndoubtedly was a great corrosiue to them yet nothing so great as this that she should depart from them Notwithstanding after all their sorrowes ended they led their said daughter and sonne in law through all the chiefe cities of their realme and made the said King of Portugale to be receiued for Prince and their daughter for Princesse and proclaimed them their successors after their death Some comfort they receiued after all these sorrowes for they were aduertised that the said Lady Princesse of Castile and Queene of Portugale was great with childe but this ioy prooued in the end double greefe so that I thinke they wished themselues out of the world for this Lady whom they so tenderly loued and so much esteemed died in trauell of the said childe not past a moneth agone and we are now in October in the yeere 1498. but the childe liueth 4 and is called Emanuell after his fathers name All these greatmisfortunes hapned to them in the space of three moneths Now to returne to the estate of Fraunce You shall vnderstand that about fower or fiue moneths before the said Ladies death a great misfortune happened also in this realme I meane the death of King Charles the eight whereof heereafter you shall heare at large It seemed therefore that God beheld both these houses with an angrie countenance and would not that the one realme should scorne the other For although the death of a Prince seeme but a trifle to many yet is it sure far otherwise for change of the Prince neuer happeneth in any realme but it traineth with it great sorrowes and troubles and notwithstanding that some gaine by it yet an hundred fold more lose bicause at an alteration men are forced to change their maner and forme of liuing for that that pleaseth one Prince displeaseth another Wherefore as before I haue said if a man well consider the sharpe and sudden punishments that God hath laide vpon great Princes within these thirty yeeres in Fraunce Castile Portugale England Naples Flaunders and Britaine he shall finde that they haue beene heauier and greeuouser than happened in two hundred yeeres before and whosoeuer would take in hand to discourse vpon all the particular misfortunes that I my selfe haue seene and in a maner knowen all the persons as well men as women to whom they happened should make thereof a huge volume and that of great admiration yea though it contained onely such as haue chanced within these ten yeeres By these punishments the power of God ought to be the better knowen for the plagues he powreth downe vpon great personages are sharper grieuouser and endure longer than those he sendeth to the poorer sort To conclude therefore me thinke all things well waied that Princes are in no better estate in this world than other men if they consider by the miseries they see happen to their neighbours what may happen to themselues For as touching them they chastice their subiects at their pleasures and God disposeth of them at his pleasure bicause other than him they haue none ouer them but happie is the realme that is gouerned by a Prince that is wise and feareth God and his commandements I haue briefly rehearsed the misfortunes that happened in three moneths space to these two great and mightie realmes which not long before were so inflamed the one against the other so busied in enlarging their dominions and so little contented with that they already possessed And notwithstanding that alwaies some as before I said reioice at changes and gaine by them yet at the first euen to them the death especially the sudden death of their Prince is very dreadfull and dangerous The Notes 1 This he seemeth to adde bicause the empire was greater but it was not the Emperors inheritance 2 Vnderstand the two first murthers of his wiues father and brother for his sonne was dead before he slue his owne brother 3 Vnderstand hir dowrie for hir first marriage 4 But the childe died also afterward and the crowne of Spaine descended to Iane the second daughter wife to Philip Duke of Austrich and mother to the Emperor Charles the fift Further you shall vnderstand that our authors memorie failed him heere for this Princes name was not Emanuel as Commines heere writeth but Michael according to all good authors and pedegrees both of Spaine and Portugale Of the sumptuous building King Charles began a little before his death of the great desire he had to reforme the Church and himselfe to diminish his reuenues and to redresse the processes of the law and how he died suddenly in this good minde in his castel of Amboise Chap. 18. I Will heere cease further to discourse of the affaires of Italie and Castile
purged him fower daies before he died bicause they sawe in his bodie the occasions of his death Euery man ran to the Duke of Orleans who was to succeede him as next heire to the crowne But King Charles his chamberlains caused him to be richlie buried and immediately after his death began solemne seruice for him which continued both day and night for when the canons ended the friers Franciscans began and when they ended the Bons-hommes 1 which was an order founded by himselfe his body remained at Amboise eight daies partly in his chamber which was richly hanged and partly in the church All solemnities belonging to his funerals were more sumptuous than euer were any K. of Fraunce for his chamberlains officers those that were neere about him neuer departed from his body till it was laid in the ground which was about a moneth after his death al the which space this solemne seruice continued so that the charges of his funerals amounted to fiue and fortie thousand franks as diuers of the receit haue informed me I arriued at Amboise two daies after his death and went to say my praiers ouer his body where I abode fiue or sixe howers And to saie the truth I neuer saw so great mourning and lamentation nor that continued so long for any Prince as for him and no maruel for he had bestowed vpon those that were neere about him namely his chamberlaines and ten or twelue gentlemen of his priuie chamber greater offices and gifts than euer did King of Fraunce yea too great to saie the truth Besides that he was the mildest and courteousest Prince that euer liued for I thinke he neuer gaue foule word to any man wherefore in better hower could he not die both to leaue his fame behinde him in histories and to be bewailed of those that serued him And I thinke verily that my selfe am the man whom of all other he vsed roughliest but bicause I knew it to be the fault of his youth and not to proceede of himselfe I could neuer loue him the woorse for it After I had staied one night at Amboise I went to the newe King with whom I had been more familiar than any man and further for his sake had susteined all my troubles and losses which now he seemed little to remember notwithstanding with great wisdome he tooke possession of the crowne for he changed no pensions that yeere though halfe the yeere were yet to come neither displaced many officers but said that he would maintaine euery man in his estate whereby he wan great honor Moreouer with all speede possible he went to his coronation whereat my selfe was present And these that follow represented the peeres of Fraunce The first was the Duke of Alençon who represented the Duke of Burgundie the second the Duke of Bourbon who represented the Duke of Normandie the third the Duke of Lorraine who represented the D of Guienne The first Earle was Philip L. of Rauastaine who represented the Earle of Flaunders the second Engilbert of Cleues who represented the Earle of Champaigne the third the Earle of Foix who represented the Earle of Tholouze And the said King Levvis the twelfth now raigning was crowned at Reims the 27. of Maie the yeere 1498. and is the fourth that hath come to the crowne by collaterall line The two first were Charles Martell or Pepin his sonne and Hugh Capet who were both of them Masters of the pallace or gouernors of those Kings whom they deposed from the crowne which afterwarde themselues vsurped the thirde was King Philip of Valois and the fourth the King that now raigneth but these two latter came to the crowne by iust and lawfull title The first genealogie of the Kings of Fraunce beginneth at Meronee two Kings had raigned in Fraunce before the said Meronee namely Pharamond who was first chosen King of Fraunce for his predecessors were called Dukes or Kings of Gaule and his sonne Claudio The said Pharamond was chosen King the yeere of grace 420. and raigned ten yeeres and his sonne Claudio eighteene so that these two Kings raigned eight and twentie yeeres and Meronee who succeeded next after was not sonne but cosen to the said Claudio Wherefore it seemeth that the right line of the Kings of Fraunce hath failed fiue times notwithstanding as before I said men begin the first line at Meronee who was crowned King in the yeere of our Lord 448. from the which time to the coronation of King Levvis the twelfth are numbred 1050. yeeres But if you reckon from Pharamond you must adde eight and twentie more which make 1078. yeeres since there was first King of Fraunce From Meronee to the raigne of Pepin when the line of the said Meronee failed are numbred 333. yeeres From Pepin to Hugh Capet raigned the true line of the said Pepin and Charlemaine his son the space of 237. yeeres The right line of Hugh Capet raigned 339. yeeres and ended in King Philip of Valois and the right line of the said King Philip of Valois continued till the death of King Charles the eight which hapned in the yeere of our Lord 1498. The said King Charles was the last of this line the which had continued 169. yeeres during the which space these seuen Kings raigned in Fraunce Philip of Valois King Iohn Charles the fift Charles the sixt Charles the seuenth Levvis the 11. and Charles the eight in whom the right line of Philip of Valois ended The Notes 1 This vvas an order of religion deuised by the King How Charles Duke of Burgundie was of the house of Lancaster as Commines mentioneth lib. 1. cap. 5. and in other places Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster m. Blaunch daughter and heire of Henry Duke of Lancaster and Darby Philippa m. Iohn the tenth King of Portugale bastard to King Ferrande of Portugale Isabella m. Philip Duke of Burgundie Charles Duke of Burgundie of whose wars and death this history treateth How Elizabeth wife to King Edward the fourth was neece to the Constable of Fraunce as mentioneth Commines lib. 4. cap. 5. Peter of Luxembourg m. Margaret Countesse of Saint Paul Conuersane Briane Lignac c. Petrus Earle of Saint Paul c. m. Margaret daughter to William D. of Andre in Prouence Iaquelna or Iaquette m. Iohn Duke of Bedford m. Richard Wooduile Earle of Riuers Elizabeth m. Sir Iohn Gray Thomas Marques Dorset m. Edward the fourth King of England Edwardus quintus R. Ang. Lewis of Luxembourg Earle of Saint Paul Constable of FrauÌ„ce m. Iane daughter heire to Robert Earle of Marle c. Anthonie Earle of Roussv mentioned by Commines lib. 2. cap. 11. lib. 4. ca. 4. Iohn Earle of Marle slaine at the battell of Morat Peter Earle of Saint Paul and Brienne m. Margaret daughter to Lewis D. of Sauoye Marie Francis m. Marie daughter to Lewis Duke of Sauoye Lewis Eaâ—â— of Ligny How Brabant Lambourg Luxembourg and Namurs came to Philip Duke of Burgundie as mentioneth Commines lib.
4. cap. 13. Brabant Lambourg Iohn the first of that name Duke of Brabant and Lambourg 1 Lambourg was erected into a Duchie 1172. and Henrie the last Duke thereof who died without issue 1293. solde it to Iohn the first of that name Duke of Brabant But Henrie Earle of Luxembourg father to Henrie the Emperor the Bishop of Colyn and one called the Earle Ghelric inuaded the Duchie of Lambourg with them Duke Iohn fought neere to the castell of Voronc and tooke the Earle Ghelric who pretended title to Lambourg and the Bishop of Colin prisoners the Earle of Luxembourg with two of his brethren was slaine the castell of Voronc razed since the which time Lambourg hath remained quiet vnder the Dukes of Brabant m. Margaret daughter to Guy Earle of Flaunders Iohn Duke of Brabant and Lambourg m. Margaret daughter to Edward the first King of England Iohn Duke of Brabant and Lambourg m. Marie daughter to Philip of Valois King of Fraunce Iane the eldest daughter died 1397. m. Wenceslaus son to Iohn King of Boheme 2 Wenceslaus succeeded Iohn Duke of Brabant but he died 1383. without issue and after his wife dying anno 1393. left Brabant and Lambourg to Anthonie second sonne to Philip the Hardie the said Ianes grand nephew by Margaret hir yoonger sister after whose death and his two sonnes Iohn and Philip Brabant and Lambourg descended to Philip Duke of Burgundie as mentioneth Commines in the place aboue rehearsed died 1383. Margaret m. Lewis Maleaâ—â—â— Earle of Flaundres Margaret m. Philip the hardy Margaret wife to William Earl of Haynault Anthony slaine in the battel of Agincourt m. Iane daughter to Walleran Earle of Saint Paul Ligny the first wife Iohn succeeded his father in Brabant and Lambourg Philip succeeded his brother m. 3 Elizabeth second wife to Anthonie Duke of Brabant was daughter to Iohn Duke of Gorlic brother to the Emperours Wenceslaus and Sigismundus who partly in respect of this marriage partly for money gaue to Duke Anthonie the Duchie of Luxembourg but after his death they and VVilliam Duke of Saxonie who had married Sigismundus daughters daughter sought to dispossesse hir of it but Duke Philip of Burgundie euer defended hir and after hir death succeeded hir as well by hir gift as also as heire to Duke Anthonie his two sonnes being dead who had paid money to VVenceslaus and Sigismundus for it afterward also Charles Duke of Burgundie bought the title of Isabella wife to Cassimirus King of Polonia and neece to the Emperor Sigismund to the Duchie of Luxembourg to hold it without quarrell Elizabeth the second wife Luxembourg Iohn Duke of Burgundie m. Margaret sisteâ— to William Earl of Haynault Holland Namurs Philip Duke of Burgundie 4 As touching Namurs Duke Philip bought it for his money of diuers that pretended title to it especially of Iohn Earle of Namur who sold it to Duke Philip vnder condition to hold it during his life which happened anno 1428. How Holland Hainault and Zeland came to Duke Philip as mentioneth Commines lib. 4. cap. 13. where also the Queenes Maiesties title to the said countries is somwhat touched Holland Hainault Zeland William Earle of Holland Hainault and Zeland m. Iane sister to Philip of Valois after K. of Fraunce Philippa the eldest daughter wife to Edward the third King of England William declared by the Emperor ann 1337. Earle of Holland Zeland Hainault and Lord of Friseland slaine by the Frizons 1345. Margaret daughter as some write to William 1 This Margaret Guicchiardin writeth to haue been daughter to VVilliam the yoonger Earle of Hainault Holland and Zeland but Annales Genealogiques Franciae say that she was sister not daughter to VVilliam as do also other most approoued Authors And if she were but sister then the Queenes Maiestie being descended of Philippa the said VVilliams eldest sister is right heire of all these countries Meyerus lib 12. fol. 140. pag. 2. and fol. 147. pag. 1. saith that Margaret was sister not daughter to Duke VVilliam which also is the more manifestly prooued bicause the wife of this VVilliam was Iane the eldest daughter to Iohn Duke of Brabant who ouerliued hir husband and after married VVenceslaus brother to the Emperor Charles the fourth which woman neuer had issue yet finde we no mention of any other wife that VVilliam the yoonger Earle of Hainault had as others sister m. Lewis of Bauierâ— Emperor William the eldest brother died without issue Albert succeeded his brother m. Margaret daughter to the Duke of Brida William succeeded his father m. Margaret daughter to Philip the Hardy Iaqueline daughter and heire had fower husbands but died without issue and to hir succeeded Philip D. of Burgundie Margaret m. Iohn Duke of Burgundy sonne to Philip the Hardy Philip Duke of Burgundy succeeded Iaqueline in all these Seniories as heere mentioneth Commines A daughter married to the Duke of Iuliers How Margaret of Flaunders was heire of Flaunders Neuers and Rethel as mentioneth Commines lib. 4. cap. 13. lib. 5. cap. 11. the which Margaret married with Philip the Hardy yoongest sonne to Iohn King of Fraunce Ottho yoonger sonne to Hugh the fourth of that name Duke of Burgundy m. Isabella daughter heire of Arnulfe Earle of Neuers which Arnulfe died anno 1243. Neuers Yolande Flaunders m. Robert of Bethune the 22. Earle of Flaunders died 1323. Lewis Earle of Neuers Baron of Douzy died before his father ann 1322. Rethel m. Mary daughter and heire of Iames â— of Rethel Lewis Earle of Flaunders Neuers Rethel slain at the battell of Crecy 1346. m. Margaret yoongest daughter to Philip le Longue King of Fraunce Lewis Earle of FlauÌ„ders surnamed of Malain slain by Iohn Duke of Berry brother to Charles the fift anno 1383. m. Margaret daughter to Iohn the 3. Duke of Brabant Margaret daughter and heire heere mentioned married two Dukes of Burgundie as in the next leafe more at large shall appeere m. Philip Duke and Earle of Burgundy the first husband m. Philip the Hardy yoongest sonne to Iohn K. of Fraunce How Arthois and the County of Burgundy descended to the said Lady Margaret aboue mentioned and how she married two Dukes of Burgundy and how Philip the Hardy hir second husband obtained the Duchy of Burgundie after the death of Philip Duke of Burgundie hir first husband Burgundie Duchie Robert Duke of Burgundy died 1308. m. Agnes daughter to King Saint Lewis Margaret the eldest daughter m. Lewis Huttin King of Fraunce Iane wife to Phillip Earle of Eureux Iane. m. Philip of Valois King of Fraunce Iohn King of Fraunce 3 Touching the Duchie of Burgundie note that after the death of Philip Duke of Burgundie nephew to Ottho the 16. Duke of Burgundie King Iohn of Fraunce being sonne to Iane the said Otthos yoonger sister seazed the Duchie of Burgundie into his hands excluding Iane daughter to Margaret the elder sister as suspected of bastardie and after gaue the said Duchie
the 11 K. of France Charles the 8. K. of Fraunce Reue so often meÌ„tioned in this historie adopted by the last Qu. Iane after Lewis his brothers death Lorraine m. Isabella daughter and heire to Charles D. of Lorraine Iohn Duke of Calabria died before his father Nicholas died before his grandfather Yoland wife to Frederic of Vandemonne Rene. This is hee that claimed Prouence and Bar of K. Charles Charles Earle of Maine mentioned Lib. 1. cap. 3. Charles whom king Rene made his heire of Naples Prouence and Bar and he after made King Lewis his heire lib. 7. c. 1. Lewis the third of Aniou Duke adopted by Iane the second died anno 1433. Heereby appeereth that the Duke of Lorraine had the best title to Prouence as heire to Lewis the first of that name Duke of Aniou to whom Queene Iane gaue it to Naples likewise as heire to the house of Aniou by being daughters sonne to Rene to whom Queene Iane the second left it by hir last will and testament of Bar he was heire as heire to Yolande his great grandmother and as touching the testaments of the two first Charles kings of Naples who as it is alleaged so vnited Prouence that it could not be seuered from the realme of Naples nor descend to the heire female as long as a male was liuing First the example of Queene Iane who succeeded Robert hir grandfather diuers males liuing prooueth there was neuer any such testament besides that king Charles was no more heire male to those kings than the Duke of Lorraine for they both descended of them by a woman namely Clementia wife to Charles of Valois So that the King had no colour to Naples or Prouence but at this daâ—e the whole title of the house of Aniou thereto resteth in the now Duke of Lorraine who is lineally descended of king Rene. Lastly the reason whereupon Commines groundeth the house of Anious title to the realme of Naples to be best is onely bicause Lewis of Aniou was made heire thereof by Queene Ianes last testament which reuoketh all former testaments The storie of this pedegree of Naples and Sicilie 1. Charles brother to Saint Lewis King of Fraunce obtained Prouence by marriage of Betrice daughter to Raymond or Robert or Berengarius Earle of Prouence who made hir his heire though she were his yoonger daughter after Vrbanus the fourth Pope of Rome called him into Italie against Manfredus King of Naples and Sicilie whom Charles slew in battell and after beheaded Conradinus also who quarreled the realmes of Naples Sicilie but soone after Peter King of Arragon who had married King Mansridus daughter reuolted Sicilie from him flew all the French men in an euening and possessed Sicilie as his posteritie namely King Philip doth yet at this day Charles was crowned King of Naples by Vrbane the fourth anno 1255. and after confirmed by Clement the fourth and died anno 1274. 2. Charles his sonne in his fathers time seeking to recouer Sicilie was taken prisoner by King Peters forces and caried into Arragon where he should haue been executed in reuenge of Conradinus death as 200. gentlemen and nobles taken with him were had not Constance king Peters wife saued his life after he was restored to Naples paying for his raunsome 30000. marks and married the daughter and heire of Stephen king of Hungarie by whom he had nine sonnes and fiue daughters whose ofspring looke in Onufrius pag. 309. he died anno 1319. These two kings are they that our author mentioneth lib. 7. cap. 1. that were said to haue made testaments that Prouence could not be seuered from the realme of Naples nor descend to the female as long as there was an heire male liuing which appeereth to be false in the example of Queene Iane. 3. Robert king of Nâ—ples crowned by Clement the fift died without issue male anno 1342. and left his realme to Iane his sonnes daughter vnder condition that she should marrie Andrew yoonger sonne to Cornumbere king of Hungarie hir cosin germain remooued heere is to be obserued that this Robert was yoonger sonne to king Charles but the said king gaue to Charles his eldest sonne his realme of Hungarie and Naples to this Robert In his time liued Petrarcha and Boccace 4. Iane daughter to Charles sans terre succeeded hir grandfather Robert and married Andrew sonne to the king of Hungarie as hir said grandfather had appointed whom within three yeeres she strangled whereupon Lewis king of Hungarie his brother came into Italy chased Q. Iane out of Naples executed Charles of Durazzo as consenting to his brothers death and carried Charles his sonne with him into Hungarie after whose departure Iane by helpe of Pope Clement returned and recouered Naples but after she fell out with Pope Vrbanus the sixt who chased hir into Prouence where she adopted Lewis of Aniou sonne to King Iohn of Fraunce and so returned to Naples against whom the Pope called out of Hungarie Charles sonne to Charles of Durazzo who recouered Naples but Prouence Lewis enioied she was hanged ann 1381. 5. Charles sonne to Charles of Durazzo beheaded was led prisoner into Hungarie by king Lewis as before is mentioned after whose death he succeeded him in Hungarie as his next heire male he was inuested King of Naples by Vrbane the sixt against Queene Iane whom he tooke prisoner anno 1381. and hung at the same window she had hung hir husband and beheaded also Marie Queene Ianes sister whom Boccace was enamored of as consenting to hir sisters husbands death he slew in battell anno 1385. Lewis of Aniou adopted by Queene Iane after he fell at variance with Pope Vrbane He was slaine in Hungarie by the treason of the old Queene king Lewis his wife and hir daughter at a feast anno 1386 his wife was Margaret Queene Ianes sister 6 Ladislaus lost Hungarie by his fathers murther but was at length receiued and crowned king of Naples by Pope Boneface the ninth anno 1 90. and then he chased Lewis the second out of Italie who after his fathers death was come thither and had got some part of the realme After Ladislaus fell out with Alexander the fift and tooke Rome whereupon the Pope gaue the realme of Naples to Lewis of Aniou who returned and vanquished Ladislaus and recouered Rome but not knowing how to vse the victorie Ladislaus recouered himselfe forced Lewis to retire into Fraunce and then againe tooke Rome and died anno 14â—4 7. Iane the second succeeded hir brother Ladislaus after she fell out with the Pope who called Lewis of Aniou the third of that name against hir then she adopted Alfonse of Arragon who chased Lewis out of Italie but Alfonse and she falling at variance she adopted Lewis of Aniou hir enimie who recouered Naples anno 1424. and raigned with hir till anno 1432. or 1433. when they both died and then she made Rene brother to Lewis hir heire but he being then prisoner with Philip Duke of
for he liued not long after Notwithstanding before his death he did his Master good seruice in the battell against the Liegeois wherof you shall now heare I haue made mention before how the Duke departing from Louuain laide his siege before Sainctron and bent his artillerie against it Within the towne were three thousand Liegeois vnder the charge of a valiant knight the selfe same that was their chiefe commissioner for peace when we met them in order of battell the yeere before But the third day after the Dukes arriuall before the towne the Liegeois with great force came to leuie his siege about ten of the clocke in the morning they were thirtie thousand men 2 and aboue good and bad all footmen saue fine hundred They were well furnished of artillerie and encamped within halfe a league of vs in a strong village called Breton part whereof was enuironed with a marish Farther Francois Royet Baillif of Lions and the Kings ambassador at that time to the saide Liegeois was with them in their armie 3 Our fourragers were the first that aduertised vs of their arriuall for we had no scoutes abroade which was a foule ouersight I neuer was in place with the Duke of Burgundie where I saw him giue good order of him selfe but this daie onely Incontinent he raunged all his battels in the fielde saue certeine bands appointed to lie still at the siege among the which were fiue or sixe hundred English men Farther he beset both the sides of the village with twelue hundred men of armes and placed him selfe with eight hundred men of armes directlie ouer against the village somewhat farther off then the rest he caused also a great companie of gentlemen and men of armes to light on foote with the archers then the L. of Rauastain with the vaward being all on foote as wel men of armes as archers marched forward with certeine peeces of artillerie euen hard to the Liegeois trenches which were broad deepe full of water yet notwithstanding with force of arrowes and cannot shot the enimies were repulsed and their trenches wonne and their artillerie also but when our shot failed vs the Liegeois recouered their spirits and with their long pikes gaue a charge vpon our archers and their Captaines of whom they slew in a moment foure or fiue hundred in such sort that all our ensignes begane to wauer as men halfe discomfited At which instant the Duke commanded the archers of his battell to march being led by Philip of Creuecoeur Lord of Cordes a wise gentleman and diuers other valiantmen who so couragiously assailed the enimies that with the turning of a hand they were put to flight But neither the horsemen aboue mentioned that stood on both sides of the village neither the Duke himselfe could follow the chase bicause of the marish for they were placed there onely to this end that if the Liegeois had broken the D. vawarde and issued foorth of their trenches into the plaine they might then haue giuen a charge vpon them The Liegeois fled along through the marish being pursued onely by our footmen notwithstanding the Duke sent part of the horsemen that accompanied himselfe to follow the chase but they were forced to ride two leagues about before they could finde any passage by meanes whereof they were benighted which saued many a Liegeois life The rest of his horsemen the Duke sent to his campe bicause they heard a great noise there and doubted the enimies sally and indeede they had issued foorth thrise but were alwaies repulsed especially through the valiantns of the English men that the Duke left there behind him a few of the Liegeois after they were put to flight relied themselues togither at their cariage but staied not long there In this battell were slaine 9000. men 4 which number I am sure shal seeme great to all that loue truth but I haue beene in my time in manie battels where for one that was slaine men made report of a hundred thinking thereby to please their Masters whom often they abuse with such vntruths Sure had we not beene benighted there had beene slaine aboue fifteene thousand the battell being ended 5 the Duke when it was darke night returned with the whole armie into his campe saue a thousand or twelue hundred horse that were gone two leagues about to follow the chase for otherwise they could not come neere their enimies bicause of a litle riuer that was to passe They did no great exploit bicause of the night notwithstanding some of their enimies they slew and some they tooke but the greatest part escaped into the citie The Lord of Contay did good seruice this day in giuing order in the battell died shortlie after in the town of Huz and made a good end he was a wise a valiant knight but liued not long after his cruel sentence pronounced against the hostages aboue mentioned The D. immediatlie after he was vnarmed called one of his secretaries and wrote a letter to the Constable and the other ambassadors departed from him at Louuain not aboue foure daies before wherein he aduertised them of his victorie and desired them to attempt nothing against the Bretons Within two daies after the battell the pride of this foolish people was cleane abated though their losse were not great whereby appeereth how dangerous a thing it is for any Prince to hazard his estate in battell if he may by anie other means make a good end for a smal losse in a battel changeth altereth the minds of his subiects that receiueth the ouerthrow more than any man would thinke causing them not only to stand in great feare of their enimies but also to despise contemn their Prince and those that are in authority about him yea to murmur and practise against him They demand boldlier than they were accustomed and storme if ought be denied them so that the Prince mought haue done more with one crowne before the battell than with three after it Wherefore if he that hath receaued the ouerthrowe be wise he will not aduenture a second battell in this estate with those that haue fled but onely defend his owne and seeke some small enterprise easie to be atchiued to the end thereby his subiects may recouer their former courage and remooue all feare To conclude the losse of a battell traineth with it a number of inconueniences to him that is vanquished Notwithstanding great conquerors haue iust cause to desire the battell to abridge their labours as haue also the Englishmen and Switzers both bicause they are better footemen then their neighbors as appeareth by the great victories they haue obteined which notwithstanding I write not to the dispraise of other nations and also bicause their men can not keepe the fields long without dooing some exploit as Frenchmen and Italians can who also are more full of practise and easier to be gouerned than they Now on the otherside he that obtaineth the victory increaseth his honor