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
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
put from the crowne vnder colour of adulterie committed by hir mother But the matter ended not without great contention and war for the King of Portugale tooke part with his neece and diuers great Lords of Castile ioined with him yet notwithstanding the said Dom Henries sister wife to the son of Dom Iohn King of Arragon obtained the crowne and possesseth it yet at this day and thus this partage was made in heauen as diuers others are Further you haue seene of late daies the King of Scotland and his sonne being thirteene yeeres of age in battell the one against the other the sonne and his faction preuailed and the King was slaine vpon the place 13 This King murthered his owne brother and was charged with diuers other crimes namely the death of his sister and such like You see also the Duchy of Gueldres out of the right line and haue heard what impietie the Duke last deceased vsed against his father Diuers other examples I could rehearse which should manifestly appeere to be punishments and scourges of God which scourges are the principall cause of wars whereof insue mortality and famine all the which euils proceede of lacke of faith Wherefore I conclude considering the wickednes of men especially of great men who know not themselues neither beleeue that there is a God that it is necessarie for euery Prince and gouernor to haue an aduersary to keepe him in feare and humilitie otherwise no man should be able to liue vnder them or neere them The Notes 1 He meaneth that this towne of Gaunt is situate where it is for a plague to the whole countrey of Flaunders which otherwise bicause of the great abundance thereof would soone forget God 2 Fregosi and Fregosini in other histories 3 This diuision began anno 1309. betweene the Abbot of Einsidlen and the village of Suitz and the said Abbot demanded aide of Leopolde Duke of Austrich 4 As for example Leopolde Duke of Austrich brothers sonne to the former that began this diuision whom they slue at the battell of Sempache 9. Iulij ann 1386. 5 The reason heerof reade in Aristot Politic. lib. 1. cap. 2. Problem Anthonii Zimarae 12. 6 Shame commeth of knowledge so that if a man do a fault and for lacke of learning know not that it is a fault he can neuer be ashamed of it nor seeke to amend it 7 1800000. franks are 225000. pound starling after eight souse to the English shilling and the French liuer at two shillings sixe pence starling 8 4700000. franks are 587500. pound starling 9 That is 2500000. franks which amounteth to 312500. pound starling 10 For it was due by the conditions of the treatie 11 How King Henry the seuenth was next heire of the house of Lancaster the pedegree in the end of the worke will declare where also Philip de Commines error is controlled 12 Our Chronicles say but 3000. and some 5000. 13 This King that slue his father in battell was Iames the 4. who married Margaret sister to King Henry the 8. THE SIXT BOOKE How the Duchie of Burgundie was yeelded to the King Chap. 1. NOw to returne to the principal matter and to proceede in this historie written at your request my Lorde of Vienna while the King brought vnder his subiection the places and townes aboue named in the marches of Picardie his armie lay in Burgundie the generall wherof in apparance was the Prince of Orenge 1 that now is who was borne in the countie of Burgundie and a subiect thereof but lately reuolted the second time from Duke Charles wherefore the King vsed his helpe for he was a great Lord well friended and well beloued both in the said countie and also in the Duchie of Burgundie But the Lord of Cran was the Kings lieutenant and he it was in truth that had the charge of the whole armie and in whom the King reposed his principall trust and sure he was a wise man and faithfull to his Master but somwhat too greedie of his owne gaine The said Lord of Cran when he drew neere the countrie of Burgundie sent the Prince of Orenge before him with certaine others to Digeon to perswade with the citizens to become the Kings subiects which enterprise so well they atchieued by the said Princes meanes that the towne of Digeon and all the other places of the Duchie of Burgundie yeelded to the King Aussonne and certaine castels excepted which held yet for the Ladie of Burgundie The King had promised the Prince of Orenge many goodly estates and to restore him to all his grandfathers inheritance in the countie of Burgundie for the which he was in sute with the Lords of Chauuerguion his vncles 2 whom as he said Duke Charles had fauored to his preiudice For this cause had been often pleaded before him with great solemnitie and once the Duke being accompanied with a number of lawyers gaue iudgement against the Prince at the least thus he reported wherefore he forsooke the Dukes seruice and went to the King But Monseur de Cran after he was entred into all these townes aboue mentioned and had gotten into his hands all the best places that should descend to the said Prince by right of inheritance refused to yeeld them to him notwithstanding both the Kings promise and the said Princes request The King also wrote often to him about this matter without all collusion knowing that he much misused the Prince notwithstanding he feared to displease the said de Cran bicause he had the charge of the whole countrie neither thought he that the Prince either would or could haue caused the countrie of Burgundie to rebel as afterward he did at the lest the greatest part therof But I will heere leaue these Burgundies affaires till another conuenient place shall serue to speake further thereof The Notes 1 This Prince of Orenge was Iohn de Chaslons the Prince of Orenge that now is is of the house of Nassaw 2 The olde copie hath Chasteauguion Annal. Burgund Chaumergnon Annal. Franc. Chauuerguion and so vndoubtedly it is to be read for Chasteauguion was brother to this Prince of Orenge Gaguin How the King entertained the English men after the death of Charles Duke of Burgundie to the end they should not hinder his conquest of the said Dukes dominions Chap. 2. THose that heerafter shall reade this historie and happily vnderstand the affaires both of this realme and the countries bordering vpon it better than my selfe will maruell that since the death of Duke Charles I haue hitherto by the space almost of one whole yeere made no mention of the English men and will woonder that they suffered the King to take the townes bordering so neere vpon them namely Arras Bolloin Ardres and Hedin with diuers other castels and to lie so long with his campe before Saint Omer 1 But you shall vnderstand that the reason thereof was for that our King in wisedome and sense surmounted far Edward King of England then
hired a brother of the captains to kill the said Lodouic as he entred into the castel whom the captaine withheld frō executing the fact for the which cause he now saued his life Notwithstanding if he had been giltie of so heinous a crime as a purpose to yeeld the place to the Emperor who might haue laid claim to it both as Emperor Duke of Austrich for that house pretendeth some title thereunto I thinke he would not haue pardoned him for it would haue made a great alteration in Italie and the whole estate of Milain would haue reuolted in one day For when they liued vnder the Emperors euerie household paid but halfe a ducat for tribute but now they are cruelly and tyrannouslie gouerned both the Spiritualtie Nobilitie and Commons The Lord Lodouic seeing himselfe seized of the castell and all the force of the countrie at his commandement determined to attempt further for he that possesseth Milan possesseth the whole estate both bicause the chiefe of the countrie be resident there and also bicause those that haue the charge and gouernment of the other places be all Milanois borne Sure for the quantitie of this Duchie I neuer saw a pleasanter nor plentifuller peece of ground For if the Prince would content himselfe with the yeerely reuenues of fiue hundred thousand ducats his subiects should be but too rich and the Prince liue in suretie but he leuieth yeerely sixe hundred and fiftie thousand or seuen hundred thousand which is great tyrannie and therefore the people desire nothing more than change of their Prince Which the L. Lodouic considering togither with the other reasons aboue rehearsed and being already married to the Duke of Ferraraes daughter by whom he had many children determined to accomplish his intent and endeuored to win friends not onely in the said Duchie but also abrode in Italie Wherefore first he entred into league with the Venetians for the preseruation of their estate whereunto he was great friend to his father in lawes preiudice from whom the said Venetians not long before had taken a little territorie called the Polesan enuironed with water and maruellously abounding with all kinde of wealth This country being distant but halfe a league from Ferrara the Venetians possesse yet at this day There are in it two prety townes which I haue been in my selfe the one named Rouigue the other Labadie The Duke of Ferrara lost it in the war that himselfe first mooued against the Venetians for notwithstanding that before the end of those wars Alphonse Duke of Calabria his father King Ferrande yet liuing the Lord Lodouic with the force of Milan the Florentines the Pope and the towne of Bolonia came to his aide by meanes whereof the Venetians were brought altogither vnder foote or at the least to great extremitie being vtterly vnfurnished of monie and hauing lost diuers places yet the said Lodouic concluded a treatie to their honor and profit for euery man was restored to his owne saue the poore Duke of Ferrara who was forced to leaue vnto them the Polesan which they yet hold notwithstanding that he had mooued this war at the request of the Lord Lodouic and of King Ferrande whose daughter he had married The report went that Lodouic receiued threescore thousand ducats of the Venetians for making this treatie Whether it were so or no I know not but sure I am that the Duke of Ferrara was once perswaded that it was so for at that time the said Lodouic was not married to his daughter From that day forward amitie euer continued betweene the Venetians and the said Lodouic No seruant nor kinsman of Iohn Galeas Duke of Milan sought to impeach and stop the Lord Lodouic from seizing the Duchie into his own hands saue onely the Duchesse his wife who was yoong but a very wise Lady She was daughter to Alfonse Duke of Calabria before mentioned sonne and heire to Ferrande King of Naples In the yeere 1493. the said Lodouic sent to King Charles the 8. now raigning to perswade him to come into Italie to conquer the realme of Naples and to vanquish and subdue those that possessed it for so long as they florished and were of force he durst neuer attempt that which afterward he accomplished At that time the said Ferrande King of Naples and Alphonse his sonne were puissant rich of great experience in the wars and accounted Princes of hautie courages though afterward their actions declared the contrarie The said Lodouic was also a very wise man but maruellous timorous and humble when he stood in feare and void of all faith if the breach thereof might turne to his profit I speake as one that knew him throughly well bicause I haue dealt with him in many matters But to proceede in the yeere 1493. as before I said the Lord Lodouic began to tickle this yoong King Charles being but two and twenty yeeres of age with the ambition and vaineglorie of Italie shewing him what right he had to this goodly realme of Naples which I warrant you he skilfully blazed and painted foorth In all these negotiations he addressed himselfe to Stephan de Vers then newly made Seneschall of Beaucaire and maruellously enriched though not satisfied and to the Generall Brissonet a rich man skilfull in matters of the receit and great friend at that time to the said Seneschall by whose meanes the Lord Lodouic perswaded the said Brissonet to become a priest promising to make him a Cardinall but the Seneschall himselfe he promised to make a Duke And to set all these practises on foote the said Lodouic sent in the same yeere to Paris a goodly ambassage to the King the chiefe whereof was the Earle of Caiazze sonne and heire to the aboue named Robert of Saint Seuerin who found there the Prince of Salerne his cosin for the said Prince was chiefe of the house of Saint Seuerin as I haue alreadie made mention and liued in Fraunce being banished by King Ferrande of Naples as before you haue heard and therfore trauelled earnestly that this voiage to Naples might go forward With the said Earle of Caiazze came also Charles Earle of Belleioyeuse and Master Galeas Viscount of Milan who were both in very good order and well accompanied but openly they vsed salutations onely and generall speeches This was the first great ambassage that came from the Lord Lodouic to the King True it is that he had sent before this one of his Secretaries to negotiate with the King to send his deputie into Italie to receiue homage of his cosin the Duke of Milan for Genua which was granted him against all reason 8 notwithstanding I will not denie but that the King of especiall fauor might assigne one to receiue it of him for when this Duke Galeas was warde to his mother I being then ambassador for King Lewis the 11. receiued his homage in the castell of Milan hauing an expresse commission from the King so to do But Genua was then out of
Orleans and his company who as before you haue heard had giuen no order at all for their victuals at their first entrie into Nouarre And sure the Duke should haue done much better in following the aduise I gaue him at the Kings returne to Ast as before is mentioned which was to depart out of Nouarre putting all that were vnable to do seruice out of the towne and to repaire himselfe to the King for his presence would much haue furthered his affaires at the least those that he had left behinde him should not haue suffered such extreme famine as they did for he would haue made a composition sooner when he had seene no remedie But the Archbishop of Rouen who had been with him in Nouarre from the very beginning and for the furtherance of his affaires was come to the King and present at the debating of all matters sent him word daily not to depart bicause shortly he should be succoured grounding himselfe wholy vpon the Cardinall of Saint Malos promise who had all the credit with the King Good affection caused him to write thus but I was well assured of the contrarie For no man would returne to the battell vnlesse the King went in person and as touching him he desired nothing lesse for this was but a priuate quarrell for one towne which the Duke of Orleans would needes retaine and the Duke of Milan needes haue restored bicause it is but ten leagues from Milan so that of necessitie one of them must haue had all For there are in the Duchie of Milan nine or ten great cities the one neere to the other Further the Duke of Milan said that in restoring Nouarre and not demanding Genua he would do any thing for the King We sent meale oftentimes to Nouarre whereof the halfe was euer lost vpon the way and once sixtie men of armes were defeated going thither being led by a yoong gentleman of the Kings house named Chastillon some of them were taken some entred the towne and the rest hardly escaped It is impossible to expresse the great miserie of our men within Nouarre for euery day some died of famine and two parts of them were sicke so that pitious letters came from thence in cipher though with great difficultie They receiued euer faire promises and all was but abuse But those that gouerned the Kings affaires desired the battell not considering that no man was of that opinion but themselues for all the best men of war in the armie namely the Prince of Orenge lately arriued and to whom the K. gaue great credit in martiall affairs and all the other captains desired to make a good end by treatie For winter approched we were vnfurnished of monie the number of the French was small and many of them sicke so that they departed daily some with the Kings leaue and some without leaue but notwithstanding all these inconueniences all the wise men in the campe could not disswade those aboue mentioned from sending word to the Duke of Orleans not to depart the towne whereby vndoubtedly they greatly endangered him And this they did bicause they trusted vpon the great force of Almaines whereof the Bailife of Digeon assured them to whom also certaine of them sent word to bring as many as he could leuie To be short their companie was diuided and euery man said and writ what him listed Those that would haue no peace nor meeting to treate thereof alleaged that the enimies ought to make the first ouuerture and not the K. but they on the other side said that they would not first begin in the meane time the misery of our men in Nouarre daily increased in such sort that now their letters made mention only of those that died daily for hunger and that they could hold the towne but ten daies and afterward eight daies yea and once they came to three daies but they had first passed their day before prefixed To be short so great extremitie hath not been seene of long time no I am sure that a hundred yeeres before we were borne neuer men sustained so great famine as they In the meane time died the Marchionesse of Montferrat a great friend to the French wherupon some strife arose in that countrey for the gouernment the which on the one side the Marques of Saluce demanded and on the other the Lord Constantine vnckle to the said Marchionesse who was a Greeke and she a Greekesse daughter to the King of Seruia but the Turke had destroied them both The said Lord Constantine had fortified himselfe in the castell of Casal and had in his hands the late Marques his two sonnes begotten of this wise and beautiful Lady the which died the 29. yeere of hir age hir eldest sonne being but nine yeeres old Other particular men also aspired to the gouernment so that great part taking arose about that matter in our campe The King commanded me to to thither and determine the controuersie for the childrens safetie and to the contentation of the greatest part of the people For he feared that this variance would make them call the Duke of Milan into their countrey greatly to our discontentment for the friendship of this house of Montferrat stood vs in great stead I was loth to depart before I had brought into better tune those that contraried the peace for I considered both the inconueniences aboue rehearsed and also that winter approched and feared least these Prelats should perswade the King to aduenture another battell whose power was small vnlesse great force of Swissers hapned to come and though so many came as they vaunted of yet seemed it to me a dangerous case to put the King and his estate into their hands Further our enimies were mightie and lodged in a strong place and well fortified Wherefore all these points being well weighed I aduentured to perswade the King not to hazard his person and estate for a trifle I desired him to remember the great danger he was in at Fornoue which could not then be auoided bicause necessitie forced him to fight but now I said there was no such necessitie I aduised him further not to refuse a good end bicause of this fond obiection that he ought not first to breake the ice for if it so pleased him I would finde meanes that ouuertures should be made in such sort that the honor of both parties should be saued He bad me repaire to the Cardinall and so I did but the Cardinall gaue me strange answers and desired the battell assuring himselfe of the victorie and further alleaging that the Duke of Orleans had promised him ten thousand ducats of yeerly reuenues for one of his sonnes if he obtained the Duchie of Milan The next day as I went to take my leaue of the King to depart to Casal being distant from thence about a daies iourney and a halfe I met with Monseur de la Trimoille by the waie whom I aduertised of my communication had with the King and
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
great authoritie at that time in Fraunce that for feare of them no Counsellor durst plead his cause wherefore necessitie enforcing him to defend him selfe he pleaded there by the space of two howers being very attentiuely heard by the whole audience and in the end so acquite himselfe that by the Iudges sentence he was discharged Among other things he rehearsed at the bar how sundrie troublesome and daungerous voiages he had sustained for the King and the common wealth How highly King Lewis both had fauoured him and for his faithfull seruice rewarded him for his owne part he said that he neuer had done any thing couetouslie ambitiouslie nor cruelly and further that if he had sought onely to aduance and inrich himselfe he might haue had as goodly possessions as any man in France He was prisoner in almost three yeeres The next yeere after his deliuerie he had a daughter borne named Iane which married with Rene Earle of Pantabria descended of the Dukes of Britaine by whom among diuers other children she had issue Iohn late Duke of Estampes Lieutenant of Britain Knight of the French Kings order and Lord of diuers goodly Seniories But to returne to Commines in prosperity he gaue for his posie this sentence He that will not labour let him not eate but in aduersitie this I sailed into the deepe of the sea and a sudden tempest ouerwhelmed me He died the threescore and fourth yeere of his age the yeere of our Lord 1509. the 17. day of October in his owne house of Argenton in the countrey of Poictu from whence his body was conueighed to Paris and there lieth buried in the Augustine Friers I was heere purposed to haue staied my pen and further not to haue spoken either of Commines historie or his life had I not called to minde diuers accusations of Iacobus Meyerus who in sundrie places of his Annales of Flanders inueigheth verie bitterly as well against Commines life as his historie whose accusations I am forced to laie open to the iudgement of the world to the end it may appeere whether they be grounded vpon iust proofe Notwithstanding before I enter into the examination of them thus much in the commendation of Commines historie I cannot passe ouer in silence that two of the greatest and woorthiest Princes that raigned in Europe these hundred yeeres namely the Emperour Charles the fift and Francis the first King of Fraunce made so great account of this historie that the Emperor caried it continually about with him as Alexander did the workes of Homer no lesse esteeming it than he did them and the King was as much displeased with the printing and publishing thereof as was the same Alexander in times past for the setting foorth of Aristotles workes called Acroamatica as rehearseth Gellius so desirous was he to haue reserued to himselfe and a few of his owne subiects the great treasures of wisedome hidden in this small volume But let vs now heare what Meyer obiecteth against this historie In the 17. booke of his Annales of Flaunders writing of the battell fought at Saintron betweene Charles Duke of Burgundie and the Liegeois he hath these words Pugna commissa caeduntur magno numero profligantur ad nouem millia cecidisse tradit qui interfuit Philippus Cominius Sed Brabantiae scriptor quidam scriptor Flandriae quibus plus habeo fidei tria tantum millia occubuisse memorant For answere heereunto if this place be indifferently weighed it shall appeere to be wholie grounded vpon malice and no colour of reason much lesse iust proofe First bicause Meyer preferreth the credit of these obscure Annalistes that write but vpon report before the credit of him that was an eie witnesse and that no way could aduantage himselfe by reporting a lye Secondarily sir Oliuer de la Marche who liued also in that time and was Steward of the Duke of Burgundies house writeth that a great number of these Liegeois were slaine at this battell and also at the siege of Saintron but that their friends and kinsfolkes trussed vp their dead bodies in vessels full of lime partly to the end the discomfiture might appeere the lesse and partlie that they might be buried among their auncestors in the which feate saith he the Liegeois shewed a woonderfull audacitie and courage whereby it shoulde seeme a great number to haue been thus trussed vp by meanes whereof the dead appeered the fewer and were reported accordingly which deceiued diuers and happilie these Annalists of Brabant and Flaunders The like practise we reade of in diuers authors of the like writeth Meyer also himselfe Lastly the Annales of Burgundy agree with Commines and report the number as he doth so that this answer I hope shall suffice for this point Againe in the same booke fol. 364. Meyer writeth thus Loquitur Cominius de nobili quadam foemina attrebatensis ditionis proditrice patriae cuius aedere non vult nomen falsus in hoc vt in caeteris historicus Sure if it were an vndoubted truth that a Ladie of Artois could not send the King such aduertisement as Commines reporteth that she did or if Meyer were Pythagoras that ipse dixit might passe for proofe the credit of Commines should happilie hang in ballance but if you reade the place in his historie the very circumstances will induce any indifferent man to thinke that which is there written of this Ladie to be no lie Againe fol. 366. Meyer hath these words Hic est Cominius ille transfuga gente Flandrus qui multa de Carolo Lodouico prouinciali lingua bene scripsit sed quaedam etiam scripsit plane mendaciter multaque dicenda infideliter reticuit This is so generall and vncertaine a charge that answer in truth it deserueth none notwithstanding I refer to the iudgement of those that shall reade this historie whether Commines conceale his Masters faults therein or not for that is Meyers meaning in this place True it is that he vttereth them not in such railing barbarous termes as Meyer very vnseemely vseth of so great a Prince as King Lewis was and is offended with Commines for not dooing the like a thing which becommeth Meyer himselfe very ill and would haue become Commines much woorse But our author as he concealeth not his masters faults but laieth them open enough to the vnderstanding of the wise and attentiue Reader so deliuereth he them so sparingly and vnder such termes as truth being vttered the Kings honor be no further impeached than verie necessitie doth enforce a matter verie commendable in a gentleman writing of a Prince a seruant of his Master and a subiect of his Soueraigne Lastly Meyer fol. 365. hath these words refert Cominius exercitum Caroliadeo fuisse extenuatum vt exhibere illum Anglis non auderet sed hoc falsum est But you must beleeue Meyer vpon his word other disproofe of Commines report he can bring none neither grounded vpon any circumstance nor produced out of any good
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
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
or thrise But euen in that instant arriued Monseur de Contay who told him the selfesame tale the old gentleman of Luxembourg had done and that in so stout and bold termes that he gaue credit to his words and experience and presently returned And I thinke verily if he had passed but two bow shot farther he had been taken as diuers were that followed the chase before him As he returned hard by the village he met with a band of footemen flying whom he pursued being accompanied hardly with an hundred horse none of these footemen made resistance but one who gaue the Earle such a blowe on the brest with a iauelin that the marke thereof appeered at night the greatest part of the rest escaped through the gardens but he that strake the Earle was slaine And as we passed hard by the castell we found the archers of the Kings garde before the gate who neuer abandoned their place for our comming whereat the Earle much maruelled for he thought the battell had beene at an end but he found it otherwise for as he turned about to enter into the field part of his companie being scattered from him suddenly 15. or 16. men of armes gaue a charge vpon him and at the very first slue his caruer named Philip D'orgues bearing a gydon of his armes The Earle was there in great danger and receiued many hurts especially one in the throte with a sword the marke whereof stack by him as long as he liued by reason that his beauer being euill fastened in the morning was fallen away and I my selfe saw when it fell The enimies laid hands vpon him saying My Lord yeeld we know you well ynough be not wilfully slaine but he manfully defended himselfe And at that instant a physitions sonne of Paris that serued the Earle named Iohn Cadet being a great lubberly fellow mounted vpon a strong iade like himselfe ran through the enimies and brake them 1 wherewith they retired to the ditch side the place they had taken in the morning the rather for that they discouered one of our ensignes marching in the midst of the field and approching neere to vs being the bastard of Burgundies ensigne all to totterd and torne to the which the Earle all embrewed in his owne blood retired leauing at his archers ensigne not aboue fortie men with whom we being hardly thirtie ioined in great feare The Earle incontinent changed his horse hauing a fresh horse brought him by Symon of Quingy then his page and since a man well knowne and rode about the field to relie his men leauing vs that taried behinde him in such feare that by the space of an houre we were all fully resolued to flie if but a hundred enimies had marched against vs notwithstanding our men came to vs by ten and twentie in a troupe as well horsemen as footemen but of the footemen many were hurt and all very wearie partly bicause of the battell and partly bicause of their vnreasonable iourney in the morning Soone after returned the Earle himselfe hardly accompanied with an hundred men but by litle and litle our number increased The corne which but halfe an houre before had been so high was now troden flat downe by meanes whereof arose a terrible dust all the fields lay strawed with dead bodies of men an horses but bicause of the dust none could be knowne Immediately after this we discouered the Earle of S. Paul issuing out of the forrest accompanied with fortie men of armes and his ensigne marched straight towards vs and continually increased in number but bicause he was far from vs we sent twise or thrise to him desiring him to make haste which notwithstanding he did not neither altred his pace but caused his men to take vp the launces that lay vpon the ground and came in very good order which sight much comforted vs. With him a great number relied themselues and in the end came and ioined with vs so that we were then to the number of eight hundred men of armes but footemen fewe or none which was the onely let the Earle obteined not perfect victory for there was a great ditch and a thicke hedge betweene his battell and the Kings Of the Kings part fled the Earle of Maine with diuers others to the number of eight hundred men of armes Some haue helde opinion that the said Earle of Maine had intelligence with the Burgundians but for mine owne part I beleeue it not Neuer was in any battell so great flight on both sides but the two Princes kept the field of the Kings part there was a man of honor that fled as far as Luzignan without staie and of the Earles part a noble personage to Quesnoy le Comte these two had no great desire to bite one another 2 While the two armies stood thus in order of battell the one in face of the other the artillerie shot terribly which slue men on both sides but neither partie desired a new field Notwithstanding our band was greater then the Kings but his presence and the curteous language he vsed to his soldiers was a great stay to his people so far foorth that I am throughly perswaded both by mine owne knowledge and that I haue since heard that had it not been for him alone they had all fled Some of our company desired a new battell especially the L. of Haultbourdin alledging that he discouered a troupe of our enimies flying and vndoubtedly if he could haue recouered but a hundred archers to haue shot through the hedge aboue mentioned all had been ours While this matter was in communication and both the armies standing thus in order of battell without fight the night approched and the King retired to Corbeil but we thought he had encamped in the field bicause fire falling by chance into a barrell of powder and certaine carts laden with munition in the place where the King had stoode tooke in the end the great hedge aboue mentioned which we supposed to haue been the French mens fiers there encamped whereupon the Earle of S. Paul and the Lord of Haultbourdin who seemed to be the men of greatest experience in our army commanded our cariage to be brought to the place where we were and our campe to be enclosed therewith and so it was And as we stood there relied togither in order of battell diuers French men returnng from the chase and supposing the victory to be theirs and our campe the Kings passed through the midst of vs some of them escaped but the most were slaine The men of name that died on the Kings part were these master Geffrey of S. Belin the high Seneschall of Normandy and captaine Floquet and of the Burgundians master Philip of Lalain of footemen and common soldiers we lost more than the King but of horsemen the King more than we of prisoners the French tooke the best of those that fled There were slaine of both sides two thousand at the least 3 The field was
sommer his attempts and enterprises were so high and difficult that onely God by his absolute power could haue atchiued them for they passed far mans reach The Notes 1 De la Marche calleth him that deliuered the Earle Robert Couterel or Coutereau a horseman of Bruxels his Phisitions sonne whom for that fact immediately he made knight and feudarie of Brabant Gaghin writeth that the Earle was twice in danger once in the hands of Geffery De S. Bealin and againe in the hands of Gilbert Grassaie 2 For the two places heere named be aboue three hundred English miles asunder 3 There were slaine at the battell of Montl'hery 2000. Annal. Burgund Meyer saith 3000. Gaguin 3600. How the Duke of Berry the Kings brother and the Duke of Britaine ioined with the Earle of Charolois against the King Chap. 5. THe next day being the third after the battell we remooued our campe and lodged at Montl'hery out of the which the people fled part into the Church steeple and part into the Castell but the Earle caused them to returne to their houses neither lost they the value of one penie for euery man paid his shot as truly as if he had been in Flaunders The castell helde for the King and was not assaulted by vs. The third day being passed the Earle of Charalois by the Lord of Contais aduise departed to Estampes a good and commodious lodging and a fruitfull soile meaning to preuent the Britains who came that way and before their ariuall to lodge his men that were sicke and hurt in the towne and the rest abroad in the fields This good lodging and the Earles long abode there saued many a mans life At the said town of Estampes arriued the Lord Charles of Fraunce then Duke of Berry and the Kings onely brother accompanied with the Duke of Britaine the Earle of Dunois the Lord of Dampmartin the Lord of Loheac the L. of Beueil the Lord of Chaumount and master Charles of Amboise his sonne who since hath caried great credit in this realme all the which the King at his first comming to the crown had displaced and put out of office notwithstanding the great seruices they had done the King his father and the realme both in the conquest of Normandie and in diuers other wars The Earle of Charolois and all the noble men that were with him went foorth to receiue them and lodged their persons in the towne where their lodgings were already made but their forces lay abroad in the fields They had with them eight hundred men of armes very well appointed a great number of the which were Britons who lately had forsaken the Kings pay and these made a gallant shew in their campe of archers and other soldiers armed with good Brigandines they had great force so that I suppose they were six thousand men on horsebacke all in very good order and sure this army shewed the Duke of Britaine to be a great Prince for they were all paid out of his coffer 1 The King being retired to Corbeil as you haue heard was not idle neither forgat what he had to do but went straight into Normandy partly to leuy men and partly bicause he feared rebellion in the countrey but a great part of his forces he left about Paris in those places that had most need of defence The first euening that all these Princes met at Estamps they told newes each to other the Britons had taken prisoners certaine of the Kings part that fled and if they had been but a litle neerer the place of the battell they had either taken or discomfited the third part of his army They had first giuen order to sende foorth certaine bands before them to vnderstand how neere the Kings army and the Earles were togither but they altered their mindes Notwithstanding master Charles of Amboise and certiane with him scoured the countrey before their army to see if they could meete any of their enimies and certaine prisoners as you haue heard they tooke and part also of the Kings artillerie These prisoners made report vnto them that vndoubtedly the King was slaine for so they supposed bicause they fled at the very beginning of the battell which newes the abouenamed master Charles of Amboise and they that were with him brought to the Britaines campe who reioiced maruellously thereat supposing it had been true and hoping for great rewards if the Lord Charles were King Further they debated in councell as a man of credit there present afterward aduertised me how they might rid the countrey of the Burgundians and send them home in the diuels name and were in maner all agreed to cut their throtes if they could but this their ioy soone ended wherby you may perceaue what sodaine alterations are in a realme in such troubles But to returne to the campe lying at Estampes when euery man had supped and a great number being walking in the streetes The Lord Charles of Fraunce and the Earle of Charolois withdrew themselues to a window where they entred into very earnest communication Now you shall vnderstand that there was among the Britaines one that tooke great pleasure in throwing squibs into the aire which when they fall to the ground run flaming among men his name was master Iohn Boutefeu or master Iohn de Serpens I wot not well whether This mery companion being secretly hidden in a house threw two or three squibs into the aire from a high place where he stood one of the which by chance strake against the bar of the window where these two Princes communed togither wherewithall both of them started sodainly vp being astonished at this accident and each beholding other suspecting this to be purposely done to hurt them then came the Lord of Contay to his master the Earle of Charolois and after he had told him a word or two in his eare went downe and caused all the men of armes of the Earles house and all the archers of his garde and a number of other to arme themselues Incontinent also the Earle of Charolois mooued the Duke of Berry to command the archers of his garde to do the like whereupon immediatly two or three hundred men of armes stood on foote in harneis before the gate with a great number of archers the which sought round about from whence this fire might come in the end the poore fellow that had done the deed fell downe vpon his knees before them confessing the fact and threw three or foure other squibs into the aire whereby he put diuers out of suspicion each of other thus the matter turned to a iest and euery man vnarmed himselfe and went to bed The next day in the morning they sat in councell to debate what was to be done all the Princes with their principall seruants being there present and as they were of diuers parts and not obedient to one head so were they also of diuers opinions as in such assemblies it cannot be otherwise chosen But among
great as was thought neither any man of name slaine but a knight of Flaunders named Monseur de Sergine notwithstanding they sent him word that the valiant gentlemen and soldiers of his vaward were vtterly wearied and in great trouble and distresse for all that night they had stoode vpright in the mire by the towne gate Farther they told him that certaine of the footemen that fled were returned so discouraged that they seemed vnfit for any great exploit Wherefore they desired him for Gods loue to make haste to the end the citizens might be forced to retire euery man to the defence of his owne quarter and that it would please him to sende them some vittails for they had not one morsell of meat The D. foorthwith commanded two or three hundred to ride thither as fast as their horses could gallop to cōfort his soldiers and sent after them al the vittails he could come by and so was it high time for by the space of two daies almost and a night they had neither eaten nor drunke vnlesse it were some one that caried a draught of wine in a bottell Besides that the weather was maruelous foule neither could they possibly enter the town on that side they lay vnlesse the Duke embusied the enimie on the other side A great number of them were hurt and among the rest the Prince of Orenge whom I had forgotten to name before who behaued himselfe that day like a couragious gentleman for he neuer mooued foote off the place he first possessed The Lords of Lau and Vrfé did also very valiantly but the number of the footmen that fled the night of the skirmish was at the least ten thousand It was almost darke night when the Duke receaued this newes but after he had dispatched all his busines he returned to his ensigne and rehearsed the whole order of the skirmish to the King who reioiced to heare that all was so wel for the contrary might haue turned to his preiudice When they approched neere the towne a great number of gentlemen and men of armes lighted on foote with the archers to take the suburbes which were easely won and there the bastard of Burgundy who had great charge in this army vnder the Duke the Lord of Rauastaine the earle of Roucy the Constables sonne and diuers other gentlemen lodged euen hard by the gate which the enimies had also repaired as the former The Duke lodged in the midst of the suburbes but the King lay that night in a great grange a quarter of a league from the town where was very good lodging being accompanied with a great number of men as well of his owne as of ours This towne is situate vpon mountaines and vallies and in a maruellous fruitfull soile 1 the riuer of Maz runneth through it it is about the greatnes of Roan and was at that time a maruellous populous citie From the gate where we lodged to the other where our vaward lay the way was short through the towne but without it was at the least three leagues going so crooked and foule are the waies especially in winter in the midst whereof we came thither Their wals were all rased so that they might saly foorth where best liked them and their defence was onely a little rampire of earth for the towne was neuer ditched bicause the foundation is hard and sharpe rock The first night of the Dukes arriuall our vaward was much refreshed and eased for the force within the towne was then diuided into two parts About midnight they gaue vs a hot alarme whereupon the Duke issued foorthwith into the street and soone after arriued also the King and the Constable with great speede considering how far off they lay Some cried they saly out at such a gate others spake diuers discomfortable words the darke and rainie weather increased also their feare The Duke lacked no courage but failed somtime in good order giuing and to say the truth at this time he behaued not himselfe so aduisedly as many wished bicause of the Kings presence Wherefore the King tooke vpon him authoritie to command and said to the Constable Leade your men into such a quarter for if they salie that is their way and sure both his words and behauiour shewed him to be a Prince of great vertue and wisedome and well acquainted with such exploits notwithstanding this great alarme prooued nothing whereupon the King and the Duke returned to their lodging The next morning came the King and lodged also in the suburbs in a little house hard by the Dukes lodging accompanied with an hundred Scottish men of his garde and his men of armes lying in a little village hard by him which bred great suspicion in the Duke that he would either enter the citie or escape before it were taken 2 or peraduenture worke him some displeasure lying so neere him Wherefore he put into a great grange iust betweene their two lodgings three hundred men of armes being all the flower of his house who brake downe the panes of the wals to saly foorth the more speedily if neede so required and these had their eies continually vpon the Kings lodging which was hard by them The siege continued eight daies during which space neither the Duke nor any of the company vnarmed themselues But the euening before the towne was taken the Duke determined to assault it the next morning being Sonday the 30. of October the yeere 1468. and the token giuen to our vaward was this that when they heard one bombard and two great serpentines discharged one incontinent after another without more shot they should then couragiously go to the assault and the Duke on his side would do the like Farther the hower appointed for the enterprise was eight of the clocke in the morning the same night the assault was thus concluded the Duke vnarmed himselfe which since the beginning of the siege he had not done and commanded the whole armie especially those that lodged in the grange betweene his lodging and the Kings to do the like to the end they might refresh themselues but the selfesame night the citizens as though they had beene aduertised of this determination concluded to make a salie out of the towne on this side as they had before on the other The Notes 1 Of the seate of this towne read Guicci pag. 370. 2 Basinus vvriteth that the Duke for diuers considerations had rather haue lacked the Kings companie then haue had it but that the King to blinde the Duke vvith a pretence of good vvill offered himselfe to go vvith him which report all the circumstances considered seemeth vtterly repugnant to truth How the Liegeois made a desperate salie vpon the Duke of Burgundies men where he and the King were in great danger Chap. 12. I Will now rehearse an example whereby you shall perceiue how easely euen a few enimies may worke a great Prince displeasure and how much it importeth Princes throughly to waie their enterprises
and the Duke of Burgundies onely daughter and heire for sonne he had none which matter they had often mooued to the Duke who in words shewed himselfe not vnwilling thereunto yet notwithstanding would neuer conclude it but entertained others also in hope thereof Now marke how these men sought to atchieue their enterprise by constraining the Duke of Burgundy to this marriage Immediately after these two towns were taken and the Duke gon to Arras to leuy forces with al speed the Duke of Guienne sent a secret messenger to him who brought him three lines written with the said Dukes owne hand foulded vp in a small lumpe of waxe and conteining these words Endeuor your selfe to appease your subiects and you shall not faile of friends Farther the Duke of Burgundy being at the first in exceeding great feare sent to the Cōstable desiring him to shew himself fauorable not to presse forward this war begun without any defiance made At the which message the Constable greatly reioiced supposing that he now held the Duke in such feare as he desired which to increase he sent him a speedy discomfortable answere the effect wherof was that his state stoode in maruellous danger so far foorth that he saw no way for him to winde himselfe out of these troubles but one Namely by giuing his daughter in mariage to the D. of Guienne which if he would do he should than be succoured with great forces for both the Duke of Guienne and diuers others Lords would declare themselues for him against the King and he also would restore him Saint Quintine and take his part otherwise he said he durst do nothing considering how strong the K. was hauing both his army very wel appointed also great intelligence in the Dukes dominions This was the answer he sent with diuers other fearefull messages But I neuer knew man in my life come to good end that sought to put in feare and hold in subiection his master or any other great Prince with whom he had to do as in the end the Constables example shall well declare For notwithstanding that the King were then his master and that the greatest part of his reuenues lay and all his children were resident in the Duke of Burgundies dominions yet continued he these practises against both these Princes with intent to hold them both in feare each by other which cost him deere in the end and no maruel For notwithstanding that euery man desire to liue out of subiection and feare and that all men naturally hate these that hold them in awe yet none so extremely as Princes For I neuer knew Prince that hated not mortally all those that sought to put him feare After the D. of Burgundy had receaued the Constables answer he perceaued wel no friendship to be in him farther that he was the only author of this war Wherupon he conceaued so extreme hatred against him that after this he could neuer brooke him especially bicause by these fearfull messages he fought to constraine him to mary his daughter at his pleasure a vaine attempt For before the returne of the Constables answer the Duke had recouered his spirits and had a great army with him You may easely perceaue both by the message sent by the Duke of Guienne first and the Constables answer afterwarn that this was a compact matter between them and the rather for that the like message or a more dreadfull came soone after from the Duke of Britaine who sent also to the Kings seruice a hundred Britons all men of armes vnder the leading of the Lord of Lescut Wherefore we may boldly say that this war was mooued onely to constraine the Duke of Burgundy to conclude this mariage and that they did but abuse the King in perswading him to begin war for they were all in maner lies that they told him of their intelligences in the Dukes dominions Notwithstanding in this voiage the Constable did the King great seruice and shewed extreme malice against the Duke of Burgundy knowing that the Duke had conceaued mortal hatred against him The Duke of Guienne also serued the King in these wars very well accompanied so that the Duke of Burgundy stood vpon hard tearmes But if at the first he would haue assured his daughter to the Duke of Guienne both the said Duke of Guienne the Constable and diuers other noble men with all their adherents would haue reuolted to him against the King and done their endeuor to haue pulled him vpon his knees But whatsoeuer man purposeth in such cases God disposeth afterward of them at his pleasure How the Duke of Burgundie tooke Piquigny and afterward found meanes to make truce with the King for a yeere to the Constables great griefe Chap. 3. YOu haue heard at large the cause of this war at the beginning whereof both the Princes were blinded inuading each other and neither of them knowing the cause why which was a maruellous cunning of the contriuers of this enterprise For a man might haue pronounced the old Prouerbe of these two Princes that the one part of the world was not acquainted with the others maners nor actions All these affaires aboue rehersed since the beginning of these wars chanced in very short space for within lesse then fifteene daies after the taking of Amiens the Duke put himselfe into the field neere to Arras for farther he retired not and from thence marched toward the riuer of Somme and so straight to Piquigny but vpon the waie thither he met with a messenger of the Duke of Britaine on foote who aduertised him from the Duke his Master that the King had giuen his said Master to vnderstand of diuers secrets and among others of intelligences he had in many great towns of his dominions namely Andwerp Bruges and Bruxelles adding also that the King was determined to come and besiege him into what towne soeuer he should retire were it euen into Gaunt All the which aduertisements I suppose the Duke of Britain sent in fauour of the Duke of Guienne hoping thereby to further much the marriage aboue mentioned But the Duke of Burgundie tooke this message in euill part and foorthwith dispatched the messenger willing him to tell his master that he was misinformed by some euill seruants about him who put these feares and doubts into his head to the end he should not aide him as he was bound by their league And farther that he knew not what townes Gaunt and the other cities were in the which he said the King would come to besiege him for they were too great to be besieged He bad him farther to informe his Master in what sort he found him accompanied and to aduertise him that the world went otherwise with him then he supposed for he was determined to passe the riuer of Somme and to fight with the King if he would come to stop him vpon the way Laste of all he willed him to desire his Master on his behalfe to ioine with
him against the King and to shew himselfe a friend to the Duke of Burgundie as he had shewed himselfe to him by the treatie of Peronne The next day the Duke of Burgundie approched neere to a towne vpon the riuer of Somme called Piquigny the seat whereof was meruellous strong There he determined to make a bridge to passe the said riuer but fower or fiue hundred franke archers and certaine gentlemen who by chance lodged at that present in the towne seeing the Duke passe by salied out to the skirmish vpon a long causey and issued foorth so far from the place that thereby they gaue the Dukes men occasion to pursue them who folowed them so speedily that they slue a great number of them before they could retire into the towne and tooke the suburbes into the which the causey lead Then fower or fiue peeces of artilery were bent against the towne notwithstāding that it were impregnable on that side for that the riuer ran between the towne and the Dukes battery But these franke archers fearing bicause they saw the bridge in hand to be besieged also on the other side abandoned the place and fled The castle held two or three daies and than yeelded also by composition and the soldiers departed in their doblets and their hose The good successe of this small exploit so much encouraged the Duke that he led his army before Amiens where he built two or three lodgings saying that he would keepe the field to see if the King durst come to fight with him and in the end approched with his artillerie so neer the towne that it shot at randon ouer and into it in the which estate he laie there at the least six weeks Within the towne was the Constable and al the great officers of the realme namely the Lord great Master Admirall Marshall Seneshals and others accompanied with foureteene hundred men of armes and foure thousand francke archers The King in the meane time lying at Beauuais made a great muster being accompanied with the Duke of Guienne his brother and Nicolas Duke of Calabria sonne and heire to Iohn Duke of Calabria and Lorraine and onely heire of the house of Aniou Farther all the nobles of the realme subiect to the Arriereban were come thither to him who trauelled earnestly as I haue beene since informed to vnderstand the bottome of this enterprise for they saw the troubles so farre from pacification that the King was now more busied with wars then euer They within Amiens determined to assaile the Duke of Burgundie and his army if the King would send his forces being at Beauuais to ioine with them But the King being aduertised of this enterprise sent foorthwith to countermand it for notwithstanding that in all apparance the successe thereof was like to be good yet was it not altogither voide of danger especially for those that should haue salied for considering that they must all haue issued foorthwith on foote and at two gates one of the which was hard by the Dukes campe if happily they had beene repulsed they should haue put both the towne and themselues in great hazard In the meane time the Duke sent one of his Pages to the King called Simon of Quincy afterward Bailife of Troy with a letter of sixe lines written with his owne hand wherein he humbled himselfe to him saying that he was very sorie he had thus inuaded him for other mens pleasures which he supposed he would not haue done if he had beene well informed of their practises The Kings army sent into Burgundy 1 had defeated all the force of the countrie in battell and taken many prisoners The number of the dead was not great but the discomfiture was great in such sort that the Kings forces had already taken some places and besieged other some wherewith the Duke was somwhat abashed notwithstanding he made the contrary to be bruted in his campe saying that his army had obtained the victorie When the King had read the Dukes letter aboue mentioned he reioiced much thereat both bicause of the reason aboue alleaged 2 and also for that he soon waxed wearie of all long enterprises Wherefore he gaue him a speedy answer and directed a commission to certaine in Amiens authorising them thereby to treate of truce Whereupon diuers truces were concluded one after another for fower and fiue daies and in the end one so far as I remember for a yeere to the Constables great discontentation for vndoubtedly whatsoeuer men haue thought or can thinke to the contrarie he was then mortal enimie to the Duke and many hauty words passed betweene them in such sort that after this they neuer were friends as the sequele well declared True it is that they sent afterward one to another but all for practise sake and each to make his profit by the other For all that the Duke did was onely to recouer Saint Quintine which the Constable euer when he stood in feare of the King promised to restore and some of these treaties betweene them I haue knowen so far aduanced that the Dukes men vpon the Constables promise to be receiued haue come within two or three leagues of the towne But when the matter should be executed he euer continued in his accustomed dissimulation and sent a countermaund which his double dealing cost him deere in the end He thought bicause of the seate of the towne the great number of men he had vnder his charge paid out of the Kings cofers and the variance betweene these two Princes which himselfe nourished to hold them both in feare but his enterprise was too too dangerous for they were both too great too strong and too subtile When these armies were dismissed the King returned into the countrie of Touraine the Duke of Guienne into his owne countrie and the Duke of Burgundy into his in the which estate these affaires remained awhile The said Duke of Burgundy assembled all the estates of his dominions 3 and declared vnto them what damage he had receiued by not hauing soldiers in ordinarie pay as the King had alleaging that if there had beene but fiue hundred men in a readines to defend the frontires the King would neuer haue mooued this war but they should haue liued in peace He shewed further what great dangers they were like to fall into if this inconuenience were not speedily redressed and pressed them earnestly for the paiment of eight hundred light horse In the end they agreed to giue him a subsidie of sixe score thousand crowns 4 ouer and aboue all other duties they yeerly paid him in the which subsidie Burgundie was not comprehended But his said subiects for diuers respects feared to put themselues into such subiection and slauerie as they saw the realme of Fraunce in by reason of these men of armes which their feare was not without cause for after the Duke had obtained fiue or sixe hundred men of armes in ordinarie he sought continually to encrease the number and
vertous Lady and sister to the Queene of Fraunce so that for hir sake he had found great friendship and fauor in our court The practise begun against him still continued which as you haue heard was almost concluded at the assembly held thereabout at Bouuines after the which the Constable neuer thought himselfe in assurance but mistrusted both the Princes especially the King who seemed to repent the reuoking of his letters there sealed Further the Earle of Dampmartin others whom the Constable feared as his enimies lay with their men of armes neere to Saint Quintins wherefore he held himselfe within the towne and put into it three hundred footemen of his owne tenants hauing but small affiance in his men of armes He liued in great trouble for the King had often sent to him to sollicite him to come foorth to do him seruice in the marches of Henault and to besiege Auennes at the same time that the Admirall with his band went to burne the countrey of Artois as you haue heard which commandement he obeied but with great feare for after he had lien a certaine space before the said towne of Auennes with a continual garde about his person he retired into his owne places and sent the King word by one of his seruants who did his message to me by the Kings commandement that he had raised his siege bicause he was certainly enformed that there were two in the army purposely hired by the King to kill him whereof also he told so many apparant tokens that he seemed indeed to haue some notice thereof so far foorth that one of them was suspected to haue disclosed somwhat to him that he ought to haue kept secret but I will name no man neither speake further heerof The Constable sent often to the Duke of Burgundies campe I suppose to perswade him to relinquish his foolish enterprise aduertising the King also vsually at his mens returne of some such newes as he thought would like him well and withall what was the cause of his sending thither hoping by this means to entertaine him with faire words Somtime also he gaue him to vnderstand that the Dukes affaires had good proceeding thereby to put him in feare Further doubting greatly that the King would inuade him he desired the Duke to send vnto him his brother Master Iames of Saint Paul being at Nuz before he was taken prisoner and the Lord of Fiennes with certaine others of his kinsmen promising to put them and their bands into Saint Quintins but without the Saint Andrews crosse 2 and to keepe the towne for the Duke and restore it him shortly after for performance also wherof he offered to giue him his faith in writing The Duke did as he required and when the said Master Iames the Lord of Fiennes and the rest of the Constables kinsmen were twise come within a league or two of the towne ready to enter the Constable thinking the storme past altered his minde and sent a countermaunde This did he thrise so desirous was he still to liue in dissimulation and swim as it were between two streams fearing maruellously both these Princes Of this matter I haue been enformed by diuers but especially by Master Iames of Saint Paul himselfe who thus reported the circumstance thereof to the King when he was brought prisoner before him where no man was present but my selfe alone The said Master Iames answered frankly and without dissimulation to all the Kings demands whereby he wan greatly his fauor First the King asked him how many men he had with him to enter the towne whereunto he answered that the last time he had three thousand Then the King inquired further if he had entred and had been Master of the towne whether he would haue held it for the King or the Constable Whereunto he likewise answered that the two first times he came but to comfort his brother but the last seeing his dissimulation to his Master and him if he had entred and had been Master of the towne he would haue held it for his Master not offring his brother any outrage nor doing any thing to his preiudice saue onely that he would not haue departed the town at his commandement Soone after the King deliuered the said Iames of Saint Paul out of prison and gaue him charge of a goodly company of men of armes and vsed his seruice till his death of which his preferment his wise answers were the onely cause The Notes 1 This ouerthrow the Duke of Bourbon gaue the Burgundians neere to a place called Grey or Gy not far from Chausteauguion and in the battell was slain the Lord of Conches others say but taken and there were taken prisoners the Earle of Roussy being gouernor of Burgundy the Marshall of Burgundie the Earle of Ioigny the Earle of Saint Martins sonne Monseur de L'Isle Monseur de Longey or Longny the bailife of Ampois and the bailife of Auxerre This battell was fought on tuesday the 20. of Iune 1475. and in it two hundred men of armes Lombards were slaine Meyer About this time also the Prince of Orenge was taken prisoner and by meanes thereof reuolted from the Duke to the King Annal. Burgund 2 The Saint Andrewes crosse is the Burgundians cognisance and if they had entred with this crosse vpon their cotes the Constable could haue no longer temporised with the King of Fraunce but should foorthwith haue been proclaimed traitor 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 Chap. 5. I Haue discoursed of diuers affaires since I began with the siege of Nuz bicause they all hapned in that time for the siege indured a whole yeere There were two causes especially that mooued the Duke to leuy his siege one the war the King made in Picardy where he had burned two proper townes and destoied a goodly champaine countrey in Artois and Ponthieu The other the mighty army the King of England leuied at his sute and sollicitation whom till now he could neuer perswade to passe into Fraunce notwithstanding that he had labored him thereunto al the daies of his life The said King of England and all his nobles were maruellously discontented with the Dukes delaies and besides intreaties vsed threatnings and not without cause considering the great charges they had sustained and all to no purpose the sommer being now almost spent The Duke gloried much that this Dutch army being so great that the like hath not been seene in our age nor many yeeres before and in the which were so many Princes Prelates and free cities ioined togither was not able to raise his siege 1 But this glory cost him full deere for he that hath the profit of the war reapeth also the honor thereof Notwithstanding the Legate aboue mentioned who rode continually betweene the two camps made peace in the end betweene the Emperor and the Duke 2 and the towne of Nuz
him so far But he vsed still his woonted dissimulation hoping by these faire messages to content them and shew them so apparant reasons of his dooings that they would not as yet constraine him to declare himselfe Now you shall vnderstand that King Edvvard and his men were nothing acquainted with our affaires but went bluntly to worke so that they could not as yet smell out the cunning vsed heere on this side the sea for naturally the English men that neuer trauelled abroad are very colerick as are also al people of cold coūtries 3 The realme of Fraunce as you see is situate betweene both for it is inuironed with Italy Spaine and Catalonia towards the east 4 and with England Flaunders and Holland towards the west 5 and all along the countrey of Champaigne Almaine bordereth vpon it so that our countrey taketh part both of heate and cold wherfore the French are of two complexions but in mine opinion I neuer saw countrey in my life better seated than the realme of Fraunce The King of England who reioiced maruellously at this message sent by the Constable although happily he had receiued some such promise before but not so large departed from Peronne with the Duke of Burgundy who had no force there for his army was in Barrois and Lorraine towards Saint Quintins whereunto when they approched a great band of Englishmen ran before thinking as I heard it reported a few daies after that the bels should haue rung at their comming that the citizens would haue receiued them with crosse and holy water But when they drew neere the town the artillery shot and the soldiers issued foorth to the skirmish both on horsebacke and foote so that two or three English men were slaine and some taken Further it rained terribly and in this estate returned they in great rage to their campe murmuring against the Constable and calling him traitor The next morning the Duke of Burgundy would haue taken his leaue of the King of England to depart to his army into Barrois promising to do maruels in his fauor But the English men who naturally are suspicious and were strangers in these countries maruelled much at his so sudden departure seeing they had passed the seas at his request and were greatly discontented therwith neither would they beleeue that his army was in a readines Besides that the Duke could by no meanes repaire the Constables former credit with them notwithstanding that he affirmed all his dooings to be to a good end The winter also which drew neere dismaied them so that they seemed by their words desirous rather of peace than war The Notes 1 The King vvould not svveare by the crosse of Saint Lou of Angiers bicause vvho so touched that crosse and for svvare himselfe died miserably within a yeere after 2 The King of England landed at Calais the 4. of Iuly Meyer 3 The reason is Propter crassos humores quibus abundant eorum corpora qui vehementiores excitant affectus innatam caloris vim quae etiam augetur per antiperistasin 4 By the east he meaneth all seas to the great Ocean 5 By the vvest he meaneth all vvest and north seas 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 Chap. 7. IN the meane time euen at the very instant that the D. of Burgundy was taking his leaue the English men tooke prisoner a gentlemans seruant of the Kings house named Iames of Grasse whom foorthwith they led to the King of England and the Duke being togither and from them into a tent where when they had examined him the Duke tooke his leaue to go into Brabant and from thence to Maizieres where part of his army lay The King of England commanded the said seruant to be dismissed bicause he was their first prisoner And at his departure the Lord Hovvard and the Lord Stanley gaue him a noble saying Do our humble commendations to the K. your Master if you can come to his presence The fellow came in great haste to the King being at Compiegne with these newes who foorthwith began to suspect him as a spie bicause Gilbert of Grasse his Masters brother was then very well entertained in the Duke of Britaines court wherefore he was committed to warde and straightly kept that night Notwithstanding the King commanded diuers to commune with him by whose report his tale seemed voide of all suspicion and feare Wherefore they desired the King to vouchsafe to heare him and according to their request the next morning he himselfe spake with him and when he had heard him his irons were knocked off but he remained still in warde Then the King went to diner debating with himselfe whether he should send to the English men or not And before he sat downe talked three or fower words thereof with me For you know my Lord of Vienna that oftentimes he communed very familiarly with those that were neere about him as I was then and others after loued to talke in a mans eare he called then to minde the herault of Englands aduise which was that he should not faile to send to the King of England so soone as he was landed to demaund a safe conduct for certaine ambassadors that he would send to him and further to adresse his herault to the aboue named Lord Hovvard and the Lord Stanley After the King was set to diner and had mused a while as you know his maner was which seemed strange to those that knew him not for vnlesse a man had beenwel acquainted with his behauior he would haue iudged him of no great wisdome notwithstanding that his dooings sufficiently declared the contrary he bad me in mine eare to arise and dine in my chamber and send for a certaine seruant of the Lord of Halles son to Merichon of Rochell and to commune with him to know whether he durst aduenture to go to the K. of Englands campe in a heraults cote which his commandement I executed foorthwith maruelling much when I saw the said seruant for he seemed to me neither of personage nor behauior fit for such an enterprise notwithstanding he had a good wit and a very pleasant toong as I afterward perceiued the King had neuer spoken with him before but once The said seruant was maruellously astonished with my message fell downe before me on his knees as one accounting himselfe a dead man but I comforted confirmed him the best I could promising him an office in the I le of Ré a summe of money to cheere him the better tolde him that this proceeded of the English men themselues Then I made him dine with me none being present but we two and one of my seruants and by little and little perswaded him to do as he was required After I had been at diner a while the King sent for me and I told
few daies he arriued at the Almaines campe with small force three or fower howers before the battell began which voiage as before I haue said turned to his great honor and profit for if his successe had beene bad I thinke he should haue found but cold entertainment in any place At the very instant that he arriued the battel 's marched on both sides For the confederates had lien in campe three daies or more in a strong place hard by the Duke of Burgundie who was at the very first discomfited and put to flight 4 neither had he so good lucke heere as in the former battell wherein he lost but seuen men of armes which happened bicause the Swissers had then no horsemen but at this battell neere to Morat whereof I now speake they had fower thousand horsemen well mounted the which pursued fiercely the Burgundians that fled Further their battell of footemen ioined also with the Dukes battell which was mightie and strong for besides great force of his own subiects and certaine English men that serued him diuers bands were newly come to him out of Piemont and the Duchie of Milan So that the Prince of Tarente at his being heere with the King told me that he neuer saw in his life so goodly an armie for he himselfe and diuers others by his commandement numbring the force as it passed ouer a bridge had told to the number of 23000. soldiers taking pay besides those that followed the armie and were appointed to serue at the artillerie which force me thinke was great notwithstanding that many talke of millions and report they wot not what making armies fiue times greater than they are The Lord of Contay who came to the King immediately after the battell confessed in my hearing that the Duke his Master lost there 8000. soldiers taking pay besides the straglers so that the wholenūber of the dead for ought I could euer learne to the contrarie amounted to 18000. 5 which is not incredible cōsidering both the great force of horsemen that diuers Princes of Almaine had there and also the great number of men that were slaine in the Dukes campe lying still at the siege before Morat 6 The Duke fled into Burgundie vtterly discomforted and not without cause and held himselfe close in a towne called La Riuiere where he assembled all the forces he could The Swissers followed the chase but that night and then retired without further pursute of their enimies The Notes 1 The Duke after the battell of Granson retired first to Ioingne from thence to Noseret and then to Losanna La Marche 2 This prooueth both Vitia animi scatere ad corpus animam sequi temperaturam corporis which proceedeth of the great sympathie between the minde and bodie Liuie lib. 1. decad 1. writeth thus Longinquus morbus Tulli mores prorsus immutauit 3 The Duke laid his siege before Morat called in Dutch Murten the 9. of Iune 1476. with 40000. men Annal. Burgund and so had the Swissers also Idem Meyer saith the Duke had but 24000. and the Swissers 30000. 4 This battell was fought 22. day of Iune 1476. Annal. Burgund Meyer 5 Others write 17000. others 22700. others 26000. and of the Swissers but 50. Meyer saith the Duke lost 14000. 6 For better vnderstanding of this place we must know that after the Dukes vaward was ouerthrowen they within Morat issued foorth and ioined with the Duke of Lorraine and entred perforce the Duke of Burgundies campe lying before the said towne of Morat where they made a great slaughter as our author heere maketh mention How after the battell of Morat the Duke of Burgundie tooke the Duchesse of Sauoy and how she was deliuered and sent home into hir countrie by the Kings meanes Chap. 4. THis misfortune draue the Duke into vtter despaire for he well perceiued by the sequele of the first battell at Granson between the which and this second there was but three weekes space 1 that all his friends would abandon him Wherefore by the aduise of those that were about him he made the Duchesse of Sauoy and one of hir children now Duke of Sauoy to be led by force into Burgundie but hir eldest sonne was conueied away by certaine of hir seruants for those that committed this outrage did it in great feare and vpon a sudden The cause that mooued the Duke heerunto was partly feare least the Duchesse should retire to the King hir brother and partly bicause all these misfortunes were happened to him as he said for succouring this house of Sauoy Thus was the Duchesse led to the castell of Rouure neere to Dyion where a small garde was appointed ouer hir Notwithstanding euery body that would went to visite hir and among others the Lord of Chasteauguion and the Marquesse of Rotelin that now are betweene the which two and two of the Duchesses daughters the Duke of Burgundie endeuored to make two marriages which afterward were accomplished Hir eldest sonne called Philibert then Duke of Sauoy was led by those that stole him away to Chambery where the Bishop of Geneua lay who was also of the house of Sauoy This Bishop was altogither giuen to sloth and wantonnes and gouerned wholy by a Knight of the Rhodes 2 but the King so practised with him and the Knight his gouernor that they put into his hands the said Duke of Sauoy and a little brother of his called Le Prothonostaire togither with the castels of Chambery and Montmelian and held also to the Kings vse another castell where all the Duchesses iewels lay When the Duchesse was come to Rouure accompanied with all hir women and a great number of hir seruants she perceiuing the Duke of Burgundie to be busied in leuying men and those that garded hir not to stand in such feare of their Master as they were accustomed determined to send to the King hir brother to reconcile hir selfe to him and to desire him to deliuer hir out of this thraldome For notwithstanding that she feared much to fall into his hands bicause of the great and long hatred that had been betweene them yet the miserie wherein she was forced hir in the end thereunto Wherefore she sent to him a gentleman of Piemont called Riuerol being steward of hir house who was directed to me When I had heard his message and aduertised the King thereof he commanded him to come to his presence and after he had giuen him audience answered that he would not forsake his sister in this extremitie notwithstanding their former variance and that if she would enter into league with him he would send for hir by the gouernor of Champaigne called Master Charles of Amboise Lord of Chaumont The said Riuerol tooke his leaue of the King and returned with speede to his Mistres who reioiced much at this newes Notwithstanding she sent yet againe to the King vpon the returne of the first message to desire a safe conduct and assurance therein that she should depart out of
some of the which I spake who soone after became his faithfull seruants accordingly These countries were in marruellous feare and astonishment and not without cause for I thinke that in eight daies they could not haue leuied eight men of armes Further in all those quarters were not aboue 1500. soldiers horsemen and footmen which lay towards Namur in Henault were of those that escaped out of the battel where the Duke was slain Their woonted termes and maner of speech were now cleane altered for they spake lowly and humbly which I write not to accuse them as though in times past their words had been more arrogant than became them but the truth is when I was there they thought so well of themselues that they vsed not such reuerent language neither to the King nor of the King as they haue done sithence Wherefore if men were wise they would vse such faire speech in time of prosperitie that in aduersitie they should not neede to change their termes I returned to the Admirall to make report of my negotiation immediately whereupon we were aduertised that the King was at hand for he set foorth soone after vs and commanded letters to be written both in his owne name and diuers of his seruants names to cause certaine to repaire to him by whose meanes he trusted to bring all these seniories vnder his obedience The Notes 1 The pedegree in the end of this worke will shew how all these titles descended to this Lady Margaret A discourse not appertaining to the principall matters of the greatioie the King was in to see himselfe deliuered of so many enimies and of the error he committed touching the reducing of these countries of Burgundy to his obedience Chap. 12. THe King reioiced not a little to see himselfe thus deliuered of all those whom he hated and were his principall enimies of some of the which he had taken the reuenge himselfe namely the Constable of Fraunce the Duke of Nemours and diuers others his brother the Duke of Guyenne was dead whose inheritance was fallen to him In like maner all they of the house of Aniou were dead namely King Rene of Sicilie the Dukes of Calabria Iohn and Nicholas and their cosin the Earle of Maine and afterward of Prouence the Earle of Armignac was slaine at Lestore and all their lands and goods fallen to the King But bicause this house of Burgundie was greater and mightier than the rest and had made sharpe war with the English mens aide vpon his father K. Charles the seuenth thirtie two yeers without truce and had their dominions bordring vpon his and their subiects alwaies desirous to make war vpon him and his realme therefore he reioiced more at their Princes death than at the death of all the rest Further he now fully perswaded himselfe that during his life no man neither within his realme nor in the countries bordering vpon it would once lift vp his finger against him For he was in peace as you haue heard with the English men the which he trauelled to the vttermost of his power to continue But although he were thus void of all feare yet did not God permit him to take the wisest course for the atchieuing of this his enterprise being of so great importance And sure it appeereth both by that God shewed then and hath shewed since that he meant sharply to punish this house of Burgundy as wel in the person of the Prince as of the subiects and of those that liued amongst them For if the King our Master had taken the best course the wars that haue consumed them since had neuer hapned For if he had done as he ought to haue done he should haue sought to ioine to the crowne all those great Seniories whereunto he could pretend no title either by mariage or by courteous dealing with the subiects which thing he might then easily haue accomplished seeing the great feare miserie and distresse these countries were in at that time And if he had thus done he should both haue rid them of many troubles inlarged and enriched his owne realme through long peace which by this meanes had beene easily obtained He might also heereby haue eased his realme diuers waies especially of the charge of men of armes who continually rode vp and down from one corner of the realme to another oftentimes vpon small occasion While the Duke of Burgundy yet liued he eftsoones debated with me what were best to be done if the said Duke hapned to die And then he discoursed maruellous wisely thereof saying that he would trauell to make a mariage betweene the King his sonne now raigning and the Dukes daughter afterward Duches of Austrich which if she refused bicause of the Daulphin his sons yoong age then he would attempt to win hir to mary some yoong Lord of this realme to obtaine thereby hir friendship and hir subiects and recouer without blowes that he claimed to be his in the which minde he continued till eight daies before he vnderstood of the Dukes death But this wise deliberation he began somwhat to alter the selfe same day he receiued newes therof and the very instant that he dispatched the Admirall and me Notwithstanding he discouered not his purpose therein but made promise to diuers of lands and lordships that had been in the Dukes possession How Han Bohain Saint Quintin and Peronne were yeelded to the King and how he sent Master Oliuer his barber to practise with them of Gaunt Chap. 13. THe King being on the way comming after vs receiued good newes from all parts for the castels of Han and Bohain were yeelded vnto him and the citizens of Saint Quintins of their own accord receiued Monseur de Mouy their neighbor into the towne for him Further he assured himselfe of Peronne which VVilliam of Bische held and was put in hope both by vs and others that Monseur de Cordes would reuolt to him Further he had sent his barber called Master Oliuer to Gaunt in a village neere to the which he was borne and had dispatched diuers others into other places being in great hope of them all but the most part of them serued him rather with words then deedes When he drew neer to Peronne I went to meet him and found him in a village whither M. VVilliam of Bische and certain others came presented him the keies of the town wherof he was right glad The King abode there that day and I dined with him after mine accustomed maner for his pleasure was that seuen or eight at the least somtimes more should ordinarily sit at his owne table But after dinner he withdrew himselfe and seemed to be discontented with the small exploit the Admirall and I had done saying that he had sent Master Oliuer his barber to Gaunt to bring that towne to his obedience and Robinet Dodenfort to Saint Omers who was well friended there and those he commended as fit men to receiue the keies of a towne
raigning for notwithstanding that the said King Edward were a most valiant Prince and had woon in England eight or nine battels wherein he fought alwaies himselfe on foote greatly to his renowme yet were these troubles but by fits so that his head was not continually busied in matters of state for immediately after the victorie obtained he returned to his former sports and pleasures till another storme arose For you shall vnderstand that when war beginneth in England in ten daies or lesse the one or the other getteth the garland But our affaires in Fraunce passed not after that sort for besides the war it selfe the K. was forced to haue an eie continually vpon diuers places as well of his owne realme as of his neighbors but especially by all means possible to content the King of England and to entertain him by ambassadors presents and smooth words to the end he should not entermeddle with our affaires For the K. knew well the English men as well Nobles and Commons as the Cleargie to be naturally inclined to make war vpon this realme aswell vnder colour of the title they pretende thereunto as also in hope of gaine For they trust to haue euer such successe heere as their predecessors haue had whom God permitted to obtaine in this realme many great victories and large dominion both in Normandie and in Guienne the which they had possessed by the space of three hundred and fiftie yeeres 2 when King Charles the seuenth first recouered it During the which time they inriched the realme of England with great spoiles and much treasure that they got aswell of the Princes and noble men of Fraunce a great number of whom they tooke prisoners as also of the townes and places which they subdued Notwithstanding they should hardly haue had such successe in the King our Masters time for he would neuer haue indangered his estate in battell as King Charles the sixt did at Agincourt where all the nobility of Fraunce lighted on foote to fight with the English men but would haue proceeded more warily if the matter had come to execution as you may perceiue by the course he held in sending King Edvvard home Wherefore the King well perceiued that he must in any wise keepe the King of England and his principall seruants his friends whom he sawe altogither inclined to quietnes and very greedy of his money for the which cause he paid duly at London the pension of fiftie thousand crownes which they called tribute And further gaue yeerely sixteene thousand crownes to the said Kings principall seruants whose names were these the Lord Chauncellor the Master of the Rols who now is Chauncellor the Lord Hastings Lord great Chamberlaine a man of singular wisdome and vertue and in great authority with his Master and not without cause for he euer serued him faithfully Sir Thomas Montgomery the Lord Hovvard afterward Duke of Norfolke partaker with the wicked King Richard the Master of the Horse called Master Cheiny Master Challenger and the Marques Dorset the Queene of Englands sonne by hir first husband Further he gaue goodly presents to all the ambassadors that came to him were their messages neuer so sharpe and bitter and sent them home with such goodly words Princely rewards that they returned well contented And notwithstanding that some of them vnderstood that he did all this onely to win time the better to atchieue his enterprise in the conquest of the Duke of Burgundies dominions yet winked they at it bicause of the great riches they receiued at his hands To all these aboue named he gaue besides their pensions many goodly presents so largely that the Lord Hovvard ouer and aboue his pension receiued of him in lesse then two yeeres space in money and plate fower and twentie thousand crownes To the Lord Hastings also L. great Chamberlaine of England he gaue at one time a present of plate to the value of ten thousand marks The acquittances of all which great personages are yet to be seene in the chamber of accounts at Paris saue of the Lord Hastings Lord great Chamberlaine of England which is an high office for there is neuer but one alone in it This L. Chamberlaine was long labored before he would become the Kings pensioner my selfe being the onely man that perswaded him thereunto For I wan him first to Charles Duke of Burgundies friendship during the time I serued him who gaue him yeerly a pension of a thousand crownes whereof when I had aduertised the King he would in like maner that I should be a meanes to make him his friend and pensioner for in times past during Duke Charles his life and after his death also in fauor of the Lady of Burgundy he had alwaies beene the Kings extreme enimy and trauelled once to perswade the King of England to aide the said Lady against the King our Master I began this friendship by letters and the King gaue him a pension of two thousand crownes which was double the summe he receiued of the Duke Further the King sent to him one of the stewards of his house called Peter Cleret charging him to bring with him the said Lord Chamberlains acquittance to the end heereafter it might appeere that the great Chamberlaine Chauncellor Admirall and Master of the Horse of England besides diuers others had beene the French Kings pensioners The said Peter Cleret was a wise fellow and communed priuily alone with the Lord Chamberlaine at his lodging in London where after he had declared his message from the King he presented him his two thousand crownes in golde for the King neuer gaue but gold to strangers which money when the Lord Chamberlaine had receiued Peter Cleret humbly besought him for his discharge to giue him an acquittance wherein the said Lord Chamberlaine made difficultie Then Cleret desired him to giue him onely a letter of three lines to the King to testifie the receit of the money least the King being a suspitious Prince should thinke that he had conuerted it to his owne vse Which reasonable demand the Lord Chamberlaine hearing answered thus Sir you require but reason but this gift proceedeth of the King your Masters liberality not of my request if it please you that I shall receiue it put it heere into my sleeue and other letter or testimoniall get you none of me For I will not for my part that any man shall say that the Lord great Chamberlaine of England hath beene pensioner to the French King nor that my acquittances be found in his chamber of accounts Whereunto the said Cleret replied not but departed leauing the money behinde him and at his returne made report thereof to the King who was not a little displeased with him for that he brought no acquittance but as touching the said Chamberlaine he commended and esteemed him more than all the King of Englands other seruants and his pension was euer after paied without acquittance After this sort liued the King with
ciuill dissentions and factions among themselues encreased daily in the great townes especially in Gaunt which bare the greatest sway in the countrie as you haue heard For the Lady of Burgundie diuers marriages were mentioned for all men were of opinion that either she must get hir a husband to defend that she yet held or marrie the Daulphin thereby quietly to possesse all Some desired greatly that this marriage with the Daulphin might take effect she hir selfe especially before the King deliuered the letters aboue mentioned sent vnto him by hir Chauncellor and the Lord of Himbercourt but others disallowed of this marriage both bicause of the said Daulphins yoong age for he was but nine yeeres olde and also bicause of the marriage promised in England and these labored for the Duke of Cleues sonne Others there were that trauelled for the Emperors sonne Maximilian now King of Romans The said Lady had conceiued extreme hatred against the King for the deliuerie of the letters aboue mentioned which was the onely cause of the two noble mens death and of the dishonor she receiued when hir letters were openly redeliuered hir before the assemblie whereof you haue heard Further the deliuerie of the said letters seemed also to be the onely occasion that mooued them of Gaunt to banish so many of hir seruants from hir to remooue from about hir hir mother in lawe and the Lord of Rauastaine and to put hir women in such feare that they durst not open a letter before they of Gaunt had seene it nor commune with their Mistres in hir eare Wherefore she began now to remooue from about hir the Bishop of Liege who was of the house of Bourbon and an earnest suter for hir marriage with the Daulphin which sure had been a very honorable match for hir had not the said Daulphin been so yoong notwithstanding the Bishop had no regarde thereof To be short the said Bishop departed to Liege whereupon euery man gaue ouer that sute It had been hard to deale in this busines to the contentation of all parties and I thinke who so should haue intermedled in it should haue had but small thanke for his labour in the end wherfore euery man forbare to speake therin Notwithstanding before hir marriage was fully concluded there was an assemblie held about it wherat the Lady of Halleuin the Princesse of Burgundies principall woman was present who said as I haue heard reported that they had neede of a man not a child and that hir Mistres was a woman growen and able to beare children which should be the onely stay of the countrey This opinion tooke place notwithstanding some blamed this Lady for speaking thus frankly but others commended hir saying that she had spoken but of such mariage as was most necessary for the estate of the countrey There was now no more to do but to finde a fit man And I thinke verily if it had so pleased the K. she would willingly haue married the Lord of Angoulesme that now is 1 so much desired she to continue hir alliance with the house of France But God was minded to make another match wherof peraduenture the sequel is yet vnknown Notwithstanding this we are able to say by that is already past that of the said marriage many great wars haue arisen both heere and there which perchance had neuer happened if she had married the Lord of Angoulesme wheras by reason of this other match both the countries of Flaunders and Brabant haue suffered great afflictions The Duke of Cleues was at Gaunt with the said Lady making friends there in hope to conclude a marriage betweene hir and his son but she had no fansie therunto for both she those that were about hir misliked much his sons conditions Wherfore some began to motion a marriage betweene hir and the Emperors sonne now King of Romans the which in times past had been so far foorth treated of betweene the Emperor and Duke Charles that it was concluded betweene them two Further the Emperor had a letter written with the Ladies owne hand by hir fathers commandement and a ring set with a diamond The contents of the which letter were that according to the pleasure of hir Lord and father she promised to the said Duke of Austrich the Emperors sonne to accomplish the marriage concluded betweene both their parents in such manner and forme as hir said Lord and father should appoint From the Emperor came certaine ambassadors to the said Lady being at Gaunt who receiued letters at Bruxels commanding them to stay there bicause Commssioners should be sent thither to treat with them which was the Duke of Cleues doing who was loth of their comming and sought to send them home discontented But the said ambassadors passed foorth that notwithstanding for they had good intelligence in the Ladies court especially with the Dowager of Burgundy who was remooued from the said Lady as you haue heard bicause of the letter aboue mentioned She aduertised them as it was reported that they should not stay at Bruxels notwithstanding these letters instructing them further what they should do at their comming to Gaunt and assuring them that the said Lady and diuers about hir were well disposed to their sute The Emperors ambassadors followed hir aduise and rid straight to Gaunt notwithstanding the message aboue mentioned Wherewith the Duke of Cleues was not a little discontented but he was not acquainted with the disposition of the said Lady and hir women The Councell concluded that these ambassadors should haue audience their message being heard the Princesse should bid them hartily welcome tell them that she would take aduise with hir Councel which words being vttered she should withdraw hirselfe without farther communication Whereunto she agreed The ambassadors when audience was giuen them presented their letters and declared their message which was that hir mariage had been concluded betweene the Emperour and the Duke of Burgundy hir father with hir consent as appeered both by hir letters written with hir owne hand which they there shewed and also by the diamond which they said she had sent and giuen in token of marriage Moreouer the said ambassadors required hir on their Masters behalfe that it would please hir to accomplish the said marriage according to the will and promise both of hir said Lord and father and also of hirselfe Further desiring hir to declare before the assembly there present whether she had written the said letter or not and whether she minded to performe hir promise Whereunto the said Ladie without further deliberation answered that she had sent the saide diamond and written the letter by the commandement of hir Lord and father and would performe all that was conteined therein Then the ambassadors gaue hir humble thanks and returned with ioifull minds to their lodging But the Duke of Cleues was highly displeased with this answer being cleane contrary to hir councels resolution and told hir that she had done vnaduisedly
him vvere slaine 14. or 15. hundred 5 Before lib. 5. cap. 2. he reporteth these 40000. franks to be florens and so in mine opinion it should be read heere 6 VVhen these Swissers began first to be entertained then were the franck archers cassed which was anno 1480. 7 The old copie raseth Verdun and hath Semur which the Annales of Fraunce call Sennier saying that both this and Verdun also rebelled How Monseur d'Argenton during these wars of the conquest of Burgundie was sent to Florence and how he receiued homage of the Duke of Milan in the Kings name for the Duchie of Genua Chap. 5. MY voiage into Italy was about a quarrell that arose between two great houses very famous in those daies the one the house of Medicis the other the house of Pacis the which Pacis by the supportation of the Pope and Ferrande King of Naples thought to haue slaine Laurence of Medicis al his adherents notwithstanding of him they failed but his brother Iulian they slew in the great church of Florence and with him one called Francis Noly a seruant of this house of Medicis who stepped foorth before the said Iulian to saue him Laurence de Medicis being sore hurt retired into the vestrie of the church the doores whereof are of copper were made by his fathers commandement A seruant whom he deliuered out of prison but two daies before did him good seruice that day and receiued many wounds for him This murther was committed while hie masse was sung for the time agreed vpon for the execution was when the Priest that sung masse began Sanctus But the successe of the enterprise answered not their expectation For supposing all to haue been fully accomplished certaine of them went vp to the pallace minding there to haue slaine all the Lords of the towne being to the number of nine which haue the whole gouernment of the citie and change at euery three moneths end But they that attempted this enterprise were euill followed by their companions by meanes whereof when they came to the top of the palace staires one shut a doore after them whereupon they seeing themselues not past fower or fiue were astonished and wist not what to say which the Lordes of the towne that were aboue and their seruants perceiuing looked out at the windowes and saw all the towne in an vprore and hard Master Iames of Pacis with his companions cry in the midst of the market place before the pallace Liberta Liberta and Popolo Popolo which were words wherby they thought to allure the people to take part with them which notwithstanding the people did not but held themselues quiet Whereupon Master Iames de Pacis and his companions seeing the euill successe of their enterprise fled out of the place as men astonished Which when the Lords and gouernors of the towne being within the pallace perceiued they tooke immediately those fiue or sixe that were come vp euill accompanied and euill followed with intent to haue slaine them and taken the gouernment into their hands and commanded them presently to be hanged at the bars of the pallace windowes the archbishop of Pise 1 being one of them Further the said gouernors perceiuing al the city to take part with them the house of Medicis gaue commandement foorthwith that all found men flying should be staied at the passages and brought backe to the towne at the which instant Master Iames of Pacis was taken and with him one sent thither by Pope Sixtus being a captaine of certaine bands vnder the Earle Hieronimo which Earle was also of the conspiracie The said Pacis with his companions was in like maner immediately hanged at the bars of the pallace windowes the Popes seruant was beheaded and besides these diuers were taken in the towne who were al hanged in this heate of the which Francis de Pacis was one There were as I gesse hanged in all fowerteene great personages besides certaine seruants slaine in the towne A few daies after this vprore I arriued at Florence from the King hauing vsed great diligence after my departure out of Burgundy for I staied no where but two or three daies with the Duchesse of Sauoye the Kings sister who entertained me very honorably From thence I went to Milan where I soiorned also two or three daies and demanded aide of them to succor the Florentines with whom at that time they were in league which my request they willingly graunted both bicause of the Kings demand also for their leagues sake wherefore they sent foorth at that present three hundred men of armes and soone after other bands But to proceede the Pope excommunicated the Florentines immediately after this fact committed and caused foorthwith his owne forces and the King of Naples forces to marche Their army was strong and great and they had in pay a number of good soldiers They besieged first a little forte neere to Senes called the Chastellennie which they tooke with diuers other places so that the Florentines were in great distresse for bicause they had liued long in peace they were vnacquainted with the warres neither vnderstoode the danger they were in Laurence de Medicis their chiefe gouernor in the towne was but yoong and ruled altogither by yoong men yet the whole citie rested vpon his opinion Moreouer they had but few Captaines and their force was very small but the generall of the Popes and King Ferrand of Naples army was the Duke of Vrbin a valiant and wise Prince and a good captaine In their campe were also the Lord Robert of Arimini who since hath been a man of great estimation the Lord Constantine of Pesaro and diuers others that accompanied the King of Naples two sonnes the Duke of Calabria and the Lord Dom Frederic who are al yet aliue besides a great number of other valiant soldiers Thus they tooke all the places that they besieged but not so speedily as we would haue done in Fraunce bicause they vnderstood not what appertained neither to the siege nor defence of a towne so well as we but sure as touching the leading of an army giuing order both for victuals al other things necessary for a campe they passe vs far The fauor the King shewed the Florentines stood them in some stead though not so much as I wished but I had no forces there to aide them with saue onely my traine I staied at Florence and in their dominions about a yeere altogither vpon their charge they vsed me very honorably and till the last day my entertainment rather amended then impaired Then the King called me home and as I passed through Milan I receiued homage for the Duchy of Genua of the Duke of Milan called Iohn Galeas at the least of the Duchesse his mother who did homage to me as the Kings deputie in hir sonnes name From thence I returned to the King our Master who receiued me gratiously and acquainted me with his affaires more than euer
his conditions As touching suspicious all great Princes are suspicious especially those that be wise and haue had many enimies and haue offended many as the King our Master had Further he knew himselfe not to be beloued of the nobilitie of his realme nor of a great number of the commonalty Besides this he had more charged his people than euer had any of his predecessors notwithstanding he was desirous now in his latter daies as before I said to haue eased them but he should haue begun sooner King Charles the seuenth by the perswasion of diuers wise and valiant Knights that had serued him in the conquest of Normandie and Guyenne which the Englishmen held was the first that began to leuy subsidies at his pleasure without the consent of the States of his realme and to say the truth cause there was then so to do for the charges were maruellous great as well for the manning of the countries newly conquered as also for the defeating of the companies of robbers which went about spoiling the realme For the which cause the nobility of Fraunce consented to the King and had certaine pensions promised them in consideration of the summes of money that should be leuied vpon their lands If this King had alwaies liued and those of his councel that were about him he would sure greatly haue enlarged his realme But considering what hapned after his death is like further to happen he charged maruellously his soule and the soules of his successors by this fact for he gaue his realme a cruell wound which will bleed this many a yeere by entertaining in continuall pay a terrible band of men of armes after the maner of the Italian Princes The said King Charles leuied in his realme at the hower of his death but 1800000. franks all maner of waies and had in ordinary about seuenteene hundred men of armes the which he kept in good order and so placed in diuers prouinces for the defence of his realme that many yeeres before his death they rid not spoiling vp and downe the countrey to the great quietnes comfort of his people But the King our Master leuied at his death 4700000. franks he had in pay fower or fiue thousand men of armes and of footemen for the campe and in garrison aboue fiue and twenty thousand wherefore it is not to be maruelled if he had many phansies and imaginations in his head and thought himselfe not welbeloued But sure as these matters caused him greatly to feare some so had he a sure confidence in many of those whom he had brought vp and highly aduanced of the which I thinke there were a number whom death it selfe could neuer haue withdrawen from dooing their duty There came into Plessis du Parc which was the place where he lay very few besides his household seruants and the archers of his guarde being fower hundred of whom a great number all the day long kept watch and warde at the gate walking vp and downe the place No noble man or great personage lodged within the castell neither might be suffered to enter in saue onely the Lord of Beauieu Duke of Bourbon his sonne in law The said stell of Plessis he had made to be enuironed with a grate of great iron bars at the entrie into the ditches thereof had caused sharpe speares of iron euery one of them hauing many heads to be masoned into the wall He caused also fower strong watch houses of iron to be built and a place to be made in them where men might stande and shoote at ease which was a sumptuous thing to behold and cost aboue 20000. franks In the end he put into these houses fortie crossebowe men which were day and night in the ditches had commission to shoote at euery man that approched neere the castell after the shutting of the gates til they opened in the morning Further he had an imagination that his subiects would be very ready to take the gouernment into their owne hands when they should see conuenient time And sure some there were that consulted to enter into Plessis and dispatch the affaires at their pleasure bicause nothing was dispatched but they durst not attempt it wherein they did wisely for the K. had giuen good order for that matter He changed often both the groomes of his chamber and al his other seruants saying that nature delighteth in varietie and he had with him to beare him company one or two very meane men and of euill report who might well haue thought if they had been wise that immediately after his death they should at the least be put out of office and spoiled of all they had as also it hapned These informed him of no message that was sent him not of any matter that was written to him were it neuer so important vnlesse it touched the preseruation of the State or the defence of his realme for that was his onely care to be in truce and peace with all men He gaue to his Phisition ordinarily euery moneth ten thousand crownes and in fiue moneths he receiued of him 54000. He gaue also goodly lands to churches but this gift was made voide and not without cause for the clergie men had too much The Notes 1 It was fortie daies but bicause the old copie hath 15. daies and that himselfe also afterward in this very chapter saith thus This sicknes held him about fifteene daies I haue been bold to amend it 2 King Lewis was suspected to haue poisoned his father by Adam Fumée his fathers physition who was imprisoned by King Charles but soone after aduaunced to honor by King Lewis who so maruellously reioiced at the first newes of his fathers death being the selfe same day that his father died which was strange King Lewis being then at Genappe in Brabant that in the selfe same place he built a chappell to our Lady 3 It was 15000. but the olde copie had 1500000. and so vndoubtedly it is to be read for for 15000. franks will hardly maintaine 100. soldiers a yeere How the King caused the holy man of Calabria to come to Tours thinking that he could heale him and what strange things the said King did to maintaine his authoritie during his sicknes Chap. 8. AMong men famous for deuotion he sent into Calabria for one Frier Robert whom he called the holy man bicause of his holy life and in whose honor the King that now is caused a Church to be built at Plessis du Parc in place of the chappell neere to Plessis at the bridge foote This heremite being twelue yeeres of age entred into a rocke where he remained till he was fortie three yeeres old or there about to wit euen till this present that the King sent for him by one of the stewards of his house whom the Prince of Tarente the King of Naples sonne accompanied thither For the said heremite would not depart thence without permission both of the Pope and of his Prince which
and the Queene his wife had so greatly desired that they would neuer credit any man that aduertised them to the contrarie were he English man or stranger For the Councell of England had debated this matter with him at the same time that the King conquered that part of Picardie that ioineth to Calice alleaging that after he had subdued that he might easily attempt to take Calice and Guisnes The like was also told him by the ambassadors resident in England for the Duke and Duchesse of Austriche and by the Britons and diuers others but he beleeued no whit of all this which incredulitie turned much to his losse Notwithstanding I suppose it proceeded rather of couetousnes than ignorance for he feared the losse of the fiftie thousand crownes the King paid him besides that he was loth to leaue his ease and pleasures whereunto he was maruellously addicted About the conclusion of this marriage an assembly was held at Halots in Flaunders whereat the Duke of Austriche now King of Romans was present togither with certaine deputies for the three estates of Flaunders Brabant and the other countries belonging to the saide Duke and his children The citizens of Gaunt did many things there contrarie to the Dukes minde for some they banished and some they remooued from about his sonne in the end they told him how great desire they had to see this marriage accomplished therby to obtaine peace forced him to consent therunto The Duke was very yoong and accompanied with few noble men for all the subiects of this house of Burgundie very few excepted I meane of great personages that could haue giuen him counsell or aide in these affaires were as you haue heard either dead or reuolted to the King As touching himselfe he was come thither very slenderly accompanied and now hauing lost his wife being Lady of the countrie he durst not giue them so stout language as before he was accustomed To be short the King being aduertised of all these actions by Monseur de Cordes reioiced much thereat and a day was appointed when this Lady should be brought to Hedin Not long before the conclusion of this marriage to wit in the yeere 1481. the towne of Ayre was yeelded for a summe of monie to Monseur de Cordes by the Lord of Croy of the countrie of Artois who held it for the Duke of Austriche and the Lord of Beures his captaine The towne is very strong situate in the countrie of Artois and the deliuerie thereof increased the Flemmings desire to further this marriage bicause it standeth vpon the very entrance into Flaunders For notwithstanding that they wished the weakening of their Prince yet were they not willing to haue the King so neere a neighbor to their frontiers After these matters aboue mentioned were fully concluded ambassadors came to the King out of Flaunders and Brabant but all depended vpon them of Gaunt both bicause of their force bicause the children were in their hands and for that they were alwaies the ringleaders of all tumults There came also from the King of Romanes for the pacifying of his dominions certaine Knights yoong men like himselfe and of small experience whose names were Master Iohn de Bergues and Master Baudouin de Launoy and certaine Secretaries The King was brought maruellous low with sicknes so that hardly he suffered himselfe to be seene and made great difficultie to sweare the treatie bicause he was loth to come abrode in sight notwithstanding in the end he sware it It was very auantageous for him for in all assemblies that had beene held heeretofore about this marriage he neuer required but the countie of Artois or Burgundie one of the two but now the Lords of Gaunt as he termed them caused them both to be yeelded vnto him togither with the counties of Masconnois Charolois and Auxerrois yea and if it had lien in them to haue put into his hands Hainault and Namur and all the seniories of this house of Burgundie being of the French language they would willingly haue done it thereby to affeeble their Prince The King our Master being a wise Prince vnderstood well that no account was to be made of Flaunders nor the Earle thereof without he had the countrie of Artois which lying betweene the King of Fraunce and the Flemmings is as it were a bridle to them For in the countrie of Artois are leuied very good soldiers to scourge the Flemmings when they play the fooles Wherefore by taking away from the Earle of Flaunders the countrie of Artois he left him the poorest Prince in the world and without all obedience of his subiects saue onely at the pleasure of them of Gaunt After this ambassage was returned home the said Lady was led to Hedin and deliuered into the hands of Monseur de Cordes in the yeere 1483. She was conueied thither by the Lady of Rauastain bastard daughter to Duke Philip of Burgundie and was receiued there by the Duke and Duchesse of Bourbon that now are and by the Lord of Albret and diuers others sent thither by the King who led hir to Amboise where the Daulphin lay If the Duke of Austriche could haue rescued hir before she was passed out of his dominions from them that conueied hir he would willingly haue done it but they of Gaunt had sent hir well accompanied And as touching the said Duke all his subiects began to disobey him so far foorth that a great number tooke part with them of Gaunt bicause they had his sonne in their hands and remooued from him and placed about him such as pleased them and among the rest that were resident at Gaunt was the Lord of Rauastain brother to the Duke of Cleues principall gouernor of the said yoong infant called Duke Philip who is yet liuing and like to be a great Prince if God spare him life Whosoeuer reioiced at this marriage the King of England was highly displeased therewith for he accounted it great reproch and dishonor to be thus deluded and feared both the losse of the pension the King paid him which the English men called Tribute and also that the contempt heereof would stir his subiects to rebellion against him bicause he would giue no eare to good aduice Further he saw the King with great force neere to his dominions for the which causes he conceiued such inward griefe when he heard these newes that soone after he ended his life some say of a catarrhe But whatsoeuer his disease were the report goeth that the sorrow conceiued of this marriage caused the disease whereof he died soone after in the moneth of Aprill anno 1483. It is a foule fault in a Prince to trust more to his owne braine than to the aduice of a great number for it causeth oftentimes both great sorrow and also losse irrecouerable Immediately after King Edvvards death the King our Master was aduertised therof and seemed nothing ioifull of the newes but soone after receiued letters from the D. of
Milan King Iohn of Arragon were all dead a fewe yeeres before him but betweene the death of the said Duches of Austrich of King Edvvard and of him there was no space to speake of In all these Princes there was both good and euill for they were all men but to speake vprightly there were in him many mo vertues ornaments appertaining to the office of a King than in any of the rest I haue seene them in maner all and knew what was in them and therefore I speake not at randon The Notes 1 It was Reims in the French but that vndoubtedly was false the old copie hath Rhine or Rhine others Rins the Italian Ries 2 King Lewis dranke childrens blood to recouer his health Gaguin How King Lewis the 11. caused Charles the Daulphin his sonne to come to him a little before his death and of the commandements and precepts he gaue both him and certaine others Chap. 11. IN this yeere 1483. the King desired to see the Daulphine his sonne whom he had not seene of long time for he kept him close and permitted no man to come to him both bicause of the childes health and also for feare least he should be taken from the place where he remained and vnder colour of him some rebellion arise in the realme For so had certaine noble men in times past by meanes of himselfe made an assembly against King Charles the seuenth his father he being then but eleuen yeeres of age 1 which war was called la Praguerie but it soone ended for it was rather a broile of court than a warre Aboue all things he recommended vnto his said sonne the Daulphine certaine of his seruants and commanded him expressely not to change certaine officers rehearsing to him how after King Charles his fathers death he comming to the State put out of office all the valiant and woorthie knights of this realme that had serued his father in the conquest of Normandy and Guienne in chasing the English men out of Fraunce and restoring the realme to peace and quietnes for himselfe found it both quiet and rich which his hard dealing with the said knights turned greatly to his preiudice for thereof sprang the war called THE WEALE PVBLIKE in this storie aboue mentioned which had almost set him besides his crowne Soone after his communication with the Daulphine his sonne and the accomplishment of this marriage aboue mentioned he fell vpon a monday into the disease whereof he died his sicknes endured til the saturday after being the 30. of August in the yeer 1483. And bicause I was present at his death I minde to speake somwhat thereof When this disease tooke him he lost his speech as before which being recouered he felt his body weaker than euer it was notwithstanding that he were so lowe brought before that he could hardly lift his hand to his mouth and looked so poorely and miserably that it pitied euery mans hart that sawe him he accounted himselfe now as dead Wherefore he sent incontinent for the Lord of Beauieu now Duke of Bourbon his sonne in law commanding him to go to Amboise to the King his son for so he termed him he recommended also vnto him diuers of his seruants and gaue him the whole charge and gouernment of the yoong King and commanded expressely that certaine whom he named should not come neere his sonne alleaging diuers good reasons on that behalfe And if the said Lord of Beauieu had obserued his commandements at the least part of them for some were vnreasonable and not to be obserued I thinke he should thereby haue benefited both the realme and himselfe considering what hath hapned since in Fraunce Soone after he sent also the Chauncellor and all the officers of the law to the said King his sonne and in like maner part of the archers of his guarde and his Captaines and all his haukes and hounds with all that appertained thereunto Further as many as came to visit him he commanded to go to Amboise to the King for so he termed him desiring them to serue him faithfully and by euery one of them he sent him some message or other but especially by Steuen de Vers who brought vp the said yoong King and was the first groome of his chamber and already aduanced to the bailiwicke of Meaux by the King our Master His speech neuer failed him after he recouered it neither were his wits so fresh at any time as then for he purged continually by meanes whereof all fumes voided that troubled his head In all the time of his sicknesse he neuer complained as other men do when they feele paine at the least I my selfe am of that nature and so haue I knowne diuers others and men say that complaining asswageth greefe The Notes 1 Others write that he was 16. yeeres olde this was was anno 1439. and King Lewis was borne anno 1423. so that he was 16. yeeres old when the Praguerie began and so vndoubtedly it should be read heere A comparison betweene the sorrowes and troubles that King Lewis suffered and those he caused diuers others to suffer with a rehearsall of all that he did and all that was done to him till his death Chap. 12. HE discoursed continually of some matter or other and that very grauely and his disease endured from monday till saturday night Wherefore I will now make comparison betweene the troubles and sorrowes he caused others to suffer and those he suffered himselfe before his death bicause I trust they haue caried him into paradise and been part of his purgatorie For notwithstanding that they were not so grieuous neither endured so long as those which he caused diuers others to suffer yet bicause his vocation in this world was higher then theirs by meanes whereof he had neuer beene contraried but so well obeied that he seemed a Prince able to haue gouerned all Europe this little trouble that he endured contrarie to his accostomed nature was to him a great torment He hoped euer in this good heremite that was at Plessis whom he had caused to come to him out of Calabria and continually sent to him saying that if it pleased him he could prolong his life For notwithstanding all these commandements giuen to those whom he sent to the Daulphine his sonne yet came his spirits againe to him in such sort that he was in hope to recouer and if it had so happened he would easily haue disparckled the assembly sent to this new King But bicause of the vaine hope he had in this heremite a Doctor of diuinitie and certaine others thought good to aduertise him that his onely hope must be in the mercie of God and they deuised that Master Iames Cothier his Phisition in whom he had reposed his whole confidence and to whom he gaue monethly ten thousand crownes in hope he would prolong his life should be present when this speech should be vsed to him This was Master Oliuer his barbars deuise to the end he might
wholie thinke vpon his conscience and leaue all his other imaginations conceiued of this holie man and of the said Master Iames his Phisition But euen like as he had aduanced the said Master Oliuer and others too suddenly without any desert to a higher estate than was fit for them euen so they tooke vpon them boldlie to do such a message to so great a Prince otherwise than became them not vsing that reuerence and humilitie that was to be vsed in such a case and such as they would haue vsed whom he had brought vp of long time and lately commanded out of his presence for the suspicions conceiued of them And againe like as vnto two great personages whom he had put to death in his time to wit the Duke of Nemours and the Earle of Saint Paule for one of the which he repented him at his death and for the other not he had sent a sharpe message of death by Commissioners appointed thereunto the which briefly pronounced their sentence vnto them and foorthwith gaue them confessors and but a verie short space to dispose of their consciences euen so the aboue named signified his death vnto him rudely and in fewe words saying Sir it is reason we do our duties hope no more in this holie man nor any other thing for sure you are but dead therefore thinke vpon your conscience for your hower is come and euery one of them said somwhat briefly to him to that effect But he answered I trust God will helpe me and peraduenture I am not so sicke as you suppose What a sharpe corosife was it to him to heare these newes and this cruell sentence for neuer man feared death more than he nor sought so many waies to auoide it as he did Moreouer in all his life time he had giuen commandement to all his seruants as well my selfe as others that when we should see him in danger of death we should onely mooue him to confesse himselfe dispose of his conscience not sounding in his eares this dreadfull word Death knowing that he should not be able patiently to heare that cruel sentence notwithstanding he endured both that and diuers other punishments till the verie hower of death more patiently than euer I sawe any man To his sonne whom he called King he sent many messages and confessed himselfe verie deuoutly and said diuers praiers answerable to the Sacraments he receiued which also he himselfe demanded He spake as hartily as if he had not beene sicke and talked of all matters touching the King his sonnes estate and among other things gaue commandement that the Lord of Cordes should not depart from his sonne by the space of halfe a yeere after his death and further that he should be entreated to attempt nothing against Calice nor elsewhere saying that notwithstanding he had deuised these enterprises for the Kings profit and the benefit of the realme yet were they verie dangerous especially that of Calice for feare of moouing the English men thereby to war Further he willed especially that after his death the realme should rest in peace the space of fiue or sixe yeeres a matter which he would neuer yeeld vnto during his life though verie needfull for notwithstanding that it were great and large yet was it in poore miserable estate especially bicause of the passing to and fro of the men of armes who continually remooued from one countrey to an other He gaue order also that no quarrell should be picked in Britaine but that Duke Francis should be suffered to liue in quiet and not be put in any doubt or feare of warre neither yet any other neighbour bordering vpon the realme to the end the King and the realme might rest in peace till the King were of yeeres to dispose thereof at his owne pleasure Thus you see how vndiscreetly his death was signified to him which I haue rehearsed bicause I began to make a comparison betweene those euils which he had caused diuers of his subiects to suffer and those he himselfe suffered before his death to the end you may perceiue that notwithstanding they were not so greeuous nor so long as I haue said yet were they greeuous to him considering his nature which demanded obedience had been better obeied than any Prince in his time so that one halfe word contrarying his minde was to him a greeuous punishment Fiue or sixe daies before his death he had al men in suspition especially all that were woorthie of credit and authoritie yea he grew iealous of his owne sonne and caused him to be straightly guarded neither did any man see him or speake with him but by his commandement at the length he began to stand in doubt also of his daughter and of his sonne in law now Duke of Bourbon and would needs know what men entred into Plessis with them and in the end brake off an assembly that the Duke of Bourbon his sonne in law held there by his commandement Moreouer at the same time that his said sonne in law and the Earle of Dunois returning from the conuoie of the ambassage that came to Amboise to the marriage of the King his sonne and the Queene entred into the castle of Plessis with a great bande of men the King who caused the gates to be straightly kept being in the gallerie that looketh into the court of the said castle caused one of the captaines of his guard to come to him whom he commanded to feele as he talked with the said noble mens seruants whether they wore any brigandines vnder their cloakes not making shewe as though he came purposely for that intent Heereby you may perceiue if he caused diuers others to liue in feare and suspicion vnder him whether he were paid now with the like himselfe for of whom could he be assured mistrusting his sonne his daughter and his sonne in lawe Wherefore thus much I will say not onely of him but of all other Princes that desire to be feared that they neuer feele the reuenge thereof till their age and then their penance is to feare all men What great greefe thinke you was it to this poore King to be troubled with these passions He had a Phisition called Master Iames Cothier to whom he gaue in fiue moneths 54000. crownes after the rate of 10000. the moneth and 4000. ouer besides the Bishopricke of Amiens for his nephew and other offices and lands for him and his friends The said Phisition vsed him so roughly that a man would not giue his seruant so sharpe language as he gaue the King and yet the King so much feared him that he durst not command him out of his presence for notwithstanding that he complained to diuers of him yet durst he not change him as he did all his other seruants bicause this Phisition once said thus boldly vnto him I know that one day you will commaund me away as you do all your other seruants but you shall not liue eight daies after binding
it with a great oath Which words put the King in such feare that euer after he flattered him and bestowed gifts vpon him which was a maruellous purgatorie to him in this world considering of how many noble men and gentlemen he had been obeied Moreouer he had caused diuers cruell prisons to be made as for example cages being eight foote square and one foote more than a mans height some of iron and some of wood plated with iron both within and without with horrible iron works He that first deuised them was the Bishop of Verdun who incontinent was himselfe put into the first that was made where he remained fowerteene yeeres Many haue cursed him for his deuise and among others my selfe for I lay in one of them vnder the King that now reigneth the space of eight moneths He had also caused certaine Almains to make terrible heauie irons to lay men in among the which there was a fetter to put on their feete very hard to be opened like to a carquan with a waightie chaine and a great iron ball at the end thereof heauy beyong all measure These irons were called the Kings nets Notwithstanding I haue seene diuers gentlemen lie in them as prisoners who came foorth afterward with great honor and were aduanced by him to great estates as for example a sonne of the Lord of Grutuze of Flaunders taken prisoner in the wars whom the King afterward richely maried and made one of his chamber Seneschall of Aniou and gaue him charge of a hundred launces and in like maner the Lord of Piennes and the Lord of Vergy taken prisoners also in the wars who both had charge of men of armes vnder the King and other goodly offices and were of the priuie chamber either to him or his sonne The like happened also to the Lord of Richbourg the Constables brother and to one Roquebertin of the country of Cathelonie being likewise taken prisoners in the wars whom he afterward highly aduanced with diuers others of diuers countries too long to reherse But now to returne to the matter As in his time these diuers and sundrie cruell prisons were deuised euen so he before his death laie in the like yea in a much crueller prison than any of them and was in greater feare than they that stood in feare of him which I account as a great grace towards him and as part of his purgatorie and rehearse it onely to shew that euery man of what estate or condition soeuer he be is punished either secretly or openly especially those that punish others Further the King a little before his death enclosed his castel of Plessis with a grate of iron bars and at the fower corners of the said castell caused fower strong-watch houses of iron to be built The said grate was made directly ouer against the castell wall round about the castell on the outer side of the ditch which was very steepe He caused also to be masoned into the wall a great number of iron speares each of them hauing diuers heads set close togither Moreouer he appointed ten crossebowe men to be continually in the said ditches and to lie in the fower iron houses built in the bottome of the said ditches and gaue them commandement to shoote at euery man that approched neere to the grate before the gate opened He knew well that this fortification was to no purpose against a great force or an armie but that he doubted not his onely feare was that certaine noble men of his realme hauing intelligence in the castell would attempt to enter into it in the night partly by loue and partly by force and take the gouernment vpon them and make him liue as a man bereft of his wits and vnwoorthie to rule The castell gate neuer opened before eight of the clocke in the morning neither was the drawe bridge let downe till that hower and then entred his officers and the captaines of his garde placed the ordinarie warders and appointed archers to the watch both at the gate and within the court as if it had beene a frontire towne straightly kept neither entred any man without the Kings commandement but by the wicket saue the stewards of his house and such like officers that went not to him Is it possible then to hold a King I meane vsing him like a Prince in a straiter prison than he held himselfe The cages wherein he held others were about eight foote square and he being so great a Prince had but a little court in the castell to walke in yea and seldome came he into that for vsually he kept himselfe in the gallerie from whence he neuer stirred but when he went to masse at which time he passed through the chambers and not through the Court. Thinke you that he was not in feare as well as others seeing he locked himselfe in after this sort kept himselfe thus close stood in such feare of his children and neerest kinsmen and changed and remooued his seruants from day to day whom he had brought vp and whose good estate depended wholy vpon him in such sort that he durst trust none of them but bound himselfe in these strange chaines and bands The place I confesse was larger than a common prison so was his estate greater than a common prisoners But a man will say peraduenture that other Princes haue been more suspicious than he whereunto I agree but none sure in our time neither any so wise as he nor that had so good subiects as he had as touching them peraduenture they were cruell tyrants but he neuer punished any without desert All this aboue written I haue rehearsed not so much to publish the suspicions of the King our Master as partly to prooue that the patient enduring of these passions being equall with those he had caused others to endure and of this sicknes being sharpe and troublesome to him and the which he feared greatly before he fell into it is to be accounted as a punishment God gaue him in this world to ease him in the world to come and partly to giue an example to those that shall come after him to haue some more compassion on their people than he had and to be lesse rigorous in punishing than he was Notwithstanding for my part I am not able to accuse him neither saw I euer a better Prince for though himselfe pressed his subiects yet would he suffer none other so to do friend or foe After all these feares sorrowes and suspicions God according to his accustomed goodnes wrought a miracle vpon him healing him both in soule and bodie for he tooke him out of this miserable world being perfect of sense vnderstanding and memorie hauing receiued all his sacraments without all griefe to mans iudgement and talking continually euen within a Pater noster while of his death so that he gaue order for his funerall and named those that should accompanie his bodie to the graue saying euer that he trusted to die
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
notwithstanding the Earle of Dunois ambassage in such sort that the towne began to be greatly distressed wherefore the Duke of Orleans and the rest of the noble men of Britaine fearing the losse of the towne departed from Nantes and went to Rennes where they assembled their forces to leuy the siege Their men of armes were fower hundred and their footemen of their owne countries twelue thousande as some write as others but eight thousand besides three hundred English men and eight hundred Swissers and of artillerie they had great plentie Then in very good order they encamped abroad in the fields The names of the noble men of the armie were these the D. of Orleans the Lord of Alebret the Marshall of Rieux the Lord of Chasteaubrian the Lord of Scales an Englishman the Lord of Leon the Lord of Rohans eldest sonne the Lord of Crenettes the Lord of Pont l'Abbe the Lord of Plessis the Lord of Balynes the Lord of Montigny the Lord of Montuet all the which Lords with their companies whole forces encamped at a village called Andouille the wednesday being the 23. of Iuly the yeere 1488. aboue mentioned in the night there was an alarme among the Gascoins whereof it was feared some quarrell would haue growen betweene the Duke of Orleans and the Lord of Alebret but the matter was soone pacified In the mean time came newes to these Lords at the said village of Andouille the saterday the sixe and twenty of the said moneth of Iuly that the French had taken Fongieres by composition with these conditions that the soldiers should depart in safety with bag and baggage vpon which newes the Britains army determined to march to Saint Albin hoping easily to take the towne bicause the French garrison within it was but small and that in the meane time the soldiers that were departed out of Fongieres should ioine with them and increase their forces On the other side the French army marched also towards Saint Albin meaning to be there before the Britains but it so fell out that neither of them entered the towne bicause before they came thither they met fought For you shall vnderstand that the same saterday that the Britains receiued newes of the taking of Fongieres they marched to a village called Orenge two leagues from Saint Albin where they were aduertised that the Kings army marched against them with a ful resolution to fight with them The sunday morning the Britaines consulted of the order of their battell and bicause the footemen were iealous of the French horsemen that were in their campe and namely of the Duke of Orleans himselfe it was thought good that he and the Prince of Orenge should leaue their horses and put themselues on foote in the battell among the Swissers and so they did The vaward was lead by the Marshall of Rieux the battel by the Lord of Alebret and the rereward by the Lord of Chasteaubrian vpon one of their wings was placed their artillerie and their carriage And the more to terrifie the French with the great number of English men whereas there were in truth but three hundred English men lead by the Lord Talbot seauenteen hundred Britain footemen were ioined to them armed with iacks and red crossâ—s English like and the monday morning they raunged themselues in battell in this order aboue rehearsed hard by a groue of wood attending the French army The Kings army whereof Master Lewis of Trimouille Vicount of Touars being fiue or sixe and twenty yeeres of age was generall departed out of Fongieres with a full resolution to fight with the Britains The vaward was lead by Adrian de l'hospitall and Gabriell of Montfalzoys before the which ten or twelue valiant French knights aduanced themselues to discouer the Britains actions whose good order when they had viewed they retired to their company theÌ„ being in troupe al close ioined togither approched the Britaines army the artillerie in the meane time playing on both sides and greatly endammaging both the parties The French marched very couragiously and charged the Britaines vawarde where the Marshall of Rieux valiantly receiued them and acquit himselfe so well both he and his companie that the French left the vaward marched straight vpon the Britaines battell where the Britaine horsemen recoiled by meanes whereof their rereward being discouraged fled Then the French pursued them and slue all the footemen they could ouertake which disorder when the Britaine vaward perceiued they also disparkled and sought to saue themselues To conclude the French obtained the victorie and slue all those that bare the red crosse supposing they had beene all English men togither with twelue or thirteene hundred Britaines as well horsemen as footemen The Duke of Orleans was taken by the footemen and likewise the Prince of Orenge who had pulled away his blacke crosse from him and had laid himselfe flat vpon the ground among the dead bodies faining himselfe to be slaine but he was knowen by a French archer and both he and the Duke of Orleans led prisoners to Saint Albin vnder sure garde The Lord of Alebret seeing all ouerthrowen fled away and escaped The Marshall of Rieux also saued himselfe and retired to Dinan The Lord of Leon the Lord du Pont l'Abbe the Lord of Montfort and diuers other noble men of Britaine were slaine and of other soldiers to the number of sixe thousand of the Kings part was slaine Iames Galeot a valiant and a renowmed captaine and to the number of a thousand or twelue hundred common soldiers This battell was fought vpon monday the 28. of Iuly the yeere 1488. Soone after the Duke of Orleans was led to the castell of Luzignen and from thence to Poictiers where he remained a certaine space and lastly to the great tower of Bourges The second day after the battell the Lord of Trimouille sent certaine heraults to Reims to summon the towne to yeeld to the King who after consultation had answered the said heraults that the King had no right to the towne and that wrongfully and without cause he made war vpon the countrie of Britaine and that notwithstanding his great armie he could not ouerrun the countrie as he hoped for God who defended the Britaines right was able to do as much to him as he did to King Iohn before Poictiers and to King Philip of Valois at Crecy adding further that they would not yeeld the towne and that if Monseur de la Trimouille came thither he should finde fortie thousand men in the towne whereof twenty thousand were men of defence This answer was reported to the said Trimouille who staied a long time without replying one word thereunto and afterwards by the same heraults aduertised the King thereof being at Angiers Whereupon the King assembled his Councell to determine what was to be done in this case Some yea almost all were of opinion that the towne should be besieged but Master VVilliam of Rochfort Chauncellor of Fraunce held the contrarie opinion
grounding himselfe vpon the Kings title to the said Duchie of Britaine which was said to grow by means of a certaine conueiance that Master Iohn of Brosse Lord of Boussac husband to dame Nicole of Britaine daughter and heire to Charles of Blois Earle of Ponthieure had made to the Kings ancestors togither with diuers other titles which were not yet prooued good adding that if the King had no right thereunto it should be a damnable and a tyrannous act to vsurpe another mans countrie that appertained not to him Wherefore his aduice was that according to the request of the ambassadors of Britaine being at Angiers certaine graue and learned men should be appointed to examine the right of both sides This opinion tooke place and according thereunto the King agreed with the ambassadors of Britaine that both he and the Duke would appoint some graue men of their Councell who should meete in some indifferent towne with the charters and writings of both sides to determine in conscience to whom the said Duchie did appertaine and that in the meane time the King should hold all the places in the said Duchie that alreadie he possessed The Duke of Britaine liked this agreement well and bicause the plague was vehement at Nantes he departed thence with his two daughters the Ladie of Laval the Lord of Alebret the Earle of Dunoys the Marshall of Rieux the Earle of Comminges and diuers other Lords to Coiron vpon the riuer of Loyer three leagues beneath Nantes where soone after namely vpon wednesday the seauenth of September in the same yeere 1488. he ended his life thorow a sicknes which he got by a fall leauing the gouernment both of his Duchie of Britaine and of his two daughters to the Marshall of Rieux to whom he appointed the Earle of Comminges for assistant His body was carried to Nantes and buried in the Church of the Carmelites Of the Kings mariage with the Ladie Anne of Britaine whereby Britaine was vnited to the crowne of Fraunce Chap. 6. Soone after the Duke of Britaines death died also Isabell his 1489. yoonger daughter by reason whereof the Ladie Anne remained his sole heire about whose mariage the nobles of Britaine fell at great variance for part of them inclined to the Lord of Alebret a great Lord in Guienne who also as it was reported but falsely was contracted to this yoong Princes with the Duke hir fathers consent but the daie before the Duke died but this faction was soone daunted bicause the yoong Ladie hir selfe vtterly refused this match part openly fauored furthered Maximilian the Emperor Fridericks sonne alleaging that he would not onely be a protector of the libertie of their countrey but also a strong rampier against all French attempts Neither was the King of Fraunce ignorant of this treatie but knew right well that ambassadors had passed to and fro betweene Maximilian and them so far foorth that the said Maximilian supposing al matters to be throughly concluded and agreed on began to imbrace al Britaine in his minde and thought no enterprise too high for him if to his low countries obtained by his first marriage he could now ioine the Duchy of Britaine by his second Great consultation was had in Fraunce how to repulse this terrible storme but Maximilians owne slacknes most furthered their deuises The K. councell in the end resolued that the King should refuse his wife being Maximilians daughter and seeke with all expedition the marriage of the Lady Anne of Britaine alleaging that the neighborhood of so mightie a Prince as Maximilian was could not be but dangerous to his estate of whom he could hope for nothing but dissembled friendship presently and assured war in time to come considering that the said Maximilian forgetting already his league and affinitie with the King stirred vp continually one war after another against him and by that meanes professed himselfe an open enimy to him and his realme Wherefore ambassadors were presently sent to treate of this marriage with the Lady Anne She at the first woondered at the matter and alleaged that she had giuen hir faith to Maximilian which she might not breake and further that she had beene solemnly married to him according to the accustomed maner of Princes by VVolfgangus Poleme of Austrich his proctor purposely sent by him into Britaine to that end But the Lady of Lauat and other noble women of Britaine whose company and familiarity this yoong Princes vsed and greatly delighted in being corrupted with French rewards and promises perswaded hir that this French match should be most for hir safety and auancement alleaging that if she married with Maximilian he should hardly be able to defend Britaine whereof already they had good proofe considering that he had euer disappointed them of the succors he had promised to send them And as touching hir scruple of conscience they said that the Pope who had power ouer all lawes Ecclesiasticall would easily be brought to dispence therwith the rather bicause this match should be best for hir safety and for the preseruation of hir estate The yoong Princesse though she were of a singular wit and rare vertues yet being vanquished by these perswasions yeelded to their request and deliuered both hirselfe and hir countrey into the Kings hands and soone after was the marriage solemnly accomplished to the great reioicing of the French And thus receiued Britaine the French yoake to the great griefe of all the subiects who desired to be gouerned by a particular Duke of their owne as they had euer been in times past Not long after this marriage the Earle of Dunois who had been the principall instrument of the peace a great furtherer of the mariage therby throughly reconciled to the K. suddenly died as he was on horsebacke for want of meat as it was said When the K. had set all things in good order in Britaine he returned into Fraunce and appointed that the Ladie Margaret of Flanders should remaine accompanied with the Princes of Tarent in the castell of Melun vpon the riuer of Seine Maximilian was forewarned of al these French practises and seemed to make no account of them but when he perceiued this marriage to be accomplished it doubled his hatred against the King so far foorth that he openly railed vpon him and vowed himselfe to destroy France with fire and sword and presently inuaded Picardie But the Lord of Cordes gouernor thereof made head against him and valiantly defended the countrey to his owne honor and the profit of Fraunce Further Maximilian meaning a thorow reuenge vpon this realme stirred vp the English men the ancient enimies of the crowne to passe into Fraunce promising them great aide both of men and money out of his dominions Wherefore I wil heere speake a word or two of the affaires of England bicause the Englishmen are our next neighbors and both in peace and war haue euer to do with vs and we with them Of the troubles in
had the wardship of hir children and my selfe haue seen hir there in great authoritie being a widow and gouerned by one Cico a Secretarie and an ancient seruant of that house This Cico had banished all Duke Galeas brethren for the said Ladies safetie and hir childrens and among the rest the Lord Lodouic afterward Duke of Milan whom she reuoked being hir enimie and in war against hir togither with the Lord Robert of Saint Seuerine a valiant captaine whom she had also banished by the said Cicos perswasion To be short at the request of a yoong man that carued before hir called Anthony Thesin being a Ferrarian of very meane parentage she called them all home through great simplicitie supposing they would do the said Cico no harme and the truth is that so they had sworne and promised But the third day after their returne they tooke him notwithstanding their oth and caried him in an emptie caske through the town of Milan he was allied by mariage to one of the Viscomtes 3 and if the said Vicomt had been in the citie at that present some say they durst not haue taken him Moreouer the Lord Lodcuic caused this matter so to be ordered that the said Robert of S. Seuerin comming that way should meete with this Cico as he passed through the towne in this estate bicause he hated him extremely Thus was he led prisoner to the castle of Pauie where he died They vsed this Lady very honorably in hir iudgement seeking to content hir humor in all things but all matters of importance they two dispatched making hir priuie but to what pleased them and no greater pleasure could they do hir than to communicate nothing with hir They permitted hir to giue this Anthony Thesin what she would they lodged him hard by hir chamber he carried hir on horsebacke behinde him in the towne and in hir house was nothing but feasting and dauncing but this iollitie endured but halfe a yeere She gaue many goodly things to this Thesin and the couriers packets were adressed to him which bred great disdaine in many wherein the L. Lodouic vncle to the two children aspiring to the Duchie which afterward also he obteined nourished them as much as in him lay One morning they tooke hir two sonnes from hir and lodged them in a great tower within the castell called the rocke wherunto consented the said Lodouic the Lord Robert of Saint Seuerin one called de Palleuoisin gouernor of the yoong Dukes person and the captaine of the rocke 4 who since Duke Galeas death had neuer departed out of the place neither did many yeeres after this till he was taken prisoner by the Lord Lodouickes subtletie and his masters folly being of his mothers disposition After the aboue named had lodged these children in the rocke they seized vpon the treasure being at that time the richest in Christendome and made hir yeeld account thereof Moreouer they caused three keies therof to be made one of the which she kept but the treasure after that day she neuer touched They made hir also to surrender the wardship of hir children and the said Lodouic was chosen their guardian Further they sent letters into diuers countries especially into Fraunce which my selfe sawe written to hir great dishonor for they charged hir with this Anthonie Thesin whom notwithstanding they sent away vnharmed for the Lord Robert saued both his life and goods These two great men entred not into the rocke at their pleasure for the captaine had his brother in it with a garrison of a hundred and fiftie soldiers or better when they entred the gate was straightly kept neither entred they accompanied at any time with more than a man or two and this endured a long space In the meane time great variance arose between the Lord Lodouic and Robert of S. Seuerin for vsually two great men can not long agree but Lodouic wan the garland the other departed to the Venetians seruice Notwithstanding afterwards two of his sonnes returned to the seruice of the said Lodouic and the state of Milan namely Master Galeas and the Earle of Caiazze some say with their fathers consent others say no but howsoeuer it were the said Lodouic highly fauored them and both hath been and yet is very faithfully serued by them You shall vnderstand that their father the Lord Robert of Saint Seuerin was issued of a base daughter of the house of Saint Seuerin but in Italie they make no difference betweene a bastard and childe legitimate This I write bicause they furthered our enterprise in Italy aswell in fauour of the Prince of Salerne chiefe of the said house of Saint Seuerin as also for diuers other respects whereof heereafter you shall heare The Lord Lodouic declared immediately that he would by all meanes possible maintaine his authoritie for he caused money to be coined on the one side wherof the Dukes image was stamped and on the other his own whereat many murmured This Duke was married to the daughter of Alfonse Duke of Calabria and King of Naples after his father King Ferrandes death His said wife was a Lady of a great courage and would gladly haue increased hir husbands authority if she could but hir husband lacked wit and disclosed all hir actions The captaine also of the rocke of Milan continued long in great authoritie and neuer departed out of the place for many iealousies were now arisen so far foorth that when one of the children went abroad the other abode within To be short a yeere or two before we entred into Italy the Lord Lodouic hauing been abroad with the Duke and purposing some mischiefe waited vpon him at his returne home to the castle according to his accustomed maner The captaine came vpon the drawe bridge with his men about him to kisse the Dukes hand as their maner is The Duke at this time was somewhat without the bridge in such sort that the captain was forced to step foorth a pace or two where these two sonnes of Saint Seuerin and others that were about them laid hold vpon him They within drew vp the bridge but the Lord Lodouic caused an end of a waxe candle to be lighted sware that he would smite off their heads 5 if they yeelded not the place before the candle were burned out whereupon they deliuered it and then he furnished it wel and surely for himselfe but all in the Dukes name Further he endited the captaine of high treason laying to his charge that he would haue put the place into the Emperors hands and staied certaine Almains charging them as practisers with the captaine about this enterprise yet afterward dismissed them without farther harme He beheaded also one of his owne secretaries charging him in like maner as a dealer in the matter and yet one other who he said had been a messenger 6 between them The captaine he kept long in prison yet in the end deliuered him pretending that Duchesse Bonne had once
the Duke of Milans hands and held by Master Baptist de Campefourgouse but at this present the Lord Lodouic had recouered it and gaue to certaine of the Kings chamber eight thousand ducats for the inuesture thereof who by receiuing the monie greatly preiudiced the King For before the graunt of the said inuesture they might haue seized Genua to the Kings owne vse if they had would 9 but seeing they meant to take monie for it they ought to haue demanded more for Duke Galeas paide at one time for it to King Lewis my Master fiftie thousand ducats whereof the King whose soule God pardon gaue me thirtie thousand crownes in reward Notwithstanding they said they receiued these eight thousand ducats with the Kings consent and Stephan de Vers Seneschall of Beaucaire was one of those that tooke the monie happily to entertaine the better the Lord Lodouic for this enterprise which he so much both fauored and furthered After audience giuen openly at Paris to the ambassadors aboue mentioned the Earle of Caiazze had secret communication with the King The said Earle was in great credit at Milan but his brother Master Galeas of Saint Seuerin in greater especially in martiall affaires His Master could now dispose of the estate of Milan as of his owne for the which cause he offered the King great seruices and aide as well of men as mony affirming the enterprise to be of no difficultie This done he and Master Galeas Viscount tooke their leaue and departed leauing behinde them the Earle Charles of Belleioyeuse to entertaine the sute who incontinent put himselfe into French apparell and trauelled so earnestly in this busines that many began to like of the enterprise The King sent into Italie to Pope Innocentius to the Venetians and to the Florentines one named Peron of Basche who had been brought vp in the house of Aniou vnder Duke Iohn of Calabria and was maruellously affectioned to this voiage These practises and runnings to and fro continued the space of seuen or eight moneths and those that vnderstood of this enterprise communed among themselues diuersly of it but none thought that the King would go in person into Italie The Notes 1 Antonel of Saint Seuerin Prince of Salerne and Bernardin Prince of Besignan were brethren Guicciar 2 He meaneth by Kings of Fraunce those Kings of the house of Fraunce that had held the realme of Naples to wit the Dukes of Aniou 3 Viscomte in both these places and diuers others is a proper name not a name of honor and signifieth as much as Biscomte that is tvvise Earle bicause the Viscomti were Lords of Angiera and Milan 4 This captaine meant no treason to the children as the others did but consented to this deede bicause he thought the children in more safetie vvith him than vvith their foolish mother 5 The sense in mine opinion were better to read it qu'il luy feroit then qu'il leur feroit that is that he vvould smite off the captaines head if the place vvere not yeelded for they vvithin vvere out of Lodouics povver 6 The French had it in this sense And another vvho said that he had been a messenger betvveene them but vndoubtedly the place is corrupted and to be read as I haue amended it 7 The Duke of Ferrara had married King Ferrandes daughter named Elenor. 8 Duke Galeas ought to haue come into Fraunce to haue done homage to the King in person but bicause Lodouic vvould not let him depart out of his custodie he found means that it should be done to one sent thither by the King as his deputie for that purpose 9 Genua vvas forfeited and vnder colour thereof the Lord Lodouic had recouered it but bicause it vvas held of the King for the Genuois had giuen themselues to Charles the sixt anno 1394. vvho sent thither for gouernor Iohn de Maingre and aftervvard to Charles the seuenth anno 1446. it could be forfeited to none but to the King but by giuing avvay this inuesture he gaue avvay his right How King Charles the eight made peace with the King of Romanes and the Archduke of Austrich restoring to them the Lady Margaret of Flaunders before he made his voiage to Naples Chap. 3. DVring this delaie aboue mentioned peace was treated of at Senlis betweene the King and the Archduke of Austriche heire of the house of Burgundie for notwithstanding that they were in truce yet a breach happened betweene them bicause the King refused the King of Romaines daughter sister to the said Archduke being verie yoong and married the daughter of Frauncis Duke of Britaine to enioie peaceablie thereby the Duchie of Britaine all the which at the time of this treatie he held saue the towne of Renes and the said daughter being within in it the which was gouerned by the Prince of Orenge hir vncle who had made a marriage betweene hir and the King of Romaines 1 and openly solemnised it in the church by a Practor All the which happened in the yeere 1492. To this treatie aboue mentioned came a great ambassage in fauoure of the Duke of Austriche from the Emperor Frederick who offered to be a mediator for the peace the King of Romains sent thither also 2 and so did the Palzgraue and the Swissers to pacifie this controuersie being all of opinion that it would kindle a great fire for the King of Romains seemed aboue all measure to be iniuried hauing at one time hir taken from him whom he accounted his wife and his daughter sent backe to him which many yeeres had beene Queene of Fraunce but in the end the matter was quietly shut vp and peace concluded For all parties were wearie of war especially Duke Philips subiects who had sustained so many troubles partly bicause of wars with this realme and partly through their owne priuate diuisions that they could no more The peace was concluded but for fower yeeres whereunto the King of Romaines agreed to the end he might repose his subiects and receiue againe his daughter whom some that were about the King and the said daughter made difficultie to restore At this treatie I was present my selfe with the rest of the Kings Commissioners being these Peter Duke of Bourbon the Prince of Orenge the Lord of Cordes and diuers other noble personages and promise was there made to restore to the said Duke Philip all that the King held in Artois for so was it agreed when this mariage was treated of in the yeere 1482. that if it were not accomplished all the landes that were giuen with this Ladie in maraige should returne againe with hir or be restored to Duke Philip. But the said Archdukes men had alreadie surprised Arras and Saint Omer so that onely Hedin Aire and Betune remained to be restored the possession and seniorie whereof were presently deliuered them and they put officers into them but the King held still the castels and might place garrisons in them till the fower yeeres were expired which ended at
the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist in the yeere 1498. at which time he was bound to restore them also to the said Archduke and so he promised and sware to do Whether the alteration of these mariages agreed with the lawes of holy Church or no let others iudge for many Doctors of diuinitie said yea and many nay but were these lawfull or vnlawfull sure all these Ladies were vnfortunate in their issue Our Queene had three sonnes successiuely one after another in fower yeeres one of them 3 liued almost three yeeres and then died and the other two be dead also The Lady Margaret of Austriche was afterward married to the Prince of Castile onely sonne to the King and Queene of Castile and heire both of Castile and diuers other realmes The said Prince died the first yeere of his marriage in the yeere of our Lord 1497. leauing his wife great bellied 4 who immediately after hir husbands death fell in trauel before hir time and was deliuered of a dead borne childe which misfortune the King and Queene of Castile and their whole realme lamented a long time The King of Romanes immediately after this change aboue mentioned married the daughter of Galeas Duke of Milan sister to Duke Iohn Galeas before named the which marriage was made by the Lord Lodouics onely procurement but it displeased greatly both the Princes of the Empire and many also of the King of Romanes friends bicause she was not of a house noble ynough in their opinion to match with their Emperor For as touching the Viscounts of whom the Dukes of Milan are descended small nobilitie is in them and lesse yet in the Sforces for the first of that house was Francis Sforce Duke of Milan whose father was a shoomaker 5 dwelling in a little towne called Cotignoles but a very valiant man though not so valiant as his sonne who by meanes of the great fauour the people of Milan bare his wife being bastard daughter to Duke Philip Marie made himselfe Duke and conquered and gouerned the whole countrie not as a tyrant but as a good and iust Prince so that in woorthines and vertue he was comparable to the noblest Princes that liued in his daies Thus much I haue written to shew what followed the change of these marriages neither know I what may yet heerafter ensue further thereof The Notes 1 Annal. Burgund vvrite vvith Philip the King of Romaines sonne but the best vvriters agree vvith our author 2 Maximilian vvas chosen King of Romaines anno 1486. Funccius 3 Of this childes death he vvriteth lib. 8. cap. 13. 4 Of this Princes death he vvriteth at large lib. 8. cap. 17. 5 Francis Sforces father as some write vvas first a cooke in the campe after he became a soldier and lastly for his valor vvas made a captaine and a knight How the King sent to the Venetians to practise with them before he enterprised his voiage to Naples and of the preparation that was made for the said voiage Chap. 4. NOw to returne to the principall matter you haue heard of the Earle of Caiazzes the other ambassadors departure from the King at Paris and of diuers practises entertained in Italy and how the King as yoong as he was greatly affected this voiage notwithstanding that as yet he discouered his meaning but to the Seneschall and generall onely Further he required the Venetians to giue him aide and counsell in this enterprise who answered him that he should be welcome into Italy but that aide him they could not bicause they stood in doubt of the Turke yet were they in peace with him and as touching counsell it should be too great presumption in them to giue counsell to so wise a Prince hauing so graue a counsell about him but they promised rather to helpe him than hinder him This they tooke to be a wise answer and so was it I confesse But notwithstanding that they gouerne their affaires more circumspectly than any Prince or commonaltie in the world yet God will alwaies haue vs to know that wisedome and forecast of man auaile nought when he is purposed to strike the stroke For he disposed of this enterprise far otherwise than they imagined for they thought not that the King would haue come in person into Italy neither stoode they in any feare of the Turke notwithstanding their forged excuse for the Turke then raigning was a man of no valor 1 but they hoped by this meanes to be reuenged of the house of Arragon which they hated extremely both the father and the sonne bicause by their perswasion as they said the Turke came to Scutary 2 I meane the father of this Turke called Mahumet Ottoman who tooke Constantinople and greatly endammaged the said Venetians But apart to Alphonse D. of Calabria they had many other quarrels for they charged him first as the onely author of the war the D. of Ferrara mooued against them wherin they consumed such infinit treasure that it had well neere cleane vndone them of the which war a word or two hath been spoken before Secondarily that he had sent a man purposely to Venice to poison their cesterns at the least as many as might be come vnto for diuers of them be enclosed and locked They vse there none other water for they are inuironed with the sea and sure that water is very good 3 as my selfe can witnes for twice I haue been at Venice and in my last voiage dranke of it eight moneths togither But the chiefe cause of their hatred against this house of Arragon was none of these aboue rehersed but for that the said house kept them frō growing great as well in Italy as Greece on both the which countries they had their eies fixed notwithstanding they had lately conquered the I le of Cyprus vpon no title in the world 4 For all these considerations the Venetians thought it their profit that war should arise betweene the King and the house of Arragon but they supposed that it could not haue ended so soon as it did that it shuld but weaken their enimies not vtterly destroy them and further that if the woorst fell either the one partie or the other to haue their helpe would giue them certaine townes in Pouille lying vpon their sea coast as also in the end it hapned but they had well neere misreckoned themselues Lastly as touching the calling of the King into Italy they thought it could not be laid to their charge seeing they had giuen him neither counsell nor aide as appeered by their answer to Peron of Basche In the yeere 1494. the King went to Lyons to attend to his affaires but no man 1494. thought he would passe the mountaines Thither came to him the aboue named Master Galeas of Saint Seuerin brother to the Earle of Caiazze with a goodly traine sent from the Lord Lodouic whose lieutenant and principall seruant he was He brought with him a great number of braue horses and armours to run in
and ran himselfe and that very well for he was a yoong and a gallant knight The King entertained him very honorably feasted him sumptuously and gaue him his order This done he returned into Italy But the Earle of Belleioyeuse remained still with the King to hasten the voiage At Genua they began to arme a great nauie whither the King sent the Lord of Vrfé Master of his horse with diuers others In the end he remooued to Vienna in Daulphine about the beginning of August in the same yeere whither the nobles of Genua resorted daily to him wherefore to Genua he sent Lewis Duke of Orleans now King of this realme a yoong gentleman of goodly personage but much giuen to his pleasures of whom in this history ample mention shal be made It was then thought that the said Duke of Orleans should haue led this armie by sea to land in the realme of Naples by the conduct and direction of the aboue named banished Princes of Salerne Bisignan The whole nauie was fowerteene ships of Genua besides a great number of gallies and galleons and the King was as well obeied there in this case as he should haue been at Paris for Genua was vnder the state of Milan where the Lord Lodouic gouerned all hauing none to gainsay him saue onely the Duchesse his nephewes wife daughter to King Alphonse for about this present his father King Ferrande died But the said Lady preuailed little or nothing both bicause men sawe the King in a readines either to passe into Italy himselfe or to send his forces and also bicause hir husband was a very simple man and disclosed all hir dooings to the Lord Lodouic his vncle who had already caused a messenger to be drowned sent by hir to hir father This nauie did no seruice notwithstanding that the charges thereof amounted to three hūdred thousand franks for all the treasure that the K. could leuy was imploied that way by means whereof he was vnfurnished as before I said both of good counsell of money and of al things necessary for such an enterprise yet God of his meere grace as manifestly he declared gaue it good successe I meane not that the King was not wise of his age but he was but two and twenty yeeres old newly crept out of the shell The two aboue named that gouerned him in all this voiage to wit Stephen de Vers Seneschall of Beaucaire and the generall Brissonnet now Cardinall of Saint Malo were men of meane estate and of no experience whereby so much the more appeered the woonderfull worke of God our enimies on the other side were accounted wise of great experience in the wars rich accompanied with wise men and good captaines and in possession of the realme I meane King Alphonse lately crowned by Pope Alexander a Spaniard borne in the realme of Arragon who had the Florentines ioined with him and great intelligence with the Turke He had also a son bearing armes called Dom Ferrande a courteous yoong gentleman of the age of two or three and twenty yeeres who was welbeloued in the realme and a brother also named Dom Frederic who succeeded the said Ferrande in this our age and was a very wise man and led their army vpon the sea He had been long trained vp on this side the mountaines and of him you had often assured me my Lord of Vienna by your knowledge in Astrologie that he should be King so that he once promised me fower thousand franks of yeerely reuenewes in the said realme when that came to passe which promise was made twenty yeeres before the prophesie tooke effect Now to proceede the King altered his minde 5 through the Duke of Milans earnest sollicitation made both by letters by the Earle Charles of Belleioyeuse his ambassador and by the two aboue named Notwithstanding the Generall in the end began to draw backe seeing all men of wisedome and vnderstanding to mislike this voiage for many respects and especially bicause the Kings forces lay abrode in camp in August vnfurnished of monie and all other things necessarie but the Seneschall alone carried the credit from them all so far foorth that the King shewed a countenance of displeasure to the Generall three or fower daies but he soone recouered his fauour againe At this present died one of the Seneschals seruants of the plague as men said for the which cause he durst not repaire to the Kings presence to his great griefe for no man sollicited the voiage but on the contrarie side the D. Duchesse of Bourbon were there laboring all that in them lay to ouerthrow it whereunto also the said Generall encouraged them by means whereof one day the voiage was dashed and another reuiued In the end the King resolued to go and I my selfe mounted on horsebacke with the foremost hoping to passe the mountains the more commodiously with small companie but I receiued a countermand whereby I was aduertised that all was altered againe The selfesame day were borrowed fiftie thousand ducats of a merchant of Milan but the Lord Lodouic deliuered the money vpon assurance made to the said merchant for the repaiment my selfe stood bound for six thousand and others for the rest but this monie was lent without interest The King had borrowed before of the banke of Soly at Genua a hundred thousand franks the interest wherof amounted in fower moneths to 14. thousand franks 6 But some said that the two aboue named had part both in the principall and also in the interest The Notes 1 This Turke was Baiazet the second 2 Scodra in Latin a towne in that part of Dalmatia now called Albania 3 This is rainewater he meaneth 4 VVhy they had no title appeereth by the Pedegree in the end of the worke 5 For he was not minded at the first to haue gone in person 6 That is after the rate of starling money 14. pound in the hundred for fower moneths How King Charles departed from Vienna in Daulphin to conquer the realme of Naples in person and what his nauie vpon the sea did vnder the leading of the Duke of Orleans Chap. 5. TO be short the King departed from Vienna the 23. of August in the yeere 1494. and marched straight towards Ast 1 At Suze Master Galeas of S. Seuerin came to him in poste from whence the King remooued to Thurin where he borrowed all the Duchesse of Sauoyes iewels who was daughter to the late Lorde VVilliam Marques of Montferrat and Duke Charles of Sauoyes widowe the which he engaged for twelue thousand ducats A few daies after he went to Casall to the Marques of Montferrats widow being a wise yoong Lady daughter to the King of Seruia The Turke had conquered hir countrie and the Emperor whose kinswoman she was hauing as I suppose taken hir into his protection had bestowed hir in this house of Montferrat She lent also hir iewels the which were in like maner engaged for twelue thousand ducats Heereby you may perceiue what
To be short their behauiour was such on both sides that their amitie could not long endure but we babbled much more than they not the King himselfe but certaine of his neerest kinsmen 3 In this castell of Pauie was Iohn Galeas Duke of Milan and his wife daughter to King Alphonse in very pitious estate for hir husband being sicke was held in this castell as vnder garde and hir sonne who is yet liuing with a daughter or two The childe was then about fiue yeeres old and him euery man might see but no man might see the Duke for my selfe passed that way three daies before the King and could by no meanes be suffered to come to him Euery body said he was extreme sicke notwithstanding the King spake with him for he was his cosin germane 4 and he hath told me that their communication was onely generall talke bicause he would in no wise offend the Lord Lodouic notwithstanding that he were very desirous to haue aduertised his said cosin of diuers matters At the same time the Duchesse fell vpon hir knees before the said Lodouic desiring him to haue pitie vpon hir father and brother He answered that it could not be But to say the truth she might better haue intreated for hir husband and hir selfe being at that time a goodly yoong Lady From thence the King remooued to Plaisance where the said Lodouic receiued letters that his nephewe the Duke Milan lay at the point of death wherefore he tooke his leaue of the King to go to him The King desired him to returne and so he promised to do Before he came to Pauie the Duke died whereupon he rid incontinent as it were in poste to Milan Al these newes I vnderstood by a letter that the Venetian ambassador resident with the said Lodouic sent to Venice wherein also he aduertised the Seniorie that he meant to make himselfe Duke whichboth the Duke of Venice and the Seniorie vtterly misliked so far foorth that they asked me whether the King would not defend the childe which though reason required that he should yet I made the matter doubtfull considering how necessary an instrument the said Lord Lodouic was at that time for the Kings affaires To be short he made himselfe to be receiued at Milan as Duke which was the onely end as some said why he had caused vs to passe the mountaines Manie also charged him with his nephewes death whose kinsfolkes and friends in Italy were in armes to haue taken the gouernment from him which they would easily haue done had not the Kings comming stopped them For they were already in Romaine as you haue heard But the Earle of Caiazze and the Lord of Aubigny made them to retire For the said Lord of Aubigny had with him a company of a hundred fifty or two hundred men of armes French and a good band of Swissers Dom Ferrande and his forces retired towards their friends dislodging euer halfe a daies iourney before our men and marched towards Furly 5 which belonged to a Lady being a bastard of Milan and widow of the Earle Hieronime nephew to Pope Sixtus 6 This Lady fauored them as the report went notwithstanding after our men had taken by assault a little towne of hirs being first beaten halfe a day with the canon she reuolted to vs being indeed well affected to vs before Further the people of Italy began in all places to take hart and to desire change and alteration for they sawe that which before they had neuer seene I meane the feate of artillerie which they were vnacquainted with which in Fraunce was neuer more practised than at that time The said Dom Ferrande approched still neerer and neerer to his realme and went to Sesenne a faire citie of the Popes in the Marque of Anconne but the people spoiled his carriage stuffe whensoeuer they tooke his men at aduantage And through all Italy they would haue rebelled if the wars had been ordered on our side without spoile but all was done cleane contrary to my great griefe bicause of the honor and renowme the French nation might haue obtained by this voiage For at our first arriuall the people honored vs as saints supposing all faith and vertue to be in vs but their opinion endured not long partly bicause of the disorder and spoile our men vsed and partly bicause of the slanderous reports our enimies made of vs in all places charging vs that we forced women and robbed and carried away money and whatsoeuer we could lay hands on of heinouser crimes they could not haue accused vs in Italy for no nation is so ielous and couetous as the Italian As touching women they belied vs but the rest was not altogither vntrue The Notes 1 He meaneth bicause he vvas a man of no vertue as before is said 2 VVhat right the Duke of Orleans had to it the petegree in the end of the booke will declare 3 He meaneth the Earle of Ligny the King and vvho vvere sisters children 4 King Charles his mother vvas Charlotte and this Dukes mother Bonne both daughters to the Duke of Sauoy 5 It vvas corruptly in the French Sorly for Furly vvhich the old Romaines called Forum liuii 6 Octauian sonne to Hieronime of Riare vvas Lord of Furly and Imola vvith title of Vicar of the Church but he vvas vnder the gouernment of Katherin Sforce his mother heere mentioned Guicciar How Peter of Medices yeelded fower of the Florentines strongest places to the King and how the King restored Pisa being one of them to their ancient liberty Chap. 7. THe King as before you haue heard was at Plaisance where he caused a solemne funerall to be made for his cosin germaine the Duke of Milan for other thing wist he not what to do the new Duke of Milan being departed from him They that best vnderstood the course of these affaires haue told me that the whole cōpany desired to returne home aswel for that they were vnprouided of all things necessarie as also bicause of diuers doubts that were arisen for certaine that at the first seemed to haue great good liking of this voiage began now vtterly to disallow thereof namely the Lord of Vrfé Master of the horse who was not with the King but lay sicke at Genua whence he wrote him a letter giuing him therein to vnderstand of diuers doubts and iealousies whereof he was aduertised But as before I haue said in diuers places God manifestly declared that he himselfe gouerned this enterprise For suddenly in the necke of this letter newes came to the King that the Duke of Milan would shortly return and that the Florentines began to fauor vs in hatred of Peter de Medicis who gouerned them as if he had been their Prince to the great discontentation both of many of his owne neere kinsmen and of diuers also the best citizens namely the Capons the Sonderini 1 the Nerly and in maner the whole citie Wherefore the King departed from
who practised continually after the manner of Italy They being in Rome the Pope in the night receiued Dom Ferrand with his whole forces into the towne whereupon our ambassadors and some fewe of their seruants were staied but the selfe same day the Pope dismissed them Notwithstanding he held still in prison the Cardinall Ascaigne his vicechauncellor and brother to the Duke of Milan and Prospere Coulonne some said by their owne accord Of all these accidents I was aduertised incontinent by the Kings letters but the Seniorie more amplie by their ambassadors All this hapned before the King entred into Viterbe for neither party staied aboue two daies in a place But as touching our affaires they prospered better than we could wish and no maruell for the Lord of Lords gaue them successe as all men might manifestly perceiue This army that lay in Ostie could do no seruice bicause of the foule weather further you shall vnderstand that the force which the Lord of Aubigny led was returned to the King and himselfe also neither had he further charge thereof The Italians were also dismissed that had been with him in Romaine vnder the leading of the Lord Rodolph of Mantua the Lord Galeot of Mirandula and of Fracasse brother to the L. Galeas of Saint Seuerin the which with their said company being to the number of fiue hundred men of armes were well paied by the King for they serued him as before you haue heard The King after his departure from Viterbe remooued to Naples 5 which the Cardinall Ascaigne held Further it is most certaine that while our men lay in Ostie aboue twenty fathomes of Rome wals fell to the ground on the same side they should haue entred The Pope seeing this yoong King come thus suddenly with such successe agreed that he should enter the citie for to saie the truth he could not otherwise choose and desired a safe conduct 6 which the King willingly granted for Dom Ferrand Duke of Calabria and onely son of K. Alphonse who in the night retired to Naples the Cardinall Ascaigne conueying him to the gate 7 Then the King entred the citie in armes as a Prince hauing power to dispose of all things at his pleasure and diuers Cardinals with the gouernors and Senators of the towne came foorth to receiue him He lodged in Saint Markes pallace which is the Culonnois quarter who were his friends and seruants at that time But the Pope retired into the castle of Saint Ange. The Notes 1 This Cardinall was afterwards Pope Iulius the second and prooued a deadly enimie to the French Further this towne of Ostie distressed Rome by meanes that being the very entrie into the riuer of Tyber it kept all victuals from comming to Rome by vvater for the vvhich cause the olde Romanes called the towne Ostia bicause it vvas the very doore or mouth as it vvere of the riuer 2 The factions of Houc and Caballan began in Holland 1444. Berlandus Reade Meyer lib. 16. fol. 300. pag. 2. 3 The King gaue to Fabrice Colonne the countrie of Albe and Taillecousse vvhich vvere before Virginio Vrsins and to Prosper the Duchie of Tracette and the citie of Fondi 4 This Corsique being corrupted in the French vve haue restored according to Panlus Iouius Guicciar hath Corse 5 This is not the citie of Naples but a little tovvne called in the Annales of Fraunce Neple in Latin Nepesum of the Italians Nepi 6 Ferdinande Duke of Calabria refused the pasport Guicciar 7 Ferdinande vvas sonne to Hypolitie sister to Duke Galeas of Milan to the Lorde Lodouic and to this Cardinall How King Alphonse caused his sonne Ferrande to be crowned King and then fled himselfe into Sicilie with a discourse of the euill life that his father the olde Ferrande and he had led Chap. 11. WHo would haue thought that this proude King Alphonse hauing beene trained vp all the daies of his life in martiall affaires that his son and al these Vrsins whose faction was so great in Rome would thus haue abandoned the citie through cowardise especially seeing they knew and vnderstood perfectly that the Duke of Milan began to wauer and the Venetians to stir and to treate of a league which had then been concluded as I was certainly informed if they had made any resistance at Viterbe or Rome to stay the King but a few daies but God meant to shew that all these proceedings passed far the reach and compasse of mans braine And heere note by the way that as the citie wall fell downe so did fifteene fathoms also of the vaumure of the castell of Saint Ange as I haue beene aduertised by diuers especially by two Cardinals there present Now I must returne to speake a word or two of King Alphonse So soone as the Duke of Calabria called the yoong Ferrande was returned to Naples his father King Alphonse iudged himselfe vnwoorthie longer to raigne bicause of the euils he had committed and the manifold cruelties he had vsed against diuers barons and Princes of his realme For you shall vnderstand that whereas his father King Ferrande and he had taken notwithstanding their safe conduct to the number of 24. of them and had held them in prison from the time of their rebellion against the said Ferrande 1 till the hower of his death this Alphonse immediately after his fathers decease for a surplusage of all crueltie caused them miserably to be murthered and with them two other whom his father had also taken vnder safe conduct the one Duke of Sesse 2 a man of great authoritie and the other Prince of Rosane who had married the said Ferrandes sister and had issue by hir a sonne a very goodly gentleman True it is that the said Prince had wrought great treason against him for the which he had well deserued death if he had not been taken vnder safe conduct but King Ferrande to rid himselfe of all feare tooke him that notwithstanding being come to him by his commandement and laide him in a maruellous stinking prison and afterward his said sonne also being betweene fifteene and sixteene yeeres of age Thus had the Prince of Rosane liued a prisoner when King Alphonse came to the state about fower and thirty yeeres But the said Alphonse immediately after his coronation commanded these prisoners to be led into an Iland neere to Naples called Iscle 3 whereof heereafter more mention shall be made and there villanously to be slaine all saue one or two whom he held still in the castell of Naples namely the said Prince of Rosans sonne and the noble Earle of Popoli I haue diligently inquired after what sort he caused them thus cruelly to be murthered for many supposed they had been yet liuing when the King entred into the good towne and citie of Naples and diuers of their principall seruants haue informed me that he caused them villanously and horribly to be slaine by a Moore of Afrike not sparing these ancient Princes some of the which
verie keie as it were of his realme and a place much for his aduantage as well bicause of the riuer as of the mountaine Further he had sent men to defend the straight of Cancello lying among the mountaines sixe miles from Saint Germain yet notwithstanding all this preparation before the Kings arriuall at S. Germain he raised his campe and departed in great disorder abandoning both the towne and the passage Our vaward was led that day by the L. of Guise the L. of Rieux was sent to this strait of Cancello against the Arragonnois but they also before his comming abandoned the place and then entered the King into S. Germain K. Ferrande rid straight to Capoua where they refused to giue his soldiers entrance but receiued his person with a fewe that attended vpon him he staied not there but desired them to continue true and faithfull subiects to him promising the next daie to returne and so departed towards Naples fearing the rebellion that afterwards happened All his force or the greatest part should haue tarried him at Capoua but the next daie when he returned he found them all departed The Lord Virgile Vrsin with his cosin the Earle of Petillane went to Nola where they and all their company were taken prisoners by our men They alleaged that they had a safe conduct and that we did them wrong so had they indeed but their safe conduct was not yet in their hands notwithstanding they paied no ransome but much they lost when they were taken and sure in mine opinion they had wrong done them From Saint Germain the King remooued to Mingamer and to Triague and lodged at Calui two miles from Capoua whither they of Capoua came and yeelded themselues by composition and the King entered into the towne with his whole army From Capoua the next daie he marched to Auersa being in the midway between Capoua and Naples and fiue miles distant from each of them Thither came they of Naples and yeelded themselues in like maner by composition hauing receiued assurance of the King that their ancient liberties should not be infringed nor empaired The King sent thither before him the Marshall Gié the Seneschall of Beaucaire the president Ganay keeper of the Seale and certaine Secretaries whereof King Ferrande being aduertised and seeing the people and Nobles of his realme in armes against him who also at his first arriuall thither had spoiled his stable being maruellous great tooke sea and sailed into Iscle an Iland eighteen miles from Naples 2 then the King was receiued into the towne with great ioy and triumph For all the people came foorth to meete him yea and those first that were most bound to the house of Arragon namely all the Carraffes who held of the saide house of Arragon to the value of forty thousand ducats of yeerely reuenues partly of inheritance and partly of gift from the Prince for the Kings of Naples may giue away their crowne lands so do they also other mens and I thinke there are not three in the realme whose lands be not crowne lands or other mens Neuer people shewed so great affection to Prince or nation as they shewed to the King the reason whereof was bicause now they thought themselues deliuered from all tyranny so that they voluntarily yeelded vnto vs. For al Calabria became French incontinent whither Monseur d'Aubigny and Peron of Basche were sent themselues alone without any force All the countrey of Abrousso 3 yeelded likewise the town of Aquila which hath euer been great friend to the French being the first beginner In like maner all Pouille turned sauing the castle of Brandis which was strong and well manned and Gallipoli which had a garrison in it otherwise the people would haue turned also In Calabria three places held for King Ferrand two of them were Mantie and Turpie ancient partakers with the house of Aniou the which at the first had set vp the armes of Fraunce but bicause the K. gaue them to the L. of Persi and would not receiue them as percell of the demaines of his crowne 4 they reared vp againe the armes of Arragon The third was the castle of Reges which held also for King Ferrande But it was our owne fault that ought held for we sent no forces thither no I am well assured that into Pouille and Calabria there went not men sufficient to haue defended one castell for the King Tarente yeeded both castle towne so did also Otrante 5 Monopoli Trani Manfredonne Barle all the other places the aboue named onely excepted Moreouer the people came from their cities three daies iourney to meet our men and to yeeld themselues To be short the whole realme sent to Naples and all the Princes and noble men repaired thither to do homage to the King sauing the Marques of Pescaire 6 whose brethren and nephewes came notwithstanding The Earle of Acri and the Marques of Squillazo fled into Sicilie bicause the King had giuen their lands to the Lord of Aubigny At Naples also arriued the Prince of Salerne newely come from the sea but hauing done no seruice Thither came also his brother the Prince of Bisignan and his sonnes being accompanied with the Dukes of Melfe of Grauine and the olde Duke of Sora who not long before had solde his Duchie to the Cardinall Petriad Vincula whose brother yet at this day possesseth it 7 To Naples also repaired the Earles of Montorio of Fondi of Tripalda and of Celano who had long been banished out of the realme and was now newely returned with the King The Earle of Troy was there in like maner who was a yoong gentleman of Scotland brought vp in Fraunce and the Earle of Popoli whom we found prisoner at Naples The yoong Prince of Rosane before mentioned after his long imprisonment with his father who had lien in prison fower and thirtie yeeres was at the length deliuered and went with King Ferrand whether willingly or by constraine I know not To Naples came also besides these aboue named the Marques of Guefron with all the Caldoresques and the Earles of Matalon and Merillano the which had both they and their ancestors euer gouerned the house of Arragon To conclude thither repaired all the nobles of the realme the three aboue named onely excepted The Notes 1 For the Coulonnois and certaine of the Kings captaines had been sent about to come vpon King Ferrandes backe These tooke the tovvne of Aquila and all those parts and heere ioyned againe vvith the King bicause they looked for the battell 2 Guicciar saith thirtie miles 3 Samnium or Samnites 4 These vvere lands held in Capite of the King of Naples 5 Hydruntum first yeelded to the French then reuolted againe Guicciar 6 Alphonse Daualo Marques of Pescare Guicciar 7 Iohn de Rouuere prefect of Rome vvas the cardinals brother and he it vvas that held this Duchie How King Charles was crowned King of Naples of the faults he committed in the defence
in the towne spoiled it and burnt both victuals and all that was within it and aboue ten also of themselues being drunke neither could the Marshall Gie by any meanes make them to retire They besieged the castel also meaning to haue done the like to those that were within it being the said Master Iohn Iames of Treuoules seruants whom he had put into it when the garrison of the enimies yeelded it neither would the said Almaines depart thence till the King himselfe sent to them It was great pitie that the towne was thus destroied both bicause of the dishonor we receiued thereby and also bicause there was great plentie of victuals within it whereof we were already in great distresse 1 notwithstanding that the people were no where against vs saue onely the people of the countrie neere to Pontreme bicause of the harmes we did there Now to proceede if the King would haue followed the said Master Iohn Iames his aduise diuers places of the Duchie of Milan would haue yeelded and diuers gentlemen of the countrie haue reuolted to him for he gaue him counsell to reare vp in euery place the yoong Dukes armes whom the Lord Lodouic held in his hands being sonne to Iohn Galeas the Duke that last died at Pauia as before you haue heard But the King refused so to do for the fauor he bare to the Duke of Orleans who pretended and doth yet pretend title to the said Duchie Thus marched the King beyond Pontreme and lodged in a little valley neere to a village that had not ten houses in it the name whereof I know not There he abode fiue daies vpon no occasion his armie being almost famished and his battell lying thirty miles behinde his vaward in the middest of huge and sharpe mountaines ouer the which such great cannons and culuerins passed then as neuer had passed before For Duke Galeas in his time conueied ouer but fower faulcons waying not past fiue hundred pound a peece which was a great woonder in those daies I must now returne to the Duke of Orleans who after he had taken the castell of Nouarre staid there a few daies to no purpose and then went to Vigesue neere to the which were two little townes that sent vnto him offering to receiue him but by wise aduise he refused their offer They of Pauia sent also twise to him to the same end and them he should not haue refused Moreouer he marched in order of battell before the said towne of Vigesne where the Duke of Milans whole force lay being led by the two brethren of Saint Seuerin so often aboue named The town is hardly so good as Saint Martin-de-Candé which is not woorth sixe pence I my selfe arriued there not long after at which time the Duke of Milan being there with certaine of his captaines shewed me the place where both the armies had stood in order of battell hard by the towne and within the towne And if the Duke of Orleans had marched but an hundred paces further they had retired beyond the riuer of Thesin for they stood hard by the riuer side and had built a great bridge of boates ouer it Moreouer I saw them at my being there beat downe a great bulwark of earth which they had made on the other side of the riuer to defend the passage whereby it appeered that they were fully minded if the Duke had marched forward to abandon both the towne and castle which had been much to their disaduantage This is the place where the Duke of Milan vseth most to be resident and sure it is scituate in the pleasantest countrey for all kinde of pastimes especially hauking and hunting that euer I sawe But peraduenture the Duke of Orleans thought the place strong where his enimies lodged and himselfe to haue passed far ynough wherefore he retired to Trecas the Lord whereof who had charge vnder the Duke of Milan and my selfe communed togither of these affaires a fewe daies after To the said towne of Trecas certaine of the principal of Milan sent to the Duke of Orleans promising to receiue him into the towne and offering for performance thereof to deliuer their children in hostage Which their enterprise they might easily haue executed as diuers of great authority being then within the towne and acquainted with all their practises haue aduertised me saying that the Duke of Milan could not haue found men ynow to haue defended the castell of Milan for him bicause both nobles people desired the destruction of this house of Sforce The Duke of Orleans also and his men haue enformed me of these practises aboue mentioned but they had no great affiance in those that negotiated with them and they lacked a man that vnderstood these affaires better than themselues whereunto I also adde that the said Dukes captaines were not all of one opinion as touching this enterprise With the Duke of Milans forces ioined two thousand Almains whom the King of Romanes sent thither and a thousand Dutch horsemen vnder the leading of master Frederic Capelare borne in the countie of Ferrette Their arriuall so much encouraged Master Galeas and his companie that they went before Trecas to present the battell to the Duke of Orleans who refused it notwithstanding that his force were greater then theirs bicause his captaines as I suppose would not hazard the battell fearing least the losse therof should be the Kings destruction of whom they could heare no newes bicause the passages were all stopped wherefore they retired to Nouarre giuing no order for their prouision of victuals no not for the preseruation of the store they had within the towne already much lesse for any new supplie whereof notwithstanding they might plentifully haue been furnished at that time in the countrey about without money whereas afterward they were greatly distressed through their owne follie To conclude their enimies came and lodged within halfe a league of them The Notes 1 The cause of their lacke vvas the barrennes of the countrey How the Kings great artillerie passed the mounts Appenines by the Almains helpe of the danger the Marshall of Gie was in with his vaward and how the King arriued at Fornoue Chap. 5. YOu haue heard how the King vpon no occasion laie in a valley on this side Pontreme fiue daies togither in great distresse of victuals Our Almains did there one great peece of seruice for those that committed this foule fault at Pontreme fearing that they had thereby procured themselues the Kings indignation for euer came and offered to passe the artillerie ouer these monstrous waies in the mountaines for so may I well terme them bicause they were so high and steepe that there lay no beaten way ouer them I haue seene all the highest mountaines both of Italy and Spaine which vndoubtedly are not comparable to these The Almains made this offer vpon condition that the K would pardon their fault which he promised to do We had fowerteene great and massy peeces of artillery
castle of Naples was yeelded by those that the Lord of Montpensier left within it who were forced thereunto partly by famine and partly to recouer the hostages deliuered by the said Montpensier to King Ferrande whose names were Monseur d'Alegre one of the house de la Marche-d'Ardaine one called de la Capelle de Loudonnois 1 one named Iohn Roquebertin Catelan They that were within the castle returned by sea into Fraunce Another great dishonor and losse receiued the King also at the same time which was this Entragues who held the Citadelle of Pisa being the fort that keepeth the towne in subiection deliuered the said Citadelle to the Pisans contrarie to the Kings oth 2 who had twice sworne to the Florentines to restore vnto them the said Citadelle and their other places namely Serzane Serzanelle Pietresancte Librefacto and Mortron which they had lent him in his great necessitie at his first comming into Italy at which time they gaue him also sixescore thousand ducats whereof there remained vnpaid to vs but thirty thousand at our returne home as before you haue heard To be short all these the Florentines places aboue named were solde the Genuois bought Serzane and Serzanelle of a bastard of Saint Paul 3 Pietresancte Entragues solde to the Luquois 4 and Librefacto to the Venetians 5 to the great dishonor both of the King and all his subiects and to the vtter losse of the realme of Naples The first othe the King sware for the restitution of these places as before you haue heard was at Florence vpon the high aultar of the cathedrall Church of Saint Iohn the second in Ast at his returne at which time the Florentines lent him thirty thousand ducats in his great neede vnder condition that if Pisa were restored to them he should repaie no part nor parcell of this summe but they would make restitution of the iewels engaged to them for it and lend him 60000. ducats more which they promised to cause to be paid then presently in the realme of Naples to the Kings forces there They offered further to entertaine continually in the saide realme at their proper costs and charges three hundred men of armes to do the King seruice till the said conquest were fully atchieued of the which conditions none were performed bicause of this euill dealing aboue mentioned Besides that we were forced to restore the thirty thousand ducats that they lent vs all the which inconueniences happened through disobedience and priuy whispering in the Kings eare for some of those that were neerest about him encouraged Entragues to sell these places At the selfe same time within two moneths ouer or vnder in the beginning of this yeere 1496. the Lord of Montpensier the Lord Virgill Vrsin 6 M. Camille Vitelly and the rest of the French captaines seeing all thus lost put themselues into the field and tooke certaine small places But King Ferrande sonne of King Alphonse who was entred into religion as before you haue heard accompanied with the Marquesse of Mantua brother to the said Montpensiers wife and Generall of the Venetians marched against them They found the saide Montpensier lodged in a towne called Atelle a place very commodious for their prouision of victuals and seated on a hill vpon the which our enimies fortified their campe as men fearing the battell bicause the said King Ferrand and his forces had been discomfited in all places as was also the Marques of Mantua at Fornoua where we fought with him The said Marques the Venetians had lent to K. Ferrand with a certaine summe of money but of small value in respect of the places they had in gage for it which were these sixe townes in Pouille of great importance Brandis Trani Galipoli Crana Otrante and Monopoly the last of the which since the Kings departure they had woon from vs. Moreouer in the said summe of money they comprehended the wages of their soldiers that serued the said Ferrand so that they hold these places for two hundred thousand ducats yea and now they require the charges they haue been at in the fortification and defence of them so that I am fully perswaded they minde neuer to restore them for they vse not so to do when towns lie commodiously for them as these do being scituate vpon the Adriatike gulfe so that by meanes of them they are Lords of the said gulfe which is one of the things they chiefely desire and no maruell for it is from Otrante which is the verie point of the said gulfe to Venice at the least nine hundred miles And notwithstanding that the Pope held certaine places also vpon the said gulfe intermingled among these Venetian townes yet were all passengers forced to paie custome to Venice wherefore the possession of these places is more beneficiall to them than the world weeneth for they receiue yeerely from thence great plenty of corne and oile which are two necessarie things for their prouision At the said place of Atelle aboue mentioned our men fell at variance as well for their victuals which began now to diminish as also for their paie the soldiers were vnpaid for eighteene moneths and more by meanes wherof they had liued in great miserie To the Almains also much was due but not so much for all the money that Monseur de Montpensier could leuy in the realme was paied to them yet notwithstanding they were vnpaid for a yeere and more but they had spoiled diuers small townes whereby they were maruellously enriched If the fortie thousand ducats promised them had been sent in time or if they had knowne they should haue receiued them at Florence this variance had neuer hapned but now they remained altogither in despaire diuers of our captaines haue enformed me that if our men would haue agreed to fight they were like enough to haue obteined the victory and if they had been discomfited yet should not their losse haue been so great as by the shamefull composition they made Montpensier and Virgile Vrsin who were the best men of war among them would haue fought and euill hap it was to them that they did not for King Ferrand brake the composition and put them both in prison where they miserablie ended their liues They laid the blame that they fought not vpon Monseur de Persi a yoong gentleman of Auuergne whom they accused as a mutinous knight and disobedient to his captaine You shall vnderstand that in this armie were two sorts of Almaines the first were Swissers to the number of fifteene hundred whom the King left there at his departure from Naples the which serued faithfully euen til the hower of death so that it was impossible for men to serue more valiantly than they did The other sort were those whom we call commonly Launce knights that is to say seruants of the countrie the which hate naturally the Swissers They are of all parts of Germanie as for example of the countries lying vpon the Rhine and of Swobland some
there were also of the countrie of Vaulx in Senonie 7 and some of Gelderland These were to the number of eight hundred newly sent thither with two moneths pay the which being spent before they came thither and at their arriuall there no new pay being found they seeing themselues in this distresse declared that they bare vs no such good will as the Swissers do for they practised with our enimies and turned to King Ferrande for the which cause partly and partly for the diuision that was among our captaines our men made a shamefull appointment with their enimies the which King Ferrande sware to keepe and obserue being forced so to do by the Marquesse of Mantua who thought thereby to assure the person of his brother in lawe Monseur de Montpensier yet notwithstanding the said Ferrande brake the treatie as afterward mention shall be made more at large By the said composition they yeelded both themselues and all the Kings artillerie to their enimies promising further to cause to be rendred all the places that the King held in the realme as well in Calabria where Monseur d'Aubigny was as in L'Abruzzo where Master Gracian des Guerres was togither with the townes of Caietta and Tarente vnder this condition that King Ferrande should send them by sea into Prouence with bag and baggage which was not much woorth but notwithstanding the composition King Ferrande commanded them all to be led to Naples being to the number of fiue or sixe thousand persons or more So shamefull a composition hath not beene made in our time neither do I remember that euer I read of the like saue that which the two consuls of Rome made as rehearseth Titus Liuius 8 with the Samnites whom I suppose to be those of Beneuent at a place called then Furculae Caudinae which is a certaine straight in the mountaines notwithstanding the Romanes would not agree to the composition but sent the two Consuls prisoners to their enimies If our force had fought and beene discomfited yet should not their losse haue been so great as by this composition for two parts of them died either of famine or of the plague in their ships in the yle of Prusse 9 whither they were sent from Naples by King Ferrande and namely there died Monseur de Montpensier himselfe some say of poyson others of an ague which I rather beleeue And I thinke verily that of all this companie neuer returned fifteene hundred for of the Swissers which were thirteene hundred returned but three hundred and fifty all extreme sicke Their faith and loyaltie was greatly to be commended for they all chose rather to die than to serue King Ferrande and so a number of them died in the said yle of Prusse some of heate some of sicknes and some of famine for they were held there a long time in their ships in such penurie and lacke of victuals as is almost incredible I saw them all that returned especially the Swissers who brought backe with theâ— all their ensignes and sure it well appeered that they had endured great miserie for they were all so extreme sicke that when they came foorth of their ships to take the aire they were faine to be staied vp from falling It was also agreed by the said composition that the Lord Virgill Vrsin should returne home to his countrie in safetie and his son all the Italians that serued the King yet notwithstanding the enimies detained him still and his said legitimate sonne also for he had but one and as touching his base sonne called the Lord Charles who was a very valiant gentleman certaine Italians of their companie spoiled him as he repaired homeward If this miserie had fallen but vpon them onely that made this composition they had notbeen greatly to be moned Immediately after King Ferrande had receiued this honor aboue mentioned and married King Ferrande his grandfathers daughter being a yoong maide of thirteene or fowerteene yeeres of age begotten of the King of Castiles sister that now raigneth so that his wife was sister to his owne father King Alfonse he fell into a continuall ague whereof soone after he died and the crowne of the realme descended to King Frederick the said King Ferrandes vncle now presently raigning It abhorreth me to write of such a marriage as this notwithstanding diuers such haue beene contracted in this house of Arragon within these thirtie yeeres King Ferrande died immediately after the composition aboue mentioned made in the towne of Ateâ—â—e the yeere of our Lord 1496. The said Ferrande during his life and Dom Frederick also after he came to the crowne excused the breach of this composition bicause Monseur de Montpensier had not performed the conditions thereof nor rendred the places promised which he could not to say the truth Caietta and diuers others being out of his power For notwithstanding that he were the Kings lieutenant yet were not they that held these places for the King bound to yeeld them at his commandement Although all things well considered the King should haue sustained no great losse if they had then beene yeelded for he spent afterward great treasure in defending and victualling them and yet lost them in the end I my selfe was present three or fower times at the dispatch of those that were sent to victuall and succour first the castels of Naples and thrise after the towne of Caietta And I thinke I should not lie if I said that these fower voiages cost the King aboue three hundred thousand franks and yet all to no purpose The Notes 1 Before cap. 8. he named him de la Chappelle d'Aniou but if Loudonnois be in Aniou the places be reconciled 2 The Venetians paid the monie for the Pisans were not able to redeeme it but after the Citadelle deliuered the Pisans put themselues into the Venetians protection who razed the Citadelle Guicciar 3 This bastards name was de Bienne Guicciar 4 Mutron was also sold to the Luquois Guicciar 5 Librefacto was sold to the Pisans but the Venetians paid the monie Guicciar 6 This Virgill Vrsin is he aboue mentioned who after the Coulonnois reuolt from King Charles turned to him and of his foe became his friend and seruant 7 The French corrector readeth it Sionnie meaning the countrie called in Latin Valesia Sedusiorum whereof Sedunum called in French Sion is the chiefe towne or else he supposeth it should be Vaulx in Sauoy whereof our author maketh mention lib. 5. cap. 1. 8 Decad. 1. lib. 9. 9 Procida it is named by Colleuntius other Italians name it Ponze I suppose it to be that which Plinie lib. 3. cap. 6. calleth Proclita or Prochita saying that it lieth in Sinu Puteolano not far from Naples nor from the yle of Ischia Boccace also Decame 2 nouell 6. reporteth both Procida and Ponze to be neere to Naples Guicciar hath Pozzuole How certaine practises entertained by diuers noble men of Italy on the Kings behalfe as well for the conquest
of Naples as of the Duchie of Milan failed for lacke of sending thither and how another enterprise against Genua sped euill also Chap. 15. THe King after his returne from Naples abode at Lyons a long time as before you haue heard holding iusts turneies It greeued him to lose the places in Italy aboue mentioned which he yet held neither cared he what treasure he spent in defence of them but he would take no paines himselfe in gouerning his owne affaires Moreouer he was aduertised daily of diuers practises entertained on his behalfe in Italy which notwithstanding that they were both dangerous and chargeable yet was he of power sufficient to haue atchieued them bicause his realme is populous plentifull of graine in Prouence and Languedoc and hath also a number of other wealthie countries where money might haue been leuied But if any other Prince besides the King of Fraunce should attend to these Italian practises and aduenture to entermebdle in their enterprises he should but vndoe himselfe spend his treasure and bring nothing to effect For the Italians neither do nor can serue but for money except it be a Duke of Milan or one of the greatest Seniories but a poore captaine be he neuer so well affectioned to the seruice of a King of Fraunce pretending title to the realme of Naples or the Duchie of Milan be he neuer so faithfull and trustie yet shal he not be able to do him seruice any long time after his paiment faileth bicause his men will forsake him and the poore captaine shall be vtterly vndone for the greatest part of them liue onely vpon the credit they win by the seruice of their soldiors who are paied by their captaine and he of him whom he serueth which is the cause why they desire in Italy nothing but factions and ciuile wars But as touching the practises aboue mentioned you shall vnderstand that they began before the towne of Caietta was lost to wit immediately after the King perceiued that the Duke of Milan would not performe the conditions of the treatie of Verceil and continued after the losse of the said towne the whole space of two yeeres after the Kings returne home As touching the said Duke of Milan he brake not his promise altogither vpon malice and trecherie but partly for feare for he doubted that the King would destroy him if he obteined the realme of Naples besides that he accounted the King to be a Prince in whom was no constancie nor assurance But to proceede one of these enterprises aboue mentioned was to inuade the Duchie of Milan after this sort Order was giuen that the Duke of Orleans should go to Ast to enter with a good band of men on that side whom I sawe once so neere his departure that his train was already gone We were sure of the Duke of Ferrareas friendship for he had promised to aide vs notwithstanding that he were the Duke of Milans father in lawe with fiue hundred men of armes and two thousand footemen which his promise vndoubtedly he would haue performed to the end he might haue rid himselfe of the danger he was in lying iust in the midst betweene the Venetians and the said Duke for not long before as I haue already made mention the Venetians had taken from him the Polesan and sought wholy his destruction wherefore he would haue preferred his owne safetie and his childrens before his sonne in lawes friendship yea and peraduenture he thought that the Duke of Milan seeing himselfe in this extremitie would make some appointment with the King 1 Moreouer by the said D. of Ferraraes meanes the Marques of Mantua was become our friend who lately had been and yet was generall of the Venetians but in great ielousie with them and he likewise being discontented with them soiourned with three hundred men of armes with his father in law the Duke of Ferrare for you shall vnderstand that he then had and yet hath to wife the Duches of Milans sister daughter to the said Duke of Ferrara Master Iohn Bentiuoille who gouerneth Bolonia and is as it were Lord thereof promised to aide vs with a hundred and fiftie men of armes and a good band of footemen and to send to the Kings seruice two of his sonâ—â—s who were captaines of certaine companies of horsemen and such was the seat 〈◊〉 countrey that he might haue done great seruice against the Duke of Milan The â—â—orentines who sawe themselues vtterly vndone vnlesse by large expences they recouered their losses fearing to be disseased of Pisa and the other places aboue mentioned 2 would haue furnished eight hundred men of armes and fiue thousand footemen vpon their owne proper costes and charges and had already prouided their paiments for sixe moneths The Vrsins and the Prefect of Rome brother to the Cardinall Saint Peter ad Vincula so often before named being in paie with the King would haue furnished a thousand men of armes but you shall vnderstand that their men of armes are not accompanied with archers as ours be but their wages and ours are much a like for a yeeres pay of one of their men of armes amounteth to a hundreth ducats and the wages of one of ours is double as much bicause of his archers These mercenary soldiers the King should haue paid but as touching the Florentines they should haue paid their forces themselues The Duke of Ferrara also the Marques of Mantua and Bentiuoille offered this aide vpon their owne charge for they hoped to conquer in the Duchie of Milan as much as should counteruaile their coste And if the Duke of Milan had been suddenly inuaded by the Duke of Orleans and all these aboue rehearsed at one instant his confederates namely the Venetians could not haue succoured him though they would haue spent all their treasure in his defence before he must haue been forced to reuolt to the K who would haue kept these Italians in the field a long time And the Duchy of Milan being once woon the realme of Naples would haue yeelded of it selfe The stay of this goodly enterprise proceeded of the Duke of Orleans who suddenly altered his minde the night before he should haue departed for he had already sent before him all things necessarie for his person and none remained to depart but himselfe onely for the army was in a readines their wages paid them they all gone before to Ast being to the number of eight hundred men of armes French and sixe thousand footemen among the which were fower hundred Swissers But the said Duke of Orleans being thus suddenly altered besought the King twice to propound this matter againe to his counsell and so he did I my selfe was present at the debating of it both the times and the whole Counsell concluded that he should go not one man speaking to the contrarie notwithstanding that there were present at each time ten or twelue Counsellors at the least And sure so had it beene most conuenient considering
sped euill and the Duke of Milan who had been greatly distressed if Master Iohn Iames had beene suffered to inuade him with the whole force was now strong for the Venetians had sent diuers bands to his aide Whereupon our armie retired our footemen were dismissed and these little townes that were taken abandoned and thus ended these wars finally to the Kings profit who consumed infinite treasure in them The Notes 1 Vnderstand against the Venetians by the which meanes he might haue recouered the Polesan and the rest that they withheld from him 2 For you must vnderstand that these practises began before their places were sold 3 This Cardinall was borne at Sauonne Of certaine controuersies betweene King Charles and Ferrande King of Castile and of the ambassadors that were sent to and fro to pacifie them Chap. 16. WHat happened from the Kings returne out of Italie which was about 3. or 4. moneths before the end of the yeer 1495. till the beginning of the yeere 1498. I haue already rehearsed for all that space I was resident in the Court and present at the dispatch of most part of those affaires The King rode about from Lyons to Moulins and from Moulins to Tours holding tourneies and iusts in all places and minding nothing else Those that were of the greatest authoritie about him were so diuided that more they could not be for some of them would that the conquest of Naples should still continue bicause their profit and credit depended thereupon namely the Cardinall 1 and the Seneschall 2 who gouerned all the Kings affaires on the otherside the Admirall who before this voiage had borne all the sway with the yoong King would in any wise that these Italian enterprises should cease and trauelled to ouerthrowe them knowing that the quailing of them would turne greatly to his profite and be a meanes whereby he might recouer his former credit and authoritie and the others fall into disgrace Thus passed the Kings affaires about a yeere and a halfe during the which space he sent ambassadors to the King and Queene of Castile who were in war with him and whose friendship he greatly desired bicause they were mightie both by sea and land And notwithstanding that they did no great exploit vpon the land yet had they sent great aide by sea to King Ferrande and King Frederick of Naples for the yle of Sicilie is distant from Reges in Calabria but a league and a halfe so that some hold opinion it was once firme land with Italie 3 and that the sea breaking in made this straight 4 now named the Far 5 of Messine The said yle of Sicilie was then and yet is in subiection to the King and Queene of Castile who sent from thence great aide to Naples as well of great ships called Carauels that came out of Spaine as also of men Moreouer in the yle of Sicilie itselfe a companie of men of armes was leuied the which passed into Calabria with a certaine number of genetarios 6 and made war vpon the Kings forces there Besides this their ships were continually with the confederates nauie by means whereof when all their forces were togither the King was much too weake for his enimies vpon the sea but otherwise the King of Castile endammaged him not much True it is that once a great companie of horsemen entred into Languedock and spoiled the countrie and lodged in it three or fower daies but other exploit did they none Then the Lord of Saint André in Bourbonnois who defended those frontiers for the Duke of Bourbon the Kings lieutenant in Languedock attempted to take Sausses a little towne in the countrie of Roussillon bicause on that side they had inuaded the Kings dominions about two yeeres before For you shall vnderstand that the King had restored vnto them the said countrie of Roussillon 7 whereof the territorie of Parpignan is parcell in the which this little towne of Sausses is situate His enterprise was great and dangerous for the towne was well manned though it were but small and a great number of gentlemen of the King of Castiles house were within it besides that their armie being stronger than ours lay abrode in the fields encamped within a league of the place yet notwithstanding the said Lord of Saint André so wisely and closely guided his enterprise that within ten howers he tooke the towne by assault as my selfe can witnes and at the breach were slaine thirtie or fortie Spanish gentlemen of marke among whom was the Archbishop of Saint Iames his sonne besides three or fower hundred common soldiers They thought not that the towne could haue been taken so suddenly for they vnderstood not the feate of our artillerie which vndoubtedly is the best in the world This is all the exploit that was done between these two Princes whereof though the effects were but small yet great was the shame and dishonor the King of Castile receiued thereby his armie being so strong as it was but where God is disposed to punish commonly such small scoruges run before For the said King and Queen of Castile were shortly after otherwise punished and so were we also But sure as touching them they much stained their honor in violating their othe giuen to the King who had dealt so bountifully with them by restoring them the countrey of Rousillon the fortification and defence whereof had beene so chargeable to his father who had it in pawne for three hundred thousand crownes which summe also the King forgaue them all to the end they should not impeach nor hinder his voiage to Naples Moreouer they renued the ancient league betweene Fraunce and Castile which is between King and King realme and realme and man and man of their subiects and promised not to hinder his said conquest nor marie any of their daughters into Naples England or Flanders which straight offer of mariage proceeded of themselues for a Frier Franciscan called Frier Iohn de Mauleon made this ounerture on the Queene of Castiles behalfe Yet all this notwithstanding so soone as they saw the war begun and heard that the King was at Rome they sent ambassadors round about to enter into league against him and namely to Venice I being there present where the league aboue mentioned was concluded betweene the Pope the King of Romans them the Seniore of Venice and the Duke of Milan immediately whereupon they inuaded the Kings dominions alleaging that such a promise was not to be performed meaning the marriage of their children being fower daughters and one sonne into the houses aboue mentioned which ouuerture notwithstanding proceeded of themselues as before you haue heard But to returne to the matter After these wars in Italy were ended and all lost in the realm of Naples saue Caietta which the K. yet held when these treaties of peace began betweene him and the King and Queene of Castile but soone after lost also and the wars in the countrey of Roussillon being in like maner
ended so that none sought to endammage other but each partie to defend their own They sent to King Charles a gentleman accompanied with certaine Monks of Montferrat for all their affaires they gouerned by such men either to saue charges thereby or to dissemble by such instruments with the lesse suspition as for example they did by Iohn de Mauleon the Frier Franciscan aboue named who perswaded the King to restore vnto them the countrey of Roussillon These ambassadors at their first audience besought the King to forget the great wrong the King and the Queene had done him I name alwaies the Queene bicause the crowne of Castile mooued by hir and bicause hir authority was greater there than hir husbands and vndoubtedly this was a very honorable mariage betweene the King hir husband and hir Then these ambassadors began to treat of truce desiring to haue all their league comprehended therein The ouuertures they made were these that the King should keepe the possession of Caietta and the other places he yet held in the realme of Naples and that during the truce he might victuall them at his pleasure Further that there should be a place assigned whither all the Princes of the league should send their ambassadors at the least as many as would to treat of peace the which being concluded the said King and Queene meant to continue their conquest or enterprise against the Moores and to passe the sea out of Granado into Africk there to inuade the King of Fessa who was their next neighbour on that side Notwithstanding some were of opinion that they meant rather to hold themselues contented with that they had already conquered I meane the realme of Granado which vndoubtedly was the greatest and honorablest conquest that hath been obteined in our time 8 yea such as their predecessors were neuer able to atchieue And I wish with all my hart for the honor I beare them that they had neuer mooued other war than this but had faithfully performed their promise to the King The King sent the Lord of Clerieux in Daulphine backe into Castile with their ambassadors and sought to conclude a peace or truce wherein their confederates should not be comprehended notwithstanding if he had accepted their offer made by these their ambassadors he had saued Caietta which had been sufficient for the recouerie of the whole realme of Naples considering the great fauour he had there The said de Clerieux at his returne brought a new ouuerture for Caietta was lost before he entred into Castile which was that the King and they should renew their former ancient league and attempt betweene them at equall charges the conquest of all Italie wherat the two Kings should be togither in person but they said they would first conclude a generall truce wherein all their league should be comprehended and then assigne a diet at some place in Piemont whither euery of their confederates should send their ambassadors to the end they might honorably depart from their said league All this ouuerture as we suspected then and vnderstood perfectly afterward was but meere dissimulation to win time to the end King Ferrand while he liued and afterward Dom Frederic newly crowned King might repose themselues notwithstanding I thinke they wished with all their harts the said realme of Naples to be their owne and sure they had better title to it than they that possessed it9. But vndoubtedly the house of Anious right which the King had was the best although to say the truth considering both the seate of the countrey and the disposition of the people that inhabite it me thinke he hath best right to it that can get it for they desire nothing but alteration The King afterward sent the aboue named de Clericux back againe into Castile one Michaell of Grammont with him with certaine other ouertures This de Clerieux bare some affection to these Princes of Arragon and hoped to obtaine of them the Marquisat of Cotron in Calabria which the King of Spaine conquered in the last voiage that his men made thither The said de Clerieux pretended title to it and he is a good plaine dealing man and one that will easily giue credit especially to such personages as these were At his second returne he brought with him an ambassador from the King and Queene and made his report to the King which was that they would hold themselues contented with that part of the realme of Naples that lies next to Sicilie to wit Calabria for the right that they pretended to the said realme and that the King should hold the rest and farther that the said King of Castile would be in person at this conquest and beare equall charges in all things with the King and indeed he held then and yet holdeth fower or fiue strong places in Calabria whereof Cotron is one which is a good and a well fortified citie I was present at this report which seemed vnto most of vs but meere abuse and dissimulation Wherefore it was determined that some wise man should be sent to them to sound the bottom of this ouuerture and thereupon the Lord of Bouchage was ioined in commission with the former ambassadors he was a man of deepe iudgement and one that had been in great credit with King Levvis and so is he also at this present with King Charles his sonne The Spanish ambassador that came with de Clerieux would neuer auow his report but answered that he thought the said de Clerieux would not make the report if the King his Master and the Queene had not willed him so to do which answer caused vs so much the more to suspect their dissimulation besides that no man would beleeue that the King of Castile would go in person into Italy or that he either would or could beare equall charges with the King After the said Lords of Bouchage Clerieux and Michaell of Grammont with the rest of their collegues were come to the K. and Queene of Castiles court they lodged them in a place where no man could com to commune with them for the which purpose also certaine were appointed to watch their lodgings But they themselues spake thrise with them when the said du Bouchage aduertised them of the report aboue mentioned made to the King by de Clerieux and Michaell of Grammont they answered that they would willingly endeuor themselues to conclude a peace for the Kings honor and profit And as touching the said report they confessed that indeed such speech had passed them by way of communication but not otherwise with the which answer de Clerieux being discontented and not without cause aduowed his report to be true before them both in the presence of the said Lord of Bouchage who with the rest of his companions concluded a truce the King hauing two moneths respit to accept it or refuse it wherin their confederates were not comprehended but their sonnes in lawe and the fathers of their sonnes in lawe namely the
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
Francesco Gonzaga 2 Nicholas succeeded Borso but his vncle Hercules right heire expelled him and seeking to recouer the state he was taken and beheaded by Sigismundus his other vncle 1 Borso a bastard succeeded his brother bicause his brothers son was yoong he was created the first Duke of Ferrara by the Emperor Frederic 3 Hercules expelled Nicholas his nephew he was generall to the Florentines Venetians and Milanois This is he so often mentioned in this historie m. Leonora daughter to Ferdinand King of Naples Betrice married Lodouic Sforce Duke of Milan Alfonse m. Lucretia daughter to Alexander the 6. Biâ—â—op of Rome Franciscus Hippolitus a Cardinall 5 Hercules m. Renee daughter to Lewis the 12. King of Fraunce 6 Alfonsus D. of Ferrara Luigi Cardinall of Este m. Laura Alfonsus Alfonsinus â— Elizabeth married Francis Gonzaga the Marquesse of Mantua mentioned in this storie Sigismundus The pedegree of Francis Marques of Mantua so often mentioned in this historie The familie of Gonzagua had gouerned Mantua before this Francis from the yeer 1328. vnder this Francis Iohn Galliazzo besieged Mantua a yeere but preuailed not this Francis serued the Duke of Milan and the Venetians Francis died anno 1407. Iohn Francis first Marques of MaÌ„tua made by the Emperor Sigismundus was thrice generall to the Venetians died anno 1443. m. Paola daughter to Malatesta Lord of Rimini Luigi liued in the time of Frederick the third m. Barbara daughter to the Marques of Brandenburg Luigi Francis a cardinall Frederick was generall to the Duke of Milan and the Venetians m. Margarita Tedesca Francis in the age of 38. yeeres fought with Charles the 8. at Laro died 1520. m. Elizabeth daughter to Hercules Duke of Ferrara Hercules a Cardinall Frederick made general of the Church by Pope Leo and so confirmed by his successors made D. by Charles the fift he died 1539. Montferrat m. Margaret daughter and heire of William Paleologus marques of Montferrat William Francis Lewis Frederick Ferdinandus generall of Milan to the Emperor Charles the fift Iohn Francis Rodolfe m. Margaret daughter to the Duke of Bauiera Charles troubled his brother but was chased away by him died in very poore estate Lucedus was mishapen Alexander croked backed was a monke How Ferdinand King of Arragon had more right to the realme of Naples than the Kings of the house of Arragon that possessed it as writeth Commines Lib. 8. cap. 17. 1 Iohn the first of that name King of Castile m. Daughter to Ferdinand the first King of Portugale Castile 2 Henry the third King of Castile and Leon. Mary wife to Alfonse King of Arragon and Naples 3 Iohn the second 4 Henry the fourth married a daughter of the King of Portugale Elizabeth put froÌ„ the crowne by hir aunt Commin Lib. 5. cap. 7. 5 Elizabeth succeeded hir brother putting hir neece from the crowne as a bastard Castile and Arragon vnited 4 m. Ferrand King of Arragon and Castile by his wife so often mentioned in these Italian wars Katharine wife to Henry the eight King of England Iane married Philip Archduke of Austrich 6 Charles the fift Emperor Iohn married Margaret daughter to Maximilian the Emperor died before his father m. Elenor daughter to Peter King of Arragon Arragon 1. Ferrand Earle of Medina del Campo K. of Arragon This Ferrande obtained the realme of Arragon anno 1407. bicause his mother was daughter to king Peter whose heire male failed in Martin his nephew and notwithstanding that Martin had a daughter yet Ferrande obtained the crowne to hir preiudice 3 Iohn succeeded his brother in Arragon but in Naples Ferrand his brothers bastard succeeded Ferrand King of Arragon and Castile by his wife so often mentioned in these Italian wars Castile and Arragon vnited 4 m. 5 Elizabeth succeeded hir brother putting hir neece from the crowne as a bastard Katharine wife to Henry the eight King of England Iane married Philip Archduke of Austrich 6 Charles the fift Emperor Iohn married Margaret daughter to Maximilian the Emperor died before his father Charles King of Nauarre sans issue Iane Queene of Portugale Mary married Iohn the secoÌ„d K. of Castile 2 1 Naples Alfonse adopted by Iane Queene of Naples who after adopted Lewis Duke of Aniou 2 Ferrande the bastard succeeded his father in the realme of Naples died a little before King Charles came into Italy 5 Frederick succeeded his nephew Ferdinand led after into Fraunce by Lewis the 12. Ferdinand married Germain widow to King Ferdinand of Arragon 3 Alfonse fled when K. Charles came into Italy 4 Ferdinand chased from Naples by King Charles but after recouered the realme died sans issue Isabella wife to Iohn Galeas Duke of Milan Elizabeth wife to Hercules Duke of Ferrara The King of Spaine had better right to Naples than Alfonse that possessed it when King Charles came into Italie bicause Alfonses father was a bastard King Ferrands father being the first Alfonses brother ought to haue succeeded him before his base sonne Further you shall vnderstand that after Frederick was led into Fraunce by Lewis the 12. the said K Lewis enioied Naples but within fower yeeres Ferrande King of Arragon by the great captaine Consaluo chased King Lewis out of the realme and left it to his nephew Charles the Emperor from whom the French K. could neuer recouer it but at this day it is in the possession of the King of Spaine sonne to the said Emperor Charles FINIS Faults escaped Page 3. line 1. reade to wit a pag. 7. lin 13. r. armie Of ead lin dele lin 28. r. Seniories pag. 8. l. 9. dele and ead p. l. vlt. r. of Coulches p. 11. l. 28. r. with them p. 13. l. 22. r. the best ead p. l. vlt. r. Seniories p. 14. l. 41. r. and La Marche p. 17. l. 8. r. flying p. 18. l. 12. r. them not ead p. l. 13. r. before My ead p. l. 32. r. aduise p. 19. l. 21. r. and in a p. 24. l. 46. r. of Aniou p. 27. l. 4. r. 6. of September ead p. l. 38. r. quirace p. 28. l. 32. r. this companie p. 29. l. 5. r. scouts p. 31. l. 43. r. ditch notwithstanding the truce No p. 38. l. 5. r. florens ead p. l. 26. r. cordingly p. 39. l. 31. dele with p. 40. l. 2. r. his campe p. 46. l. 9. r. the canon ead p. l. 44. r. Noone drew p. 47. l. 8. r. stayning ead p. l. 31. r. 6 ead p. l. 32. r. 5 p. 49. l. 7. r. vpon our ead p. l. 38. r. After these p. 50. l. 4. r. of the which p. 54. l. 32. r. goodly p. 59. l. 2. r. rased their wals but ead p. l. 35. r. Romont p. 61. l. 36. r. Angien p. 63. l. 42. r. or Herbart p. 64. l. 38. r. Estelle p. 66. l. 5. r. Ferrette p. 68. l. 34. r. haue had but ead lin r. sixtie thousand p. 69. l. 25. r. hardinesse ead p. l. 43. r. bounds of p. 74. l. 47. r. foorthwith p. 77. l. 1. r. touching the p. 78. l. 23. r. and Desmeries p. 79. l. 9. r. Polence p. 80. l. 13. r. bounds p. 82. l. 4. r. to Gaunt p. 83. l. 9. r. his principall ead p. l. 24. r. to repaire p. 84. l. 41. r. and receiued p. 85. l. 48. r. in feare p. 87. l. 44. r. foorth on foote p. 91. l. 24. r. the very p. 94. l. 13. r. what port the ead p. l. 38. r. three thousand p. 98. l. 35. r. the others p. 106. l. 20. r. cause p. 107. l. 2. r. foade p. 109. l. vlt. r. six score soldiers p. 111. l. 12. r. the onely p. 117. l. 17. r. these Dutch p. 118. l. 5. r. than in any p. 120. l. 2. r. church Then ead p. l. 7. r. 1474. Meyer p. 127. l. 2 r. is it p. 134. l. 2. r. stoutly denied p. 138. l. 43. r. a marrish p. 139. l. 32. r. whereof p. 150. l. 23. r. debebant p. 154. l. 21. r. preparation p. 155. l. 38. r. most of the which p. 16◠〈…〉 p. 164. 〈…〉 p. 165. l. 32. r. great p. 176. l. vlt. r. Burgund pa. 988. p. 179. l. 13. r. ride p. 186. l. 36. r. had good p. 196. l. 33. r. begin p. 201. l. 39. r. to the king his p. 205. l. 40. r. Burgundish p. 208. l. 21. dele had p. 224 l. 6. r. This second p. 227. l. 23. r. in the towne p. 240. l. 16. r. to proceed p. 243. l. 18. r. a number ead p. l. 37. r. which is called p. 253. l. 33. r. vantmures p. 254. l. 25. r. Fougieres p. 260. l. 45. r. was sent p. 261. l. 30. r. Dabecsin p. 263. l. 16. r. commendation p. 267. l. vlt. r. foorth to p. 274. l. 17. r. Proctor ead p. l. vlt. r. they lawfull p. 276. l. 21. r. first voiage p. 278. l. 41. r. Treuâ—ul p. 280. l. vlt. dele Duke p. 281. l. 3. dele Duke p. 284. l. 21. r. also of the p. 291. l. 16. r. Caballiau p. 292 l. 40. r. Caballiau p. 293. l. 19. r. vantmure ead p. l. 43. r. Rosanes p. 294. l. 9. r. Picinino p. 295. l. 12. r. ride about p. 296. l. 14. r. for cruell p. 297. l. 4. r. Aenaria p 306. l 38. r. their other ead p. l. 48. r. places than they p. 307. l. 8. r. accompanie ead p. l 31. r. Otrante p. 313. l. 4. r. or Musiua p. 316. l. 17. r. and two p. 318. l. 16 r. and voluntarily p. 319. l. 39. r. Luques p. 325. l. 18 r. Albanie p. 335. l. 7. r. the Florentines p. 342. l. 4. r. enimies nauie p. 350. l. 3. r. they might p. 380. r. Iane daughter heire to Robart of Bar E. of Marle p. 391. r. Cosmus died the 80. yeere of his age We must intreate the Readers patience for these faults escaped and that he will amend the booke according to this table before he enter into the reading thereof