was deputy of Calice and had diuers other great offices so that I haue heard his yeerely reuenewes valued at fower score thousand crownes besides his owne inheritance But in the end he fell at variance with the King his master about a yeere as I gesse before the Duke of Burgundies comming before Amiens which breach the said Duke furthered to the vttermost of his power For the Earles great authority in England much discontented him besides that they two were not friends for the Earle had continuall intelligence with the King our master To be short about this present or not long before the Earle of Warwickes force was so great that he seased the King his master into his hands and put to death diuers personages that he highly fauored namely the Lord of Scales the Queenes father 3 and two of his sonnes the third being also in great danger with them diuers other knights He entertained the King his master for a season very honorably and placed new seruants about him supposing that through simplicity he would soone forget the old The Duke of Burgundy being not a little troubled with this aduenture practised secretly how King Edvvard might escape and they two commune togither which enterprise had so good successe that the King escaped indeede and leuied men and defeated certaine of the Earles bands He was a fortunate Prince in the field for he wan at the least nine great battels fighting himselfe on foote in euery one of them The Earle of Warwicke vnable to make resistance aduertised his friends what they should do and embarked at leisure accompanied with the Duke of Clarence who had married his daughter and tooke part with him notwithstanding that he were King Edwards brother They transported with them both wiues and children and a great band of men and sailed straight towards Calais within the which was the Earles lieutenant named the Lord of Vaucler 4 and diuers of the said Earles houshold seruants who in stead of receiuing their Master presented him the canon Further you shall vnderstand that as they lay at anchor before the towne the Duchesse of Clarence daughter to the Earle of Warwicke was deliuered of a sonne and great intreatie was made before Vaucler and the rest of the towne would suffer two flaggons of wine to be brought foorth to hir which was great extremitie of the seruant towards the master For it is to be supposed that the Earle thought himselfe well assured of this place which is they very key of England and the goodliest captainship in mine opinion in the world at the least in Christendome which I dare boldly auow bicause I was there diuers times during these wars and heard also the Maior of the staple report that he would willingly farme yeerely the deputyship of Calais of the King of England for fifteene thousand crownes For the deputie receiueth the profits of all that they haue on this side the sea and of all safe conducts and placeth also the greatest part of the garrison at his pleasure The King of England fauoured highly the Lord of Vaucler for this refusall made to his Captaine and granted him by his letters patents the office of Deputie which the Earle his master before held for he was a wise and an ancient knight and one of the order of the garter The Duke of Burgundie also who then lay at Saint Omer conceiued a maruellous good opinion of him so far foorth that he sent me to him granting him a yeerely pension of a thousand crownes and desiring him to continue a true and faithfull seruant to the King his Master as he had begun which at my comming thither I found him fully determined to do so that he sware in Staple Inne in Calais laying his hand within mine to be faithfull and true to King Edward and to serue him against all men The like oth all the towne and all the garrison sware also Farther I was by the space of two months almost continually resident at Calais at the least posting daiely betweene Calais and Bullen to entertaine the said Vaucler for you shall vnderstand that during these English troubles the Duke of Burgundie came to Bullen where he prepared a great army by sea against the Earle of Warwick who at his departure from Calais tooke many ships of the Dukes subiects which aduanced forward the war betweene the King of Fraunce and vs. For the Earles men sould the bootie in Normandie whereupon the Duke of Burgundie arrested all the French Marchants that came to the Mart at Andwerp Now bicause it is meete to vnderstand as well the cunning and subtill as the iust and vpright dealings of the world not to practise them but to know how to avoide them I will rehearse vnto you a sleight or subtilitie terme it as you list that was cunningly conueighed Farther I would that men should vnderstand the practises as well of our neighbors as our selues to the end it may appeere that in all places are both good and bad When the Earle of Warwick came before Calais thinking to enter into it as his onely refuge the Lord of Vaucler being a very wise gentleman sent him word that if he entred the towne he should cast away himselfe considering that all England the Duke of Burgundie the people of the towne and a great part of the garrison namely the Lord of Duras Marshall there for the King of England and diuers others that had men in the towne were his enimies wherefore his best way should be to retire into Fraunce and as touching the towne of Calais he willed him not to trouble himselfe for he would yeeld him good account thereof when time and occasion should serue He did his Captaine good seruice by giuing him this aduise but shewed himselfe thereby a very Iudas to his Master For vndoubtedly a more traiterous part was neuer plaied considering both that the King of England had made him Deputie of the towne of Calais and the Duke of Burgundy giuen him so large a pension The Notes 1 Philippa daughter to Iohn Duke of Lancaster was married to Iohn King of Portugale and had issue by him Isabell mother to Duke Charles 2 This was Henry Holland Duke of Exceter whose wife was Anne sister to King Edward the fourth and his grandmother was Elizabeth daughter to Iohn Duke of Lancaster by his first wife but he died without issue 3 Our chronicles name the Queenes father Earle of Riuers and so doth afterward also our Author lib. 5. cap. 15. 4 This Vaucler was a Gascoine borne How by King Lewis his aide the Earle of Warwicke chased King Edward out of England to the Duke of Burgundies great greefe who receiued him into his countries Chap. 5. THe Earle of Warwicke followed Vauclers aduise and landed in Normandie where the King honorably receiued him and furnished him largely of mony for his mens expences and appointed also the bastard of Bourbon Admirall of Fraunce being well accompanied to defend 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
perswaded that for one pleasant there should be found twenty displeasant He liued about threescore and one yeeres notwithstanding that he had conceiued an imagination that he should neuer passe threescore saying that no King of Fraunce of long time passed that age some saie none since Charles the great Notwithstanding the King our Master when he died was well forward in the threescore and one yeere Duke Charles of Burgundie what rest or quietnes had he more than the King our Master True it is that in his youth he was not much troubled for he attempted nothing til the two twenty yeere of his age but liued till that time in helth and at his ease But then he began to busie himselfe with his fathers officers whom his father maintained against him for the which cause he absented himselfe and went into Holland where he was well receiued and had intelligence with them of Gaunt and sometime also went thither himselfe He had not one peny of his father but this countrey of Holland was maruellous rich and gaue him goodly presents as did also diuers great townes of his other Seniories hoping thereby to winne his fauour in time to come For it is a common thing especially among the vulgare sort to loue better and seeke rather to him whose power is growing than to him who is already so great that he can be no greater 5 For the which cause Duke Philip when men told him that they of Gaunt loued his sonne maruellous wel that he could skill of their humor was woont to answer that their Prince in expectation they euer loued deerly but their Prince in possession they hated euer extremely which saying prooued true For after D. Charles began to reigne ouer them they neuer loued him and that they well declared as before I haue rehearsed he also for his part bare them as little good will notwithstanding they did his posteritie more harme than they could do him But proceed after the time that Duke Charles mooued war for the townes in Picardie which the King our Master had redeemed of Duke Philip his father and ioined himselfe with the Princes of this realme in the war called THE WEALE PVBLIKE he neuer was quiet but in continuall trauell both of bodie and minde For his hart was so inflamed with desire of glorie that he attempted to conquer all that lay about him All sommer he kept the field with great danger of his person and tooke vpon himselfe the charge and care of the whole armie all which trouble seemed yet not sufficient to him He was the first vp and the last downe as if he had beene the poorest soldier in his campe If he rested from wars at any time in winter yet was he busied all day long from sixe of the clocke in the morning either in leuying of money or receiuing ambassadors or giuing them audience In this trauell and miserie ended he his daies and was slaine of the Swissers before Nancy as you haue heard so that a man may iustly say that he neuer had good day from the time that ambition first entred into his minde till the hower of his death And what got he by all this trauell what needed he thus to haue toiled himselfe being so rich a Prince and hauing so many goodly townes and seniories vnder his subiection where he might haue liued in great ioy and prosperitie if it had so pleased him I must now speake of Edward K. of England who was so great mighty a Prince In his youth he sawe the Duke of Yorke his father discomfited and slaine in battell with him the Earle of Warwicks father 6 the which Earle of Warwicke gouerned King Edward in his youth and all his affaires yea to say the truth made him King and was the onely man that defeated his enimie King Henry who had raigned many yeeres in England and was lawfull King both in mine opinion and in the iudgement of the whole world But as touching great realmes and seniories God holdeth them in his hand and disposeth of them at his pleasure for all proceedeth of him The cause that mooued the Earle of Warwick to serue the house of Yorke against King Henry who was of the house of Lancaster was this The Earle of Warwicke and the Duke of Sommerset fell at variance in King Henries court who was a very simple man the Queene his wife being of the house of Aniou daughter to Rene King of Sicilie tooke part with the Duke of Sommerset against the Earle But considering that they had all acknowledged both King Henry and his father and grandfather for their lawfull Princes the said Lady should haue done much better to haue taken vpon hir the office of Iudge or mediator betweene them than to take part with either of them as the sequele well declared For heereupon arose war which continued nine and twenty yeeres during the which space many bloodie battels were fought and in the end all in maner both of the one partie and the other slaine Now to speake a word or two of factions surely they are maruellous dangerous especially among great men who are naturally inclined to nourish and maintaine them But you will say peraduenture that by this meanes the Prince shall haue intelligence of all things that passe and thereby hold both the parties in the greater feare In truth I can well agree that a yoong Prince vse this order among Ladies for by this meanes he shall haue pleasure and sport ynough and vnderstand of all their newes but to nourish factions among men yea among Princes and men of vertue and courage nothing can be more dangerous bicause by that meanes he shall kindle an vnquenchable fire in his house for foorthwith one of the parties will suppose the King to be against them and then to fortifie themselues take intelligence with his enimies The factions of Orleans and Burgundie prooue this point sufficiently for the wars that sprang therof continued threescore and twelue yeeres the English men being parties in them who thought to haue conquered the whole realme But to returne to King Edward he was very yoong when his father was slaine and the beautifullest Prince in the world but after he had vanquished all his enimies he gaue himselfe wholy to pleasures as to dames feasting banketting and hunting in the which delicacies he continued about sixteene yeeres 7 to wit till the Earle of Warwicke and he fell at variance in the which wars notwithstanding that the King were chased out of his realme yet continued he not long in that estate for he soone returned and hauing obtained the victorie more abandoned himselfe to all pleasures than before He feared no man but fed himselfe maruellous fat by meanes whereof in the flower of his age diseases grew vpon him so that he died in a maner suddenly of an Apoplexie and his heires males lost the crowne as before you haue heard In this our age raigned also two valiant and wise
to his yoongest sonne Philip the hardie for his aduancement in marriage with the Ladie Margaret of Flaunders Philip the hardie second husband to the Ladie Margaret Ottho the 16. Duke of Burgundie m. Iane the eldest daughter Philip died afore his father anno 1346. m. Iane daughter to William Earl of Boloin and Auuergne Philip Duke and Earle of Burgundie succeeded his grandfather died 1361. m. Margaret daughter and heire hir second husband was Philip the hardie Burgundie Countie Othelin Earle of Burgundie died 1303. Arthois m. Maude daughter to Robert Earle of Arthois 1 Touching the title of Arthois this is to be obserued that Robert Earle of Arthois father to Maude had a sonne named Philip who died before his father and left behinde him a sonne named Robert Earle of Beumont who after his grandfathers death demanded the Countrey of Arthois but this Maude by fauor of the French King obtained it bicause she was adiudged neerer heire to the Earle Robert being his daughter than the Earle of Beumont being his sonnes sonne for spite whereof the Earle of Beumont reuolted to the King of England of him are descended the Earles of Eu. Iane succeeded hir mother in hir widowhood and was poisoned immediately after hir mothers death m. Philip the long King of Fraunce Iane the eldest daughter m. Ottho the 16. Duke of Burgundie Philip died afore his father anno 1346. m. Iane daughter to William Earl of Boloin and Auuergne Philip Duke and Earle of Burgundie succeeded his grandfather died 1361. m. Margaret daughter and heire hir second husband was Philip the hardie Margaret 2 This Margaret being in hir widdowhood succeeded in Arthois and the Countie of Burgundie of Philip hir sister Ianes sonnes sonne and husband to Margaret hir sonnes daughter to whom after hir death the said Seigniories descended m. Lewis Earle of Flaunders Lewis of Malain Earle of Flaunders m. Margaret daughter to Iohn D. of Brabant Margaret daughter and heire hir second husband was Philip the hardie m. Philip Duke and Earle of Burgundie succeeded his grandfather died 1361. Blaunch m. Charles le bel K. of Fraunce How the King of Portugale was cosin germane to the Duke of Burgundy as is mentioned Lib. 5. cap. 7. Ferdinand the ninth King of Portugale Iohn a bastard but King of Portugale m. Philippa daughter to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Isabella m. Philip Duke of Burgundie Charles Duke of Burgundy Mary daughter and heire to D. Charles m. Maximilian Emperor Edward King of Portugale m. Iane sister to Alfonse King of Arragon Naples and Sicile Leonora m. Frideric the third Emperor Maximilian Emperor m. Mary daughter and heire to D. Charles Alfonsus King of Portugale the same that came into Fraunce for succours How the Duke of Cleues was the Lady of Burgundies neerest kinsman by his mother as is mentioned Lib. 5. cap. 16. Iohn Duke of Burgundy m. Margaret sister to William Earle of Hainault and Holland Mary m. Adolf the first D. of Cleues Adolfe Lord of Rauastain m. Betrice daughter to Iohn Duke of Cuymbria in Portugale Philip Lord of Rauastain mentioned in many places of this historie m. Mary base daughter to Philip Duke of Burgundy Iohn Duke of Cleues the D. heere mentioned m. Isabella daughter to Iohn E. of Neuers Iohn duke of Cleues the Dukes sonne for whom the marriage with the Lady Mary should haue beene made Philip Duke of Burgundy m. Isabella daughter to Iohn K. of Portugale Charles Duke of Burgundy m. Isabella daughter to Charles Duke of Bourbon Mary Duchesse of Austrich so often mentioeed in this historie m. Maximilian Emperor How King Henry the 7. was right heire of the house of Lancaster contrary to Commines who affirmeth the contrary Lib. 5. cap. 18. togither with the excuse of Commines error Edward the third King of England Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster m. Blaunch daughter and heire to Henry D. of Lancaster Iohn Duke of Bedford Henry the 4. Rex Angliae Henry the 5. Rex Angliae Henry the 6. Rex Angliae Edward Prince of Wales Thomas D. of ClareÌ„ce Humfrey Duke of Glocester m. Katharine the third wife Iohn Earle of Sommerset Iohn Duke of Sommerset the eldest sonne Margaret countesse of Richmond Henry the 7 Edmund made D of Sommerset bicause his brother died without issue male Henry Duke of Sommerset beheaded by K Edward the fourth Edmund Duke of Sommerset beheaded also by K. Edward the fourth A daughter maried Humfrey Duke of Buckingham Iohn slaine at the battell of Teukesbury The excuse of Commines error The line of Henry the fourth being failed in Prince Edward the right of the house of Lancaster came to the house of Sommerset as heere is set foorth but after the dâ—â—th of Iohn Duke of Sommerset who died without heire male Edmund his brother was made Duke of Sommerset Wherefore Commines knowing Henry the 7. to claime the right of the house of Lancaster as heire of the house of Sommerset and seeing others to be Dukes of Sommerset and not him supposed them to be of the elder house to him yet notwithstanding was Henry the 7. neerer heire than they being by his mother descended of the elder brother though they being of the male line obtained the title of Sommerset before him But this in my fansie bred Commines error and thus much in his excuse The title the Duke of Lorraine had to the realme of Sicilie countie of Prouence and Duchy of Bar mentioned by Commines Lib. 7. cap. 1. and the Kings title thereto togither with the whole quarrell betweene the house of Arragon and Aniou and why the house of Aniou had the best title as mentioneth Commines Lib. 8. Cap. 16. Naples Charles Earle of Aniou and Main brother to King S. Lewis King of Naples and Sicilie Prouence m. Betrice heire of Prouence 2 Charles surnamed the Boiteux King of Naples Hungarie m. Mary daughter heire to Stephen King of Hungary Charles Martell King of Hungarie the eldest brother Cornumbert King of Hungarie Lewis King of Hungarie Andrew strangled by Queen Iane his wife 4 m. Iane succeeded Robert hir grandfather 3 Robert King of Naples the yoonger brother Charles sans terre died before his father 4 Iane succeeded Robert hir grandfather m. Andrew strangled by Queen Iane his wife Mary Boccace his Conc. Margaret 5 m. Charles King of Naples and Hungarie 7 Iane succeeded Ladislaus hir brother died anno 1433. 6 Ladislaus King of Naples died 1414. Lewis D. of Durazzo Charles of Durazzo executed by Lewis King of Hungarie 5 Charles King of Naples and Hungarie m. Margaret 7 Iane succeeded Ladislaus hir brother died anno 1433. 6 Ladislaus King of Naples died 1414. Clementia m. Charles Earle of Valois Philip of Valois King of Fraunce Iohn King of Fraunce Lewis of Aniou adopted by Q. Iane the first slaine an 1385. Lewis of Aniou troubled K. Ladislaus died anno 1417. Bar. Yoland heire of Bar by Yoland hir mother Marie m. Charles the 7 K. of France Lewis
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
after the abouenamed Ambassadors departure Iohn Duke of Bourbon that last died arriued at the town of Lisle pretending that he came to visit his vncle Duke Philip of Burgundie who aboue all houses loued especially this house of Bourbon and no maruell for this Duke of Bourbons mother was Duke Philips sister She had liued a widow many yeeres and soiourned there at that time with hir brother both hir selfe and diuers of hir children to wit three daughters and one sonne notwithstanding this was not indeed the cause of the Duke of Bourbons arriuall but his comming was to perswade the Duke of Burgundie to suffer an armie to be leuied in his dominions assuring him that all the Princes of Fraunce would do the like meaning thereby to giue the King to vnderstand how euill and vniust gouernment he vsed in his realme purposing to make themselues so strong that they might constraine him by force to redresse this inconuenience if praiers could not preuaile This war was afterward called THE WEALE PVBLIQVE bicause the authors thereof vsed the common wealth for colour of their enterprise The said good Duke Philip for so is he surnamed since his death agreed that an armie should be leuied in his dominions but the bottom of the enterprise was neuer discouered to him for he thought not that the matter shoulde haue come to hand strokes as after it did Immediately began the musters through all the Dukes dominions and the Earle of Saint Paule afterward Constable of Fraunce accompanied with the Marshall of Burgundie being of the house of Neuf-chastell repaired to Cambray where D. Philip then lay to the Earle of Charolois who immediatly after their arriuall assembled his fathers Councill and a great number of his subiects in the Bishops palace at Cambray where he proclaimed all the house of Croy traitors to his father and him And notwithstanding that the Earle of S. Paule alleaged that by this proclamation he should be greatly indamaged bicause long before this he had giuen his daughter in mariage 1 to the L. of Croies sonne yet was the said house of Croy al that notwithstanding forced to abandon the Dukes dominions 2 where they lost great riches With the which dooing Duke Philip was much discontented especially bicause his chiefe chamberlaine afterward Lord of Chimay a yoong man well disposed and nephew to the Lord of Croy was forced for feare of his life to depart without leaue taken of his master being aduertised that if he did otherwise he should either be slaine or apprehended but the Dukes old age caused him to beare this matter more patiently than otherwise he would All this trouble hapned in his house bicause of the restitution of the territories aboue mentioned situate vpon the riuer of Somme which the Duke had restored to King Lewis for the sum of 400000. crownes by the perswasion of this house of Croy as the Earle of Charolois laide to their charge The said Earle after he had pacified his father and reconciled himselfe to him the best that mought be put his whole force incontinent into the field being accompanied with the Earle of S. Paule the principall gouernor of his affaires and he that had the greatest charge in his armie for he had vnder him by the Earle of Charolois commandement 300. men of armes and 4000. archers besides a number of valiant knights and esquires of Artois Haynalt and Flaunders Like bands and as great were also vnder the leading of the L. of Rauastin the D. of Cleues brother and the L. Anthony bastard of Burgundie other captaines for breuitie I passe ouer but aboue all the rest two knights there were especially in great credit with the Earle of Charolois the one named the L. of Hault-bordin an ancient knight bastard brother to the Earle of S. Paule the other the L. of Contay They had both been trained vp in the long wars betweene Fraunce and England at the same time that Henry the 5. of that name King of England raigned in Fraunce being confederate with this Duke Philip of Burgundie They were two valiant and wise knights and had the principall charge of the whole armie of yoong gentlemen there were a number but one especially very famous called master Philip of Lalain issued of a race that hath euer been so valiant and couragious that they haue in maner all died in the wars in their princes seruice The Earles force was great for his men of armes were to the number of 1400. but euill armed and vntrained bicause of the long peace these Princes of Burgundie had liued in For since the treatie of Arras by the space of 36. yeeres and more they neuer had war that indured nor almost taste of war saue a few broyles against the citie of Gaunt which were soone pacified Notwithstanding his men of armes were well mounted and well accompanied for few or none should you haue seene without fiue or sixe great horses of his retinue 3 The archers 4 were eight or nine thousand and when they mustred they were more vnwilling to depart then to giue their names but the ablest were chosen and the rest dismissed 5 The subiects of this house of Burgundie liued then in great prosperitie partly bicause of their long peace and partly bicause of their Princes goodnes who leuied but few subsidies vpon them so that these Seniors seemed comparable to the land of promise in those daies for they flowed in wealth and had continued in great quietnes the space of 23. yeeres to wit till the beginning of these wars now mentioned which till this day endure vnended their expenses in apparell both of men and women were great and superfluous 6 their feasts and banquets more sumptuous and prodigall than in any countrey that euer I sawe their bathes and other pastimes with women wanton and dissolute yea somwhat too shameles I meame of women of low estate To be short the subiects of this house thought at that time no Prince able to withstand them at the least none too mightie for them but at this present I know no countrey in the world in so great miserie and desolation as theirs and I doubt me the sins they committed in their prosperitie cause them now to suffer this aduersitie bicause they acknowledged not all these gifts and benefits to proceede from God who disposeth and bestoweth them as to his heauenly wisdome seemeth best The Earles armie thus furnished euen in a moment of all things necessarie marched forward 7 the whole force being on horseback saue those that conueied the artillerie which was mighty and strong for that time and the straglers appointed for the cariage the which was so great that the Earles owne cariage inclosed the greatest part of his campe he marched first towards Noyon and besieged a little castell called Nesle which was soone taken notwithstanding the resistance made by the garrison that was within it The Marshall Ioachin one of the fower Marshals of Fraunce issuing out of Peronne
Englishmen and their ships against the Duke of Burgundies nauie which was so mighty and strong that no man durst stir in these narrow seas for feare of it making war vpon the Kings subiects both by sea land and threatening them euery where All this happened the sommer before the King surprised Saint Quintine and Amiens which was as before you haue heard in the yeere 1470. The Duke of Burgundies nauie aboue mentioned was stronger than the Kings and the Earles ioined togither For he had taken at Sluse many great ships of Spaine Portugall and Genua and diuers hulks of Almaine King Edward was a man of no great forecast but very valiant and the beautifullest Prince that liued in his time He tooke no care for the Earle of Warwicks landing as the Duke of Burgundie did who perceiuing great tumults already arising in England in the Earles fauor aduertised the King often thereof But he made small account of any danger neither seemed to feare his enimy which sure was great follie considering the great preparation he saw made For the King armed all the ships to the sea that he could get and manned them well and prouided furniture also for the English men Besides this he made a mariage betweene the Prince of Wales and the Earle of Warwickes second daughter The said Prince was onely sonne and heire to King Henry of England who liued yet prisoner in the Tower of London This was a strange mariage when the Earle had deposed and imprisoned the Princes father to cause him to mary his daughter and to entertaine also the Duke of Clarence brother to the King of the other faction who had iust cause to feare his owne estate if the house of Lancaster recouered the crowne Thus we see that such enterprises are not atchieued without dissimulation At the selfe same time that this army aboue mentioned lay in a readines to saile into England I was at Calice to entertaine the Lord of Vaucler whose dooble dealing till that very instant I neuer perceiued notwithstanding that it had now continued the space of three months But at that present I desired him bicause of the newes we heard to put all the Earle of Warwicks houshold seruants being to the number of twenty or thirty out of the towne alledging that I was sure the Kings army and the Earles were ready to depart out of Normandy where they lay and if the Earle should happen sodainly to land in England some such tumult might arise in the towne of Calice by meanes of his seruants that he should not be master thereof Wherefore I pressed him earnestly in all haste to put them out of the towne which he alwaies heertofore promised me to do but now he drew me aside saying that he would be master of the town well inough and required me to do this message to the Duke of Burgundy that if he would be a friend to the realme of England he should endeuor himselfe to make peace and not war which words he spake bicause of the nauy the Duke had on the sea against the Earle of Warwick He told me farther that peace might easily be made bicause that day a gentlewoman passed through Calice to go into Fraunce to the Duches of Clarence with certaine ouertures of peace from King Edward And he said true indeed but as he abused others euen so was he himselfe deceiued by this gentlewoman for she went about a great enterprise which also she atchieued to the preiudice of the Earle of Warwick and his whole faction Of this fine practise all other that haue been managed on this side the sea I write the more at large bicause I am well assured that no man is able to make truer report of them then my selfe at the least of those that haue hapned within these twenty yeeres The secret deliuered to this woman was to counsell the Duke of Clarence not to cause the destruction of his owne house by setting vp againe the house of Lancaster but to remember their ancient harred and diuision adding that he might well assure himselfe that the Earle of Warwick hauing maried his daughter to the Prince of Wales and already done homage to him would by all meanes possible seeke to make him King This gentlewoman so wisely executed the charge committed vnto hir that she wan the Duke of Clarence who promised to reuolt to the King his brother immediately after his returne into England Shee was a woman well aduised and of few words and bicause of hir sexe had leaue granted hir to passe to hir Meistres easilier then a man should and as craftie a foxe as this Vaucler was this woman went beyond him and was the onely contriuer of the enterprise whereby the Earle of Warwick and his whole faction were vtterly destroied wherefore it is no shame to be suspicious and to haue an eie vpon those that passe to and fro but great shame it is to be deceiued and vndone through our owne follie Notwithstanding suspicions ought to be grounded vpon some good presumption for to be too suspicious is naught You haue heard already how the Earle of Warwicks army and the Kings ships appointed to wafte him ouer were in a readines to take sea and how the Duke of Burgundies nauie being at Hancy lay prepared to fight with them But it pleased God so to dispose of this voiage that the selfe same night so great a tempest arose that the Dukes nauie was forced to seuer part wherofran vpon the cost of Scotland and part into Holland and not long after the Earle hauing a good gale of winde passed into England without all danger The Duke of Burgundie had aduertised King Edward in what part rhe Earle would land and had sent men purposely to him to sollicite him to looke to himselfe but he litle regarding the danger passed foorth the time in hunting hauing none so neere him as the Archbishop of Yorke and the Marques of Montagu the Earle of Warwicks bretheren who had promised and solemnly sworne to serue him against their brother and all others wereunto he gaue credite Immediatly after the Earles landing great forces ioyned with him wherewith the King being much abashed began then but all too late to looke about him and sent word to the Duke of Burgundy desiring him that his nauie might still keepe the Sea to stop the Earle from retiring againe into Fraunce for vpon the land he would match him well ynough which message pleased no man that heard it for it had beene much better to haue kept him from landing then to be constrained to hazard his estate in battell when he was landed Fiue or sixe daies after the Earles arriuall his power was so great that he encamped within three leagues of King Edward Notwithstanding the Kings force was greater than his if all his men had beene faithfull and true and lay also in campe to fight with him Further you shall vnderstand that the King lodged as himselfe told me in
Kings death for he feared the Earle of Warwicke who was his mortall enimie and bare now the whole sway in England The said Earle soone after he was landed found infinite numbers of men to take his part For the armie that King Edward left behinde him what for loue what for feare yeelded to him in such sort that euery day his forces encreased And in this estate went he to London where a great number of Knights and Esquires who afterward did King Edward good seruice tooke sanctuarie as also did the Queene his wife who was there deliuered of a sonne in very poore estate The Notes 1 The King embarked at Lyn. 2 Alquemare Meyer nameth Tessela 3 King Edward landed in Holland the 9. of October Meyer How the Earle of Warwick tooke out of prison King Henry of England Chap. 6. THe E. immediatly after his arriuall at London went foorthwith to the tower tooke K. Henry out of prison whom himselfe many yeres before had lead thither crying before him Traitor Traitor but now he called him his soueraigne Lord and conueighed him to his palace at Westminster where he sat him vnder the cloth of estate in the Duke of Clarences presence who litle liked that sight Farther he sent foorthwith three or foure hundred men to Calais to spoile and forray the countrey of Boulenois whom the Lord of Vaucler so often aboue mentioned friendly receiued and made then open declaration of the good will he had alwaies borne the Earle his Master The same day that the Duke receiued newes of the Kings arriuall in Holland I was come from Calais to Bulen where the Duke then lay vnderstanding nothing of this aduenture nor of the Kings flight The Duke was first aduertised that he was dead whereof he forced not greatly for he loued the house of Lancaster much better then the house of Yorke Besides that he had with him the Dukes of Excester and Sommerset and diuers others of King Henries faction by whose meanes he thought himselfe assured of peace with the house of Lancaster But he feared the Earle of Warwicke neither knew he how to entertaine him that was come to him 1 I meane King Edward who was his brother in lawe and of the same order for the King ware the golden Fleese and the Duke the Garter The Duke foorthwith sent me backe againe to Calais accompanied with a gentleman or two of this newe King Henries faction and gaue me instructions how to deale with this new world pressing me earnestly to go bicause it stood him vpon to be well serued in this busines I went as far as Tournehan a castell neere to Guiens and further durst not passe bicause I found the people flying for feare of the English men who were abroad and spoiled all the countrey But I sent foorthwith to the Lord of Vaucler desiring a safe conduct for before I was accustomed to go without any and was alwaies honorably receiued for the English men are verie curteous and honorable in their entertainment Al this seemed strange to me for I neuer had seen such sudden alterations in the world I aduertised the Duke the same night of the danger I should be in if I passed further making no mention of the safe conduct I had sent for bicause I doubted what answer I should receiue thereof The Duke sent me a ring from his finger bidding me go forward and if I were taken prisoner he would redeeme me for he cared not greatly to endanger one of his seruants at his neede But I had prouided well for my selfe for I receiued a safe conduct with very curteous letters from the Lord of Vaucler Wherein he sent me word that I might go and come after my woonted maner Whereupon I went to Guisnes and founde the captaine at the castell gate who offred me a cup of wine without that he led me into the castel as he was accustomed but he feasted and entertained honorably these gentlemen of King Henries faction that accompanied me From thence I went to Calais where no man came foorth to receiue me after their woonted sort but al men ware the Earle of Warwicks liuery Further vpon the gate of my lodging they made aboue an hundred white crosses and rimes signifying that the King of Fraunce and the Earle of Warwick were all one all the which seemed strange to me Soone after my comming to Calais I sent to Graueling being but fiue leagues thence commanding all English merchants and merchandises to be staied bicause the Englishmen had so spoiled the countrey The Lord of Vaucler sent for me to diner being well accompanied and wearing on his cap a white ragged staffe of gold enamiled 2 being the Earles cognisance which all the rest that were with him ware likewise and he that could not haue it of gold had if of cloth It was told me there at diner that within lesse than a quarter of an hower after these newes came out of England euery man ware the said cognisance so speedy and sudden was the change This was the first time that I began to consider how vnstable and vncertaine all worldly things are The said Vaucler gaue me very curteous language and made certaine excuses in the Earle his captaines behalfe rehearsing also what great benefits he had receiued at his hands But as touching the rest that were with him I neuer saw men so far out of frame for those that I tooke to haue bin the Kings trustiest seruants were they that most threatned him some I thinke for feare but others in good earnest Those household seruants of the Earles whom I had required the Lord of Vaucler heeretofore to put out of the towne were now in great credit Notwithstanding they neuer vnderstood that I had mooued the said Vaucler to any such purpose In all communication that passed betweene them and me I euer told them that King Edvvard was dead wherof I said I was well assured notwithstanding that I knew the contrary adding further that though it were not so yet was the league betweene the Duke of Burgundy and the King and realme of England such that this accident could not infringe it for we would account him King whom they did I said moreouer that bicause of the alterations that had hapned in times past these words VVith the King and the Realme were inserted into the league for performance also whereof fower of the best townes in England were in pledge to the Duke The merchants required in any wise to haue me staied bicause their goods were taken at Grauelin by my commandement as they said In the end peace was thus concluded between them me that they should pay for al the cattell they had taken or restore it again for by agreement betweene the house of Burgundy them they might go into certain pastures thereabout and take cattel for the prouision of the towne at a price which they now paide and prisoners they had taken none Thus it was agreed that the
all good counsell and sought all meanes to hurt themselues In the which vale of misery they are still like to continue or if happily they wade out of it for a season like they are to fall into it againe Wherefore I am of a certaine wise mans opinion of my acquaintance that God giueth to subiects Princes according as he will punish or chastise them and likewise towards the Prince disposeth the subiects harts according as he will aduaunce or abase him and euen so dealt he with the subiects of this house of Burgundie For after three great good and sage Princes who gouerned them the space of 120. yeers or more with great wisedome and vertue he gaue them in the end this D. Charles who held them in continuall wars trauell and charges almost as much in winter as sommer so that a great number of rich wealthy men were either slaine in these wars or starued in prison Their great miseries began before Nuz and continued with the losse of three or fower battels till the hower of the Dukes death who in this last battell wasted and consumed the whole force of his countrie and lost all his seruants that could or would haue defended the estate and honor of his house It seemeth therefore as before I said that this aduersity hath counteruailed all the time of their felicitie For as I say that I haue seene him a great mighty and honorable Prince so may I say also of his subiects for I haue trauelled the best part of Europe in mine opinion yet saw I neuer countrey in my life of the like greatnes no nor far greater abound with such wealth riches sumptuous buildings large expences feasts bankets and all kinde of prodigality as these countries of Burgundy did during the time that I was there And if those that knew them not during the time that I speake of thinke my report too large I am sure others that knew them then as well as my selfe will thinke it too little But God with one blowe hath laid flat on the ground this sumptuous building I meane this mighty house that bred and maintained so many woorthy men that was so greatly esteemed both far and neere and obtained greater victories and liued in greater honor during the time it florished than any other which great felicity and grace of God towards them continued the space of a hundred and twenty yeeres During the which time all their neighbors suffered great afflictions namely Fraunce England and Spaine so far foorth that all these at one time or other haue come to craue helpe and succor of this house of Burgundy as you haue seene by experience of the King our Master who in his youth while his father King Charles the seuenth raigned liued in Burgundy the space of sixe yeeres with good Duke Philip who louingly receiued him As touching the Princes of England I haue seene in the Duke of Burgundies court King Edvvards two brethren the Dukes of Clarence and Glocester who afterward named himselfe King Richard the third and on the contrary side of the house of Lancaster that tooke part with King Henry I haue seene in maner all the noble men suing to this house of Burgundy for aide To be short as I haue knowen this house honored of all men so haue I also seene it at one instant fall downe topsie turuy and become the most desolate and miserable house in the world both in respect of the Prince and also of the subiects Such like works hath God brought to passe before we were borne and wil also when we are dead For this we ought certainly to beleeue that the good or euill successe of Princes dependeth wholy vpon his diuine ordinance The Notes 1 Of the deuise of the Fuzill read the chronicles of Flanders pag. 345. Claude Paradin in his deuises heroiques pag. 46. and Annal. Burgund lib. 3. pag. 711. who saith that he gaue the striking iron bicause it is made in the forme of B. which is the first letter of Burgundie Further he giueth the said iron striking against a stone with infinite sparkles flying from them to signifie that the cruell wars betweene the Duke of Burgundie and the realme of Fraunce had set all their neighbours on fire 2 His meaning is that bicause he bestowed vpon euerie man he could not bestow much vpon any one whereby his liberalitie was the lesse apparant 3 He meaneth in hearing their sutes for as touching matters of counsell he hath said before in diuers places that he would neuer vse any mans aduise How the King was aduertised of the Duke of Burgundies last ouerthrow and how he gouerned his affaires after the said Dukes death Chap. 10. BVt to proceede in our historie the King who had now laid posts in his realme for before were neuer any looked howerly for the certaine newes of this battell of Nancy bicause of the occurrents he had alreadie receiued of the Almains arriuall and of all the other circumstances aboue rehearsed and was foorthwith aduertised of the Dukes ouerthrowe Diuers there were that waited diligently to beare him the first newes heerof for alwaies he gaue somwhat to him that first brought him tidings of any good newes withall not forgetting the messengers Further his delight was to talke of them before they came and to promise rewarde to him that could bring him some good newes Monseur de Bouchage and my selfe being togither receiued the first word of the battell of Morat whereof both of vs iointly aduertised the King who gaue to each of vs two hundred marks of siluer Monseur de Lude who lodged without Plessis was the first man that knew of the Courriers arriuall with the letters of this battell of Nancy and commanded the said Courrier to deliuer him his packet who durst not denie it him bicause of the Kings great fauour towards him The next morning by breake of day the said de Lude came rapping at the doore next to the Kings chamber which foorthwith was opened to him and in he went and deliuered these letters sent from the Lord of Cran and diuers others notwithstanding none of them writ any certaintie of the Dukes death but some reported that he was seene flie and was escaped This newes at the first so rauished the King with ioy that he wist not what countenance to shew notwithstanding two doubts there were that troubled him the one least the Almaines if the Duke were taken for greedines of monie whereof the Duke had plentie would not onely raunsome him but also conclude some treatie with him and of his foes become his friends The other if the Duke were escaped thus thrise discomfited whether he should seaze into his hands his seniories of Burgundy or no knowing them easie to be taken bicause in manner all the force of the countrie was slaine in these three battels Touching the which point his resolution whereunto few I thinke but my selfe were priuy was if the Duke were escaped aliue to
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
England and how the King of England passed the sea and besieged Bolloin and of the peace betweene the King and him and of the surprising of Arras and Saint Omers by the King of Romains men Chap. 7. KIng Edvvard the fourth the same that met with King Levvis the eleuenth at Picquigny dying in the yeere 1483 left behinde him two sonnes being very yoong and diuers daughters the gouernment of the which sonnes togither with the realme was committed to the Duke of Glocester King Edvvaras brother but he most â—nnaturally murthered his two nephewes slewe those of the nobilitie that he thought would impugne his proceeding and vsurped the crowne In the end the Duke of Buckingham who had takerpart with the Duke of Glocester who intituled himselfe King Richard in all his actions fell at variance with him and sollicited Henry Earle of Richmond that had liued many yeeres in Britaine as a banished man to passe ouer into England promising him a great armie to ioine with him so soone as he should be landed The Earle communicated this matter with Peter Landois who wholie at that time gouerned the Duke of Britaine The said Landois hoping that the Earle if by his meanes he obtained the realme of England would giue him aide to reuenge him of his enimies perswaded the Duke of Britaine to succour him in his enterprise who furnished him of three great ships well manned with soldiers which tooke sea and sailed towards England but when they were readie to land the Earle was aduertised that the Duke of Buckingham was beheaded his army defeated and all his faction ouerthrowen and that King Richard lay with a great army vpon the sea coast attending his landing Vpon which news the Earle of Richmond returned thinking to recouer the coast of Britaine from whence he was departed but tempest draue him vpon the coast of Normandy where he was forced to take land The Ladie of Beauieu being aduertised thereof sent vnto him desiring him to come to speake with the King and so he did The King curteously receiued him and entertained him well Afterward he returned to Vannes in Britaine there to remaine as before attending some better opportunitie But Peter Laudois seeing himselfe disappointed of his purpose altered his minde and practised with King Richard to deliuer the Earle of Richmond into his hands who being aduertised thereof vnder colour of going a hauking one morning with ten or twelue horses fled into France to King Charles who not long after furnished the Earle of ships and a good number of soldiers to accompany him into England where by the helpe of the French and of diuers of his owne kinsmen who had called him into England and tooke part with him he slew King Richard in the field was himselfe crowned King in his place This good turne of King Charles togither with the desire the King of England had to liue quietly at home in his countrey and to gather wealth was the cause that King Henry during al the wars and troubles in Britain aboue mentioned had not passed his forces into Fraunce notwithstanding that he had been often earnestly sollicited thereunto both by the Duke of Britaine and the Earle of Dunois and others of that faction For ordinarily when any troubles arise in Fraunce our neighbors especially the Englishmen within a yeere are bidden to the banquet and so was King Henry inuited and had come long ago if the reasons aboue rehearsed togither with some other respects namely feare of domesticall troubles had not staied him at home But notwithstanding the K. of EnglaÌ„ds backwardnes heertofore to inuade France yet in the yeere 1490. partly by the earnest sollicitation of Maximilian who promised 1490. him great aide in his wars and yet performed nothing partly to content his owne people who began to account him as too much affectionate to the French in that he had suffered them to the great preiudice of the realme of England to vnite to the crowne of Fraunce the Duchie of Britaine he passed ouer his armie to Calice and from thence marched and laide his siege before Boloyne whither the Lord of Cordes and the bastard of Cardonne Captaine of Arras with a small army went to make resistance Further the King leuied his forces to succour the place but bicause his armie proceeded but slowlie forward the saide de Cordes and Cardonne tooke vpon them the defence of the tovne The siege was nothing whot for the which cause a heraultsent into the English came to treat of peace from the which King Henry seemed nothing strange as well for the affection that he bare to the King who had aided him to obtaine the realme of England as also for that he feared sedition at home durst not long be absent out of his râ—alme bicause Maximilian had broken promise with him and lastly bicause he hoped by this peace to receiue of the King a great summe of money which he loued as well as any Prince in his time De Cordes finding the King of Englands inclination to peace went and communed with him in his campe his demands were first a great summe of money that he said he had lent the late Duke of Britaine and secondarily that the King should desraie al the charges that he had been at in these wars All the which the King yeelded vnto and order was giuen that the King of England should yeerely receiue a certaine summe of money till all the summes by him demanded were cleerely paid and discharged and thus returned the King of England home In the meane time while de Cordes and Cardonne were at Bolloin treating with the K. of England the citizens of Arras knowing the garrison within the town to be but weake practised to yeeld it into Maximilians hands who sent certaine bands thither the which in great diligence approched neere to the towne When all things were in a readines and the gates being so negligently guarded that the traitors with their counterfaited keies had opened them they began a song whereby they willed the enimies to make haste who presently repaired to the gates and were receiued into the towne Paul Carqueleuant a Briton gouernor of the townein the absence of the bastard of Cardonne at the enimies first entrie retired himselfe with his soldiers into the castel but fearing least it should be taken by assault he soone abandoned it greatly to his reproch for if he had held it but till the next day diuers French bands had come thither to his reliefe The towne was spoiled and many slaine neither were the churches spared nor the traitors houses The author of this treason was a poore smith that dwelled vpon the towne wall and had beene the onely man that was suffered to remaine in the towne by Levvis the eleuenth when he transported the townes men as a colonie into Fraunce Carqueleuant the gouernor when the towne was surprised lay fast a sleepe drowned in drinke and good cheere as it is
to his heires males till they were redeemed for fower hundred thousand crownes 11 How these matters passed I know not perfectly but true it is that in the D. old age he was so gouerned by the Lords of Croy and Chimay being brethren and others of their house that he agreed to take againe his money restore the said territories to the King greatly to the Earle his sons discontentation for besides that they were the frontier townes of their dominions they lost in them a number of able men for the wars The Earle of Charolois charged the house of Croy with this fact so far foorth that after extreeme age was growne vpon his father whereunto he euen then approched he banished all the said house out of his dominions and confiscated all their lands estates and offices The Notes 1 Commines vvhen he came to the Earle of Charolois seruice vvas 19. yeers of age 2 Charles Earle of Eu Peter of Moruillier and Iohn de Harcour bishop of Narbonne vvere the ambassadors heere mentioned they arriued at Liste the 5. of Nouember Annales Burgundiae 3 VVhether the king ment to haue taken the Earle of Charolois prisoner by this Rubempre reade Annal. Burgund lib. 3. pag. 880. and Meyer lib. 16. fol. 334. vvho flatly charge him vvith it 4 Sir Oliuer de la Marche heere named vvrote a Cronicle of these times 5 The cause vvhy the King sent Rubempre into Holland vvas not as he said to take the Earle of Charolois but the Vicechauncellor of Britaine named in Meyer Iohannes Rociuilla and by our author in the 3. Chapter of this first booke Rouuille vvhom the Duke of Britaine had sent into England to make a league betvveene the realme of England and him and bicause the King supposed this Vicechauncellor vvould visit the Earle of Charolois in his returne he sent this Rubempre into Holland to take him and bring him into Fraunce Annal. Burgund Meyer 6 For the better vnderstanding of the Dukes ansvvere I am forced to passe the bounds of a note VVherefore it is to be vnderstood that in the declination of the Romaine Empire the Burgundians anno 408. being chased out of Almaine vvhere they inhabited the countries novv subiect to the Palsgraue of the Rhyne inuaded Fraunce and conquered the countries novv knovvne by the names of the Countie and Duchie of Burgundy togither vvith Sauoy Daulphine Prouince and the greatest part of Svvitzerland and anno 414. chose them a king named Gondiachus vvith vvhom after diuers battels fought vvith changeable fortune Aetius the Emperour Honorius his lieutenant in Fraunce at the length made peace And Gondiachus remained King of Burgundy and ayded the Romaines against Attila Soone after failed the male line of Gondiachus and by the mariage of Clotilde daughter to Chilperic Gondiachus his sonne vvith Clodoneus King of Fraunce Burgundie fell to Clotarius sonne to the saide Clotilde and Clodoneus and so continued in the house of Fraunce till the yeere 843. vvhen the sonnes of the Emperor Lodouicus Pius vvarring togither Burgundy vvas deuided into Burgundiam Transiuranam and Cisiuranam Transiurana containing Sauoy Daulphine Prouince and Lyonnois remained to Lotharius the Emperor vvith the title of King of Burgundie Cisiurana conteining the Countie and Duchie of Burgundie vvas also dismembred for that part novv knovvne by the name of the Countie of Burgundie fell also to Lotharius share but that part novv knovvne by the name of the Dutchie of Burgundie vvas togither vvith the Realme of Fraunce yeelded to Carolus Caluus But after the death of the Emperor Lotharius his tvvo sonnes Lodouicus and Lotharius made another partition of their part of Burgundie for the realme of Austrasia vvith the Countie of Burgundie fell to Lotharius after vvhose death his vncle Carolus Caluus King of Fraunce ambitiously through violence conquered also that part of Burgundie and ioined it to the crovvne of Fraunce so that the said Carolus Caluus possessed all Burgundie Cisiurana that is both the Countie and Dutchie of Burgundie Loduicus the other sonne of the Emperor Lotharius possessed vvith the Empire all Burgundie Transiurana togither vvith the title of King of Burgundie and left behinde him one onely daughter named Hermingarde maried to Boson brother to Richilde Carolus Caluus his vvife in respect of vvhich mariage the said Caluus gaue to Boson all Burgundie Cisiurana vvhich he the said Caluus then held And thus had Boson all the realme of Burgundie viz. Transiurana in the right of his wife and Cisiurana by his brother in lawes gift Farther the said Caluus being both Emperor and King of France created the aboue named Boson King of Burgundie anno 879. to whom succeeded Lodouicus his sonne from whom Ralph King of Fraunce sonne to Richard that first intituled himselfe Duke of Burgundie wan the greatest part of Burgundy Cisiurana To this Lewis succeeded his sonne Ralph King of Burgundie who not being able to defend his realme gaue it to the Emperor Conradus 2. who notwithstanding obteined the least part thereof for as touching Transiurana Beralde Duke of Saxe had before this gift woon from King Ralph Sauoy and a great peece of Switzerland Daulphine Lyonnois Poruince Guigue le gras the first Daulphine had likewise conquered And as touching Cisiurana by treatie made betweene the Emperour Conradus 2. and Henry King of Fraunce onely the County remained to the Empire and the Dutchie to the crowne of Fraunce This I haue written bicause some hold opinion that the County of Burgundy ought also to be held of the crowne of Fraunce whereas in deede rather the Dutchy with all Transiurana the greatest part whereof the French King at this day possesseth ought to be held of the Empire from whom the said French Kings haue pulled so many prouinces that now as one properly speaketh the Eagle hath lost so many feathers that hardly he can flie 7 Lahaie in our author and in Annal. Burgund where Rubempre should haue taken the Earle of Charolois is named in Meyer Gorkem 8 The pension the Earle of Charalois had of the King with the gouernment of Normandy was 36000. franks Annal. Burgund La Marche Meyer 9 A franke is two shillings and six pence sterling after eight souse to an English shilling so that the carles pension after that rate amounted to fower thousand fiue hundred pound sterling 10 The townes and territories vpon the riuer of Somme engaged to Duke Philip by the treatie of Arras which was in the yeere 1435. are named in the articles of the said treatie rehearsed in Annal. Burgund pag. 760. and 761. and in the first booke of La Marche and in the 16. booke of Meyer and others 11 They were engaged as our author and Annal. Burgund write for 400000. crowns but Meyer saith 450000. but they were redeemed for 400000. anno 1463. La Marche Meyer Annal. Burgund How the Earle of Charolois and diuers noble men of Fraunce leuied an army against king Lewis vnder colour of the weale publique Chap. 2. SOone
the rest of their talke certaine words that passed the Duke of Berry who was yoong and vnacquainted with such exploits were especially marked for he seemed already to be weary of this enterprise alledging the great number of the Earle of Charolois men that he had seene in the towne hurt and maimed of whom to shew that he had pitie and compassion he brake foorth into this speech and said that he had rather the matter had neuer been begun than that so much mischiefe should arise by his occasion and for his cause which words displeased greatly the Earle of Charolois and his men as heerafter you shall heare Notwithstanding they concluded in this assembly to go before Paris to prooue whether the towne would enter into league with them for the benefit of the common wealth which they al pretended to be the onely cause of their assembly being fully perswaded that all the townes in the realm would follow the example thereof The words aboue mentioned vttered by the D. of Berry in this assembly put the Earle of Charolois and his men into such a dumpe that they said thus one to another heard you this man speake he is discouraged for seuen or eight hundred hurt persons that he seeth in the towne who are none of his but meer strangers to him he would be otherwise troubled than if the matter should touch himselfe in any point and easely be won to agree with his brother and leaue vs in the mire and bicause of the long wars that haue been in times past betweene King Charles his father and the D. of Burgundie my father both the parties would soone consent to turne their forces against vs wherefore it is good to prouide vs of friends in time And vpon this suspicion onely VVilliam of Cluny Prenotarie who died Bishop of Poictiers was sent to England to King Edward the 4. then raigning to whom the Earle of Charolois had euer before been mortall enimie supporting the house of Lancaster against him of the which he was issued by his mother 2 And the said Clunies instructions were to treat with King Edward of a mariage betweene the Kings sister called Margaret and the Earle of Charolois not to conculde the matter but onely to put the King in hope thereof for the Earle knowing how greatly the King desired this mariage supposed by this meanes to win him to take his part if he needed his helpe at the least to staie him from attempting ought against him And notwithstanding that he ment nothing lesse then the accomplishment thereof bicause as feruently as he loued the house of Lancaster as extreemly hated he the house of Yorke yet was the matter so labored that many yeeres after the mariage was accomplished 3 and the Earle receaued also the order of the Garter and ware it till his dying day Many a such deed is often done vpon suspicion onely especially among great Princes who are much more suspicious then other men bicause of the doubts and reports that are daily brought vnto them oftentimes by flatterers vpon no occasion The Notes 1 The Britaines army was of 10600. men Anna. Aqui. and the archers here mentioned were all mounted one horsebacke otherwise the men of armes could not arise to sixe thousand 2 Charles D. of Burgundie was of the house of Lancaster after this sort Iohn of Gaunt D. of Lancaster had issue by Blaunche his first wife daughter and heire to Henry D. of Darby and Lancaster Philip which married with Iohn King of Portugall bastard of Ferraude by whom she had issue Isabell married to Philip D. of Burgundie by whom she had issue this D. Charles 3 Margaret king Edwards sister arriued in the Lowe countries 25. Iunij Ann. 1468. Meyer How the Earle of Charolois and his confederates with their whole army passed the riuer of Seine vpon a bridge made of botes how Iohn D. of Calabria ioined with them and how they all encamped before Paris Chap. 6. ALl these Princes according to their determination departed from Estampes hauing soiourned there certaine daies and marched to Saint Maturin of Larchant and Moret in Gastinois in the which two little townes the Lord Charles of Fraunce and the Britaine 's lodged but the Earle of Charolois encamped in a great medow vpon the riuer of Seine and made proclamation that euery man should bring a hooke with him to fasten his horse therewith he caried also with him seauen or eight small boates in cartes and great store of pipeboorde meaning therewith to make a bridge ouer the riuer of Seine bicause these Princes had no passage there The Earle of Dunois accompanied him riding in a litter for bicause of the goute he could not sit on horsebacke notwithstanding his ensigne was borne with him When they came to the riuer they launched foorth the boates they brought with them and tooke an Iland in the midst of the streame where certaine of our archers landed and skirmished with a companie of horsemen that defended the passage on the other side vnder the leading of the Marshall Ioachin and Sallezard The place was much to their disaduantage bicause it was high and in a goodly vine country besides that the Burgundians had great store of artillerie vnder the charge of a notable gunner named Master Girald whom they tooke prisoner at the battell of Montl'hery being then in the Kings seruice To be short the aboue mentioned horsemen were forced to abandon the passage and retire to Paris The selfesame night the bridge was made from the side of the riuer where we lay to the Iland where incontinent the Earle of Charolois caused his pauilion to be pitched and lodged there all night with fiftie men of armes of his house by day breake a great number of Coopers were set on work to make casks of the pipe boord we brought with vs who so bestirred themselues that before noon the bridge was made from the Iland to the other side of the riuer Incontinent passed the Earle of Charolois and caused his tents whereof he was well furnished to be pitched ouer the same bridge passed also his whole armie and artillerie and lodged vpon the side of a hill hanging towards the riuer by means whereof his campe made a goodly shew to those that came after It was that whole daies worke to conuey ouer the Earles owne forces but the next morning by day breake passed also the Dukes of Berry and Britaine with their whole armie commending this bridge to be very commodiously and speedily made and marched when they were passed a little beyond the Earle and encamped also vpon the hill When it was darke night we discouered a great number of fires as far from vs as we could well discerne which diuers supposed to be the Kings forces but bofore midnight we were aduertised that it was Iohn Duke of Calabria 1 onely sonne to King Rene of Sicilie 2 with nine hundred men of armes of the Duchie and Countie of Burgundie The said Duke had
strange that all these Princes should thus conspire against the King for zeale of the common wealth if other particular greifes had not more mooued them than the misgouernment of the estate 2 To the ende the reader finde it not strange that Rene is here called King of Sicily sith the house of Arragon possessed the same Realme at that time it is to be vnderstood that the race of the Normans who about the yeere 1060. subdued Sicily Calabria and Apulia and about the yeere 1102. tooke vpon them the title of Kings of Sicily being extinct in Roger the last King of Sicily of that race about the yeere 1195. the said Realme fell to the issue of the Emperor Fridericus Barbarossa by the marriage of Constantia daughter to Roger the first King of Sicill and aunt to Roger the last King of Sicill of this race with Henry the said Barbarossas sonne in which race it continuedtily Manfridus bastard sonne to Fridericus the Emperor sonne to the aboue named Henry obteined the crowne of Sicill Naples by dispossessing Conradinus his nephew the true heir therof Against this Manfridus Pope Vrbanus the 4. called into Italie Charles of Amon brother to S. Lewis King of Fraunce who slew Manfridus in battell and afterward executed also Conradinus the true heire of the crowne being taken in battell comming with an armie to conquer the said realmes of Naples and Sicily as his true inheritance and thus obteined this Charles of Aniou the crowne both of Naples and Sicily till not long after by the comming of Peter king of Arragon who had married Constantia daughter and heire to Manfridus the Sicilians arose suddenly against the French slew them all in one euening and yeelded the Realme of Sicily to the saide Peter whose posteritie euer sithens euen till this day haue continued in possession thereof Notwithstanding the posteritie of Charles of Aniou held still the Realme of Naples with the title of the Realme of Sicily till the time that the later Iane Queene of Naples to fortifie hir selfe against Pope Vrbanus Sextus adopted Alfonse of Arragon sonne to Ferrande King of Arragon which Ferrandes mother named Elenor was daughter to King Peter but after the saide Iane for displeasure conceiued against the saide Alfonse adopted secondarilie Lewis D. of Aniou brother to Charles the 5. King of Fraunce descended of the race of the first Charles King of Sicily against whom and his sonne Lewis Alfonse long warred and in the end after Queene Ianes death chased them both out of Italy and left the Realmes of Arragon and Sicily to Iohn his brother but the Realme of Naples to Ferrande his base sonne with whom Rene heere mentioned brother to Lewis the 2. of that name D. of Aniou and king of Sicily and by him with Ianes consent adopted long vvarred but preuailed not so that Rene had onely the title of Sicily and Naples by the adoption aforesaid but no possession thereof for Sicily the kings of Arragon held euer since the conquest of Peter and the realme of Naples Ferrande the bastard held of his fathers gift from vvhose posterity hovv in the end after many alterations it fell to the house of Arragon that novv possesseth it shall be set dovvne at large in the vvars of Naples made by King Charles the 8. vvho had the house of Anious title vvhereof our author treateth in the 7. and 8. booke of this historie 3 This force led by the Marshall of Burgundie vvas of 4000. men Meyer 4 This Oudet is he that acquainted the Duke of Berry vvith this confederacie and conueighed him into Britaine Meyer La Marche 5 Franck archers were these King Charles the 7. in the yeere 1449. being destitute of footemen appointed that euery threescore houses in his realme should arme a man vvho in time of vvar receiued paie of the King and vvere exempt from all subsidies and payments for the which cause they vvere all called franck that is free but King Lewis the 11. anno 1480. abolished these franck archers and waged Switzers in their place A discourse vpon ambitious hunting after offices and estates by the example of the English men Chap. 7. I Speake of these offices and estates bicause in changes they are so greedily desired and are also cause thereof as appeereth by that which hath happened not onely in this our age but also in the time of King Charles the sixt vnder whom the wars began that endured till the treatie of Arras during the which wars the English men entred into the realme and conquered so far that at the time of the saide treatie which continued 1 the space of two moneths the Duke of Bedford brother to Henry the fift King of England being maried to Duke Philip of Burgundies sister was regent in Fraunce for the English men whose monethly allowance in that office amounted to 20000. crownes at the least At the said treatie were present for the King of Fraunce fower or fiue Dukes or Earles fiue or sixe Prelates and ten or twelue Councellers of the Parliament For Duke Philip likewise diuers Noble men 2 in much greater number for the Pope 2. Cardinals as mediators and for the English men diuers noble personages Duke Philip greatly desired to acquite himselfe honorably towards the English men before he would abandon them bicause of the ancient league that had been betweene them wherefore the Duchies of Normandie and Guien were offered to the King of England with condition that he should do homage for them to the crowne of Fraunce as his predecessors had done and restore all the places he held in the Realme out of the said Duchies which condition the English men bicause of the homage refused but to their great losse for being abandoned of this house of Burgundie their good successe altered and all their intelligences within the realme failed whereby their power daily so diminished that in short space they lost Paris and by little and little all that they held in this realme After their returne into England none of them would diminish his estate but the offices within the realme sufficed not for maintenance of them all wherupon long ciuil wars arose among them in the which King Henry the sixt who had been crowned King of England Fraunce at Paris was proclaimed traitor and imprisoned in the tower of London where he remained the greatest part of his life and in the end was there murthered The Duke of Yorke father to King Edward that last died intituled himselfe right heire to the crowne soone after was slaine in the battell and had his head smitten off as had also the Earle of Warwick 3 that last died whose credit was so great in England and all the rest that were slaine in those wars The said Earle of Warwick led the Earle of Marche afterward named Edward the fourth by sea to Calais with a small companie escaped out of battell 4 for the Earle of Warwick tooke part with the house of Yorke
as the Duke of Sommerset did with the house of Lancaster To be short these wars indured so long that all they of the houses of Warwick and Sommerset were either slaine or beheaded in them King Edward caused afterward his owne brother the Duke of Clarence to be drowned in a Butt of malmesey charging him that he ment to make himselfe King but after King Edwards death his other brother the Duke of Glocester murthered the said Kings two sonnes proclaimed his daughters bastards and vsurped the crowne Immediately after the which cruell deed the Earle of Richmond now King who had been prisoner many yeeres in Britaine passed into England and discomfited and slew in battell this bloody King Richard late murtherer of his two nephewes Thus haue there died in England in these ciuill wars since my remembrance aboue fowerscore persons of the blood Royall part of the which I my selfe knew part vnderstood of by the English men resident with the Duke of Burgundie at the same time that I serued him Wherfore you see it is not at Paris onely nor in Fraunce alone that men fall at variance for worldly goods and honors But sure all Kings and great Princes ought to take heed that they suffer not factions to arise in their courts for thereof kindleth the fire that consumeth their whole countrey in the end Notwithstanding such alterations happen not in mine opinion but by Gods disposition for when Princes and realmes haue long florished in great wealth and prosperitie and forget from whence all these benefits proceede God raiseth vp an enimie against them whom they neuer feared nor stood in doubt of as appeereth by the Kings mentioned in the Bible and by that also which hath hapned and daily doth happen not onely in England and in these countries of Burgundie but in diuers other places also The Notes 1 The last of Iuly arriued the French Kings ambassadors at the treaty of Arras Annal. Burg. so that the treaty began in the beginning of August and the English men departed discontented the 6. of December Annal. Bur. and the treatie ended the 21. of September but De la Marche saith the 10. of December Meyer 11. Calen. Octob. which agreeth with Annal. Burg. 2 At the treatie vvas present Philip D. of Burgundie himselfe La Marche Meyer 3 Our Chronicles report that the Duke of Yorke vvith diuers others slaine in the battell and the Earle of Salisbury father to the Earle of VVarvvick vvho vvas taken prisoner in the battell vvere behedded and their heds sent to Yorke in derision but I remember not that the Earle of VVarvvick vvas behedded after he vvas slaine and I suppose the vnskilfull corrector hath here omitted a vvord or tvvo and that vve must read in place of Luy le Comte de Warwic Luy le pere du Comte de Warwic 4 The Earles of Marche and VVarvvick vvent to Calice before the Duke of Yorke vvas slaine or ouerthrowen in battell for they fled from Ludlovv lying in campe there against the kings force bicause they found themselues too vveake and their counsels betrayed by Andrew Trowlop vvho fled from them to the King How King Lewis entred into Paris while the Princes of Fraunce practised with the citizens Chap. 8. I Haue been long in this discourse and it is now time to returne to the historie After the Princes were come before Paris they began to practise with the citizens promising offices and great rewards to diuers and omitting nothing that might further their purpose At three daies end the citizens assembled togither in the towne hall where when they had long debated these matters and heard the Princes requests demands made openly to them for the benefit of the whole realme as they pretended they determined to send ambassadors to them to treate of peace according to the which determination a great number of the best citizens came to Saint Mor where the Princes lay and Master VVilliam Chartier then Bishop of Paris a notable prelate declared the citizens embassage and for the Princes the Earle of Dunois was appointed to be mouth The Duke of Berry the Kings brother was president of this Councill sitting in a chaire and all the other Princes standing about him On the one side stood the Dukes of Britaine and Calabria and on the other the Earle of Charolois armed at all peeces saue the head peece and vantbrases and wearing vpon his quirage a short cloke maruellous rich for he came from Conflans and Bois-de-Vincennes being well manned was held for the King wherefore it stood him vpon to come armed and well accompanied The Princes request was to enter into Paris to confer with the citizens about the reformation of the state which they said was euill gouerned charging the King with diuers disorders The citizens gaue them very lowly and humble language desiring respite before they could make any resolute answer yet notwithstanding this delay the King was afterward discontented both with the Bishop and the rest that accompanied him Thus returned these ambassadors into the towne continuing still their former practise for euery one of the Princes talked with them apart and I am of opinion that some of them had agreed secretly to suffer the Princes in their owne persons to enter the towne and their men also if they so thought good by small troupes which practise if it had taken effect had not onely been the winning of the towne but the atchieuing of the whole enterprise For the citizens would easily haue been brought for diuers considerations to reuolt to them and so consequently all the other townes in the realme But God put wise counsell into the Kings head which also he executed accordingly being alreadie aduertised of all these practises Before the ambassadors that were returned from the Princes had made their report the King in person entred the towne of Paris accompanied like a prince that commeth to relieue his people for he brought with him into the towne two thousand men of armes all the nobles of Normandie a great number of franke archers and all his owne seruants pensioners and others that vse to accompanie the King in such affaires Thus this practise was broken off and all the people altered their mindes neither durst any of them that had been with vs make farther mention of the Princes demaunds Some of them also sped but euill for that they had alreadie done notwithstanding the King vsed no extremitie towards them 1 but some lost their offices and others were sent to dwell in other places for the which easie reuenge the King vndoubtedly deserued great commendation considering that if this practise begun had taken effect the best that could haue happened to him had been to forsake his realme which also was his resolution For as himselfe hath often told me if he could not haue entred into Paris but had found the towne reuolted he would haue retired to the Switzers or to Francis Duke of Milan whom he accounted
by the treatie of Arras to D. Philip of Burgundy of whom King Lewis had redeemed them for the summe of fower hundred thousand crownes not past three moneths before but the Earle of Charolois alleaged that during his life the King could not redeeme them 1 putting him alwaies in remembrance how much he was beholding to the house of Burgundie which receiued him when he fled from King Charles his father furnished him of money to maintaine his estate the space of sixe yeeres 2 and accompanied him at his coronation to Reimes and Paris 3 wherefore the Earle of Charolois tooke the redeeming of these townes in very euill part This treatie of peace was so followed that one morning the King came by water directly ouer against our campe leauing his horsemen that accompanied him vpon the riuer side and hauing in the barge with him besides the water men that rowed onely fower or fiue persons namely Monseur Du Lau Monseur De Montauban then admirall of Fraunce and Monseur De Nantouillet with one or two more The Earles of Charolois and Saint Paul stood on the other side of the riuer to receiue the King who said thus to the Earle of Charolois Brother do you assure me in the word of a Prince for the Earles first wife was the Kings sister 4 whereunto the Earle answered Yea sir as one brother should assure another Then the King his company landed the two Earles receiuing him honorablie according to his estate and he hauing words at will began thus said Brother I know you to be a gentleman of the house of Fraunce why sir quoth the Earle bicause said the K. when I sent of late mine Ambassadors to mine vncle your father you to Lisle where my foolish chancellor Moruillier so much misbehaued himselfe toward you you sent me word by the Archbishop of Narbonne who is a gentleman as his behauiour there well declared that before a yeere expired I should repent me of the proud language the said Moruillier there vsed You haue kept promise indeed and that long before your daie which words the King spake with a merrie cheerefull countenance knowing his nature with whom he talked to be such that they would please him wel as vndoubtedly they did Then the King proceeded further saying I loue to deale with men that keepe promise Afterward he disauowed Moruilliers words saying that he had spoken beyond his commission To be short the King walked a long time between these two Earles a great number of the Earle of Charolois souldiers in armes standing by and marking diligently their behauiour At this meeting the Earles required the Duchie of Normandie and the townes situate vpon the riuer of Somme with diuers other particular demands for themselues and certaine ouertures lately treated of for the common wealth of the realme but vpon those they stood lest for the weale publique was now turned into wealth priuate As touching Normandie the King would hardly heare thereof but he granted the Earle of Charolois demaunds and for his sake offered the Earle of Saint Paule the office of Constable which communication ended the King tooke barge and returned to Paris and the Earles to Conflans departing each from other in very courteous and louing manner Thus passed we the time somtime in peace and somtime in war but notwithstanding that the treatie of peace at la Grange aux Merciers where the Commissioners vsed to sit were cleane broken off on both sides yet continued still the communication aboue mentioned betweene the King and the Earle of Charolois and messengers went betweene them notwithstanding the war for the Earle sent to the King VVilliam of Bische and Guillot Diusie being both his owne seruants but yet beholding to the King for when Duke Philip had banished them the King at the Earle of Charolois request entertained them Many misliked these sendings to and fro so far foorth that the Princes began now to mistrust and abandon each other in such sort that had not one thing happened soone after 5 they had all departed with great dishonor Twise I sawe them hold three seuerall assemblies in one chamber where they were togither wherewith the Earle of Charolois was maruellously offended for he thought seeing the greatest force of this armie was his that they did him wrong to sit in counsell in his chamber he being present without calling him to it wherefore he debated this matter with the Lord of Contay a very wise gentleman who aduised him to take it patiently bicause if he should alienate their mindes from him they could better make their peace than he adding that as he was the strongest so ought he to be the wisest and farther counselling him to do his endeuor by all meanes possible for their continuance togither in friendship and in no wise to fall at variance with them but to digest and winke at all these disorders Lastly he told him that all men woondered yea his owne seruants that so meane personages as the two aboue named were imploied in so weighty affaires alleaging great danger to be therein considering how liberall a Prince he was whom he had to deale with True it is that this Contay hated VVilliam of Bische notwithstanding heerin he spake but as others did and I thinke verily not vpon malice but as the case required The Earle of Charolois followed his aduise and began to sport pastime with the Princes otherwise than he had been accustomed to shew them a cheerfull countenance to commune oftener both with them their seruants and sure so was it requisite for they stood euen vpon the point to seuer themselues A wise man doth good seruice in such a companie if he may be credited neither can he be valued too deere but I neuer knew Prince in my life that could finde the difference betweene man and man till he stood in need of men and if any happily do yet make they no account of a wise man but place in authoritie about them those whom they fauor better either bicause they are of equall yeeres with them or seeke in all things to feede their humors wherein they are often nuzled by the furtherers of their wanton pleasures But wise Princes will soone reforme themselues when neede requireth such as were the King our master the Earle of Charolois at that time King Edward of England and diuers others but these three especially I haue seene at so lowe an ebbe that they haue stood in great neede of those whom before they despised Notwithstanding as touching the Earle of Charolois after he was Duke of Burgundie and highlier aduaunced by fortunes fauor than euer was any of his predecessors and growen so great that he feared no Prince of his estate God ouerthrew him in all his glorie and so bereaued him of his wits that he contemned all mens counsell but his owne wherby he miserably ended his life with a great number of his seruants and subiects leauing his house desolate
as you see The Notes 1 The Earles meaning was that the King could not redeeme them during the said Earles life bicause they were engaged to Duke Philip and his heires males 2 The Duke of Burgundie allowed the Dolphin being in his countries monethly 3000. florences for his entertainment Meyer 3 King Lewis was crowned anno 1461. Augusti 14. 4 The Kings sister that married the Earle was named Catherine but he had no issue by hir Annal. Burgund Meyer His second wife was Isabell daughter to Charles Duke of Bourbon by whom he had issue a daughter named Marie which also was his heire His third wife was Margaret sister to Edward the fourth King of England by whom also he had no issue 5 He meaneth the taking of Roan mentioned in the next chapter How the towne of Roan by practise was put into the Duke of Bourbons hands for the D. of Berry and how the treatie of Conflans was fully concluded Chap. 13. YOu shall now vnderstand what mooued me to discourse so long of the dangers depending vpon these treaties and why I aduised Princes to be wise and circumspect whom they employ in them especially him that hath the woorse end of the staffe For while the commissioners sat to treat of peace by means wherof men met communed togither in steede of treating of peace some practised to yeeld the Duchie of Normandie to the Kings onely brother the Duke of Berry to the end he might there take his partage and restore Berry to the King which enterprise was also executed according for the Lady of Brezey the late Seneschall of Normandies widow and certaine of hir kins folkes and seruants by hir perswasion receiued Iohn Duke of Bourbon into the castell of Roan and finally into the towne the which willingly consented to this mutation as did also all the other townes and places in the countrey a few excepted For the Normans haue euer been and yet are of opinion that it is requisite for them their countrie being so large to haue their Prince resident among them neither desire they any thing more and sure it is a goodly thing and a rich for I my selfe haue knowen the reuenues thereof nine hundred and fiftie thousand frankes 1 and some say they are greater After the towne was reuolted all the inhabitants gaue their oth to the Duke of Bourbon as the Duke of Berries lieutenant saue the bailiffe of the towne named Onaste who had been a groome of the Kings chamber in Flaunders and neere about him and another called VVilliam Piquart afterward generall of Normandie and the high Seneschall of Normandie that now is who also departed to the King against his mothers will who as you haue heard was the chiefe author of the citizens reuolt When the King heard this newes he resolued to make peace seeing he could not vndoo that was already done Wherefore incontinent he sent word to the Earle of Charolois being in his campe that he would gladly speake with him and appointed the hower when he would meete him in the fields by Conflans neere to the said campe at which hower he came accompanied with an hundred horse all in manner Scottish men of his garde The Earle of Charolois met him with a small traine without any ceremonie notwithstanding many of his seruants went after him so that in the end his company was greater than the Kings but he caused them to stay a pretie way off and when the King and he had walked togither a while the King told him that the peace was already made and aduertised him of al that was hapned at Roan whereof the Earle as yet vnderstood nothing adding that notwithstanding he would neuer willingly haue granted his brother so large a partage yet now seeing the Normans themselues had made this mutation he would agree thereunto and passe the treatie in maner and forme as before at diuers meetings was deuised for as touching the other articles they had to agree vpon they were but trifles The Earle of Charolois was glad of these newes for his army lay in great distresse of vittailes but more of money and had not this hapned all these Princes had been forced to depart with great dishonor Notwithstanding to the Earle of Charolois the same day or within two or three daies after came a new releefe both of men and money sent him by Duke Philip his father out of Burgundy vnder the leading of the Lord of Sauenses being six score men of armes and fifteene hundred archers and six score thousand crownes vpon ten sumpter horses with great store of bowes and arrowes which furnished reasonably well the Burgundians army who stood in great doubt that the other Princes would make peace without them This communication of peace pleased so well both the King and the Earle of Charolois and so desirous they were as I haue heard the Earle himselfe say to conclude the treatie that they marked not which way they walked but rode straight toward Paris so far foorth that they entred into a great bulwarke of wood and earth that the King had caused to be made a good way without the towne at the end of a trench by the which laie a way into the towne The Earle was accompanied but with foure or fiue persons who were much abased when they saw themselues within the bullwarck notwithstanding he himselfe set a good face on the matter But when this newes came to the campe the whole army began to mutter and the Earle of S. Paul the marshal of Burgundie the Lord of Contay the Lord of Hault-bourdin diuers others assembled togither blaming greatly both the Earle and those that accompanied with him of this follie and alleadging the inconuenience that hapened to his grandfather at Montereau-faut-Yonne in the presence of King Charles the 7. Wherefore incontinent they commanded all the soldiers that were walking abroad in the fields to retire into their campe And the marshall of Burgundie surnamed Neuf-chastel said thus though this foolish harebrained yoong Prince be gone to cast awaie himselfe yet let vs prouide that his house his fathers estate and we our selues fall not into danger wherefore mine aduise is that euerie man repaire to his lodging and be in a readines banishing al feare whatsoeuer hapen For we are strong inough if we seuer not to retire to the marches of Henaut or Picardie or into Burgundie When he had thus said he and the Earle of Saint Paul mounted on horsebacke and walked out of the campe to see if they coulde descrie any body comming from Paris where after they had stoode a while they discouered forty or fiftie horses being certeine of the Kings seruants as well archers as others that waited backe vpon the Earle of Charolois who so soone as he perceiued these two approch caused the French men to return he stood in awe of the marshall bicause he vsed to giue him verie sharpe language neither feared sometimes to tell him that he was
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
since the Duke of Albourg In the end these two confederate nations began to scoffe and iest each at other the King of Castile was deformed and the French misliked his apparell wherefore they derided him Our King ware his apparell very short and maruelous vncomely and was clad somtime in very course cloth besides that he ware an old hat differing from all the rest of his company and an image of lead vpon it whereat the Castilians iested saying that this proceeded of misery Thus ended this enterview with such scoffes and taunts that afterward these two Princes neuerloued togither Farther great dissention arose among the King of Castiles seruants which continued till his death and long after in such sort that I haue seene him the poorest Prince that euer raigned and abandoned of all his seruants and subiects The Queene of Arragon departed also discontented for the King pronounced sentence for the King of Castile Wherfore both the King of Arragon hir husband and she hated him euer after And notwithstanding that they vsed his helpe a while in their necessity against the towne of Barcelonne yet endured not their friendship but wars arose betweene them which continued aboue sixteene yeeres and the controuersie remaineth yet vndecided Now to proceed to other examples Duke Charles of Burgundy since the time aboue mentioned by his owne great sute and sollicitation met with the Emperor Fredericke now raigning at Treues 3 where the Duke made great preparation to shew his pompe and magnificency The Emperor and he treated there of many matters and among the rest of their childrens mariage which was afterward accomplished But when they had been togither a certaine space the Emperor to the Dukes great reproch and dishonor departed without leaue taking wherefore they neuer loued after neither themselues nor their subiects The Almains disdained the Dukes pompe and lofty maner of speech saying that it proceeded of pride the Burgundians on the contrary side despised the Emperors small traine and simple attire To be short this iar grew so great that the wars of Nuz sprang thereof I was also at Saint Paul in Artois when the Duke of Burgundy and King Edward of England met there 4 The Duke had maried his sister they were companions of one order and abode there togither two daies The Kings seruants were deuided into two factions and both the parties complained to the Duke who enclining more to the one than the other encreased their hatred and notwithstanding that he aided the King for the recouery of his realme out of the which he was chased by the Earle of Warwick and furnished him both of men money and ships yet after this meeting they neuer loued togither neither could affoord each other a good word I was likewise at Bruxels when the Palszgraue of the Rheine came thither to the Duke of Burgundy where he was honorably receaued sumptuously feasted and lodged in a chamber richly furnished The Dukes men reported the Almains to be slouens and void of ciuility alledging that they threw their mirie bootes vpon their rich and stately beds wherefore they made lesse account of them then before they knew them The Almains on the contrary side like enuious persons misliked this great pompe To conclude after this they neuer loued togither neither sought to pleasure one another I saw also the meeting of the Duke of Burgundy and D. Sigismunde of Austrich 5 who solde vnto the said Duke the County of Ferret bordering vpon the County of Burgundy for a hundred thousand gildons not being able to defend it against the Switzers These two Princes liked not greatly one another Afterward also Duke Sigismunde made peace with the Switzers and tooke againe the said County of Ferret without paying backe the money whereof ensued infinite harmes to the Duke of Burgundy At the selfe same time also came the Earle of Warwick to the Duke who after their meeting were mortall enimies each to other I was also present at the enteruiewe betweene the King our master and King Edvvard of England at Picquigny 6 neere to Amiens whereof I will make mention heereafter more at large All that they did there was but meere dissimulation for they performed no whit of that they promised And notwithstanding that they were neuer after in war togither bicause the sea seuered them yet perfect friendship was there none betweene them Wherefore to conclude this discourse me thinke that two great Princes minding to continue in amity ought neuer to meete togither The occasions of troubles that arise at such assemblies are these their seruants can not refraine from talking of matters past and words will easely be taken in euill part Secondarily it is impossible but that the traine of the one should be in better order then the other where of scoffes arise which they that are scoffed stomacke Thirdly if they be two nations their language and apparell differ and that that pleaseth the one displeaseth the other Last of all it commonly hapneth that the personage of the one Prince is comlier and better to be liked than the other wherefore he is praised and reioiceth and glorieth to heare his owne commendation which cannot be without the dispraise of the other And notwithstanding that three or fower daies peraduenture after the assembly ended these matters be communed of closely couertly in mens eares yet by vse they fall in time in open talke at dinners and suppers and so are reported to both the parties for fewe things in this world can be concealed especially tales and reports Thus you haue heard the reasons and examples that I my selfe haue seene touching this point The Notes 1 The meeting of the King and the King of Castile was anno 1463. 2 The riuer where the two Kings met was named Audaye 3 The meeting betweene the Emperour and the Duke was saith Munster anno 1469. Berlandus saith anno 1472. Meyer 1473. the 28. of September 4 VVhat yeere the meeting of King Edward and the Duke was appeereth afterwards lib. 3. cap. 6. 5 Ferret was engaged to the Duke about midsommer anno 1469. for seuentie thousand crownes Annal. Burgund but Meyer saith anno 1467. for fiftie thousand gildons and other say for 80. thousand gildons 6 VVhen this meeting vvas at Picquigny looke lib. 4. cap. 10. How the King to deliuer himselfe out of the castell of Peronne renounced his league with the Liegeois Chap. 9. NOw to returne after my long discourse to the King who was staied at Peronne as you haue heard the gates remained shut with watch and warde before them two or three daies all the which time the Duke sawe not the King neither entered any French man into the castell but by the wicket and but sew after that sort notwithstanding none of the Kings seruants were forbidden to repaire to him but few or none of the Dukes went to commune with him neither yet into his chamber especially of those that were of any credit with the Duke The first
began to attempt more boldly against his neighbors in such sort that in the end these 120000. crownes grew to 500000. and the number of his men of armes augmented so excessiuely that his subiects were greatly charged for their maintenance To say my fansie of these ordinarie men of armes I thinke vnder a wise Prince they be well imploied but if he be otherwise or happily at his death leaue his children in their minoritie the seruice wherein their gouernors imploy them is not alwaies profitable neither for the King nor for his subiects The hatred betweene the King and the Duke diminished not but still endured Further the Duke of Guienne being returned into his countrie sent often to the Duke of Burgundy following still his sute for his daughters marriage who fed him continually with faire words as he did euery other man that required hir And I thinke verily that he neither was desirous of a sonne 5 neither would haue married his daughter during his life but haue kept hir to intertaine men thereby to obtaine their friendship and aide For he had so many great enterprises in his head that all his life time could not suffice to atchieue them and those aduentures almost impossible to be compassed for halfe Europe would not haue contented him He had courage ynough to attempt any thing his bodie was able to endure as much labour and trauell as was needfull he was furnished both of men and mony but he lacked finenes and cunning sufficient for the managing of his affaires And what Prince soeuer desireth to be great notwithstanding that he be accomplished with all other good parts yet if he lacke an excellent wit all is to no purpose which vndoubtedly proceedeth of the meere grace of God To be short if part of the Dukes vertues and part of the King our masters had been tempered togither they would haue made a perfect Prince for vndoubtedly in wit the King far excelled him as it well appeered in the end The Notes 1 Of this armie he spake somwhat in the Duke of Bourbons aduertisement sent to the Duke of Burgundie mentioned in the first chapter of this booke it was led by the Earle Daulphin d'Auuergne sonne to the Earle of Montpensier Of this discomfiture reade Annal. Burgund pag. 945. 2 The reason was bicause he perceiued the intelligences of the Constable and the rest to be vntrue 3 This assembly was held the 16. of Iune Meyer 4 But this subsidie of 120000. crownes was granted but for three yeeres Meyer pag. 348. and 367. 5 The Duke desired no sonne bicause then his daughters marriage could not haue stood him in such stead as now it did Of the wars among the Princes of England during these troubles betweene King Lewis and Charles Duke of Burgundy Chap. 4. I Must now discourse of Edward King of England bicause Note that from this place til the 7. Chapter all these English affaires fall into the yeeres 1469. 1470. these three great Princes namely our King the King of England and the Duke of Burgundy liued all in one age in the which discourse I will not obserue the Historiographers vsuall order in writing who set downe the certaine yeeres and daies when each thing hapned neither will I vouch examples out of ancient histories for you know them better than my selfe and in so dooing I should but seeme to reason of Diuinitie before a Doctor But I will rudely aduertise you of all that I haue seene knowen or heard of these Princes of whom I write You liue in the selfe same age that all these things hapned wherefore me thinke it needlesse so exactly to note the houres and seasons I haue before rehearsed what occasion mooued the Duke of Burgundy to mary King Edvvards sister and said it was principally to fortifie himselfe against the King otherwise he would neuer haue done it for the great affection he bare to the house of Lancaster whereof he was descended by his mother for she was daughter to the King of Portugall and hir mother daughter to the Duke of Lancaster 1 so that as feruently as he loued the house of Lancaster as extremly hated he the house of Yorke But you shall vnderstand that at the time of this mariage the house of Lancaster was vtterly destroied and the house of Yorke no more spoken of For King Edvvard being both King and Duke of Yorke raigned peaceably During the ciuill wars betweene these two houses were fought in England seauen or eight cruell battels and in them slaine three or fower score Princes and Lords of the blood royall as before is rehearsed in this history The rest that escaped being all yoong Lords whose fathers died in these battels aboue mentioned liued as banished men in the Duke of Burgundies court who receiued them as his kinsmen of the house of Lancaster before his mariage with King Edvvards sister I haue seene them in so great misery before they came to the Dukes knowledge that those that beg from dore to dore were not in poorer estate then they for I once saw a Duke of Excester run on foote bare legged after the Duke of Burgundies traine begging his bread for Gods sake but he vttered not his name He was the neerest of the house of Lancaster and had maried King Edvvards sister 2 but when he was knowne the Duke gaue him a small pension to maintaine his estate They of the house of Somerset and diuers others were there in like maner who died all afterwards in the wars Their fathers and kinsmen had spoiled and destroied the realme of Fraunce and possessed the greatest part thereof many yeeres and afterwards slew one another and those that remained aliue in England and their children haue died as you haue seene Yet men say that God punisheth not now as he did in the children of Israels time but suffereth euill men and euill Princes to liue vnpunished True it is that he threatneth not now by expresse messengers as he was wont for he hath left examples inough to instruct vs. Notwithstanding you may perceiue by these discourses ioining thereto the great knowledge you haue besides that of euill Princes and such as haue authority in this world and abuse it to cruelty or tiranny few or none escape vnpunished though it happen not by and by after the fault committed neither so soone happily as those that are afflicted desire But to returne to King Edvvard the chiefe man in England that maintained the house of Yorke was the Earle of Warwicke And on the other side the greatest champion of the house of Lancaster was the Duke of Sommerset The said Earle of Warwicke might iustly be called King Edwards father as well for the training of him vp as also for the great seruices he did him for the which the King had also highly aduanced him for besides his owne inheritance which was great he held goodly lands of the Kings gift aswel crowne lands as lands forfeited by attaindor Farther he
a strong village at the least a strong house into the which no man could enter but by a draw bridge which was a happy chance for him the rest of his armie lay in other villages round about But as he sat at dinner suddenly one came running in and brought newes that the Marques of Montague the Earles brother and certaine other were mounted on horsebacke and had caused all their men to crie God saue King Henry Which message the King at the first beleeued not but in all haste sent other messengers foorth and armed himselfe and set men also at the barriers of his lodging to defend it He was accompanied with the Lord Hastings Lord Chamberlain of England a wise Knight and of the greatest authoritie about him who was maried to the Earle of Warwicks sister yet notwithstanding was true and faithfull to his Master and had three hundred horse vnder his charge in the Kings armie as himselfe told me With the King was also the Lord of Scales the Queene of Englands brother and diuers other valiant Knights and Esquires who all perceiued that this busines went not well for the messengers brought word that the report was true and that the enimies assembled to assault the King But God so prouided for the King that he lodged hard by the sea side neer a place where a little ship laden with victuals that followed his armie and two hulks of Holland fraughted with merchandise lay at anchor he had no other shift but to run to saue himselfe in one of them 1 The Lord Chamberlaine staied awhile behinde him and talked with the lieutenant of his band and diuers other particular men in the Kings armie willing them to go to the enimies but to beare true and faithfull harts to the King and him which talke ended he went aboord to the rest being ready to depart Now you shall vnderstand that the custome in England is after the victorie obtained neither to kill nor raunsome any man especially of the vulgar sort knowing all men then to be ready to obey them bicause of their good successe Wherfore these soldiers after the Kings departure receiued no harme Notwithstanding K. Edward himself told me that in albattels that he wan so soon as he had obtained victory he vsed to mount on horsebacke and cry too Saue the people and kil the nobles for of them few or none escaped Thus fled King Edward the yeere 1470. with two hulks and a little bote of his owne countrie accompanied with seuen or eight hundred persons hauing none other apparell than they ware in the wars vtterly vnfurnished of mony and hardly knowing whither they went Strange it was to see this poore King for so might he now well be called to flie after this sort pursued by his owne seruants and the rather for that he had by the space of twelue or thirteene yeeres liued in greater pleasures and delicacies than any Prince in his time for he had wholy giuen himselfe to dames hunting hawking and banketting in such sort that he vsed when he went a hunting in the sommer season to cause many pauilions to be pitched to solace himselfe there with the Ladies And to say the truth his personage serued aswel to make court as any mans that euer I knew for he was yong as goodly a gentleman as liued in our age I meane in this time of his aduersitie for afterward he grew maruellous grosse But behold now how he fel into the trobles aduersities of the world He sailed straight towards Holland and at that time the Easterlings were enimies both to the English men and the French and had many ships of war vpon the sea wherefore they were much feared of the English men and not without cause for they were very good soldiers and had done them great harme that yeere and taken many prises These Easterlings discried afar off the ships wherin the King fled and seuen or eight of them began to make saile after him but in vaine for he was far before them and fell vpon the coast of Holland or somwhat lower for he arriued in Freezland by a little towne called Alquemare 2 as neere the which as was possible his mariners cast anchor for bicause it was ebbing water they could not enter the hauen The Easterlings came in like maner and anchored hard by them minding to boord them the next tide Thus we see that one mischiefe neuer commeth without company King Edwards good successe was now cleane altered and his thoughts quite changed for not past fifteene daies before this misfortune he would little haue beleeued him that had told him that the Earle of Warwicke should chase him out of England and subdue the whole country in eleuen daies for in that smal space he brought it to due obedience Further he mocked the Duke of Burgundie for spending his treasure in defending the sea and wished that the Earle were already landed in England But what excuse could he make now for himselfe receiuing so great losse through his owne fault saue this that such a mishap was not to be doubted of which excuse a Prince growen to mans estate ought to be ashamed for it will not serue Wherefore let King Edwards example teach all Princes that thinke it shame to feare their enimies to be wise in time for notwithstanding that the greatest part of their seruants through flatterie vphold their sayings and that themselues also by such words suppose to purchase an opinion of great courage yet sure whatsoeuer is said to their face wise men account such language but meere folly for it is great honor to feare that which is to be feared and to prouide for it accordingly Further a wise man in a Princes companie is a great treasure and iewell if he may be beleeued and haue leaue to speake the truth By chance the Lord of Gruteuse the Duke of Burgundies lieutenant in Holland was at that present in the place where King Edward arriued who being aduertised by certaine that the King sent to land both of his arriuall and of the danger he was in of the Easterlings gaue commandement foorthwith to the said Easterlings not to touch him and went also himselfe into the Kings ship to welcome him And thus he landed 3 being accompanied with his brother the Duke of Glocester who afterward named himselfe King Richard and a traine of fifteen hundred persons The King had not one peny about him but gaue the Master of the ship for his passage a goodly gowne furred with martins promising one day to do him a good turne and as touching his traine neuer so poore a company was seen But the Lord of Gruteuse dealt very honorably with them for he gaue much apparel among them defraied the King to La Hay in Holland whither he himselfe also waited vpon him Afterward he aduertised the Duke of Burgundie of this aduenture who was maruellously abashed at the newes and had much rather haue heard of the
league should remaine firme and vnuiolable between vs and the King and the realme of England saue that for Edward we named Henry This appointment pleased well the Duke of Burgundy for the Earle of Warwick was sending fower thousand English men to Calice to make sharp war vpon his dominions neither could the D. pacifie him by any meanes Notwithstanding the rich merchants of London diuers of the which were then at Calice in the end perswaded him to peace bicause their staple of wools is there which is a far goodlier thing than a man would beleeue for it is almost incredible of how great value the wooll is that is transported thither twise a yeere and lieth there till merchants come to buy it The chiefe vent whereof is into Flaunders and Holland which was the principall cause that mooued these merchants to labour so earnestly for peace and for stay of the soldiers the Earle was sending ouer which sure was a happy chance for the Duke of Burgundie for it was euen at the very same instant that the King tooke Amiens and Saint Quintine and if both the realmes had made war vpon him at once vndoubtedly he had been vndone He trauelled to appease the Earle of Warwick by all meanes possible alleging that he would attempt nothing against King Henry seeing he was himselfe of the house of Lancaster and vsing such words as might best serue for his purpose Now to returne to King Edward he came to Saint Paule to the Duke of Burgundy and pressed him earnestly for aide to return home assuring him that he had great intelligence in England and desiring him for Gods loue not to abandon him considering he had maried his sister and that they were brethren of one order The Dukes of Somerset and Excester labored him to the contrary to wit to take part with King Henry The Duke could not tell whom to please and either party he feared to displease But in the end bicause sharpe war was already begun vpon him euen at his very nose 3 he inclined to the Duke of Somerset and others aboue named accepting their promises against the Earle of Warwick their ancient enimy Wherwith King Edvvard there present was woonderfully disquieted But the Dukes seruants alleaged the best reasons they could in excuse herof saying that the Duke vsed this dissimulatiō to auoid war with both the realms at once adding therto that if he should be ouerthrowne he could not after aide him at his ease Notwithstanding the Duke seeing that he could no longer stay the King there but that needs he would returne into England and fearing for diuers considerations altogither to discontent him pretended openly that he would not aide him and made proclamation that no man should go to his seruice but couertly he deliuered him 50000. gildons of the Saint Andrewes crosse and caused three or fower great ships to be armed for him at La Vere in Zeland 4 which is a hauen where all nations are receiued Besides all this he entertained for him secretly fowerteen ships of the Easterlings well appointed who promised to serue him till he were landed in England and fifteen daies after which was great aide considering the time The Notes 1 He meaneth whether he should aide the King or no. 2 Our author reporteth this ragged staffe to be blacke but bicause the Earles of VVarwicke neuer gaue it blacke but the Earles of Kent I haue translated it white no whit doubting but that either the printer hath faulted heere or our authors memory failed him 3 To wit by the Englishmen sent ouer by the Earle of VVarwick 4 La Vere otherwise called Camphere is in the I le of VValkeren in Zeland not in Holland and is the Scottish staple wherefore I haue beene bold to amend the booke How King Edward returned into England where he slew in battell first the Earle of Warwick and then the Prince of Wales Chap. 7. KIng Edward departed out of Flanders the yeere 1471. at the selfe Heere our English affaires begin the yeere 1471. same instant that the D. of Burgundie went to Amiens against the King The said Duke thought now howsoeuer the world went in England he could not speede amisse bicause he had friends on both sides King Edward immediatly after his landing marched straight towards London bicause three or fower hundred Knights and Esquires of his faction togither with others of the meaner sort to the number of two thousand and better had retired themselues into the Sanctuaries of the citie which was a happy chance for him for if he landed with small force The Earle of Warwick being in the north parts with a great armie hearing these newes made haste to be at London before him rather for other respects than for that he greatly feared the reuolt of the towne notwithstanding the contrarie happened For King Edward was receiued into the citie with great ioy and triumph the tuesday before Easter contrarie to the expectation of most men for all the world accounted him as vtterly vndone And vndoubtedly if they had shut the gates against him he had been past all recouerie for the Earle of Warwicke was but a daies iourney behinde him There were three things especially as I haue heard that caused the towne to reuolt First the gentlemen that were in the sanctuaries and the yoong Prince lately borne The second the great debts that the King owed in the towne in respect whereof the merchants to whom he was indebted thought it their best way to take part with him The third a great many women of honor and rich merchants wiues with whom in times past he had been familiar perswaded their husbands and friends to incline to him He staied not past two or three daies in the towne for vpon Easter euen he departed with all the force he could leuy and marched against the Earle of Warwicke whom he met the next morning being Easter day and as they stood in order of battell the one in face of the other suddenly the D. of Clarence the Kings brother who was reconciled to the King as before you haue heard reuolted to the King with twelue thousand men and better 1 which no lesse astonied the Earle than encouraged the King whose force was not great But all this notwithstanding the battell was cruell and blooddy They were all footemen on both sides of the Kings vaward a great number were slaine then his battell and the Earles met and ioined so fiercely togither that the King himselfe fought in person more valiantly than any man of either army The Earle of Warwick vsed neuer to fight on foote but his maner was when he had led his men to the charge to take horse and if the victory fell on his side to fight among his soldiers otherwise to depart in time But at this battel he was constrained by his brother the Marques of Mountacute a valiant knight to light on foote and send away his horse To conclude in this battell died
the Earle and his brother with a great number of gentlemen and the slaughter of the poore people was also great For King Edward at his departure out of Flaunders resolued to cry no more to saue the people and kill the nobles but he had conceiued extreeme hatred against the communalty of England both for the great fauor they bare the Earle of Warwick and for other respects also wherefore at this battell he spared them not Of the Kings side died about fifteene hundred and the field was valiantly fought At the time of this battell the Duke of Burgundie lay before Amiens where he receiued letters from the Duches his wife that King Edward hir brother was not a little discontented with him alleaging that the aide he gaue him was giuen in euil sort and with euill will so far foorth that he was almost vtterly forsaken of him and to say the truth the King and he after this neuer loued one an other Notwithstanding the Duke supposing that this victory would greatly further his affaires caused the newes to be published in all places I had forgotten to tell you how King Edward finding King Henry at London lead him with him into the battell aboue mentioned This King Henry was a very simple man and almost an innocent and if I haue not heard a lie incontinent after the battell the Duke of Glocester K. Edwards brother who afterward named himselfe K. Richard slue this holy man K. Henry with his own hands or caused him to be slaine in his presence in some secret place 2 The Prince of Wales was landed in England when this battell aboue mentioned was fought hauing in his company the Dukes of Excester and Sommerset with diuers others of his kinsfolkes and ancient folowers of his house His army was to the number of forty thousand as I haue been informed by diuers that were with him and if the Earle of Warwicke would haue staied for him it is very like the victory would haue been theirs But the Earle feared both the Duke of Sommerset whose father and brother he had slaine and also Queene Margaret the Princes mother wherefore he fought alone and would not tarie for them 3 Marke heere by this example how long ancient factions and partialities endure how much they are to be feared and what great damage ensueth thereof So soone as King Edward had obteined this victory he marched incontinent against the Prince of Wales where another cruell battell was fought for the Princes force was greater than the Kings notwithstanding the lot of victory fell to the King and the Prince was slaine vpon the place 4 with diuers other great Lords and a maruellous number of common soldiers The Duke of Sommerset was taken and the next day beheaded In eleuen daies the Earle of Warwicke subdued the whole realme of England at the least brought it to obedience and in one and twenty King Edvvard recouered it hauing fought two great and cruell battels Thus you see what sudden mutations haue been in England K. Edvvard caused many of the people to be put to death in many places especially such as had made assemblies against him And from that day forward raigned peaceably in England till his death though not without great trouble and vexation of minde I will heere end my discourse of these English affaires till time and occasion serue in some other place only adding this that of all the nations in the world the English men are most desirous to try their quarrels by dint of sword The Notes 1 Our Chronicles report that the Duke turned on the Kings side at Couentrie before the Kings comming to London and they vary also in other circumstances from our author 2 Our histories report otherwise of King Henries death for he was slain in the Tower and not so soone after the battell 3 Our Chronicles report that the Duke of Sommer set was at Barnet field with the Earle of VVarvvicke and repaired afterward to the Queene and was taken in the second battell and then be he aded 4 Our histories write that the Prince was not slaine in the battell but soone after hauing had communication with King Edward How the wars reuiued betweene King Lewis and Charles Duke of Burgundy by the sollicitation of the Dukes of Guienne and Britaine Chap. 8. I Wil now return to our affairs on this side the sea wherof I haue made no mention since the Duke of Burgundies departure from before Amiens the Kings returne into the country of Touraine and the Duke of Guienne his brother into Guienne The saide Duke of Guienne continued still his sute aboue mentioned for his mariage with the Duke of Burgundies daughter whereunto the said Duke in word euer shewed himselfe willing but in deede meant nothing lesse both bicause he purposed to vse hir as an instrument whereby to entertaine all the world and a marchandise to put euery man in hope of and also for that he stomacked the euill practises they had contriued to constraine him to this mariage perforce The Earle of Saint Paul Constable of Fraunce busied himselfe in this treaty very earnestly desiring that the mariage might seeme to be effected by his onely meanes and procurement On the other side the Duke of Britaine traueled therein to the end the whole honor thereof might redound to him The King was as busie as the best to breake it off though needlesly as well for the two reasons aboue alleaged as also bicause the Duke of Burgundy was not desirous of so great a sonne in lawe wherefore in vaine the King troubled himselfe but he could not see another mans thoughts And sure he had iust cause of feare for if this mariage had taken effect his brother should haue beene so mighty that he and the Duke of Britaine ioined togither might haue put the Kings estate and his childrens in great danger In the meane time about these affaires many ambassadors passed to and fro as well secretly as openly This often passing to and fro of ambassadors is a thing very dangerous for vnder colour thereof many times euill practises are set abroch yet notwithstanding ambassadors must of force both be sent and receiued They that shall reade this historie will aske peraduenture what remedie I can deuise against this inconuenience bicause it seemeth almost remedilesse For answere whereunto I will shew mine aduise notwithstanding that I know a number far better able to discourse heerof than my selfe Ambassadors that come from perfect friends with whom no occasion of quarrell can arise must be well intertained and permitted to come often to the Princes presence I meane if the Prince be wise and of comely personage otherwise the lesse he be seene the better Notwithstanding when he must of necessitie be seene let him be well apparelled and well instructed what to say and vse short speech according to Princes amitie which vsually is but short But if ambassadors be sent openly or secretly betweene Princes that are in continuall
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 English men Notwithstanding the King of England was oftentimes earnestly pressed by this yoong Princes for aide and therefore sent ambassadors often to negotiate with the King our Master about these affaires desiring him to grant hir either peace or truce Now you shall vnderstand that those that were at the debating of these matters in England especially in their parlament which is an assembly of the three estates where diuers wise men were present that smelt our dissimulation a far off and receiued no pension of the King as the others did were verie desirous and yet the commons of the realme more desirous that the King of England should send aide without further delay to the saide Ladie saying that we heere did but abuse them and that the marriage should neuer be accomplished alleaging that at the treatie made at Picquigny betweene the two Kings we had faithfully sworne and promised that the King of Englands daughter whom they had already called the Ladie Daulphinesse should be sent for into Fraunce within a yeere which terme was now long expired But what reasons soeuer the subiects made the King would giue no eare thereunto but alleaged diuers excuses to the contrarie And to say the truth he was a verie corpulent man and much giuen to pleasures neither could his body endure the toile of the wars Further he had wound himselfe out of great troubles and was loth to enter into them againe The couetousnes also of the 50000. crownes yeerly paid him in the tower of London qualified his minde Besides all this his ambassadors that came hither were so courteously entertained and so well rewarded that they departed euer well contented but they neuer receiued any resolute answere for the King sought onely to protract the time euer saying that ere it were long he would send to the King their Master certain noble men with such assurance of those matters he stood in doubt of as he knew well would content him According to the which promise within three weekes or a moneth after these ambassadors departure sometime more sometime lesse which was no small delaie in such a case he vsed to send ambassadors to the K. of England but at euery voiage sundrie men to the end that if the former had made any ouerture not performed the latter might plaid ignorance therin They also that were sent perswaded so well the King of England that we meant nothing but good faith that he lay still and neuer stirred for both he and the Queen his wife so much desired this marriage that partly for this cause and partly for the other reasons aboue alleaged he was content to winke at this war which some of his Counsell tould him plainely to be verie preiudiciall to his realme But he feared the breach of this marriage bicause men began alreadie to scoffe at it in England especially such as desired rebellion and ciuill war Now to discourse a little vpon this point You shall vnderstand that the King our Master neuer meant to accomplish this mariage bicause there was no equalitie betweene the age of the two parties for King Edwards daughter at this present Queene of England was much elder than the Daulphin now raigning But by these dissimulations a moneth or two was gayned in running to and fro by which meanes the King foded foorth his enimie one whole sommer wherein he might haue done him harme For vndoubtedly if the King of England had not hoped vpon this marriage he would neuer haue suffered the King to take the places bordering so neere vpon the English dominions but haue sought to defend them and if at the beginning he had declared himselfe for the Ladie of Burgundie the King who was by nature timorous and would put nothing in aduenture had neuer weakened this house of Burgundie as he hath Thus much I write chiefly to shew how these affaires passed and secondarily to the end that if heerafter those that haue to manage great affaires happen to reade this historie they may thereby learne how to helpe themselues in the like case for be their wisedome neuer so great yet a small aduertisement doth good many times True it is that if this Lady of Burgundy would haue consented to marrie the Lord Riuers the Queene of Englands brother she should haue beene aided with great force but this had been an vnequall match for he was but a poore Earle and she one of the greatest inheritors in hir time Many practises were entertained betweene the Kings of Fraunce and England and amongst others the King offered him that if he would ioine with him and passe ouer in person into the Lady of Burgundies countries he would be contented that the King of England should hold the countrie of Flaunders without homage and also the Duchie of Brabant offering further to conquer for him at his proper costs and charges fower of the greatest townes in Brabant and to put them into the King of Englands hands to wage him 10000. English men for fower moneths to the end he might the better sustaine the charge of the wars and to lend him great store of artillerie and men and carriage to conuey it and attend vpon it with this condition that the King of England should conquer the countrie of Flaunders during the time the King our Master inuaded on the other side Whereunto the King of England made answer that the townes of Flaunders were strong and great and both that countrey and also the countrey of Brabant hard to be kept if they were conquered adding further that this war liked not the English men bicause of their entercourse with those countries But seeing it pleased the King to make him partaker of his conquest if he would giue him certaine townes he had alreadie conquered in Picardie as Bolloin and diuers other which he named he would then be contented to declare himselfe for him and send men to serue him if he would pay them which was a verie wise answer The Notes 1 The King could not take Saint Omer for the Lord of Chanteraine valiantly defended it Reade De la Marche lib. 2. cap. 9. pag. 410. 2 Others write but 295. others 296. and others 299. How the marriage betweene the Ladie of Burgundie and Maximilian Duke of Austrich afterwards Emperor was concluded and accomplished Chap. 3. DIuers practises were entertained as before you haue heard betweene these two Kings to delay time but in the meane while the Ladie of Burgundies force still diminished for of those few men that remained aliue after hir fathers death diuers reuolted from hir to the King especially after Monseur de Cordes was entred into his seruice for he led away a great troupe with him Others necessitie forced to shrinke from hir bicause they dwelt either within the townes the King had already conquered or neere vnto them Some also put themselues into his seruice to be enriched for no Prince dealt so liberally with his men as the King our Master did Moreouer
Glocester who had vsurped the crowne of England signing his letters by the name of Richard cruelly murthered the King his brothers two children This King Richard sought the Kings friendship was desirous as I suppose to haue this pension paid also vnto him But the K. would make no answer to his letters neither giue his messenger audience but esteemed him a wicked cruell tyrant For after K. Edvvards death the said Duke of Glocester had done homage to his nephew as to his soueraigne Lord and King and yet immediately thereupon committed this murther and caused in open parlament the said King Edvvards two daughters to be degraded proclaimed bastards vnder colour of a certaine matter which he prooued by the testimonie of a bishop of Bathe who somtime had been in great credit with King Edvvard but afterward fell into his disgrace and was laid in prison and made to fine for his deliuerance This Bishop affirmed that King Edvvard being in loue with a certaine gentlewoman in England whom he named promised hir marriage to haue his pleasure of hir which promise he said was made in his presence and thereupon the King lay with hir minding onely to abuse hir Such pastimes are very dangerous especially when such poofe may be brought foorth But I haue knowne many a courtier that would not haue lost a good aduenture that liked him in such a case for want of promise This wicked Bishop buried reuenge in his hart the space of twenty yeeres But God plagued him for his wickednes for he had a sonne whom he loued entirely and whom King Richard so much fauored that he meant to giue him to wife one of these two daughters degraded from their dignitie at this present Queene of England and mother of two goodly children The said sonne being in a ship of war by King Richard his Masters commandement was taken vpon the coast of Normandie and bicause of the contention that fell betweene those that tooke him led to the court parlament of Paris and there put in prison in the petit Chastellet where in the end he starued for hunger and pouertie As touching King Richard he liued not long vnpunished for God raised vp an enimy against him euen at This error you are admonished of before that very instant being poore hauing no right to the crowne of England as I suppose and of no estimation saue that as touching his owne person he was well conditioned and had endured many troubles For the greatest part of his life he had been prisoner in Britaine to Duke Francis who entertained him well for a prisoner from the eighteenth yeere of his age This Earle of Richmond being furnished by the King with a small summe of money and three thousand men leuied in Normandie of the vnthriftiest persons in the countrey passed ouer into Wales where his father in lawe the Lord Stanley met him with sixe and twenty thousand men at the least And within three or fower daies after he encountred this cruell King Richard who was slaine in the field and the Earle crowned King and raigneth yet at this day in England Of this matter I haue made mention before but it was not amisse to rehearse it heere againe to shew thereby how God hath plagued in our time such crueltie almost immediately after the fault committed Diuers other such like punishments hath he shewed also in this our age if a man would stand to rehearse them all How the King behaued himselfe towards his neighbors and subiects during the time of his sicknes and how diuers things were sent him from diuers places for the recouerie of his health Chap. 10. THis mariage of Flaunders so much desired by the King was thus accomplished as you haue heard by meanes wherof he had the Flemmings at his commandement Britaine which he so much hated was in peace with him but liued in continuall ielousie bicause of the great number of soldiers he had in garrison vpon their frontiers Spaine was quiet and the King and Queene thereof desired nothing more then his amity and friendship for he kept them in feare and continuall charge bicause of the countrey of Roussillon which he held from the house of Arragon being engaged to him by Iohn King of Arragon father to the King of Castile now raigning vnder certaine conditions yet vnperformed As touching the Princes Seniories of Italy they desired to haue him their friend and were in league with him and sent often their ambassadors to him In Almaine he had the Swissers as obedient to him as his owne subiects The King of Scotland and Portugale were his confederates part of the realme of Nauarre was wholie at his deuotion his subiects trembled before him and his commandements were executed incontinent without delay or excuse As touching those things that were thought necessarie for his health they were sent him out of all parts of the world Pope Sixtus that last died being informed that the King of deuotion desired to haue the corporall vpon the which Saint Peter song masse sent it him incontinent with diuers other relickes which were conueied backe againe to Rome The holie viole which is at Reims and neuer had been remooued thence was brought into his chamber to Plessis and stood vpon his cupboord at the hower of his death he was determined to be annointed therwith as at his coronation But many supposed that he wold haue anointed all his body with it which is vnlikely for the said holy viole is very small and containeth not much oile I saw it both at the time I now speake of and also when the King was buried at Nostre-dame-de-Clery The Turke that now raigneth sent an ambassador to him who came as far as Rhiue in Prouence 1 but the King would not heare his message neither permit him to passe any further The said ambassador brought him a great role of relickes remaining yet at Constantinople in the Turks hands all the which he offered him togither with a great summe of money if he would keepe in safe custodie the said Turks brother who was then in this realme in the hands of the knights of the Rhodes and is now at Rome in the Popes keeping By all this aboue rehearsed a man may perceiue how great the King our Masters wisdome and authority was how he was esteemed through the whole world and how all things 2 as well spirituall of deuotion and religion as also temporall were imploied for the prolonging of his life But all would not helpe there was no remedy needes he must go the way his predecessors went before him one great grace God shewed him that as he created him wiser liberaller and more vertuous in all things than the Princes that raigned in his time being his enimies and neighbors and as he surmounted them in all good things so did he also passe them in long life though not much For Duke Charles of Burgundy the Duchesse his daughter King Edvvard Duke Galeas of
to diuorce himselfe from the Ladie Iane the Kings sister as forced vpon him against his will by King Levvis the 11. and to marrie with Anne the Duke of Britains eldest daughter and heire the hope wherof was the cause of this his voiage into Britaine but the selfesame hope entertained also Monseur d' Alebret and drew him to the Duke of Britains part the rather bicause he had receiued assurance of the marriage in writing vnder the hands of all the noble men that were about the said D. of Britaine saue of the D. of Orleans alone Of the war the King made in Britaine and of the Earle of Dunois ambassage to the King for peace Chap. 4. THe onely care of the banished nobles of Britaine was to returne and remaine in safetie in their countrie and the Kings onely desire was to be reuenged of the Duke of Britaine for receiuing the Duke of Orleans Wherefore the King as before is said entred into league with these nobles and in their fauour leuied an armie and began war vpon the Duke of Britaine in the yeere 1486. This armie inuaded Britaine three seuerall waies for the 1486 Lord of Saint André with fower hundred launces and fiue or sixe thousand footemen entred on one side the Earle of Montpensier with a great band vpon another side and Lewis of Trimouille Vicount of Touars who had married Gabriell of Bourbon the said Earle of Montpensiers sister vpon the third in such sort that the countrie of Britaine was couered with French soldiers with whom also the barons of Britaine aboue mentioned were ioined who caused diuers castels in Britaine to be yeelded to the Kings armie by those that were of their faction whereat the Duke of Britaine was greatly astonied But the Duke of Orleans the Earle of Dunois and the Earle of Comminges being with him comforted him and vnder colour of a marriage to be made betweene the Lady Anne the Duke of Britaines eldest daughter and the Lord of Alebret who had a hundred launces vnder his charge and was able to leuie great forces of footemen in Gascoine and Guienne where he was mightie and of goodly reuenues the Earle of Dunois wan the said Lord of Alebret to ioine with them who presently forsooke the Kings seruice and tooke part with them accordingly yet that notwithstanding the Duke of Britaine leauing Nantes in the hands of his cosin the Prince of Orenge retired himselfe to the castell of Malestroit being a strong place where he leuied an armie of sixe hundred launces and 16000. footemen to succour Ploermel distant three or fower leagues from Malestroit which the Kings armie then besieged But as this Britaine armie marched thitherward one of the company brake foorth into these speeches and asked what this war meant and what was the end thereof alleaging that their Duke was wholy gouerned by the French and that the French made the Britaines at their pleasure to reuenge French quarrels vpon the French wherefore he perswaded them to returne home to their wiues and children and not to spend their liues for other mens quarrels Whereupon all the armie disparkled and returned home by meanes whereof Ploermel seeing no hope of succours yeelded by composition and yet notwithstanding was spoiled and the rich men taken prisoners and put to raunsome The Dukes of Britaine and Orleans and the other Lords that were with them at Malestroit being aduertised of the departure of their armie and of the taking of Ploermel went to Vennes vpon Whitson euen being the yeere 1487. whither the Kings armie so speedily followed them that hardly they escaped by sea and went to Croisick and from thence by the riuer of Loire to Nantes being constrained to leaue part of their carriage 1487 in the said towne of Vennes which presently after their departure yeelded without any resistance Further not long after the taking of this towne the French in a skirmish at a place called Ioue betweene Chasteaubrian and Nantes defeated a great band of Britaines led by Amaulry of la Mossay towards Nantes at the which time the King in person lay at Ancenix After the taking of Vennes the Kings armie marched to Nantes and laid the siege before the towne the 19. day of Iune in the said yeere 1487. Within the towne were the Duke of Britaine and his two daughters Anne and Isabell the Duke of Orleans the Prince of Orenge the Lady of Lauall and of Chasteaubrian the Bishop of Nantes called du Chaffault a man of holy life the Earle of Comminges and diuers other Lords all the which dislodged out of the castell and lodged in the towne And bicause the companie had some ielousie of the said bishop of Nantes and the Lady of Lauall that they were not thoroughly to be trusted they were put in garde into certaine of the townes mens hands At this siege were ten thousand French men and great store of artillerie wherewith the wals towers and vaumures of the castell and towne were throughly battered but they without were as well plied by them within both with shot and with salies of valiant men where many a goodly feate of armes was done both on the one side and the other Further you shall vnderstand that the Earle of Dunois being in base Britaine there to embarke towards England to haue aide from thence and perceiuing that the winde would not suffer him so to do brought with him to succour the towne of Nantes aboue fiftie thousand of the commons of Britaine which the French suffered to passe supposing them not to be men of seruice But the King seeing the extreme heate of the weather and perceiuing that he could do no good before the towne leuied his siege the sixt day of August and departed Then marched the Kings armie before the towne of Dolle which they tooke without resistance and spoiled and all the Britaines and soldiers that were within it were taken prisoners Further the Kings armie spoiled all the countrie slue the people and draue away their cattell But the Marshall of Rieux and the greatest part of the banished nobles of Britaine that were in the Kings seruice lamenting the miserable estate of their country waxed wearie of the wars and alleaged that their league with the King was onely to this end that they might recouer their countrie and the French that liued in Britaine be constrained to returne home into theirs Wherfore seeing the French nobles being in Britaine protested that they would willingly returne home if the King would pardon their departure to the Duke and that the Duke on the other side with the consent of all his subiects had offered these banished nobles of Britaine pardon and restitution to all their goods and lands they sawe no cause why the wars should endure but that each partie should returne home in peace but the French and diuers also of the Britaines themselues were little mooued with these allegations Wherefore the said Marshal being Lord of Ancenix a towne very
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