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
seeing himselfe shut into this little castell and a number of archers before the gate stood in great doubt of his person the rather bicause he lodged hard by a great tower in the which an Earle of Vermandois had in times past caused a King of Fraunce one of his predecessors to be slaine 2 I was yet in seruice with the Duke and one of his priuie chamber into the which I entred at my pleasure according to the vse of this house of Burgundie The Duke when the towne gates were shut commanded all men to voide his chamber and said to two or three of vs that taried with him that notwithstanding he for his part had neuer any taste in this meeting but agreed to it onely to content the King yet the King on the contrarie side was come thither purposely to abuse him Then rehearsed he all these newes of Liege how the King had ordered the matter by his ambassadors and caused all his men to be slaine and such a rage he was in against the King and so threatened him that I thinke verily if those to whom he spake had pressed forward the matter and counselled him to worke the King some mischiefe he would haue done it at the least haue imprisoned him in the great tower aboue mentioned None were present when these words passed the Duke but my selfe and two groomes of his chamber one of the which was named Charles of Visin borne at Dyion an honest gentleman and in good credit with his master We mitigated this matter and sought to appease the Duke as much as in vs lay notwithstanding soone after he vsed also the like speech to others by meanes whereof it was blowen all ouer the towne and came at length into the Kings chamber who was in maruellous feare as vniuersally all men were bicause of the great euils they saw like to ensue a quarrell begun betweene two so great Princes who sure were both blame woorthie for that they aduertised not their seruants of this meeting who were far from them executing their commandements whereby some great inconuenience was sure to ensue The Notes 1 These were chanons of S. Lambert in Liege the which were not forced to be priests but might come foorth and marrie if they had not soong masse Guicci 2 This Earle of Vermandois was named Hebart or Herbau and the King of Fraunce Charles le Simple whom this Hebart slue in the towre heere mentioned anno 926. or after Annal. Burgund 921. bicause the King had slaine in battell Robert Duke of Aquitaine or after some of Aniou who had married this Hebarts sister But note heere poenam talionis vpon the King for as he was staied heere notwithstanding the Dukes safe conduct so had he himselfe taken and imprisoned by the space of two yeeres Philip Lord of Bresse hauing called him to him vnder his safe conduct Meyer Of the Lord of Bresses imprisonment our author maketh mention in the fift chapter of this booke A discourse wherein is shewed that an enteruiew betweene two great Princes for treatie of their affaires hurteth more than profiteth Chap. 8. IT is great folly for two Princes being in manner of equall force and estate to meete togither vnlesse it be in their youth when their mindes are wholy set vpon pleasures and pastimes but after they are come to mans estate and growen desirous to encroch each vpon other such enteruiewes do but increase their hatred and euill will though happily their persons might be there in safetie which notwithstanding I hold almost for a thing impossible Wherefore it is better to pacifie all controuersies by wise and discreete men as before I haue said for proofe whereof I will reherse certaine examples that haue happened in my tyme some of the which I my selfe haue seene and of the rest haue beene credibly enformed A few yeers after King Lewis his coronation before the war called the WEALE PVBLIQVE began a sollemne meeting was appointed between him and the King of Castile 1 which are the two neerest confederated Princes in Christendome for their league is betweene King and King Realme and Realme and man and man of their subiects which also they are both bound vnder great curses to keepe and obserue inuiolable To this meeting came Henry King of Castile with a goodlie traine to Fontarabia and the King our Master to Saint Iohn de Luz fower leagues distant both of them being vpon the frontires of their dominions I was not present my selfe at this meeting but I haue heard both the King and the Lord of Lau make report thereof and haue beene enformed of it also by certaine Lords of Castille there present with the King their Master who came to this enterview accompanied with the Lord great Master of Saint Iames and the Archbishop of Tolledo which two bare all the swaie in Castile at that time the Earle of Lodesme the King of Castils minion was there also in great brauerie and all the said Kings gard being to the number of three hundred horse all Moores of Granado and some of them Negros But K. Henry himselfe was a man of so small vnderstanding that he gaue away all his inheritance at the least suffered euery man that would to spoile him of it our King was also accompanied with a goodlie traine as you know his vse was but his gard especially was braue in verie good order To this meeting came in like maner the Queene of Arragon about a controuersie betweene hir and the King of Castile for Estell and certaine other places in Nauarre whereof the King was made arbitrator But now for proofe that such enterviews between great Princes are not meet nor conuenient you shall vnderstand that these two Kings had neuer beene at variance there was no quarrell betweene them neither saw they one another past once or twise vpon a riuer side that parteth both their realmes 2 hard by a litle castell called Heurtebise where the King of Castile passed to the hither side of the riuer At their first meeting they had no great liking one of another especially our King who perceiued the King of Castille to be but a simple man doing nothing of himselfe but whollie gouerned by the great Master of Saint Iames and the Archbishop of Tolledo aboue mentioned Wherefore he made no account of their Master but sought their freindship whereupon they came to him to Saint Iohn de Luz where he entred into amitie with them and had great intelligence by their meanes The greatest part of both these Princes traines lay at Bayonne and at the verie first meeting fell togither by the eares notwitstanding their league and no maruell For their maners and languages differed Afterward the Earle of Lodesme came also to visite the King and passed the riuer in a boate the saile whereof was cloth of gold Farther he ware a paire of buskins embrodred thicke with stone for he was a Prince of great wealth and reuenews in Castille and created
since the Duke of Albourg In the end these two confederate nations began to scoffe and iest each at other the King of Castile was deformed and the French misliked his apparell wherefore they derided him Our King ware his apparell very short and maruelous vncomely and was clad somtime in very course cloth besides that he ware an old hat differing from all the rest of his company and an image of lead vpon it whereat the Castilians iested saying that this proceeded of misery Thus ended this enterview with such scoffes and taunts that afterward these two Princes neuerloued togither Farther great dissention arose among the King of Castiles seruants which continued till his death and long after in such sort that I haue seene him the poorest Prince that euer raigned and abandoned of all his seruants and subiects The Queene of Arragon departed also discontented for the King pronounced sentence for the King of Castile Wherfore both the King of Arragon hir husband and she hated him euer after And notwithstanding that they vsed his helpe a while in their necessity against the towne of Barcelonne yet endured not their friendship but wars arose betweene them which continued aboue sixteene yeeres and the controuersie remaineth yet vndecided Now to proceed to other examples Duke Charles of Burgundy since the time aboue mentioned by his owne great sute and sollicitation met with the Emperor Fredericke now raigning at Treues 3 where the Duke made great preparation to shew his pompe and magnificency The Emperor and he treated there of many matters and among the rest of their childrens mariage which was afterward accomplished But when they had been togither a certaine space the Emperor to the Dukes great reproch and dishonor departed without leaue taking wherefore they neuer loued after neither themselues nor their subiects The Almains disdained the Dukes pompe and lofty maner of speech saying that it proceeded of pride the Burgundians on the contrary side despised the Emperors small traine and simple attire To be short this iar grew so great that the wars of Nuz sprang thereof I was also at Saint Paul in Artois when the Duke of Burgundy and King Edward of England met there 4 The Duke had maried his sister they were companions of one order and abode there togither two daies The Kings seruants were deuided into two factions and both the parties complained to the Duke who enclining more to the one than the other encreased their hatred and notwithstanding that he aided the King for the recouery of his realme out of the which he was chased by the Earle of Warwick and furnished him both of men money and ships yet after this meeting they neuer loued togither neither could affoord each other a good word I was likewise at Bruxels when the Palszgraue of the Rheine came thither to the Duke of Burgundy where he was honorably receaued sumptuously feasted and lodged in a chamber richly furnished The Dukes men reported the Almains to be slouens and void of ciuility alledging that they threw their mirie bootes vpon their rich and stately beds wherefore they made lesse account of them then before they knew them The Almains on the contrary side like enuious persons misliked this great pompe To conclude after this they neuer loued togither neither sought to pleasure one another I saw also the meeting of the Duke of Burgundy and D. Sigismunde of Austrich 5 who solde vnto the said Duke the County of Ferret bordering vpon the County of Burgundy for a hundred thousand gildons not being able to defend it against the Switzers These two Princes liked not greatly one another Afterward also Duke Sigismunde made peace with the Switzers and tooke againe the said County of Ferret without paying backe the money whereof ensued infinite harmes to the Duke of Burgundy At the selfe same time also came the Earle of Warwick to the Duke who after their meeting were mortall enimies each to other I was also present at the enteruiewe betweene the King our master and King Edvvard of England at Picquigny 6 neere to Amiens whereof I will make mention heereafter more at large All that they did there was but meere dissimulation for they performed no whit of that they promised And notwithstanding that they were neuer after in war togither bicause the sea seuered them yet perfect friendship was there none betweene them Wherefore to conclude this discourse me thinke that two great Princes minding to continue in amity ought neuer to meete togither The occasions of troubles that arise at such assemblies are these their seruants can not refraine from talking of matters past and words will easely be taken in euill part Secondarily it is impossible but that the traine of the one should be in better order then the other where of scoffes arise which they that are scoffed stomacke Thirdly if they be two nations their language and apparell differ and that that pleaseth the one displeaseth the other Last of all it commonly hapneth that the personage of the one Prince is comlier and better to be liked than the other wherefore he is praised and reioiceth and glorieth to heare his owne commendation which cannot be without the dispraise of the other And notwithstanding that three or fower daies peraduenture after the assembly ended these matters be communed of closely couertly in mens eares yet by vse they fall in time in open talke at dinners and suppers and so are reported to both the parties for fewe things in this world can be concealed especially tales and reports Thus you haue heard the reasons and examples that I my selfe haue seene touching this point The Notes 1 The meeting of the King and the King of Castile was anno 1463. 2 The riuer where the two Kings met was named Audaye 3 The meeting betweene the Emperour and the Duke was saith Munster anno 1469. Berlandus saith anno 1472. Meyer 1473. the 28. of September 4 VVhat yeere the meeting of King Edward and the Duke was appeereth afterwards lib. 3. cap. 6. 5 Ferret was engaged to the Duke about midsommer anno 1469. for seuentie thousand crownes Annal. Burgund but Meyer saith anno 1467. for fiftie thousand gildons and other say for 80. thousand gildons 6 VVhen this meeting vvas at Picquigny looke lib. 4. cap. 10. How the King to deliuer himselfe out of the castell of Peronne renounced his league with the Liegeois Chap. 9. NOw to returne after my long discourse to the King who was staied at Peronne as you haue heard the gates remained shut with watch and warde before them two or three daies all the which time the Duke sawe not the King neither entered any French man into the castell but by the wicket and but sew after that sort notwithstanding none of the Kings seruants were forbidden to repaire to him but few or none of the Dukes went to commune with him neither yet into his chamber especially of those that were of any credit with the Duke The first
Englishmen and their ships against the Duke of Burgundies nauie which was so mighty and strong that no man durst stir in these narrow seas for feare of it making war vpon the Kings subiects both by sea land and threatening them euery where All this happened the sommer before the King surprised Saint Quintine and Amiens which was as before you haue heard in the yeere 1470. The Duke of Burgundies nauie aboue mentioned was stronger than the Kings and the Earles ioined togither For he had taken at Sluse many great ships of Spaine Portugall and Genua and diuers hulks of Almaine King Edward was a man of no great forecast but very valiant and the beautifullest Prince that liued in his time He tooke no care for the Earle of Warwicks landing as the Duke of Burgundie did who perceiuing great tumults already arising in England in the Earles fauor aduertised the King often thereof But he made small account of any danger neither seemed to feare his enimy which sure was great follie considering the great preparation he saw made For the King armed all the ships to the sea that he could get and manned them well and prouided furniture also for the English men Besides this he made a mariage betweene the Prince of Wales and the Earle of Warwickes second daughter The said Prince was onely sonne and heire to King Henry of England who liued yet prisoner in the Tower of London This was a strange mariage when the Earle had deposed and imprisoned the Princes father to cause him to mary his daughter and to entertaine also the Duke of Clarence brother to the King of the other faction who had iust cause to feare his owne estate if the house of Lancaster recouered the crowne Thus we see that such enterprises are not atchieued without dissimulation At the selfe same time that this army aboue mentioned lay in a readines to saile into England I was at Calice to entertaine the Lord of Vaucler whose dooble dealing till that very instant I neuer perceiued notwithstanding that it had now continued the space of three months But at that present I desired him bicause of the newes we heard to put all the Earle of Warwicks houshold seruants being to the number of twenty or thirty out of the towne alledging that I was sure the Kings army and the Earles were ready to depart out of Normandy where they lay and if the Earle should happen sodainly to land in England some such tumult might arise in the towne of Calice by meanes of his seruants that he should not be master thereof Wherefore I pressed him earnestly in all haste to put them out of the towne which he alwaies heertofore promised me to do but now he drew me aside saying that he would be master of the town well inough and required me to do this message to the Duke of Burgundy that if he would be a friend to the realme of England he should endeuor himselfe to make peace and not war which words he spake bicause of the nauy the Duke had on the sea against the Earle of Warwick He told me farther that peace might easily be made bicause that day a gentlewoman passed through Calice to go into Fraunce to the Duches of Clarence with certaine ouertures of peace from King Edward And he said true indeed but as he abused others euen so was he himselfe deceiued by this gentlewoman for she went about a great enterprise which also she atchieued to the preiudice of the Earle of Warwick and his whole faction Of this fine practise all other that haue been managed on this side the sea I write the more at large bicause I am well assured that no man is able to make truer report of them then my selfe at the least of those that haue hapned within these twenty yeeres The secret deliuered to this woman was to counsell the Duke of Clarence not to cause the destruction of his owne house by setting vp againe the house of Lancaster but to remember their ancient harred and diuision adding that he might well assure himselfe that the Earle of Warwick hauing maried his daughter to the Prince of Wales and already done homage to him would by all meanes possible seeke to make him King This gentlewoman so wisely executed the charge committed vnto hir that she wan the Duke of Clarence who promised to reuolt to the King his brother immediately after his returne into England Shee was a woman well aduised and of few words and bicause of hir sexe had leaue granted hir to passe to hir Meistres easilier then a man should and as craftie a foxe as this Vaucler was this woman went beyond him and was the onely contriuer of the enterprise whereby the Earle of Warwick and his whole faction were vtterly destroied wherefore it is no shame to be suspicious and to haue an eie vpon those that passe to and fro but great shame it is to be deceiued and vndone through our owne follie Notwithstanding suspicions ought to be grounded vpon some good presumption for to be too suspicious is naught You haue heard already how the Earle of Warwicks army and the Kings ships appointed to wafte him ouer were in a readines to take sea and how the Duke of Burgundies nauie being at Hancy lay prepared to fight with them But it pleased God so to dispose of this voiage that the selfe same night so great a tempest arose that the Dukes nauie was forced to seuer part wherofran vpon the cost of Scotland and part into Holland and not long after the Earle hauing a good gale of winde passed into England without all danger The Duke of Burgundie had aduertised King Edward in what part rhe Earle would land and had sent men purposely to him to sollicite him to looke to himselfe but he litle regarding the danger passed foorth the time in hunting hauing none so neere him as the Archbishop of Yorke and the Marques of Montagu the Earle of Warwicks bretheren who had promised and solemnly sworne to serue him against their brother and all others wereunto he gaue credite Immediatly after the Earles landing great forces ioyned with him wherewith the King being much abashed began then but all too late to looke about him and sent word to the Duke of Burgundy desiring him that his nauie might still keepe the Sea to stop the Earle from retiring againe into Fraunce for vpon the land he would match him well ynough which message pleased no man that heard it for it had beene much better to haue kept him from landing then to be constrained to hazard his estate in battell when he was landed Fiue or sixe daies after the Earles arriuall his power was so great that he encamped within three leagues of King Edward Notwithstanding the Kings force was greater than his if all his men had beene faithfull and true and lay also in campe to fight with him Further you shall vnderstand that the King lodged as himselfe told me in
the reasons aboue alleaged and diuers others heere vnrehearsed that God had vtterly forsaken him and giuen him ouer And if it were lawfull for man to iudge as I know it is not especially for me I would say that in mine opinion all this misery fell vpon him bicause he trauelled continually to the vttermost of his power to nourish the war betweene the King and the Duke of Burgundy knowing his great authority and estate to depend therupon although to say the truth the matter needed no great labor for there was a naturall antipathy between them Who is so rude or ignorant to thinke that Fortune or any other like chance was able to cast so wise a man into the disgrace of both these Princes at once who in their liues neuer agreed in any thing saue onely this especially into the King of Englands disgrace who had maried his neece and loued entirely all his wiues kinsmen especially those of this house of Saint Paul It is like therefore yea it is most certaine that God had withdrawne his grace from him in that he had purchased himselfe such hatred of all these three Princes and had not one friend in the world that durst giue him a nights lodging Neither was it fained Fortune that strake this stroke but God alone The like whereof hath hapned and shall happen to diuers others who after great and long prosperity fall into great aduersity and trouble After the Constable was arrested in Hainault by the Duke of Burgundies commandement the King sent word to the Duke either to deliuer him into his hands or execute him according to the tenure of the writings aboue mentioned The Duke answered that he would so do and commanded the Constable to be led to Peronne and there straightly kept Further you shall vnderstand that the Duke had already taken diuers places in Lorraine and Barrois and at this present helde the siege before Nancy which was valiantly defended The King had great force of men of armes in Champaigne which held the Duke in feare for the King was not bound by the truce to suffer him to destroy the Duke of Lorraine who was retired into Fraunce The Lord of Bouchage and diuers other ambassadors sent by the King pressed the Duke earnestly to performe his promise oth and he answered euer that he would so do but yet delaid it more than a moneth ouer and aboue the eight daies wherin he should either haue deliuered the Constable or put him to death Notwithstanding in the end seeing the matter so earnestly pressed and fearing that the King would hinder his enterprise in Lorraine which he so much desired to atchieue to the end he might haue the passage open from Luxembourg into Burgundy and ioine all these Seniories togither for this little Duchy of Lorraine being his he might come vpon his owne dominions from Holland almost as far as Lions 2 For these considerations I say he wrote to his Chancellor and the Lord of Himbercourt so often already mentioned which two had absolute authority in his absence and were both of them the Constables enimies and euill willers to go to Peronne and deliuer the Constable at a day by him prefixed to those that the King should there appoint to receiue him sending word withall to the Lord Desmeriez to deliuer him to the said Chancellor and Himbercourt The Duke of Burgundy in the meane time beat continually the towne of Nancy but there were good soldiers within it which valiantly defended it Further one of the Dukes owne Captaines called the Earle of Campobache a Neapolitane born but banished thence for the house of Anious faction was lately entred into intelligence with the Duke of Lorraine heire apparant of the house of Aniou after the death of King Rene his mothers father This Earle of Campobache promised to prolong the siege and finde meanes that such things should be lacking as were necessary for the taking of the towne 3 Which his promise he was very well able to performe being then the greatest man in the Dukes army but a false traitor to his Master as heerafter you shall heare more at large This was a preparatiue as it were of all those euils and miseries that fell afterward vpon the Duke of Burgundy The said Duke meant as I suppose if he had taken the towne before the day appointed for the Constables deliuery not to deliuer him at all And on the otherside I thinke if the King had had him he would haue done more in the Duke of Lorraines fauor than he did for he was aduertised of the Earle of Campobaches traiterous practises but medled not with them yet was he not bound to let the Duke of Burgundy do what him listed in Lorraine notwithstanding for diuers respects he thought it best so to do besides this he had great forces vpon the frontiers of the said countrey of Lorraine The Duke could not take Nancy before the day appointed for the Constables deliuery 4 which being come the two aboue mentioned executed willingly their Masters commandement 5 and deliuered him at the gate of Peronne to the bastard of Bourbon Admirall of Fraunce and to Monseur de Saint Pierre who led him to Paris Diuers haue told me that within three howers after his departure messengers came in poste from the Duke with a countermaund to wit that he should not be deliuered before Nancy were taken but it was too late At Paris the Constables proces was made and the Duke deliuered all his letters that were in his hands and all such euidence as serued for the proces The King pressed the Court earnestly and Iustices were appointed for the hearing of his cause who seeing the euidence that both the King of England and the Duke gaue against him condemned him to die 6 and confiscated all his goods The Notes 1 Vnderstand this as wel of the moouables he had in the Kings dominions as vnder the Duke 2 The Duke desired Lorraine not onely for the cause heere alleaged by our author but also to proclaime himselfe vnder that colour King of Sicile and Hierusalem 3 This Campobache as some report wrought this treason for that the Duke had once in his rage giuen him a blow Meyer 4 He tooke Nancy about the 19. of Nouember but la Marche saith in the ende of Nouember Meyer 28. Nouemb. 1475. and the Constable was deliuered the 30. of Nouember 5 The Chancellor and Hymbercourt deliuered him with such speede through euill will whereas they ought to haue staide till the second message had come from the Duke for as saith Meyer Ferebat consuetudo exiure militari ciuilique desumpta vt in talibus grauibus rebus secundam semper praetores ministrique expectarent iussionem at hoc isti duo odio grauissimo deflagrantes in comitem stabuli gratúmque volentes facere regi mirum in modum sanguinem illius sitienti non obseruauerunt Si obseruassent vt debeant fortassis virum ipsum ducem Dominum
suum seque ipsos planè seruassent Siquidem statim post Caroli interitum ambo apud Gandauum accepêre talionem 6 The Constable died the 19. of December 1475. Annal. Franc. Gaguin Meyer in whom read the causes of his death fol. 368. A discourse of the fault the Duke of Burgundie committed in deliuering the Constable to the King contrarie to his safe conduct and what ensued thereof Chap. 13. THis deliuerie of the Constable was maruellous strange notwithstanding I speake it not to excuse his faults neither to accuse the Duke for sure he had iust cause to seeke his death But me thinke that he being so great a Prince and of so noble and honorable an house should not haue giuen him a safe conduct and then arrest him And vndoubtedly it was great crueltie to deliuer him where he was sure to die especially for couetousnes But soone after he had thus dishonored himselfe by this deede he receiued great losses and began to fall to ruine So that if we well consider the workes that God hath done in these our daies and daily doth we shal easily perceiue that he will leaue no fault vnpunished and that these strange punishments are inflicted onely by him bicause they surmount far the works of nature For his punishments are sudden especially vpon those that vse violence and cruelty who can not be meane persons but mighty men either in seniories or authority This house of Burgundy had long florished for by the space of a hundred yeeres or thereabout during the which time raigned fower of this house it was more esteemed than any other house in Christendome For all those that were mightier then it had suffered great afflictions and aduersities but it liued continually in perpetual felicity honor The first great Prince of this house was Philip surnamed the Hardy brother to Charles the fift King of Fraunce who maried the daughter and heire of the Earle of Flaunders being Countesse not onely of that countrey but also of Artois Burgundy 1 Neuers and Rethell The second was Iohn the third was the good Duke Philip who ioined to his house the Duchies of Brabant Luxembourg Lambourg and the Counties of Holland Zeland Hainault and Namur The fourth was this Duke Charles who after his fathers death was one of the richest and most redoubted Princes of Christendome and had in moueables namely iewels plate tapestry bookes and naprie more than three of the greatest Princes in Christendome Of treasure in coine I haue seene greater abundance in other Princes Courts for Duke Philip by the space of many yeeres leuied neither subsidies nor taskes yet notwithstanding at his death he left his sonne aboue three hundred thousand crowns in ready money and in peace with all his neighbors which long indured not notwithstanding I will not impute the whole occasion of the wars to him for others were as busie as he His subiects immediately after his fathers death vpon a small request graunted him very willingly a subsidie euerie countrey apart for the terme of ten yeeres amounting yeerly to the summe of 350000. crownes Burgundy not being comprehended therein Yea and at the time he deliuered the Constable he leuied yeerely ouer and aboue the former summe more then 300000. crownes and had aboue 300000. crownes in coine and all the Constables goods that came to his hands amounted hardly to the value of 80000. crownes for he had but 76000. in coine So that the Duke committed this foule fault for small gaine yet was the punishment thereof great for God raised vp an enimie against him of small force of yoong yeeres and of little experience in all things and caused his seruant whom he then most trusted to become false and traiterous He made also the Duke himselfe to mistrust his owne subiects faithfull seruants Are not these such manifest tokens and preparatiues as God vsed in the old Testament against those whose good fortune and prosperitie he meant to chang into misery and aduersitie Yet he neuer humbled himselfe before God but euen till the hower of death attributed all his good successe to his owne wisedome and prowesse before his death he was mightier than any of his predecessors and more esteemed through the whole world Before the Constables deliuerie he was fallen into a maruellous mistrust or great disdaine of his owne subiects for he had sent into Italie for a thousand men of armes Italians Before Nuz also he had great forces of Italians in his campe for the Earle of Campobache had vnder his charge fower hundred men of armes and better This Earle had no possessions for his maintenance for bicause of the wars the house of Aniou had made in the realme of Naples which house he serued he was banished his countrey and lost all his landes and serued euer since his departure out of Italie in Prouence or Lorraine vnder King Rene of Sicile or Duke Nicholas sonne to Duke Iohn of Calabria After whose death the Duke of Burgundie gaue entertainment to most of his seruants especially all his Italians namely this Earle of Campobache Iames Galeot a valiant honorable and faithfull gentleman and diuers others The said Earle of Campobache when he went into Italie to leuie his men receiued of the Duke of Burgundie 40000. duckets in prest for his companie But as he passed through Lions he fell in acquaintance with a Phisition named Master Simon of Pauy by whom he aduertised the King that if he would grant him certaine demands he would promise him at his returne to deliuer the Duke of Burgundy into his hands the like offer made he also to Monseur de Saint Pray then ambassador in Premont for the King Againe at his returne hauing his men of armes lying in the County of Marle he offered the King that so soone as he should be in campe with his Master he would not faile either to kill him or take him prisoner shewing withall the maner how he would do it which was this The Duke rode often about his campe to viewe it mounted vpon a little nagge and very slenderly accompanied at some such time this Earle said he would assault him and execute his enterprise He made yet also another offer to the King namely if the King and the Duke met togither in battell to turne with his men of armes on the Kings side vnder condition that the King would grant him certaine demands The King detested much the treason of this man and of a noble courage aduertised the Duke of his practises by the Lord of Contay aboue mentioned Notwithstanding the Duke would not credit the message supposing that the King sent him this aduertisement to some other end but loued the Earle all the better Wherefore you may see how God had troubled his wits in that he would giue no credit to those manifest demonstrations the King shewed him Well this Earle of Campobache was not so false and traiterous but Iames Galeot was as true and trusty who liued many
harme to be good seruice to God The spoiles of his campe enriched maruellously these poore Swissers who at the first knew not what treasures were fallen into their hands especially those of the ruder sort one of the goodliest richest pauilions in the world was torne al to peeces There were that sold a number of siluer plates and dishes for two souse a peece supposing them to be pewter The Dukes great diamond being the goodliest iewell in Christendome at the which hung a great orient pearle was taken vp by a Swisser who put it againe into the boxe where it was kept and threw it vnder a cart but after returned to seeke it and sold it to a Priest for a guldon who sent it to the Lords of their countrey of whom he receiued three franks for it They wan also three goodly ballais rubies called the three brethren bicause they were in all points like and another great ballais rubie called La hotte with a goodly stone called the round ball of Flaunders the greatest and fairest stones in the world Other infinite treasures they gained also which since hath taught them to know what is money woorth Further the victories they obtained the account the King made of them euer after and the summes of money he bestowed vpon them haue maruellously enriched them Euery ambassador of theirs that came to him at the beginning of these wars receiued goodly presents of him either in money or plate wherby he asswaged the displeasure they had conceiued against him for not declaring himselfe the Duke of Burgundies enimy for he sent them home well contented with full purses and clothed in silkes and veluets Then began he also to promise them a yeerely pension of 40000. guldons which afterward he truly paied but the second battell was past first Of this pension twenty thousand guldons were for the townes and the other twenty thousand for the gouernors of the townes And I thinke verily I should not lie if I said that betweene the first battell of Granson and the King our Masters death these townes and gouernors of the Swissers receiued out of Fraunce aboue a million of florens When I name townes I meane but these fower Berne Lucerne Friburge and Zurich togither with their cantons situate in the mountaines Swisse also is one of their cantons though but a village Yet haue I seene an ambassador of that village clothed in very simple apparell giue his aduise in euery matter as well as any of the rest The other two cantons are called Soleurre and Vnderwalde The Notes 1. For Prouence was held of the crowne of Fraunce and therefore the King would not suffer his enimie the Duke of Burgundy to possesse it How the Swissers vanquished the Duke of Burgundy in battell neere to the towne of Morat Chap. 3. NOw to returne to the Duke of Burgundie he leuied men on all sides so that within three weeks he had assembled a mighty armie for a great number of his soldiers that fled the day of the battell repaired againe to his campe He lay at Losanna 1 in Sauoy where you my Lord of Vienna assisted him with your counsell in a dangerous sicknes he was fallen into for sorow and griefe of the dishonor he had receiued which so much altered him that I thinke after this battell of Granson his wits were neuer so fresh nor so good as before 2 Of this new army he now leuied I speake vpon the Prince of Tarentes report who made relation thereof to the King in my presence For you shall vnderstand that the said Prince about a yeere before the battell was come to the Duke of Burgundy with a goodly traine in hope to marrie his daughter and heir And notwithstanding that his behauiour apparell and traine shewed him indeed to be a Kings sonne and his father the King of Naples to haue spared no cost in setting him foorth yet did the Duke but dissemble with him and fed at the selfe same time with faire promises the Duches of Sauoye putting her in hope of this marriage for hir sonne Wherefore the Prince of Tarente called Don Frederick of Arragon and his Counsell misliking these delaies sent to the King our Master a herault of armes a wise fellow who humbly besought him to grant the Prince his safe conduct to passe through his realme to the King his father who had sent for him which he easily obtained of the King bicause it seemed to tende to the Duke of Burgundies dishonor and discredit Notwithstanding before the Princes messenger was returned to his Master a great number of these confederated townes were assembled and encamped hard by the Duke of Burgundie The said Prince obeying the King his fathers commandement tooke his leaue of the Duke the night before the second battell was fought for at the first he was present and behaued himselfe like a valiant gentleman Some say my Lord of Vienna that he vsed your aduise heerein for when he was heere with the King I haue heard both him and the Duke of Ascoly commonly called the Earle Iulio and diuers others affirme that you wrote in Italy of the first and second battell and told what should ensue therof long before they were fought At the Princes departure great forces of these confederate townes were incamped as I haue said hard by the Duke of Burgundy and came to giue him battell meaning to leuie the siege he held before Morat 3 a little towne neere to Berne belonging to the Earle of Romont The said townes had in their army as some that were at the battell haue informed me 35000. men whereof fower thousand were horsemen the rest footemen well chosen and well armed that is to say 11000. pikes 10000. halberds and ten thousand harquebusiers Their whole force was not yet assembled and these onely fought the battell neither needed any more helpe The Duke of Lorraine arriued at their campe a little before the battell with a very small traine which his comming turned afterward to his great profit for the Duke of Burgundy helde then all his countrey and a happy turne it was for him that they waxed weary of him in our Court as al those that maintaine a noble man ouerthrowen vsually do notwithstanding he neuer vnderstood thus much The King gaue him a smal summe of money and sent a good troupe of men of armes to conueigh him safe through Lorraine who brought him to the frontiers of Almaine and then returned home This Duke of Lorraine had not onely lost his Duchy of Lorraine the County of Vaudemont and the greatest part of Barrois the rest being withheld from him by the King so that he had nothing left but his subiects also yea his household seruants had voluntarie done homage to the Duke of Burgundy so that his estate seemed almost irrecouerable Notwithstanding God remaineth alwaies iudge to determine such causes at his pleasure After the Duke of Lorraine was passed through Lorraine into Almaine and had iourneied a
whom he yeerely entertained with an hundred thousand ducats wherewith this Earle himselfe paied his men of armes besides diuers other great benefits that he had receiued at the Dukes hands And when he first began to conspire his death he was going into Italie with 40000. ducats which as you haue heard he had receiued in prest of the Duke to leuie therewith his men of armes Moreouer the better to execute his traiterous enterprise he practised in two places first with a physition dwelling in Lyons called Master Simon of Pauia afterward with the Kings ambassador in Sauoy as before I haue rehearsed Againe at his returne out of Italie his men of armes lying in certaine small towns in the countie of Marle which is in Lannois he began anew to practise against his Master offering either to deliuer into the Kings hands all the places he held or when the King should be in battell against his Master a priuie token to be between them vpon the sight whereof he would turne with all his companie to the King against the Duke his Master But this last ouerture pleased not the King He offered yet further so soone as his Master should be abrode with his armie either to take him prisoner or to kill him as he went to view the seate of his campe which last enterprise vndoubtedly he would haue executed For the Dukes manner was when he alighted from his horse at the place where he encamped to disarme himselfe all sauing his quirace and to mount vpon a little nagge accompanied onely with eight or ten archers on foote or somtime two or three gentlemen of his chamber in the which estate he vsed to ride about his campe to see if it were well inclosed so that the said Earle might with ten horses easily haue executed his enterprise But the King detesting the continuall treasons of this man against his Master especially this last being attempted in time of truce and further not knowing throughly to what purpose he made these offers determined of a noble courage to discouer them to the Duke of Burgundie and accordingly aduertised him at large of them all by the Lord of Contay so often before named I my selfe being present when he declared them to the said Contay who I am sure like a faithfull seruant reuealed them to his Master But the Duke taking all in euill part said that if it were so the King would neuer haue aduertised him thereof This was long afore he laid his siege before Nancy yet think I that he neuer spake word thereof to the said Earle for he loued him euer after rather better than woorse How the Duke of Lorraine being accompanied with good force of Almains came to the towne of Saint Nicholas during the siege of Nancy and how the King of Portugale who was in Fraunce came to see the D. of Burgundie during the said siege Chap. 7. LEt vs now returne to our principall matter I meane the siege the Duke held before Nancy which he began in the middest of winter with small force euill armed euill paide and the most part sicke The mightiest in his campe practised against him as you haue heard and generally they murmured all and despised all his dooings as in aduersitie commonly it happeneth but none attempted ought against his person or estate saue this Earle of Campobache onely for in his subiects no disloialtie was found While he lay there in this poore estate the Duke of Lorraine treated with the confederated townes before named to leuie men in their territories to fight with the Duke of Burgundie lying before Nancy whereunto all the townes easily agreed but the Duke of Lorraine lacked monie wherefore the King sent ambassadors to the Swissers in his fauor and lent him also 40000. franks towards the paiment of his Almains Further the Lord of Cran who was then the Kings lieutenant in Champaigne lay in Barrois with seuen or eight hundred launces and certaine franke archers led by very expert captaines The Duke of Lorraine by meanes of the Kings fauor and monie drew vnto his seruice great force of Almains as well horsemen as footemen besides the which the townes also furnished a great number of their owne charge Moreouer with the said Duke were many gentlemen of this realme and the Kings armie as I said before lay in Barrois which made no war but waited to see to whether part the victorie would incline The Duke of Lorraine being accompanied with these Almaines aboue mentioned came and lodged at Saint Nicholas two leagues from Nancy The King of Portugale had beene in this realme at that present the space of nine moneths for the King our Master was entred into league with him against the King of Spaine that now is Whereupon the said King of Portugale came into Fraunce hoping that the King would lend him a great armie to inuade Castile by the frontires of Biscay or Nauarre For the said King of Portugale held certaine places in Castile bordering vpon Portugale and certaine also vpon the confines of Fraunce namely the castell of Bourgues and diuers others so that if the King had aided him as once he was purposed it is like his enterprise had taken effect but the King altered his minde and foded him foorth with faire words the space of a yeer or more During the which time his affaires in Castile daily impaired for at his comming into France all the nobles in maner of the realme of Castile tooke part with him but bicause of his long absence by little and little they altered their minds and made peace with King Ferrande and Queene Isabell now raigning The King our Master excused his not aiding him according to his promise by the wars in Lorraine alleaging that he feared that the Duke of Burgundie if he recouered his losses would foorthwith inuade him This poore King of Portugale being a good and a iust Prince 1 resolued to go to the Duke of Burgundie his cosin german 2 to treate of peace betweene the King and him to the end that then the King might aide him for he was ashamed to returne into Castile or Portugale in this estate hauing done no good heere in Fraunce and the rather bicause he had taken this iourney vpon him verie rashly and contrarie to the aduise of the most of his counsell Wherefore he put himselfe vpon the way in the middest of winter to go to the Duke of Burgundy his cosin lying before Nancy where at his arriuall he began to treat with him according to the Kings instructions But perceiuing it an impossibilitie to agree them bicause their demands were contrarie in all points after he had remained there two daies he tooke his leaue of the Duke of Burgundie his cosin and returned to Paris from whence he came The Duke desired him to staie a while and to go to Pont-Ã -musson fower leagues from Nancy to defend that passage for the Duke was already aduertised that the Almains army lay at Saint
Nicholas But the King of Portugale excused himselfe saying that he was neither armed nor accompanied for such an enterprise and so returned to Paris where he remained a long time till in the ende he entered into ielousie that the King meant to take him prisoner and deliuer him to his enimie the King of Castile Wherupon he and two of his seruants disguised themselues purposing to go to Rome there to enter into religion But as he iourneied in this disguised attire he was taken by a Norman called Robinet le Beuf Of this his departure the King our Master was both sorie and ashamed and thereupon armed diuers ships vpon the coast of Normandie to conuey him into Portugale of the which fleete George Leger was appointed Admirall The occasion of his war vpon the King of Castile was for his sisters daughter For you shall vnderstand that his sister had been wife to Don Henry King of Castile that last died and had issue a goodly daughter which liueth yet in Portugale vnmaried This daughter Queene Isabell sister to the said King Henry 3 held from the crowne of Castile saying that she was illegitimate of the which opinion were also many others alleaging that King Henry was impotent to generation for a certaine impediment that I ouerpasse But whether it were so or no notwithstanding that the said daughter were borne vnder the vaile of mariage yet remained the crowne of Castile to Queene Isabell and hir husband the King of Arragon and Sicilie 4 now raigning This King of Portugale aboue mentioned labored to make a mariage betweene the said daughter his neece and King Charles the eight now raigning which was the cause of this his voiage into Fraunce that turned so greatly to his damage and greefe For soone after his returne into Portugale he died Wherefore as I said in the beginning of this history a Prince ought to beware what ambassadors he sendeth into a strange countrey For if they had been wise that came from the King of Portugale into Fraunce to conclude the league aboue mentioned whereat I my selfe was present as one in commission for the King they would haue informed themselues better of our affaires in these parts before they had counselled their Master to enter into this voiage which turned so much to his losse and damage The Notes 1 He meaneth a simple Prince of wit 2 How the King of Portugale and the Duke of Burgundy were cosin germans the Pedegree in the end of the worke will declare 3 The Pedegree in the end of the worke will make this plaine 4 Before he calleth Rene King of Sicilie but King Rene had but the title not the possession How the Duke of Burgundy refusing the good counsell of diuers of his men was discomfited and slaine in the battell fought betweene him and the Duke of Lorraine neere to Nancy Chap. 8. I Would haue passed ouer this discourse of the King of Portugale had it not been to shew that a Prince ought to beware how he put himselfe into another Princes hands or go in person to demaund aide But now to returne to the principall matter Within a day after the King of Portugales departure from the Duke of Burgundy the Duke of Lorraine and the Almains that serued him dislodged from Saint Nicholas and marched to fight with the said Duke and the selfe same day the Earle of Campobache to accomplish his enterprise departed from the Dukes campe 1 and reuolted to his enimies with eight score men of armes sorowing onely that he could do his Master no more harme They within Nancy had intelligence of this Earles practises which incouraged them to endure the siege Further one that leaped downe the ditches entered the towne and assured them of succors otherwise they were vpon the point to haue yeelded it And to say the truth had it not been for the said Earles treasons they could neuer haue held it so long but God was fully determined to bring the Duke to his end The Duke of Burgundy being aduertised of the Duke of Lorrains arriuall assembled his counsell contrary to his accustomed maner for he was neuer woont to aske any mans aduise but in all matters to follow his own sense Most of them counselled him to retire to Pont-à -musson being but fower leagues thence to man the places well which he held about Nancy alleaging that the Almains would depart so soone as they had victualed the towne and the Duke of Lorrains mony faile him so that he should not be able in long time to assemble the like force They said further that his enimies could not victuall the towne so well but that before winter were halfe expired it should be in as great distresse as at that present and in the meane time he might leuy men for I haue been informed by those that perfectly vnderstood it that he had not in all his army aboue fower thousand soldiers of the which hardly twelue hundred were able to fight Money he lacked not for in the castell of Luxembourg being not far thence were at the least 450000. crownes and men ynough he might haue recouered But God would not giue him grace to follow this wise aduise nor perceiue how many enimies lodged round about him on euery side so that he tooke the woorst course and by the aduise of certaine harebrained fooles determined to hazard the battell with these few terrified and hartlesse men notwithstanding all the reasons alleaged to him both of the great force of Almains the Duke of Lorraine had and also of the Kings army that lay hard by his campe When the Earle of Campobache was come to the Duke of Lorraine the Almains commanded him to depart saying that they would haue no traitor among them Wherefore he retired to Condé a castell and passage neere at hand 2 which he fortified with carts and other prouisions the best he could trusting that when the Duke of Burgundy and his men fled some of them would fall into his hands as indeed a great many did But this practise with the Duke of Lorraine was not his greatest treason for a little before his departure he conspired with diuers in the Dukes army resoluing with them bicause he sawe no hope of killing or taking his Master prisoner to reuolt to the enimies at the very instant that the two battels should ioine but sooner not to depart to the end their sudden reuolt might the more astonish and terrify the Dukes whole army Further he promised assuredly if the Duke fled that he should neuer escape aliue for he would leaue thirteene or fowerteene trusty fellows behinde him some to begin to flie at the very instant that the Almains should march and other some to haue an eie on the Duke to kill him if he fled which enterprise he made full account to execute and two or three I knew afterwards my selfe of those that were left behinde for that purpose After he had conspired these abhominable treasons he returned
Glocester who had vsurped the crowne of England signing his letters by the name of Richard cruelly murthered the King his brothers two children This King Richard sought the Kings friendship was desirous as I suppose to haue this pension paid also vnto him But the K. would make no answer to his letters neither giue his messenger audience but esteemed him a wicked cruell tyrant For after K. Edvvards death the said Duke of Glocester had done homage to his nephew as to his soueraigne Lord and King and yet immediately thereupon committed this murther and caused in open parlament the said King Edvvards two daughters to be degraded proclaimed bastards vnder colour of a certaine matter which he prooued by the testimonie of a bishop of Bathe who somtime had been in great credit with King Edvvard but afterward fell into his disgrace and was laid in prison and made to fine for his deliuerance This Bishop affirmed that King Edvvard being in loue with a certaine gentlewoman in England whom he named promised hir marriage to haue his pleasure of hir which promise he said was made in his presence and thereupon the King lay with hir minding onely to abuse hir Such pastimes are very dangerous especially when such poofe may be brought foorth But I haue knowne many a courtier that would not haue lost a good aduenture that liked him in such a case for want of promise This wicked Bishop buried reuenge in his hart the space of twenty yeeres But God plagued him for his wickednes for he had a sonne whom he loued entirely and whom King Richard so much fauored that he meant to giue him to wife one of these two daughters degraded from their dignitie at this present Queene of England and mother of two goodly children The said sonne being in a ship of war by King Richard his Masters commandement was taken vpon the coast of Normandie and bicause of the contention that fell betweene those that tooke him led to the court parlament of Paris and there put in prison in the petit Chastellet where in the end he starued for hunger and pouertie As touching King Richard he liued not long vnpunished for God raised vp an enimy against him euen at This error you are admonished of before that very instant being poore hauing no right to the crowne of England as I suppose and of no estimation saue that as touching his owne person he was well conditioned and had endured many troubles For the greatest part of his life he had been prisoner in Britaine to Duke Francis who entertained him well for a prisoner from the eighteenth yeere of his age This Earle of Richmond being furnished by the King with a small summe of money and three thousand men leuied in Normandie of the vnthriftiest persons in the countrey passed ouer into Wales where his father in lawe the Lord Stanley met him with sixe and twenty thousand men at the least And within three or fower daies after he encountred this cruell King Richard who was slaine in the field and the Earle crowned King and raigneth yet at this day in England Of this matter I haue made mention before but it was not amisse to rehearse it heere againe to shew thereby how God hath plagued in our time such crueltie almost immediately after the fault committed Diuers other such like punishments hath he shewed also in this our age if a man would stand to rehearse them all How the King behaued himselfe towards his neighbors and subiects during the time of his sicknes and how diuers things were sent him from diuers places for the recouerie of his health Chap. 10. THis mariage of Flaunders so much desired by the King was thus accomplished as you haue heard by meanes wherof he had the Flemmings at his commandement Britaine which he so much hated was in peace with him but liued in continuall ielousie bicause of the great number of soldiers he had in garrison vpon their frontiers Spaine was quiet and the King and Queene thereof desired nothing more then his amity and friendship for he kept them in feare and continuall charge bicause of the countrey of Roussillon which he held from the house of Arragon being engaged to him by Iohn King of Arragon father to the King of Castile now raigning vnder certaine conditions yet vnperformed As touching the Princes Seniories of Italy they desired to haue him their friend and were in league with him and sent often their ambassadors to him In Almaine he had the Swissers as obedient to him as his owne subiects The King of Scotland and Portugale were his confederates part of the realme of Nauarre was wholie at his deuotion his subiects trembled before him and his commandements were executed incontinent without delay or excuse As touching those things that were thought necessarie for his health they were sent him out of all parts of the world Pope Sixtus that last died being informed that the King of deuotion desired to haue the corporall vpon the which Saint Peter song masse sent it him incontinent with diuers other relickes which were conueied backe againe to Rome The holie viole which is at Reims and neuer had been remooued thence was brought into his chamber to Plessis and stood vpon his cupboord at the hower of his death he was determined to be annointed therwith as at his coronation But many supposed that he wold haue anointed all his body with it which is vnlikely for the said holy viole is very small and containeth not much oile I saw it both at the time I now speake of and also when the King was buried at Nostre-dame-de-Clery The Turke that now raigneth sent an ambassador to him who came as far as Rhiue in Prouence 1 but the King would not heare his message neither permit him to passe any further The said ambassador brought him a great role of relickes remaining yet at Constantinople in the Turks hands all the which he offered him togither with a great summe of money if he would keepe in safe custodie the said Turks brother who was then in this realme in the hands of the knights of the Rhodes and is now at Rome in the Popes keeping By all this aboue rehearsed a man may perceiue how great the King our Masters wisdome and authority was how he was esteemed through the whole world and how all things 2 as well spirituall of deuotion and religion as also temporall were imploied for the prolonging of his life But all would not helpe there was no remedy needes he must go the way his predecessors went before him one great grace God shewed him that as he created him wiser liberaller and more vertuous in all things than the Princes that raigned in his time being his enimies and neighbors and as he surmounted them in all good things so did he also passe them in long life though not much For Duke Charles of Burgundy the Duchesse his daughter King Edvvard Duke Galeas of
on no day but saturday and that our Lady in whom he had euer put his confidence and alwaies deuoutly serued had purchased him this grace and sure so it happened for he ended his life vpon saturday the 30. of August in the yeere 1483. at eight of the clocke at night in the said castell of Plessis where he fell sicke the monday before His soule I trust is with God and resteth in his blessed realme of paradise A discourse vpon the miserie of mans life by the examples of those Princes that liued in the authors time and first of King Lewis Chap. 13. SMall hope may meane and poore men haue in worldly honors seeing this mightie King after so long trouble and trauell about them forsooke them al could not prolong his life one hower for all that he could do I knew him serued him in the flower of his age in his great prosperitie yet neuer saw I himfree from toile of body and trouble of minde Aboue al pastimes he loued hunting hauking in their seasons hunting especially As touching women he was free from that vice all the time that I serued him for a little before my comming to him he lost one of his sonnes whose death he much lamented and soone after made a solemne vow to God in my presence neuer to accompanie with any woman but the Queene his wife Whereunto notwithstanding that he were bound by the lawes of marriage yet was it much that he had such stay of himselfe especially the Queene being none of those in whose beautie a man could take great delight but otherwise a very vertuous Lady In this pastime of hunting he tooke almost as much paine as pleasure for the toile was great bicause he ran the Hart to death by force Besides that he arose very early in the morning and oftentimes went far neither could any weather make him leaue his sport Somtime also he returned very wearie and in maner euer displeased with one or other for this game is not alwaies made as they wish that haue the ordering thereof notwithstanding in all mens opinions he for his part vnderstood it better than any man in his time In this pastime he exercised himselfe continually lodging about in the villages till wars began For almost euery sommer there was somewhat to do betweene Duke Charles of Burgundie and him but when winter approched they vsed to make truce He had great wars also for the countie of Roussillion with King Iohn of Arragon the King of Spaines father that now liueth For notwithstanding that they were very poore and in war with their subiects namely them of Barselonne and others and that the sonne were of no force for he expected the inheritance of King Friderike 1 of Castile his wiues brother which afterward fell to him yet bicause they had the harts of the subiects of the saide countrie of Roussillion they made great resistance against him which cost the King and his realme full deere for many a good man died and was slaine there and infinite treasure was consumed in those wars for they endured long Thus you see that the pleasure the King had was but one small time in the yeere and that ioined with great toile and trauell of his person when his body was at rest his minde was occupied for he had to do in many places and busied himselfe as much with his neighbors affaires as with his own seeking to place men in their houses 2 and to bestow the offices therin at his pleasure When he was in war he desired peace or truce which notwithstanding when he had obtained he could not long away with He medled with many trifling matters in his realme which he might well haue passed ouer but such was his disposition and life And to say the truth his memory was so excellent that he forgat nothing but knew all the world all countries and all men of estimation round about him so that he seemed a Prince woorthier to gouern the whole world than one realm alone Of his youth I am able to say nothing for I was not with him at that time notwithstanding what I haue heard that I will report Being but eleuen yeeres of age he was busied by certaine Princes and others of the realme in a war against K. Charles his father called la Praguerie which endured not long And when he was growen to mans estate he married the King of Scotlands daughter 3 and during hir life neuer ioied with hir 4 after hir death bicause of the factions and troubles that were in the King his fathers court he retired into his owne countrey of Daulphine whither a great number of gentlemen accompanied him yea many mo than he was able to maintaine While he was in Daulphine he married the Duke of Sauoies daughter and soone after fel at variance with his father in law so that sharpe war arose betweene them King Charles seeing his sonne so well accompanied with gentlemen and men of armes determined to go against him in person with great force and to chase him out of the countrey by strong hand wherefore he put himselfe vpon the way and endeuored to withdraw his sonnes men from him commanding them as his subiects vnder paine of his displeasure to repaire vnto him Whereunto diuers obeied to the King our Masters great griefe who seeing his fathers indignation against him determined notwithstanding that his force were great to depart thence and leaue the countrey to his fathers disposing And in this estate trauelled he through Burgundy with a small traine to Duke Philip who receiued him very honorably furnished him with money to maintaine his estate and gaue yeerely pensions to his principall seruants namely to the Earle of Cominges the Lord of Montauban others and bestowed also during his being there diuers large gifts vpon his other seruants Notwithstanding bicause he entertained such a number his mony failed often to his great griefe so that he was forced to borow som where or other otherwise his men would haue forsaken him which vndoubtedly is a great trouble to a Prince vnaccustomed thereunto Thus you see that he was not without vexation and anguish of minde during his abode in this house of Burgundy for he was forced to faune both vpon the Duke and his principall seruants least they should waxe weary of him for he was there a long time to wit the space of sixe yeeres Besides that his father sent ambassadors continually to the Duke requiring him either to put him foorth of his dominions or send him backe to him Wherefore it is to be thought that he was not idle nor without great vexation of minde All these things considered when may a man say that he liued in ioy and pleasure Sure in mine opinion from his childhood till his death he was in continuall toile and trouble so that if all his pleasant and ioyfull daies were numbred I thinke they should be found but fewe yea I am fully
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
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
Kings of Romanes and England 10 for the Prince of Wales was at that time very yoong were comprehended therein they had fower daughters the eldest of the which was a widow and had been married to the King of Portugales sonne that last died who brake his necke before hir as he passed a carrier vpon a ginnet within three moneths after their marriage The second and the third were married the one in Flaunders and the other in England and the fourth is yet to marrie After the Lord of Bouchage was returned and had made his report the King perceiued that de Clerieux had beene too credulous and that he had done wisely in sending du Bouchage thither bicause he was now assured of that which before he stood in doubt of The said de Bouchage aduertised him further that he could effect nothing but the conclusion of the truce the which he had libertie either to accept or refuse at his pleasure The King accepted it and sure it serued him to good purpose for it was the breach of their league which so much had troubled his affaires and which hitherto he could by no means dissolue notwithstanding that he had attempted all waies possible Thirdly the said de Bouchage informed the King that the King and Queene of Castile had promised him at his departure to send ambassadors immediately after him cause of their attainture was for that they had attempted to make him King of Portugale that now raigneth These Lords therefore and gentlemen were by meanes of this marriage recompensed in Castile by the King and Queene and their lands which they had forfaited in Portugale by attainture assigned to the Queene of Portugale now mentioned daughter to the said K. and Queene of Castile But notwithstanding all these considerations the said K. Queene repented them of this marriage for you shall vnderstand that there is no nation in the world that the Spaniards hate more than the Portugales so far foorth that they disdaine scorne them wherfore the said King Queene lamented much that they had bestowed their daughter vpon a man that should not be beloued in the realm of Castile their other dominions if the marriage had been then vnmade they would neuer haue made it which vndoubtedly was a great corrosiue to them yet nothing so great as this that she should depart from them Notwithstanding after all their sorrowes ended they led their said daughter and sonne in law through all the chiefe cities of their realme and made the said King of Portugale to be receiued for Prince and their daughter for Princesse and proclaimed them their successors after their death Some comfort they receiued after all these sorrowes for they were aduertised that the said Lady Princesse of Castile and Queene of Portugale was great with childe but this ioy prooued in the end double greefe so that I thinke they wished themselues out of the world for this Lady whom they so tenderly loued and so much esteemed died in trauell of the said childe not past a moneth agone and we are now in October in the yeere 1498. but the childe liueth 4 and is called Emanuell after his fathers name All these greatmisfortunes hapned to them in the space of three moneths Now to returne to the estate of Fraunce You shall vnderstand that about fower or fiue moneths before the said Ladies death a great misfortune happened also in this realme I meane the death of King Charles the eight whereof heereafter you shall heare at large It seemed therefore that God beheld both these houses with an angrie countenance and would not that the one realme should scorne the other For although the death of a Prince seeme but a trifle to many yet is it sure far otherwise for change of the Prince neuer happeneth in any realme but it traineth with it great sorrowes and troubles and notwithstanding that some gaine by it yet an hundred fold more lose bicause at an alteration men are forced to change their maner and forme of liuing for that that pleaseth one Prince displeaseth another Wherefore as before I haue said if a man well consider the sharpe and sudden punishments that God hath laide vpon great Princes within these thirty yeeres in Fraunce Castile Portugale England Naples Flaunders and Britaine he shall finde that they haue beene heauier and greeuouser than happened in two hundred yeeres before and whosoeuer would take in hand to discourse vpon all the particular misfortunes that I my selfe haue seene and in a maner knowen all the persons as well men as women to whom they happened should make thereof a huge volume and that of great admiration yea though it contained onely such as haue chanced within these ten yeeres By these punishments the power of God ought to be the better knowen for the plagues he powreth downe vpon great personages are sharper grieuouser and endure longer than those he sendeth to the poorer sort To conclude therefore me thinke all things well waied that Princes are in no better estate in this world than other men if they consider by the miseries they see happen to their neighbours what may happen to themselues For as touching them they chastice their subiects at their pleasures and God disposeth of them at his pleasure bicause other than him they haue none ouer them but happie is the realme that is gouerned by a Prince that is wise and feareth God and his commandements I haue briefly rehearsed the misfortunes that happened in three moneths space to these two great and mightie realmes which not long before were so inflamed the one against the other so busied in enlarging their dominions and so little contented with that they already possessed And notwithstanding that alwaies some as before I said reioice at changes and gaine by them yet at the first euen to them the death especially the sudden death of their Prince is very dreadfull and dangerous The Notes 1 This he seemeth to adde bicause the empire was greater but it was not the Emperors inheritance 2 Vnderstand the two first murthers of his wiues father and brother for his sonne was dead before he slue his owne brother 3 Vnderstand hir dowrie for hir first marriage 4 But the childe died also afterward and the crowne of Spaine descended to Iane the second daughter wife to Philip Duke of Austrich and mother to the Emperor Charles the fift Further you shall vnderstand that our authors memorie failed him heere for this Princes name was not Emanuel as Commines heere writeth but Michael according to all good authors and pedegrees both of Spaine and Portugale Of the sumptuous building King Charles began a little before his death of the great desire he had to reforme the Church and himselfe to diminish his reuenues and to redresse the processes of the law and how he died suddenly in this good minde in his castel of Amboise Chap. 18. I Will heere cease further to discourse of the affaires of Italie and Castile
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
their wit was not able to reach thus far After the Duke of Gueldres was come before Tournay with this armie being to the number of twelue or fifteene thousand men verie well paid by the townes aboue-mentioned he set fire on the suburbs But within the towne were three or fower hundred men of armes which sallied out and charged his men on the backe as they retired incontinent put them to flight But the D. himselfe being a valiant Prince turned against his enimies meaning to maintaine the skirmish to the end his men might haue leasure to retire but being euil followed he was ouerthrowne and slaine and a good number also of this people yet was the Kings force that did this exploit verie small The Flemmings armie retired with this losse for there was but one band of them defeated The Ladie of Burgundy as I haue heard and hir friends reioised much at this newes for the brute ran for a certaintie that they of Gaunt were determined to compell hir by force to marrie this Duke of Gueldres which willingly she would neuer haue done for diuers reasons aboue rehearsed The Notes 1 VVith the letter the King had also vttered the message that the Chauncellor and Himâ—â—rcourt brought vvhich vvas to treat of a mariage betweene the Daulphin and this Lady which also they offered the King to further and this vvas the cause vvhy the Duke of Cleues became Himbercourts enimie 2 The causes of the Chauncellors and Himbercourts death read in Berlandus fol. 69. A discourse vpon this point that wars and diuisions are permitted of God for the chastisment of Princes and euill people with diuers good reasons and examples for the instruction of Princes which happened in the authors time Chap. 18. I Cannot imagine for what cause God hath so long preserued this towne of Gaunt the fountaine of so many mischiefes and of so small importance for the benefit of the countrey where it is situate For it yeeldeth no commoditie to the common wealth much lesse to the Prince neither is it comparable to Bruges which is a place where there is greater trafficke of merchandise and resort of strangers in my opinion than in any towne in Europe so that the destruction thereof should be an irrecouerable losse But it seemeth that God hath created nothing in this world neither man nor beast without an enimie to hold it in feare and humilitie and for that purpose serueth this towne of Gaunt very well 1 For there is no countrie in Christendome more inclined to all wanton pleasures pomps and delicacies than this countrie of Flaunders notwithstanding they are good Christians there and serue and honor God well But it is not this nation onely to whom God hath giuen as it were a continuall pricke to put them in minde of their dutie For to Fraunce he hath giuen the English men for enimies to the English men the Scots to the realme of Spaine Portugale I will not say Granado for they are enimies of the faith notwithstanding hitherto the said countrie of Granado hath much troubled and endammaged the realme of Castile Against the Princes of Italie the greatest part of the which hold their lands by no title vnles it be giuen them in heauen whereof we can but diuine and who rule cruelly and violently ouer their subiects by extreme exactions and leuies of monie God hath raised vp the free states of the said countrie namely Venice Florence Genua and somtime Bononia Senes Pisa Luques and others which in diuers points are contrarie to the Princes and the Princes to them each of them hauing an eie vpon other that none grow too great But to speake more particularly of the state of Italie against the house of Arragon God hath raised the house of Aniou against the Sforces which vsurpe the place of the Vicounts in the Duchie of Milan the house of Orleans against the Venetians the Princes of Italie as before I haue said and besides them the Florentines against the Florentines their neighbors of Senes Pisa and the Genuois and against the said Genuois their owne euill gouernment and want of faith each to other which is so vniuersally knowen that euery man can tell thereof for their factions are in league the one against the other as appeereth by the Fourgouze 2 Adorni d'Orie and others Now to speake of Almaine you haue alwaies the house of Austriche and Bauiere at variance and particularly them of Bauiere diuided among themselues In like maner the house of Austriche hath particularly opposite to it the Swissers the beginning of which their variance arose but about a little village called Swisse 3 vnable to arme sixe hundred men whereof the other Swissers beare their name who are now so increased that two of the Duke of Austriches best towns namely Zurich and Fribourg be of their cantons Moreouer they haue obtained great victories and slaine of the Dukes of Austrich in the field 4 Diuers other quarrels also there are in Almaine as the Duke of Cleues against the Duke of Gueldres the Dukes of Gueldres against the Dukes of Iulliers the Easterlings who inhabite so far northward against the Kings of Denmarke And to speake generally of Almaine there are so many strong places there so many men inclined to mischiefe to spoile to rob and that vse force violence one against another vpon small occasions that it is woonder to see for a man that is able to maintaine but himselfe and his seruant will proclaime war against a great citie or a Duke that vnder colour thereof he may the better rob and spoile for he will haue some small castell situate vpon a rocke to retire into where he entertaineth twentie or thirtie horsemen which run downe to rob and spoile the countrie at his commandement These men are very seldome punished by the Princes of Almaine bicause they vse their helpe when they neede their seruice but the townes if they take any of them punish them cruelly and often besiege and destroy their castels Further the said townes haue soldiers alwaies in pay for their defence Wherefore it seemeth that these Princes and townes of Almaine are preserued the one to force the other to that is right and good And it is necessarie that such diuisions should be not onely there but through the whole world I haue hitherto spoken but of Europe for I am not well informed of Asia and Affrike yet we heare that they are diuided and make war one vpon another as we do yea after a much beastlier sort For I know in this part of Afrike bordering vpon vs diuers places where they sell one another to the Christians as also well appeereth by the Portugales who haue bought and daily do buie of them manie slaues But I doubt how well we may vpbraid this to the Sarracens sith in some part of Christendome they do the like notwithstanding those countries are either vnder the Turks dominion or next neighbors to him as for example some
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
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
countrey of Lambourg 4 being neighbors to the Liegeois and almost of the same maners and language were appointed to fire it but to saue the churches First the great bridge built ouer the riuer of Maze was beaten downe then a great number were chosen out to defend the chanons houses about the cathedrall church to the end they might haue lodging that should say deuine seruice In like maner also diuers were appointed for defence of the other Churches This done the Duke departed into the countrey of Frachemont and immediately after he was out of the towne we saw a great number of houses on this side the riuer on fire he marched forwarde and lodged fower leagues off yet heard we the noise as easilie as if we had beene there present I wot not whether it were bicause the winde sat that way or bicause we lodged vpon the riuer The next day the Duke departed thence and those that were left behind in the towne continued still the fire as they were commanded but the Churches were all saued afew excepted and aboue three hundred houses to lodge the Church men which caused the towne so soone to be replenished againe for much people returned to dwell with these Priests Bicause of extreme frost and cold the greatest part of the Dukes army was forced to go on foote into the countrey of Franchemont which had neuer a walled towne in it but all villages The Duke lodged fiue or sixe daies in a litle valley called Polleneg his armie was deuided into two bands the sooner to destroy the countrie All the houses he commanded to be burned al the iron mils broken which is their onely trade of liuing Farther our men hunted the poore people out of great woods and forests where they lay hidden with their goods and manie they slew and tooke prisoners and there the soldiers got good booties The cold was more extreme then is almost credible for I saw a gentleman that with cold lost the vse of his foote and neuer recouered it and a Page that had two of his fingers rotted from his hand and in like maner a woman dead for cold and her childe with her whereof shee was newely deliuered Farther by the space of three daies all the wine that was drunke in the Dukes lodging was cut with hatchets for it was so frozen in the vessels that we were forced to breake them and cut the wine being a masse of yse into small peeces which men bare away in hats and baskets as best liked them I could reherse diuers other strange accidents of the cold too long to write To conclude at eight daies end hunger drew vs thence in haste and the Duke departed to Namur and so into Brabant where he was honorably receiued The Notes 1 This was the treaty of Conflans at the conclusion vvhereof these three heere named as our auhor himselfe before reherseth vvere the Dukes enimies and tooke part vvith the King vvherefore no reason it vvas that the Duke should seeke to haue them comprehended in the treatie as his freinds seeing at the conclusion thereof they vvere his enimies 2 This des Murz the old copie nameth De Meriens La Marche d'Emeries Annal. Burgund d'Aymeries The tovvnes name is Aymeries in Henault vpon the riuer of Sambre Guicci in the description of Henault yet the same author in his description generall nameth the man d'Emery Annal. Burgund in another place nameth him d'Esmeriez Meyer Aymericius and Emericius so that I suppose it best to reade it as I haue translated it but that des Murz is very corrupt I am out of doubt 3 This city vvas diuided into three quarters as appeereth by Guic. description for the vvhich cause it vvas fired at three seuerall times 4 The old copie hath Lambourg as I haue translated it the nevv Luxembourg as haue also Annal. Burgund but not vvell in mine opinion For Lambourg is hard by Liege but Luxembourg farther off How the King by subtill meanes perswaded the Lord Charles his brother to take the Duchie of Guienne for Brie and Champaigne to the Duke of Burgundies discontentment Chap. 15. THe King after his departure from the Duke returned with great ioy into his realme attempting nothing against the Duke for his euill vsage at Peronne and Liege but seeming to take all in good part Notwithstanding sharpe warre arose afterward between them but not soon neither was this the cheif cause thereof though happily it might in part further it for if this treatie had beene concluded at Paris it had passed in effect as it did at Peronne But the Duke by his officers aduise sought to aduaunce the bonds of his dominions besides that diuers subtill practises were vsed to set these two Princes againe at variance as you shall heare when occasion serueth The Lord Charles of Fraunce the Kings onely brother and late Duke of Normandie being aduertised of this treatie made at Peronne and the partage assigned to him thereby sent foorthwith to the King desiring him to accomplish the treatie and performe his promise The King sent in like maner to him about that matter and manie messengers ran to and fro betweene them The Duke of Burgundie sent also his ambassadors to the saide Lord Charles desiring him to accept no other partage then Champaigne and Brie which by his meanes was granted him shewing him withall how great good will he bare him sith notwithstanding he had abandoned him yet would not he do the like as the sequell well declared but had also comprehended the Duke of Britain in the treatie as his confederate Farther he sent him word that Champaigne and Brie lay very commodiously for them both bicause if the King should at any time attempt ought against him he might within two daies warning haue succours out of Burgundie the two countries bordering on vpon another Lastely he aduertised him that his partage was very good and that he might leuie in his countries aides customes and subsidies neither could the King claime any thing there but homage resort and soueraignity This Lord Charles was a man doing little or nothing of himselfe but wholy lead and gouerned by others notwithstanding that he were aboue fiue and twenty yeeres of age Thus passed the winter which was well spent before the Kings departure from vs messengers ran continually to and fro about this partage for the King ment nothing lesse then to giue his brother that he had promised bicause he would not haue him and the Duke of Burgundie so neere neighbours But he treated with his brother to take Guienne which is in maner all Aquitaine for Brie and Champaigne The Lord Charles feared to displease the Duke of Bourgundy and doubted if he yeelded to the Kings request and he should not keepe touch with him that then he should loose both freend and partage and so be left bare boord But the King being the subtilest prince then liuing and the cunningest dealer in such treaties perceiuing that he
should do no good vnlesse he wan those that were in credit with his brother fell in communication of this matter with Oudet of Rie Lord of Lescut afterwards Earle of Comminges who was borne and maried in the countrey of Guienne desiring him to perswade his master to accept this partage being much better than that he demanded that they mought be friends and liue togither like brethren adding also that this partage should be much more beneficiall both for his brother and his seruants especially for the saide Oudet than the other and farther assuring him that without faile he would deliuer his brother quiet possession of the said countrey By this means was the Lord Charles won to accept this partage of Guienne to the Duke of Burgundies great discontentation and his ambassadors there present And the cause why cardinall Balue bishop of Angiers 1 and the bishop of Verdun were imprisoned was for that the said Cardinal writ to the Lord Charles aduising him to accept none other partage than that the Duke of Burgundy had procured him by the treaty of Peronne which also the King had sworne and promised laying his hand within the said Cardinals to deliuer him alledging withall such reasons to perswade him thereunto as he thought necessary wherein he did cleane contrary to the Kings purpose Thus the Lord Charles was made Duke of Guienne the yeere 1469. and the possession of the countrey togither with the gouernment of Rochell deliuered him and than the King and he sawe one another and were togither a long time The Notes 1 The Cardinals imprisonment was bicause he perswaded the King to go to Peronne and aduised the Duke of Guienne to beware of poison and not to take the partage of Guienne Meyer and for disclosing the Kings secrets by letters to the Duke of Burgundie Gaguin But if the Duke of Guienne had been wise he would of himselfe without perswasion haue refused this partage For when a mans enimie offereth him that that hath an apparance of good let him euer refuse it nam latet anguis in herba as the sequele of this matter well declared for the accepting of this partage which the King alleaged and that truly to be better than the other the Duke demanded cost the Duke of Guienne his life as heer after shall appeere THE THIRD BOOKE How the King tooke occasion to make war anew vpon the Duke of Burgundy and how he sent a purseuant of the parlament of Gaunt to sommon him to appeere at Paris Chap. 1. THe yeere 1470. the King determined to be reuenged of the Duke of Burgundie supposing he had now found a time conuenient so to do for he priuily sollicited and caused also others to sollicite the towns situate vpon the riuer of Somme namely Amiens Saint Quintine and Abbeuille to rebell against the Duke and to send for succours into France and to receiue them into their towns 1 For all great Princes if they be wise will seeke euer some collour for their doings And to the ende you may perceiue what cunnig is vsed in Fraunce I will shew you how this matter was managed for the King and the Duke were both abused whereof arose whot and sharpe war which endured thirteen or foureteen yeeres The King desired greatly to mooue these townes aboue named to rebellion pretending to the end he might haue the better means to practise with them that the Duke aduanced his limits farther then the treatie would beare whereupon ambassadors ran to and fro who vnder colour of their ambassage practised continually as they passed through these townes to the end aboue mentioned In the said townes were no garrisons but all was quiet both in the realme in Burgundie and in Britaine And the Duke of Guien liued to all mens iudgments in great amitie with the King his brother Notwithstanding when the King first mooued this war his meaning was not to take one or two of these towns onely but sought to stir all the Duke of Burgundies subiects to rebellion trusting to atchieue his enterprise by this means Diuers to obtaine his fauor entertained these practises and reported their intelligence to be far greater then it was for one promised to take this towne an other that and yet indeed all was nothing Wherefore notwithstanding that the King had iust cause to be displeased for his euill vsage at Peronne yet if he had thought this enterprise would haue fallen none otherwise out then it did he would not haue broken the treatie nor mooued war for he had made the peace to be proclaimed at Paris three months after his returne into his realme and began this war with some feare but the great hope he had conceiued of it pricked him forward and marke I pray you what cunning was vsed to further it The Earle of Saint Paule Constable of Fraunce a very wise man and certaine of the Duke of Guien his seruants with diuers others desired rather war then peace betweene these two great Princes for two respects The one they feared least their great offices and pensions should be diminished if peace continued For you shal vnderstand that the Constable had vnder his charge 4. hundred men of armes or launces paied by his owne hands euery muster without controuler farther besides the fee and profits of his office he had a yeerely pension of thirty thousand frankes and better and receiued also the reuenews of many goodly places that he kept The other respect was this they sought to perswade the King and talked also to the like purpose among themselues that his disposition was such that his head could neuer be idle wherefore vnlesse he were busied with great Princes abroad he would be in hand with his seruants and officers at home For these two reasons therefore they sought to intangle him with wars whereunto the better to perswade him the Constable promised to take Saint Quintine at all times when him listed bicause his lands lay round about it vaunting further that he had great intelligence in Flanders and Brabant so far foorth that he would make a number of townes to reuolt from the Duke The Duke of Guienne also being there present and all their principall seruants offered very earnestly and promised very faithfully to serue the King in this quarrell and to leade with them fower or fiue hundred men of armes that the said Duke held in ordinary pay but their drift was other than the King supposed as heerafter you shall heare The King bicause he would seeme to proceede with due aduise and deepe consideration called a Parlament of the three estates of his realme at Tours in the moneths of March and Aprill in the yeere 1470. which was the first and last Parlament that euer he assembled But to this Parlament came onely such as were purposely named and such as the King knew would not gainsay him in any point There he caused diuers enterprises to be discouered that the Duke of Burgundie had attempted against the crowne