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
to Venice with certaine conditions of peace which they refused and of the D. of Milans false dealings page 353 Chap. 13 How the king after his returne into Fraunce forgot those that he left behind him in the realme of Naples and how the Daulphin died whose death the king and Queene much lamented page 356 Chap. 14 How the king was aduertised of the losse of the castell of Naples and how the Florentines places were sold to diuers men of the treatie of Atelle in Pouille to the great dammage of the French and of the death of king Ferrand of Naples page 358 Chap. 15 How certaine practises-entertained by diuers noble men of Italy on the kings behalfe as well for the conquest of Naples as of the Duchie of Milan failed for lacke of sending thither and how an other enterprise against Genua sped euill also page 362 Chap. 16 Of certaine controuersies betweene king Charles and Ferrand king of Castile and of the ambassadors that were sent too and fro to pacifie them page 366 Chap. 17 A discourse of the misfortunes that hapned to the house of Castile in the Lord of Argentons time page 370 Chap. 18 Of the sumptuous buildings K. Charles began a little before his death of the great desire he had to reforme the church himselfe to diminish his reuenues to redresse the processes of the law and how he died suddenly in this good minde in his castell of Amboise page 373 Chap. 19 How the holy man frier Hierom was burned at Florence by the procurement of the pope and of diuers Florentines and Venetians his enimies page 375 Chap. 20 Of the obsequies and funerals of king Charles the 8. and of the coronation of king Lewis the 12. his successor with the genealogies of the kings of Fraunce continuing to the saide Lewis page 377 The pedegree of Charles D. of Burgundy page 379 How Elizabeth wife to king Edward the fourth was neece to the Constable of Fraunce page 380 How Brabant Lambourg Luxembourg Namurs c. came to Charles D. of Burgundy 381. page 382 How Margaret of Flaunders was heire of Flaunders c. page 383 How Arthois and the county of Burgundy descended to the said Lady Margaret c. page 384 How the King of Portugale was cosin germaue to the D. of Burgundy page 385 How the D. of Cleues was the Lady of Burgundies neerest kinsman by his mother page 386 How King Henry the 7. was right heire of the house of Lancaster page 387 The title the D. of Lorraine had to the realme of Sicilie c. page 388 Why the Venetians had no right to the realme of Naples page 390 The house of Medices page 391 How Lewis D. of Orleans pretended title to the Duchie of Milan page 392 The pedegree of Hercules D. of Ferrara page 394 The pedegree of Francis Marques of Mantua page 395 How Ferdinand King of Arragon had more right to the realme of Naples than the Kings of the house of Arragon that possessed it page 396 FINIS THE PREFACE OF THE AVTHOR TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF VIENNA in Fraunce TO satisfie your request so often mooued vnto me right reuerend father in God I send you heere a memoriall as agreeable to truth as I can possibly call to minde of all the acts and doings that I haue been priuy vnto of king Levvis the eleuenth our master and benefactor and a prince woorthy of perpetuall memory Of his youth I can say nothing but by his owne report But from the time I entred into his seruice till the hower of his death whereat I was present I was more continually resident with him than any man of my estate that serued him being euer either of his priuy chamber or employed in his weightie affaires I found in him as in all other princes that I haue knowne or serued both good and bad For men they are as we be perfection is proper to God onely But sure that prince whose vertues and good parts surmount his vices deserueth great commendation the rather bicause commonly noble personages are more prone to al kind of wantonnes than other men partly for that in their childhood they are brought vp without due chastisement correction partly bicause when they are grown to mans estate ech man seeketh to seed their humors sooth them in all they say or do But for mine own part bicause I loue not to flatter nor misreport the truth somwhat may happily be found in this historie not tending altogither to the kings praise but I trust the readers will weigh the reasons aboue alledged Sure thus much I dare boldly say in his commendation that in mine opinion he was the prince in his age all things considered least subiect to vice Yet haue I knowne and been conuersant with as many great princes both spirituall and temporall as any man in Fraunce of my time as well the princes of this realme as those also that haue liued in Britaine Flaunders Almayne Englande Spayne Portugall and Italy Diuers others also whom I haue not seene yet haue I knowne partly by conference with their ambassadors and partly by their letters and instructions which are meanes sufficient to enforme men of their natures and inclinations Notwithstanding I minde not by setting foorth his commendation in this worke to detract from the honor and good renowne of others but send you penned in haste all that I could call to minde trusting that you haue required it of me to turne it into some worke that you purpose to publish in Latine to the perfection of which toong you haue atteined whereby may appeere both the woorthines of the prince I now write of and also the excellencie of your owne wit Farther sir if I happen to faile in any point you haue my L. of Bouchage and others who are better able to enforme you of these affaires than my selfe and to couch their words in much eloquenter language Although to say the truth considering how honorablie the king entertained me how great familiaritie it pleased him to vse towards me and how liberally he bestowed vpon me neuer intermitting one of the three till the houre of his death no man hath iuster cause to remember those times then my selfe whereunto I also adde the losses I haue susteined and dangers I haue been in sithence his decease which are sufficient I thinke to put me in minde of the great benefits I receiued at his hands during his life Notwithstanding that I know it to be a matter of course that after the death of great and mightie princes great alterations ensue to the losse of some and gain of others for riches and honors folow not alwaies their expectation that hunt after them To conclude sir the better to enforme you of the time sithence I entred into the kings familiarity which is your desire I am forced first to rehearse what hapned before I came to his seruice and so orderly to proceede from the time I
great as was thought neither any man of name slaine but a knight of Flaunders named Monseur de Sergine notwithstanding they sent him word that the valiant gentlemen and soldiers of his vaward were vtterly wearied and in great trouble and distresse for all that night they had stoode vpright in the mire by the towne gate Farther they told him that certaine of the footemen that fled were returned so discouraged that they seemed vnfit for any great exploit Wherefore they desired him for Gods loue to make haste to the end the citizens might be forced to retire euery man to the defence of his owne quarter and that it would please him to sende them some vittails for they had not one morsell of meat The D. foorthwith commanded two or three hundred to ride thither as fast as their horses could gallop to cōfort his soldiers and sent after them al the vittails he could come by and so was it high time for by the space of two daies almost and a night they had neither eaten nor drunke vnlesse it were some one that caried a draught of wine in a bottell Besides that the weather was maruelous foule neither could they possibly enter the town on that side they lay vnlesse the Duke embusied the enimie on the other side A great number of them were hurt and among the rest the Prince of Orenge whom I had forgotten to name before who behaued himselfe that day like a couragious gentleman for he neuer mooued foote off the place he first possessed The Lords of Lau and Vrfé did also very valiantly but the number of the footmen that fled the night of the skirmish was at the least ten thousand It was almost darke night when the Duke receaued this newes but after he had dispatched all his busines he returned to his ensigne and rehearsed the whole order of the skirmish to the King who reioiced to heare that all was so wel for the contrary might haue turned to his preiudice When they approched neere the towne a great number of gentlemen and men of armes lighted on foote with the archers to take the suburbes which were easely won and there the bastard of Burgundy who had great charge in this army vnder the Duke the Lord of Rauastaine the earle of Roucy the Constables sonne and diuers other gentlemen lodged euen hard by the gate which the enimies had also repaired as the former The Duke lodged in the midst of the suburbes but the King lay that night in a great grange a quarter of a league from the town where was very good lodging being accompanied with a great number of men as well of his owne as of ours This towne is situate vpon mountaines and vallies and in a maruellous fruitfull soile 1 the riuer of Maz runneth through it it is about the greatnes of Roan and was at that time a maruellous populous citie From the gate where we lodged to the other where our vaward lay the way was short through the towne but without it was at the least three leagues going so crooked and foule are the waies especially in winter in the midst whereof we came thither Their wals were all rased so that they might saly foorth where best liked them and their defence was onely a little rampire of earth for the towne was neuer ditched bicause the foundation is hard and sharpe rock The first night of the Dukes arriuall our vaward was much refreshed and eased for the force within the towne was then diuided into two parts About midnight they gaue vs a hot alarme whereupon the Duke issued foorthwith into the street and soone after arriued also the King and the Constable with great speede considering how far off they lay Some cried they saly out at such a gate others spake diuers discomfortable words the darke and rainie weather increased also their feare The Duke lacked no courage but failed somtime in good order giuing and to say the truth at this time he behaued not himselfe so aduisedly as many wished bicause of the Kings presence Wherefore the King tooke vpon him authoritie to command and said to the Constable Leade your men into such a quarter for if they salie that is their way and sure both his words and behauiour shewed him to be a Prince of great vertue and wisedome and well acquainted with such exploits notwithstanding this great alarme prooued nothing whereupon the King and the Duke returned to their lodging The next morning came the King and lodged also in the suburbs in a little house hard by the Dukes lodging accompanied with an hundred Scottish men of his garde and his men of armes lying in a little village hard by him which bred great suspicion in the Duke that he would either enter the citie or escape before it were taken 2 or peraduenture worke him some displeasure lying so neere him Wherefore he put into a great grange iust betweene their two lodgings three hundred men of armes being all the flower of his house who brake downe the panes of the wals to saly foorth the more speedily if neede so required and these had their eies continually vpon the Kings lodging which was hard by them The siege continued eight daies during which space neither the Duke nor any of the company vnarmed themselues But the euening before the towne was taken the Duke determined to assault it the next morning being Sonday the 30. of October the yeere 1468. and the token giuen to our vaward was this that when they heard one bombard and two great serpentines discharged one incontinent after another without more shot they should then couragiously go to the assault and the Duke on his side would do the like Farther the hower appointed for the enterprise was eight of the clocke in the morning the same night the assault was thus concluded the Duke vnarmed himselfe which since the beginning of the siege he had not done and commanded the whole armie especially those that lodged in the grange betweene his lodging and the Kings to do the like to the end they might refresh themselues but the selfesame night the citizens as though they had beene aduertised of this determination concluded to make a salie out of the towne on this side as they had before on the other The Notes 1 Of the seate of this towne read Guicci pag. 370. 2 Basinus vvriteth that the Duke for diuers considerations had rather haue lacked the Kings companie then haue had it but that the King to blinde the Duke vvith a pretence of good vvill offered himselfe to go vvith him which report all the circumstances considered seemeth vtterly repugnant to truth How the Liegeois made a desperate salie vpon the Duke of Burgundies men where he and the King were in great danger Chap. 12. I Will now rehearse an example whereby you shall perceiue how easely euen a few enimies may worke a great Prince displeasure and how much it importeth Princes throughly to waie their enterprises
he thought euery hower ten til he were on horsebacke to aduertise the Duke his Master thereof Wherefore he was dispatched with all speede and wrote his instructions himselfe he caried also with him a letter of credit written with the Kings owne hand and so departed The peace with the English men was already concluded as aboue is mentioned and all these practises were abroch in one instant The Kings Commissioners had made report of their negotiation as you haue heard and the King of Englands were also returned to him Further it was concluded and agreed on both sides by the ambassadors that passed betweene them that the two Princes should meete togither and after they had seene one another and sworne the treaty the King of England should returne home into his countrey hauing first receiued the sum aboue mentioned of 720000. crownes and leauing in hostage behinde him till he were passed the seas the Lord Hovvard and the Master of his horse called sir Iohn Cheinie Lastly a pension of 16000. crownes was promised to be diuided among the King of Englands principall seruants of the which sum the Lord Hastings had two thousand The rest had the Lord Howard the Master of the horse Master Chalanger Master Montgomerie and others besides this great sums of money and goodly presents of siluer plate were giuen to King Edvvards seruants The Duke of Burgundy hearing these newes came in great haste from Luxembourg where he lay to the King of England accompanied onely with sixteene horse The King being much astonished at this his so sudden arriuall asked him what winde draue him thither perceiuing by his countenance that he was displeased The Duke answered that he was come to talke with him The King demanded whether he would speake with him priuately or publikely Then said the Duke haue you concluded peace I haue quoth the King made truce for nine yeeres wherein both you and the Duke of Britaine are comprehended and I pray you agree thereunto But the Duke grew maruellous hot and spake in English for he could the language rehearsing what noble acts diuers Kings of England had done in Fraunce and what great trauell they had sustained to purchase honor and renowme Afterward he inueighed vehemently against this truce saying that he had not desired the English men to passe the seas for any neede he had of their helpe but to the end they might recouer their owne right And to the intent they might perceiue that he stood in no need of their comming he protested that he would not make truce with the King till the King of England had been three moneths at home in his realme which talke ended he departed and returned from whence he came The King of England and his Councell tooke these words in euill part but they that misliked the peace commended much the Dukes speech The Notes 1 Meyer saith thus Quinquaginta millia aureorum pro tributo Aquitaniae Septuaginta quinque millia praeterea soluta prae manibus Edwardo à Gallorum Rege Annal. Aquit say 65000. our chronicles and Gaguin 75000. But the truce saith Gaguin vvas concluded but for seuen yeeres Introduction de la Marche saith 60000. crovvnes the yeerely tribut but in the second booke cap. 1. the same author saith but 36000. 2 The King calleth the Constable brother bicause the King and he had married tvvo sisters as our author maketh mention in this booke cap. 4. How the King feasted the English men in Amiens and how there was a place assigned for the enteruiew of the two Kings Chap. 9. THe King of England to the end the peace might be fully concluded came and encamped within halfe a league of Amiens The King was at the gate from whence he might behold the English men a far off as they came To say the truth they seemed but yong soldiers for they rode in very euill order The King sent to the King of England 300. carts laden with the best wines that might be gotten the which carriage seemed a far off almost as great as the King of Englands armie Many English men bicause of the truce repaired to the towne where they behaued themselues very vndiscreetly and without all regard of their Princes honor They came all in armes and in great troupes and if the King our Master would haue dealt falsly with them so great a number might neuer so easily haue beene destroied Notwithstanding he meant nothing lesse but studied to make them good cheere and to conclude a sure peace with them for his time He had caused to be set at the entrie of the towne gate two long tables on each side of the street one furnished with all kindes of delicate meats that prouoke drinke and with the best wines that might be gotten and men to wait vpon them of water there was no mention At each of these tables he had placed fiue or sixe great fat gentlemen of good houses thereby the better to content those that desired to drinke The gentlemens names were these Monseur de Cran de Briqueber de Bresmes de Villiers and others So soone as the English men drew neere the gate they might behold this good cheere Besides this men purposely appointed tooke their horses by the bridles saying that they would breake a staffe with them and so led them to the table where they were feasted according to the varietie of the meats which they tooke in very good part After they were within the towne what house soeuer they entred into they paid nothing Further nine or ten tauerns were well furnished at the Kings charge of all things necessarie whither they went to eate and drinke and called for what they would but the King defraied all and this cheere endured three or fower daies You haue heard how the Duke of Burgundie misliked the peace which howsoeuer it displeased him troubled the Constable much more bicause he saw he had failed of his enterprise and purchased himselfe hatred on all sides wherefore he sent his Confessor to the King of England with a letter of credit desiring him for Gods loue to haue no affiance in the Kings words and promises but to accept the townes of Eu and S. Valerie and there to lodge himselfe part of the winter adding that within two moneths he would finde meanes to lodge him more commodiously Other assurance heerof gaue he him none for his onely meaning was to feede him foorth with these faire words Last of all to the end he should not conclude a dishonorable treatie for greedines of a little money he promised to lend him fiftie thousand crownes with diuers other large offers But the King had already caused the two places aboue mentioned to be burned bicause he knew the King of England had intelligence that the Constable had perswaded him to put them into the English mens hands King Edwards answer was that the truce was alreadie concluded and that he would alter nothing therein but if he had performed his promises he
earnestly the other the hope he had to reserue to himselfe a great part of the subsidie leuied in England for this voiage for as before I haue said the Kings of England receiue onely the bare reuenues of their lands saue when they leuie money to make war in Fraunce Further K. Edward had deuised this subtiltie to appease his subiects he had brought with him ten or 12. great fat paunches as well of the citie of London as of other townes in England who were the wealthiestmen of the commonaltie and had been the chiefest instruments both in perswading the King to passe into Fraunce and also in leuying this mightie army The King caused them to be lodged in good tents but that was not the life they were accustomed to lead wherefore they soone waxed wearie of it At their first arriuall they looked for the battell within three daies after their landing But the King of England alleaged many doubts vnto them and endeuored to put them in feare of the battell and to perswade them to allow of the peace to the ende they might aide him at their returne into England to pacifie the murmuring and grudging of the people that happily might arise bicause of his returne for neuer King of England since King Arthur passed at one time with so great force and so many noble personages into Fraunce But after the peace was concluded the King of England repaired homeward with speed reseruing to himselfe a great summe of monie leuied in England for the paiment of his soldiers so that he obtained in effect all his purposes His bodie could not away with such labor as a King of England must endure that mindeth to atchieue any great enterprise in Fraunce Further the King our Master had made great preparation for resistance though to say the truth he could not well haue prouided defence sufficient against all his enimies for he had too manie Lastly the King of England had a maruellous great desire to accomplish the marriage of his daughter with King Charles the 8. now raigning which caused him to winke at a number of inconueniences that turned after to the King our Masters great profit After all the English men were returned home sauing the hostages the King tooke his iourney towards Laon and lodged in a little towne vpon the maâ—â—â—es of Henault called Veruins and to Auennes in Henault came the Chauncelloâ— oâ— Burgundie with the Lord of Contay and other ambassadors from the Duke The King was very desirous at this time to conclude a finall peace for this mightie English armie had put him in feare and no maruell for he had seene in his time of their doings in this realme and would in no wise their returne The said Chauncellor writ to the King desiring that it would please him to send his Commissioners for the peace to a certaine bridge in the midway betweene Auennes and Veruins saying that he and his colleagues would meet them there The King sent him answer that he would come thither himselfe and notwithstanding that diuers whose aduise he asked in this matter perswaded him to the contrarie yet thither he went leading also with him the English hostages who were present when he receiued the Dukes ambassadors the which came very well accompanied with archers and men of war At this first meeting they did but salute the King then went to dinner One of the English men began to repent him that the treatie was concluded and said to me at a window that if they had seene many such men with the Duke of Burgundie peraduenture they would not haue made peace Which words the Vicount of Narbonne 1 now Lord of Fouez hearing said Were you so simple to thinke that the Duke of Burgundie had not great force of such men he had sent them onely to refresh themselues but you were so desirous to returne home that sixe hundred pipes of wine and a pension the King giueth you blew you quickly backe into England The English man in a great furie answered I perceiue now their sayings to prooue true that told vs you would deride vs for making peace Call you the money the King giueth vs a pension it is tribute and by Saint George you may babble so much that you may soone make vs to returne But I brake off their talke and turned it to a iest notwithstanding the Englishman was discontented and cast out a word thereof to the King who was maruellously offended with the Lord of Narbonne for his speech The King communed not long at this first meeting with the Chancellor and the other ambassadors for it was agreed that they should go with him to Veruines where when they arriued he coÌ„manded M. Tanneguy du Chastell and M. Peter Doriole Chancellor of Fraunce and others to negotiate with them much ado there was betweene them many reasons alleaged and many demands made on each side The Kings Commissioners made report to him that the Burgundians vsed fierce and stout language but that they had paid them with the like and withall tolde him what their answers were Which he much misliked saying that the like answers had been made diuers times before and that they treated not of a finall peace but onely of truce wherefore he would haue no more such language vsed but would himselfe commune with them and thereupon caused the said Chauncellor and the 〈◊〉 â—â—bassadors to come into his chamber out of the which all men were commanded to auoid saue the late L. Admirall called the bastard of Burbon Monseur de Bouchage and my selfe There the King concluded truce for nine yeeres wherein it was agreed that euery man shuld be restored to his former estate But the ambassadors besought the King that the truce might not yet be proclaimed to saue the D. their Masters oth who had sworne not to make truce before the King of England had been a certaine space in his realme least he should thinke their Master had accepted his truce But the King of England who thought great scorne that the Duke would not be comprehended in his truce being aduertised that he treated with the King of an other sent ouer into Fraunce a knight neere about him called Sir Thomas Montgomery who came to Veruins at the very same instant that the King treated with the Duke of Burgundies ambassadors of this truce aboue mentioned The said Sir Thomas required the King in the King his Masters name to make no other truce with the Duke of Burgundy than that which was already concluded betweene them two Further desiring him not to deliuer Saint Quintins into the Dukes hands offering that if he would continue war with the Duke his Master would be content the next sommer to passe the seas againe for him and in his aide with these conditions First that the King should recompence the losse the King of England should sustaine by the wooll custome of Calice amounting yeerely to 50000. crownes which if the war opened with
againe to the Dukes campe and then reuolted from him as you haue heard when he saw the Almains march of whom being refused he retired as I said before to this castell of Condy. The said Almains marched forward being accompanied with great force of French horse men that had leaue giuen them to be at the battell Diuers also there were that lay in ambushes neere to the place to the end if the D. were discomfited they might get som good prisoner or booty Thus you see the miserable estate this poore Duke of Burgundy was fallen into by refusing good aduise When the two armies ioined the Dukes hauing been already twise discomfited and being but small and in very euill order was incontinent broken and put to flight a great number escaped the rest were either slaine 3 or taken and namely the Duke himselfe died vpon the place Of the maner of his death 4 I will not speake bicause I was not there present but I haue communed with some that were there who told me that they saw him striken to the ground could not succor him bicause they were prisoners Notwithstanding to their iudgement he was not then slaine but after these came a great troupe which slew him in the midst of them stripped him and left him among the dead bodies not knowing who he was 5 This battell 6 was fought the fift of Ianuary 7 1476. vpon Twelfth euen 1477. begining the yeere as Newe yeeres tide The Notes 1 He departed vpon wensday with 180. Meyer saith almost 200. men of armes that is 800. horse and on saturday departed the Lords of Dauge or Augy as Meyer nameth him and Montfort with 120. men of armes that is 480. horse and vpon sunday was the battel Annal. Aquit Meyer Annal. Burgund 2 The castell of Condy was the passage vpon the bridge of the riuer of Moselle Meyer 3 The Duke lost in the battell of Nancy 3000. men Annal. Burgund 4 He had three wounds one with a halberd in the side of his head which claue his head downe to the teeth another with a pike through the haunches and the third a push also with a pike by the fundament Annal. Burg. He was born the 11. of Nouember 1433. and was 34. yeeres old when he began to gouerne he liued 43. yeeres one moneth and 26. daies and gouerned nine yeeres sixe moneths and twenty daies Meyer 5 The name of him that slue Duke Charles was Claude of Bausmont captaine of the castell of Saint Dier in Lorraine The Duke was mounted vpon a blacke courser and seeing his battel 's ouerthrowen tooke a little riuer supposing to haue saued himselfe but in the riuer his horse fell and ouerthrevv him and then this gentleman not knowing him and by reason he vvas deafe not hearing the Duke vvho cried to him for the safetie of his life ran vpon him slue him stripped him and left him lying starke naked in the ditch VVhere the next day after the battell his bodie vvas found so fast frosen in the ice that vvhen it vvas dravven foorth a peece of his cheeke tarried there behinde The Duke of Lorraine to his great honor solemnly buried him himselfe and al his nobles accompanying the corps in mourning attire The place vvhere the Duke vvas slaine vvas hard by S. Iohns Church vvithout Nancy vvhere the Duke of Lorraine erected a crosse for a memoriall thereof The gentleman that slue him died soone after of melancholie vvhen he vnderstood that he had slaine so vvoorthie and couragious a Prince Champier Annales Burgund 6 The battell at Nancy Meyer nameth the battell of Iaruilla 7 Being sunday and as others vvrite ann 1477. but the variance both in this place and diuers others betvveene Commines and them is bicause they end the yeere at Nevv yeeres tide and he not before our Lady day as by the course of his historie is most plaine A discourse vpon certaine vertues of the Duke of Burgundie and of the time his house flourished in prosperitie Chap. 9. I Saw at Milan since his death a signet that I haue often seene him weare at his brest which was a ring set with a camée hauing very curiously cut into it an iron to strike fire 1 wherein his armes were grauen This ring was sold at Milan for two ducats and he that stole it from him was a false knaue that had beene a groome of his chamber Many a time haue I seene him made ready and vnready with great reuerence and solemnitie and that by great personages But now when death came all these honors fleeted away and both he and his house were destroied as you haue heard in the selfesame place where a little before he had consented for couetousnes to deliuer the Constable to death I had knowen him in times past a mightie and honorable Prince as much yea more esteemed and sought to of his neighbours than any Prince in Christendome Further in mine opinion the greatest cause of Gods indignation against him was for that he attributed all his good successe and all the great victories he obtained in this world to his owne wisedome and vertue and not to God as he ought to haue done And vndoubtedly he was endued with many goodly vertues for neuer was Prince more desirous to entertaine noble men and keepe them in good order than he His liberalitie seemed not great 2 bicause he made all men partakers thereof Neuer Prince gaue audience more willingly to his seruants and subiects than he 3 While I serued him he was not cruell but grew maruellous cruel towards his end which was a signe of short life In his apparell and all other kinde of furniture he was woonderfull pompous yea somwhat too excessiue He receiued very honorably all ambassadors and strangers feasting them sumptuously and entertaining them with great solemnitie Couetous he was of glorie which was the chiefe cause that made him mooue so many wars for he desired to imitate those ancient Princes whose fame continueth till this present Lastly hardie he was and valiant as any man that liued in his time but all his great enterprises and attempts ended with himselfe and turned to his owne losse and dishonor for the honor goeth euer with the victorie Yet to say the truth I wot not well whether God powred out greater indignation vpon him or vpon his subiects for he died in battell without any long griefe but they sithence his death neuer liued in peace but in continual war against the which they haue not been able to make resistance bicause of their owne ciuill troubles and diuisions Yea and another thing that most greeueth them is that they that now defend them are strangers who not long since were their enimies namely the Almaines To conclude since the Dukes death neuer man bare them good will no not they that defend them Further if a man consider well their actions it seemeth that their wits were as much troubled as their Princes before his death for they despised
the English men Notwithstanding the King of England was oftentimes earnestly pressed by this yoong Princes for aide and therefore sent ambassadors often to negotiate with the King our Master about these affaires desiring him to grant hir either peace or truce Now you shall vnderstand that those that were at the debating of these matters in England especially in their parlament which is an assembly of the three estates where diuers wise men were present that smelt our dissimulation a far off and receiued no pension of the King as the others did were verie desirous and yet the commons of the realme more desirous that the King of England should send aide without further delay to the saide Ladie saying that we heere did but abuse them and that the marriage should neuer be accomplished alleaging that at the treatie made at Picquigny betweene the two Kings we had faithfully sworne and promised that the King of Englands daughter whom they had already called the Ladie Daulphinesse should be sent for into Fraunce within a yeere which terme was now long expired But what reasons soeuer the subiects made the King would giue no eare thereunto but alleaged diuers excuses to the contrarie And to say the truth he was a verie corpulent man and much giuen to pleasures neither could his body endure the toile of the wars Further he had wound himselfe out of great troubles and was loth to enter into them againe The couetousnes also of the 50000. crownes yeerly paid him in the tower of London qualified his minde Besides all this his ambassadors that came hither were so courteously entertained and so well rewarded that they departed euer well contented but they neuer receiued any resolute answere for the King sought onely to protract the time euer saying that ere it were long he would send to the King their Master certain noble men with such assurance of those matters he stood in doubt of as he knew well would content him According to the which promise within three weekes or a moneth after these ambassadors departure sometime more sometime lesse which was no small delaie in such a case he vsed to send ambassadors to the K. of England but at euery voiage sundrie men to the end that if the former had made any ouerture not performed the latter might plaid ignorance therin They also that were sent perswaded so well the King of England that we meant nothing but good faith that he lay still and neuer stirred for both he and the Queen his wife so much desired this marriage that partly for this cause and partly for the other reasons aboue alleaged he was content to winke at this war which some of his Counsell tould him plainely to be verie preiudiciall to his realme But he feared the breach of this marriage bicause men began alreadie to scoffe at it in England especially such as desired rebellion and ciuill war Now to discourse a little vpon this point You shall vnderstand that the King our Master neuer meant to accomplish this mariage bicause there was no equalitie betweene the age of the two parties for King Edwards daughter at this present Queene of England was much elder than the Daulphin now raigning But by these dissimulations a moneth or two was gayned in running to and fro by which meanes the King foded foorth his enimie one whole sommer wherein he might haue done him harme For vndoubtedly if the King of England had not hoped vpon this marriage he would neuer haue suffered the King to take the places bordering so neere vpon the English dominions but haue sought to defend them and if at the beginning he had declared himselfe for the Ladie of Burgundie the King who was by nature timorous and would put nothing in aduenture had neuer weakened this house of Burgundie as he hath Thus much I write chiefly to shew how these affaires passed and secondarily to the end that if heerafter those that haue to manage great affaires happen to reade this historie they may thereby learne how to helpe themselues in the like case for be their wisedome neuer so great yet a small aduertisement doth good many times True it is that if this Lady of Burgundy would haue consented to marrie the Lord Riuers the Queene of Englands brother she should haue beene aided with great force but this had been an vnequall match for he was but a poore Earle and she one of the greatest inheritors in hir time Many practises were entertained betweene the Kings of Fraunce and England and amongst others the King offered him that if he would ioine with him and passe ouer in person into the Lady of Burgundies countries he would be contented that the King of England should hold the countrie of Flaunders without homage and also the Duchie of Brabant offering further to conquer for him at his proper costs and charges fower of the greatest townes in Brabant and to put them into the King of Englands hands to wage him 10000. English men for fower moneths to the end he might the better sustaine the charge of the wars and to lend him great store of artillerie and men and carriage to conuey it and attend vpon it with this condition that the King of England should conquer the countrie of Flaunders during the time the King our Master inuaded on the other side Whereunto the King of England made answer that the townes of Flaunders were strong and great and both that countrey and also the countrey of Brabant hard to be kept if they were conquered adding further that this war liked not the English men bicause of their entercourse with those countries But seeing it pleased the King to make him partaker of his conquest if he would giue him certaine townes he had alreadie conquered in Picardie as Bolloin and diuers other which he named he would then be contented to declare himselfe for him and send men to serue him if he would pay them which was a verie wise answer The Notes 1 The King could not take Saint Omer for the Lord of Chanteraine valiantly defended it Reade De la Marche lib. 2. cap. 9. pag. 410. 2 Others write but 295. others 296. and others 299. How the marriage betweene the Ladie of Burgundie and Maximilian Duke of Austrich afterwards Emperor was concluded and accomplished Chap. 3. DIuers practises were entertained as before you haue heard betweene these two Kings to delay time but in the meane while the Ladie of Burgundies force still diminished for of those few men that remained aliue after hir fathers death diuers reuolted from hir to the King especially after Monseur de Cordes was entred into his seruice for he led away a great troupe with him Others necessitie forced to shrinke from hir bicause they dwelt either within the townes the King had already conquered or neere vnto them Some also put themselues into his seruice to be enriched for no Prince dealt so liberally with his men as the King our Master did Moreouer
Whereunto she answered that she could do no otherwise bicause hir promise was past which she would not breake Which words the Duke hearing and knowing diuers about hir to be of the same opinion determined soone after to returne home into his owne countrey and relinquish his sute Thus was this marriage concluded for the accomplishment whereof Duke Maximilian came to Colen where certaine of the Ladies seruants met him and brought him money whereof I thinke they found him bare inough for his father was the hardest man either Prince or priuate man that liued in his time The said Emperors son being accompanied with seuen or eight hundred horse was conueied to Gaunt where the marriage was accomplished which at the first was more vnprofitable than profitable to the Ladies subiects for the Almains in steed of bringing money with them had money giuen them Their number was not sufficient to withstand the Kings forces and their conditions agreed not with hir subiects maners for they had liued vnder rich Princes which gaue goodly offices kept honorable and pompous houses both in furniture and fare and had sumptuous apparell both for themselues and their seruants but the Almains are of a cleane contrary disposition for they are rude fellowes and liue grossely I doubt not but that by sage and wise aduise and by the speciall grace of God the law Salicke was ordained in Fraunce which barreth women from the crowne to the end the realme fall not into the hands of a strange Prince nation For neither the French men nor any other people can easily digest the gouernment of a stranger And to saie the truth there is no great seniorie but in the end the dominion thereof remaineth to the naturall countrey men as appeereth by the realme of Fraunce a great part whereof the English men possessed the space of fower hundred yeeres and yet now hold nothing therein but Calice and two little castels the defence whereof costeth them yeerely a great summe of monie the rest they lost much sooner than they wan for they lost more in a day than they got in a yeere The selfe-same appeereth also by the realme of Naples the yle of Sicilie and the other prouinces possessed by the French men many yeeres where now is no memoriall of their being there saue onely their ancestors graues For notwithstanding that men may away with a strange Prince being wise accompanied with a small traine well disposed yet can they hardly digest a great number of strangers for if the Prince bring with him a great multitude or send for great forces vpon occasion of wars quarrels will arise betweene them and the subiects of the countrie bicause of the diuersitie of their maners and conditions and bicause they will not forbeare to offer the subiects wrong and are not beloued as the naturall countrie men be which inconuenience then happeneth especially when strangers seeke to haue the highest offices and estates and the gouernment of the affaires in the commonwelth Wherfore a Prince that goeth into a strange countrie had neede to be wise and carefull in setting all things in good order for if he lacke this vertue of prudence which proceedeth especially of the grace of God whatsoeuer other good parts be in him all is but lost and if he liue a mans age both he and those that liue vnder him shall taste of great troubles especially in his old age when his subiects and seruants despaire of amendment After this marriage aboue rehearsed was accomplished their affaires amended not for the Princes were both very yoong and Duke Maximilian for his part simple and of small vnderstanding aswell bicause of his yoong yeeres 2 as also for that he was in a strange countrey and vtterly vnacquainted in his education with any matter of state Lastly he wanted force sufficient for any great exploit so that for these causes these countries fell into great miseries wherein they yet remaine and are like to remaine Sure it is a greeuous plague when a Prouince is forced to seeke a strange Prince to gouerne it Wherefore God hath shewed great grace to the realme of Fraunce by the lawe aboue mentioned which barreth women from the crowne for by such marriages with strangers a priuate house I confesse may be inriched but to a great realme such as this many inconueniences should therof insue Soone after this marriage accomplished or while they were treating thereof the King wan the countrey of Artois It sufficeth me to rehearse the substance of these affaires and if I faile otherwise in the exact computation of the time a moneth or two I trust the Readers will hold me excused The Kings good successe daily increased for no man withstood him by meanes whereof he wan euery day some place or other vnlesse truce or some ouuerture of peace were made which notwithstanding could neuer be brought to conclusion bicause both the parties were vnreasonable Wherefore the war continued still Duke Maximilian and the Lady of Burgundy had issue the first yeere Archduke Philip now liuing 3 The second yeere they had a daughter called Margaret now our Queene 4 The third yeere they had a sonne named Francis of Francis Duke of Britaine 5 who christned him The fourth yeere she died 6 with a fall from hir horse 7 or of an ague but true it is that she fell some said she was with childe Hir death was a great losse to hir subiects for she was a vertuous and liberall Lady welbeloued of hir people more reuerenced and feared of them than hir husband and no maruell for she was Lady of the land She loued hir husband entirely well and was well reported of all men She died in the yeere 1482. The King held in Hainault the townes of Quesnoi-le Counte and Bouchain the which he restored againe wherat diuers woondered considering that he seamed not desirous of peace but rather to take all and leaue this house of Burgundy nothing And sure I thinke if he could easily haue dispersed and giuen away all the Seniories therof he would vtterly haue destroied it indeed But two causes there were as he afterwards told me that mooued him to render these places the one he said that a King ought to make more account of places of force and defence within his owne realme where he is annointed and sacred than of those that are out of his realme as these two were The other was bicause of the solemne oth and league that is between the Kings of Fraunce and the Emperors that they shall not incroche the one vpon the other and these places aboue mentioned were situate in the Empire and were restored the yeere 1477. The same cause mooued him to leaue Cambray also and to restore it to neutrality and to say the truth they receiued him into the towne vnder that condition The Notes 1 This was Charles Duke of Angoulesme father to King Frauncis the first 2 Maximilian was borne the 22. of March 1459. and
before and appointed me also to be his bedfellow notwithstanding that I were vnwoorthy of that honor and that diuers others were fitter for that place than my selfe but he was so wise that no man could faile to please him if he executed his commandements without adding ought thereto of his owne braine The Notes 1 This Archbishops name was Francis Saluiat and this vprore was the 27. of Aprill anno 1478. Of Monseur d'Argentons returne out of Italie into Fraunce and of the battell of Guinegate Chap. 6. AT my returne the King our Master looked somwhat aged and his body was disposed to sicknes but his disease brake not foorth as yet His affaires he gouerned with great wisedome and the war endured still in Picardie wherewith he was not a little discontented as were his enimies also in the said countrie but they could not remedie it The Duke of Austriche now King of Romans hauing the Flemmings this yeere at his deuotion laid the siege before Therouenne but Monseur de Cordes the Kings lieutenant in Picardie leuied all the forces the King had in that countrie and the frontiers thereabout to the number of eight thousand franke archers and went to succour the place Whom when the Duke of Austriche perceiued to approch he leuied his siege and marched against him the two armies met at a place called Guinegate The Duke had of Flemmings to the number of twenty thousand or better and certaine Almaines togither with three hundred English men led by an English Knight that had serued Charles Duke of Burgundie called sir Thomas Abrigan The Kings horsemen being much stronger than their enimies brake the Dukes horsemen and pursued them and Master Philip of Rauastain their captaine as far as Ayre whereupon the Duke ioined himselfe with his footemen The King had in this armie at the least 1100. men of armes of his ordinarie retinue 1 all the which followed not the chase but Monseur de Cordes who was generall did and Monseur de Torcy with him which was a valiant deede but against the law of armes for the captaines of the vaward and rereward ought not to follow the chase Some of the Dukes horsemen retired vnder colour of defending the strong places but others fled in good earnest The Dukes footmen fled not yet were they vpon the point so to do but they had with them on foote two hundred valiant gentlemen their leaders among whom were the Lord of Romont of the house of Sauoye the Earle of Nassaw and diuers others yet liuing The courage of these gentlemen staied the footemen which was a woonder considering they saw their horsemen broken The Kings franke archers fell to spoile the Dukes carriage and the straglers that followed it as victuallers and such like but certaine of the Dukes footmen set vpon them discomfited them and slue some of them The Dukes losse was greater than ours for more of his men were taken and more slaine 2 but the honor of the field was his And I thinke verily if he had returned to Therouenne he had not found a man neither in it nor in Arras and it was greatly to his losse that he durst not attempt so to do But in such cases men are not alwaies informed of the best and to say the truth great cause he had to feare that enterprise I speake of this battell but by hearsay for I was not present at it notwithstanding to continue the order of my historie somwhat I was forced to write thereof I was with the King when these newes were brought him which vndoubtedly nipped him at the verie hart for he was not accustomed to lose but had such successe in all his attempts that fortune seemed to be at his commandement which vndoubtedly his wisedome greatly furthered For he would hazard nothing neither feared any thing more than a battel and as touching this now mentioned it was fought without his knowledge His armies he made so strong that few Princes were able to encounter them he was better furnished of artillerie than any King that euer raigned in Fraunce he attempted alwaies to take places vpon a sudden especially such as he perceiued to be euill fortified which after he had once gotten he furnished so well both of men and artillerie that it was impossible for his enimies to recouer them Further if the captain of any strong place or any other within it would practise to yeeld it for monie he was sure of a copes mate neither would he shrinke were the summe neuer so great that was demanded but liberally giue it He was afeard at the first when newes was brought him of this battell supposing the truth had not been told him but that his whole force had beene ouerthrowen knowing if it were so all to be lost that he had conquered ouer this house of Burgundie in those parts and the rest in great danger but when he vnderstood the truth he tooke the matter patiently and was well ynough contented with Monseur de Cordes Notwithstanding he purposed to giue order that no more such enterprises should be attempted without his knowledge From this day forward he resolued to treate of peace with the Duke of Austriche so that it might be wholy to his owne aduantage and that he might thereby so bridle the said Duke by meanes of his owne proper subiects whom he knew to be inclined to practise against their Prince that he should neuer be able to do him harme Moreouer he was very desirous to redresse all disorders in his realme especially the long delaies of processes and sutes in law which thing the better to compas he minded to bridle the Court of parlament not by diminishing their number or authoritie but many things were done there against his minde for the which he hated it He was also desirous to reduce his whole realme to one custome and one kinde of waight and measure and further that all the lawes and customs should be written in the French toong in a faire booke to auoid the pillings and pollings of the Counsellors in law which are more excessiue in this realme than in any other as the nobilitie hath good cause to knowe And vndoubtedly if God had spared him life and health fiue or sixe yeeres longer he would haue done much good in the realme as great cause he had to do for he had more oppressed it than euer had any of his predecessors but neither authoritie nor perswasions could haue woon him to vnburden his people till it had come of himselfe as in his latter daies sure it would if God had preserued him from sicknes Wherefore it is requisite to do good while a man hath leisure health and vnderstanding The treatie the King desired to make with the Duke and Duchesse of Austrich and their dominions was this he meant by meanes of the citizens of Gaunt to treate of a marriage betweene the Daulphin his sonne now our King and the daughter of the said Duke and Duchesse vnder
these conditions that if the marriage were accomplished they should permit him quietly to enioy the counties of Burgundie Auxerrois Masconnois and Charolois and he for his part would restore vnto them Artois reseruing onely to himselfe the citie of Arras in such sort as he had fortified it for the towne was now nothing woorth considering the fortification of the citie For before the King tooke Arras the towne was fortified with ditch and rampire against the citie but now the citie was fortified against the towne and held for the King by the Bishop wherein the King did contrarie to the Princes of this house of Burgundie For they alwaies at the least by the space of these hundred yeeres made Bishop whom they listed and placed a captaine in the towne besides but the King to increase his authoritie did cleane contrarie and caused also the towne wals to be beaten downe and the citie to be fortified so that now the citie shutteth vpon the towne a great ditch being betweene both Wherefore the King indeed offered nothing for whoso hath the citie hath the towne at commandement Of the Duchie of Burgundie the countie of Bolloin the townes situate vpon the riuer of Somme the territories of Peronne Roye Montdidier no mention was made After these ouuertures were once set on foot they of Gaunt furthered them to the vttermost of their power and vsed very rudely the Duke and Duchesse his wife as did also diuers other great townes of Flaunders and Brabant which were fully bent to follow the proceedings of them of Gaunt especially Brucelles which was growen so wealthie bicause of the continuall residence that Duke Philip and Duke Charles of Burgundie had made there as did also at this present the Duke and Duchesse of Austriche that the wealth â—nd quietnes wherein they had liued vnder these two Dukes aboue named made them forget God and their dutie to their Prince so that they procured themselues that misfortune which afterward as you haue seene fell vpon them The Notes 1 The old copie saith but 500. men of armes 2 There were slaine at the battell of Guinegate 11000. Burgundians and 5000. French men Gaguin How King Lewis being visited with sicknes lost his wits and lay speechlesse somtime recouering and eftsoones falling into his disease againe and how he behaued himselfe in his castell of Plessis les Tours Chap. 7. ABout this time in the yeere 1479. in the moneth of March truce was made betweene these two Princes The King was verie desirous of peace especially in those parts so that it might be altogither for his aduentage For he began now to waxe old and sickely so far foorth that once being at dinner at Forges neere to Chinon he was suddenly taken in all parts of his bodie and lost his speech he was taken vp from the table and held to the fire and the windowes shut to the which notwithstanding that he desired to go yet some of his freiends held him and would not suffer him so to do meaning all for the best This disease tooke him in the yeere of our Lord 1480. in the moneth of March he laie altogither speechlesse he knew no man and his memorie was wholly taken away At the which instant you my Lord of Vienna came thither and serued him at that time in steed of a Phisition for you gaue him a glister and caused the windowes to be opened and the aire to be let in whereupon immediately he recouered his speech and his memorie after a sort and tooke horse and returned to Forges for this disease tooke him in a village a quarter of a league thence whither he went to heare masse He was diligently tended made signes what he would haue done among other things he desired that the officiall of Tours might be called to shriue him and made signes also that I should be sent for for I was gone to Argenton being ten leagues thence when I came I found him at the table with Master Adam Fumee who sometime had beene King Charles the seauenths Phisition and was at that present Master of the requests and another Phisition called Master Claude he vnderstood little what any man saide notwithstanding griefe he felt none he spake plainely almost neuer a word but made signes that I should be in his chamber I waited vpon him the space of 15. daies 1 at his table about his person as one of the groomes of his chamber which I accounted great honor to me and thought my self in dutie bound so to do After two daies he recouered his speech his memorie after a sort and bicause he thought that no man vnderstood him so well as my selfe his pleasure was that I should alwaies be by him and he confessed himselfe to the officiall in my presence otherwise they would neuer haue vnderstood one an other He had not much to say for he was shriuen not long before bicause the Kings of Fraunce vse alwaies to confesse themselues when they touch those that be sicke of the Kings euill which he neuer failed to do once a weeke If other Princes do not the like they are to blame for continually a great number are troubled with that disease After he was somewhat recouered he began to enquire who they were that held him by force from going to the windowes whose names when he heard foorthwith he banished them the Court so that they neuer came afterward to his presence some of them also he put out of office From others namely the Lord of Segre and Gilbert de Grasse Lord of Champeroux he tooke nothing but commanded them to depart Many woondered at this toie blaming him for so vsing them considering that all that they did was for the best and they said truth but Princes imaginations are strange and a number are bold to prattle of them that vnderstand them not The King feared nothing so much as the diminishing of his authoritie being maruellous great for the which cause he would not be disobeied in any point Further he remembred that when King Charles his father fell into the disease whereof he died he entred into suspition that his seruants sought to poison him at his sonnes request 2 which phansie sanke so deepely into his head that he refused his meate Wherefore it was concluded by the aduise of his Phisitions and of his chiefest and trustiest seruants that he should be forced to eate the which was executed verie orderly and aduisedly by those that serued him for cooliz was powred into his mouth but soone after this force he died The King our Master who had euer misliked this ordering of his father stomacked maruellously that he had been held thus perforce but yet made shew of much greater displeasure than indeed he had conceiued therof The chiefe cause that mooued him so to do was feare least they should Master him in all other things especially in the expedition of his waightie affaires vnder colour of the imperfection of his wits After
his conditions As touching suspicious all great Princes are suspicious especially those that be wise and haue had many enimies and haue offended many as the King our Master had Further he knew himselfe not to be beloued of the nobilitie of his realme nor of a great number of the commonalty Besides this he had more charged his people than euer had any of his predecessors notwithstanding he was desirous now in his latter daies as before I said to haue eased them but he should haue begun sooner King Charles the seuenth by the perswasion of diuers wise and valiant Knights that had serued him in the conquest of Normandie and Guyenne which the Englishmen held was the first that began to leuy subsidies at his pleasure without the consent of the States of his realme and to say the truth cause there was then so to do for the charges were maruellous great as well for the manning of the countries newly conquered as also for the defeating of the companies of robbers which went about spoiling the realme For the which cause the nobility of Fraunce consented to the King and had certaine pensions promised them in consideration of the summes of money that should be leuied vpon their lands If this King had alwaies liued and those of his councel that were about him he would sure greatly haue enlarged his realme But considering what hapned after his death is like further to happen he charged maruellously his soule and the soules of his successors by this fact for he gaue his realme a cruell wound which will bleed this many a yeere by entertaining in continuall pay a terrible band of men of armes after the maner of the Italian Princes The said King Charles leuied in his realme at the hower of his death but 1800000. franks all maner of waies and had in ordinary about seuenteene hundred men of armes the which he kept in good order and so placed in diuers prouinces for the defence of his realme that many yeeres before his death they rid not spoiling vp and downe the countrey to the great quietnes comfort of his people But the King our Master leuied at his death 4700000. franks he had in pay fower or fiue thousand men of armes and of footemen for the campe and in garrison aboue fiue and twenty thousand wherefore it is not to be maruelled if he had many phansies and imaginations in his head and thought himselfe not welbeloued But sure as these matters caused him greatly to feare some so had he a sure confidence in many of those whom he had brought vp and highly aduanced of the which I thinke there were a number whom death it selfe could neuer haue withdrawen from dooing their duty There came into Plessis du Parc which was the place where he lay very few besides his household seruants and the archers of his guarde being fower hundred of whom a great number all the day long kept watch and warde at the gate walking vp and downe the place No noble man or great personage lodged within the castell neither might be suffered to enter in saue onely the Lord of Beauieu Duke of Bourbon his sonne in law The said stell of Plessis he had made to be enuironed with a grate of great iron bars at the entrie into the ditches thereof had caused sharpe speares of iron euery one of them hauing many heads to be masoned into the wall He caused also fower strong watch houses of iron to be built and a place to be made in them where men might stande and shoote at ease which was a sumptuous thing to behold and cost aboue 20000. franks In the end he put into these houses fortie crossebowe men which were day and night in the ditches had commission to shoote at euery man that approched neere the castell after the shutting of the gates til they opened in the morning Further he had an imagination that his subiects would be very ready to take the gouernment into their owne hands when they should see conuenient time And sure some there were that consulted to enter into Plessis and dispatch the affaires at their pleasure bicause nothing was dispatched but they durst not attempt it wherein they did wisely for the K. had giuen good order for that matter He changed often both the groomes of his chamber and al his other seruants saying that nature delighteth in varietie and he had with him to beare him company one or two very meane men and of euill report who might well haue thought if they had been wise that immediately after his death they should at the least be put out of office and spoiled of all they had as also it hapned These informed him of no message that was sent him not of any matter that was written to him were it neuer so important vnlesse it touched the preseruation of the State or the defence of his realme for that was his onely care to be in truce and peace with all men He gaue to his Phisition ordinarily euery moneth ten thousand crownes and in fiue moneths he receiued of him 54000. He gaue also goodly lands to churches but this gift was made voide and not without cause for the clergie men had too much The Notes 1 It was fortie daies but bicause the old copie hath 15. daies and that himselfe also afterward in this very chapter saith thus This sicknes held him about fifteene daies I haue been bold to amend it 2 King Lewis was suspected to haue poisoned his father by Adam Fumée his fathers physition who was imprisoned by King Charles but soone after aduaunced to honor by King Lewis who so maruellously reioiced at the first newes of his fathers death being the selfe same day that his father died which was strange King Lewis being then at Genappe in Brabant that in the selfe same place he built a chappell to our Lady 3 It was 15000. but the olde copie had 1500000. and so vndoubtedly it is to be read for for 15000. franks will hardly maintaine 100. soldiers a yeere How the King caused the holy man of Calabria to come to Tours thinking that he could heale him and what strange things the said King did to maintaine his authoritie during his sicknes Chap. 8. AMong men famous for deuotion he sent into Calabria for one Frier Robert whom he called the holy man bicause of his holy life and in whose honor the King that now is caused a Church to be built at Plessis du Parc in place of the chappell neere to Plessis at the bridge foote This heremite being twelue yeeres of age entred into a rocke where he remained till he was fortie three yeeres old or there about to wit euen till this present that the King sent for him by one of the stewards of his house whom the Prince of Tarente the King of Naples sonne accompanied thither For the said heremite would not depart thence without permission both of the Pope and of his Prince which
perswaded that for one pleasant there should be found twenty displeasant He liued about threescore and one yeeres notwithstanding that he had conceiued an imagination that he should neuer passe threescore saying that no King of Fraunce of long time passed that age some saie none since Charles the great Notwithstanding the King our Master when he died was well forward in the threescore and one yeere Duke Charles of Burgundie what rest or quietnes had he more than the King our Master True it is that in his youth he was not much troubled for he attempted nothing til the two twenty yeere of his age but liued till that time in helth and at his ease But then he began to busie himselfe with his fathers officers whom his father maintained against him for the which cause he absented himselfe and went into Holland where he was well receiued and had intelligence with them of Gaunt and sometime also went thither himselfe He had not one peny of his father but this countrey of Holland was maruellous rich and gaue him goodly presents as did also diuers great townes of his other Seniories hoping thereby to winne his fauour in time to come For it is a common thing especially among the vulgare sort to loue better and seeke rather to him whose power is growing than to him who is already so great that he can be no greater 5 For the which cause Duke Philip when men told him that they of Gaunt loued his sonne maruellous wel that he could skill of their humor was woont to answer that their Prince in expectation they euer loued deerly but their Prince in possession they hated euer extremely which saying prooued true For after D. Charles began to reigne ouer them they neuer loued him and that they well declared as before I haue rehearsed he also for his part bare them as little good will notwithstanding they did his posteritie more harme than they could do him But proceed after the time that Duke Charles mooued war for the townes in Picardie which the King our Master had redeemed of Duke Philip his father and ioined himselfe with the Princes of this realme in the war called THE WEALE PVBLIKE he neuer was quiet but in continuall trauell both of bodie and minde For his hart was so inflamed with desire of glorie that he attempted to conquer all that lay about him All sommer he kept the field with great danger of his person and tooke vpon himselfe the charge and care of the whole armie all which trouble seemed yet not sufficient to him He was the first vp and the last downe as if he had beene the poorest soldier in his campe If he rested from wars at any time in winter yet was he busied all day long from sixe of the clocke in the morning either in leuying of money or receiuing ambassadors or giuing them audience In this trauell and miserie ended he his daies and was slaine of the Swissers before Nancy as you haue heard so that a man may iustly say that he neuer had good day from the time that ambition first entred into his minde till the hower of his death And what got he by all this trauell what needed he thus to haue toiled himselfe being so rich a Prince and hauing so many goodly townes and seniories vnder his subiection where he might haue liued in great ioy and prosperitie if it had so pleased him I must now speake of Edward K. of England who was so great mighty a Prince In his youth he sawe the Duke of Yorke his father discomfited and slaine in battell with him the Earle of Warwicks father 6 the which Earle of Warwicke gouerned King Edward in his youth and all his affaires yea to say the truth made him King and was the onely man that defeated his enimie King Henry who had raigned many yeeres in England and was lawfull King both in mine opinion and in the iudgement of the whole world But as touching great realmes and seniories God holdeth them in his hand and disposeth of them at his pleasure for all proceedeth of him The cause that mooued the Earle of Warwick to serue the house of Yorke against King Henry who was of the house of Lancaster was this The Earle of Warwicke and the Duke of Sommerset fell at variance in King Henries court who was a very simple man the Queene his wife being of the house of Aniou daughter to Rene King of Sicilie tooke part with the Duke of Sommerset against the Earle But considering that they had all acknowledged both King Henry and his father and grandfather for their lawfull Princes the said Lady should haue done much better to haue taken vpon hir the office of Iudge or mediator betweene them than to take part with either of them as the sequele well declared For heereupon arose war which continued nine and twenty yeeres during the which space many bloodie battels were fought and in the end all in maner both of the one partie and the other slaine Now to speake a word or two of factions surely they are maruellous dangerous especially among great men who are naturally inclined to nourish and maintaine them But you will say peraduenture that by this meanes the Prince shall haue intelligence of all things that passe and thereby hold both the parties in the greater feare In truth I can well agree that a yoong Prince vse this order among Ladies for by this meanes he shall haue pleasure and sport ynough and vnderstand of all their newes but to nourish factions among men yea among Princes and men of vertue and courage nothing can be more dangerous bicause by that meanes he shall kindle an vnquenchable fire in his house for foorthwith one of the parties will suppose the King to be against them and then to fortifie themselues take intelligence with his enimies The factions of Orleans and Burgundie prooue this point sufficiently for the wars that sprang therof continued threescore and twelue yeeres the English men being parties in them who thought to haue conquered the whole realme But to returne to King Edward he was very yoong when his father was slaine and the beautifullest Prince in the world but after he had vanquished all his enimies he gaue himselfe wholy to pleasures as to dames feasting banketting and hunting in the which delicacies he continued about sixteene yeeres 7 to wit till the Earle of Warwicke and he fell at variance in the which wars notwithstanding that the King were chased out of his realme yet continued he not long in that estate for he soone returned and hauing obtained the victorie more abandoned himselfe to all pleasures than before He feared no man but fed himselfe maruellous fat by meanes whereof in the flower of his age diseases grew vpon him so that he died in a maner suddenly of an Apoplexie and his heires males lost the crowne as before you haue heard In this our age raigned also two valiant and wise
Plaisance and marched towards the Florentines territories meaning either to cause them to declare themselues for him or to take their townes being vnfortified and lodge his men in them all the winter which was already begun Diuers small places yeelded vnto him so did also the citie of Luques enimie to the Florentines shewing him all pleasure and seruice that in them lay Now you shall vnderstand that the Duke of Milan had two purposes in his head first he sought by all meanes possible to staie the King from passing further that sommer 2 Secondarily he hoped to obtaine of him Pisa a great and a faire citie togither with Serzane and Petresancte which two places had been subiect to the Geneuois not long before and were woon from them by the Florentines in Laurence de Medicis time The King passed through Pontreme one of the D. of Milans townes and went to besiege Serzane the strongest and the best castle the Florentines had but vnfurnished bicause of their great diuision To say the truth the Florentines neuer beare armes willingly against the house of Fraunce for they haue euer faithfully serued it taken part with it both bicause of their great traficke in Fraunce also bicause they haue euer been of the Guelphes faction 3 If this place had been well furnished the King must of necessitie haue broken his armie for the countrie is verie barren ful of hils victuals there were none to be gotten besides that the snow lay maruellous deepe vpon the ground After the Kings siege had lien before it three daies the Duke of Milan came thither no composition being yet made betweene the Florentines and the King 4 and passed through Pontreme where the townesmen and the soldiers of the garrison fell at such variance with our Almaines led by one Buser that certaine of the saide Almaines were staine of the which braule sprang a great inconuenience as heereafter you shall heare For although I were not my selfe present at the doing of these things yet vnderstood I of them both by the King the Duke and diuers others The Florentines began now to practise and appointed fifteene or sixteene to go to the King saying that they would no longer continue in this great danger nor sustaine the displeasure of the King and the Duke of Milan who had continually an ambassador resident at Florence And Peter of Medices consented to the sending of this ambassage for to say the truth he could not remedie it considering vpon what termes they stood for if they had done otherwise they had been vndone being vnprouided of all things and vtterly vnacquainted with the wars When these ambassadors came to the Kings presence they offered to receiue him into Florence and their other places neither cared the greater part of them how the world went so that we would come to Florence to chase away Peter of Medices which matter they earnestly pressed bicause they had good intelligence with the aboue named that gouerned then the Kings affaires On the other side Peter of Medices practised by a seruant of his owne named Laurence Spinelly who was his factor at Lyons and an honest man in his vocation and had liued long in Fraunce but of the state of our Court he could vnderstand nothing no hardly they that had beene Courtiers all their liues bicause of the often changes and alterations This Spinelly negotiated with those that heeretofore had borne all the sway namely the Lord of Bresse afterward Duke of Sauoye and the Lord of Miolans chamberlaine to the King Soone after the aboue named ambassadors were returned to Florence Peter of Medices accompanied with certaine of the citie came himselfe to the King to make answer to our requests for they within the citie sawe vtter destruction before their eies vnlesse they yeelded to all the Kings demaunds whose fauour they hoped to obtaine by offering him some greater seruice than any of the other townes that had already receiued him At his arriuall Monseur de Piennes a Flemming borne and Chamberlaine to the King and the generall Brissonnet were sent to treate with him who required him to yeeld vnto the King the castell of Serzane which presently he did They required him further to lend the King Pisa Ligorne Petresanct and Librefacto whereunto he also agreed incontinent neuer communicating the matter with his collegues who supposed that the King should onely haue lodged in Pisa and these other places to refresh himselfe but not haue held them still well by this meanes they yeelded their whole estate and force into our hands Those that negotiated with the said Peter haue told both me and others since scoffing and iesting at him that they woondred to see him so lightly condescend to so waightie a matter granting more than they looked for To conclude the King entred into Pisa and the aboue named ambassadors returned to Florence where the said Peter caused the Kings lodging to be made in his owne house which was the goodliest of a citizens or merchants house that euer I saw and better furnished than any mans house in the world of his estate I must heere speake a word or two of the Duke of Milan who now wished the King with all his hart out of Italy notwithstanding that both already he had made his profit by him and sought also still so to do for he was in hope to obtaine of him the places yeelded by the Florentines and pressed him earnestly for Serzane and Petresancte which he said appertained to the Genuois he lent him also at that present 30. thousand ducats and he hath since told both me and others that these places were promised him But when he sawe that he could not obtaine them he departed in great displeasure from the King pretending that earnest busines called him home which was the last time the King saw him notwithstanding he left Master Galeas of Saint Seuerin behind him whom he ioined in commission in all matters with the Earle Charles of Belleioyeuse The said Master Galeas while the King lay in Pisa sent by his Masters aduise for the chiefe citizens of the towne to his lodging where he perswaded them to rebell against the Florentines and to desire the King to restore them to their ancient liberty trusting by this meanes that Pisa would fall into the Duke of Milans clawes vnder whose obedience it had been 5 in the time of Iohn Galeas the first Duke of Milan of that name a great and wicked tyrant though very honorable whose body lieth buried in the charterhouse of Pauia by the parke 6 so high aboue the high altar that men go vp to it by a ladder certain of the monkes shewed me it at the least his bones which smelt as naturally they should Further one of the said monkes who was borne at Bourges called him Saint as he talked with me and I asked him in his eare why he called him Saint considering he might behold painted round about him the armes of
nor so well placed to haue succoured it as the day before Further bicause the Marques of Mantua who was entred into the plaine and past the riuer was directly vpon our backe about a quarter of a league behinde our rereward marching with his force softly and close togither which was a maruellous pleasant sight to behold the King was forced to turne his backe to his vawarde and his face towards his enimies and so to approch neerer to his rereward and retire from his vaward I was then with the Cardinall attending an answer of our letter but I told him I perceiued it was no time to staie any longer there wherfore I departed being hard by the Swissers and went to the King But before I could come to him I lost a page who was my cosin germaine and a groome of my chamber and a lackey which followed a prety way behinde me so that I saw not when they were slaine I had not riden aboue a hundred paces when suddenly a cry began to arise in the selfe same place from whence I was departed or but little beyond For you shall vnderstand that their Estradiots at this very instant came to our carriage anâ— entred into the Kings lodging where were three or fower houses in the which they slew or hurt fower or fiue soldiers but the rest escaped they slew also about an hundred of our straglers and put our carriage in great disorder When I came to the King I found him dubbing of knights but bicause the enimies were at hand we caused him to cease and then I hard the bastard of Bourbon named Mathew who was in good credit with the King and one Philip de Moulin a poore gentleman but very valiant call the King saying passe foorth sir passe foorth whereupon he went into the forefront of his battell and placed himselfe before his standard so that the bastard of Bourbon excepted I sawe none neerer the enimies then himselfe Our enimies marched lustely forward in such sort that within lesse than a quarter of an hower after my arriuall they were come within a hundred paces of the King who was as euill garded as euil waited on as euer was Prince or noble maÌ„ but mauger the deuil he is wel defended whom God defends And sure the prophesie of the reuerend father frier Hierom prooued true who told me as before you haue heard that God led him by the hand His rereward stood vpon his right hand being recoiled somwhat from him the neerest companie to him on that side was the D. of Orleans companie being to the number of 80. launces led by Robinet of Frainezelles and Monseur de la Trimoilles company being about forty launces and the hundred Scottish archers of his garde who thrust themselues into the presse as men of armes I my selfe stood vpon the left hand with the gentlemen pensioners and seruants of the Kings house This rereward was led by the Earle of Foix but as touching the names of the other captaines I passe them ouer for breuitie Within a quarter of an hower after my arriuall the enimies being so neere the King as you haue heard charged their staues and began a soft gallop They were diuided into two troupes one of the which charged the two companies of our horsemen and the Scottish archers standing on the Kings right hand and the other the King himselfe so that both they and the King were charged almost at one instant we that stood vpon the left hand charged them vpon the flanke greatly to our aduantage and vndoubtedly it is impossible for men to meete roughlier than we met But the Estradiots that accompanied them seeing our mules and carriage flie towards our vaward and their companions 4 get all the bootie turned their horses that way and forsooke their men of armes who by meanes thereof were vnfollowed whereby it manifestly appeered that God meant to preserue vs for if these fifteene hundred light horsemen had broken in amongst vs with their Cimeterres which are terrible swords like to the Turks vndoubtedly we had beene defeated our number being so small The Italian men of armes immediately after they had broken their staues fled and their footemen or the greatest part shrunke aside and fled also At the selfesame time that they charged vs the Earle of Caiazze gaue a charge also vpon our vaward but they met not so roughly as we for at the very instant that they should haue couched their staues they began to faint and disordered themselues in such sort that fifteene or twenty of them being scattered amongst our bands were taken and slaine by our Almaines the rest were but easily pursued for the Marshall of Gie endeuored to keepe his forces togither bicause he saw yet a great troupe of enimies not far from him Notwithstanding part of his men followed the chase and part of the Earle of Caiazzes men that fled passed ouer the place where the Marques we had fought with their swords in their hands for they had throwne awaie their staues But they that assailed the King fled immediately after they had charged and were maruellous swiftly pursued for we all followed the chase part of them tooke â—way to the village from whence we were departed the rest fled the next way to their campe we all pursuing them saue the King who staid behinde with a few men and put himselfe in great danger bicause he followed not after them with vs. One of the first that was slaine of their side was the Lord Rodolph of Mantua vnckle to the Marques who should haue sent word to the aboue named Master Anthonie of Vrbin when he should march for they thought that this battell would haue endured as their battels in Italie do which their error serued the said Master Anthonie for a good excuse but to say the truth I thinke he saw ynough to stay him from marching We had a great number of straglers and seruants following vs all the which flocked about the Italian men of armes being ouerthrowen and slue the most of them For the greatest part of the said straglers had their hatchets in their hands wherewith they vsed to cut wood to make our lodgings with the which hatchets they brake the visards of their head peeces and then claue their heads for otherwise they could hardly haue beene slaine they were so surely armed so that there were euer three or fower about one of them Moreouer the long swords that our archers and seruants had did that day a great execution The King tarried vpon the place where the charge was giuen accompanied with seuen or eight yoong gentlemen whom he had appointed to attend vpon him for neither would he follow the chase neither retire to his vaward bicause it was somwhat farre off He escaped wel at the first encounter coÌ„sidering that he was one of the foremost for the bastard of Bourbon was taken within lesse then twenty paces of him 5 and led prisoner to the
enimies campe The King abode in the said place maruellous weakely accompanied for he had with him not a man more than one groome of his chamber called Anthonie des Ambus a little fellow and euill armed the rest were scattered heere and there as himselfe told me at night euen in the presence of those that were appointed to waite vpon him who deserued great reproche for leauing their Prince in such estate Notwithstanding they arriued in time for a certaine small broken troupe of Italian men of armes passing along vpon the plaine where they saw no man stirring came and assailed the King and this groome of his chamber but the King being mounted vpon the brauest horse in the world for a man of his stature remooued to and fro and desended himselfe valiantly and at that very instant certaine of the rest of his men being not far from him arriued whereupon the Italians fled and then the King followed good aduise and retired to his vaward which had neuer mooued out of their first place Thus the King with his battell had good successe and if his vaward had marched but one hundred paces farther our enimies whole armie had fled Some said they ought so to haue done but others held opinion that they did best to staie Our company that followed the chase pursued the enimies hard to their campe which lay in length almost as far as Fornoue and not one of vs receiued a blow saue Iulien Bourgneuf whom I saw fall dead to the ground with a stroke that an Italian gaue him as he passed by for he was euill armed whereupon certaine of vs staied sayieng let vs returne to the King and with that word all the whole troupe stood still to giue their horses breath which were very wearie bicause they had chased a great way and all vpon sharpe stones Hard by vs fled a troupe of thirty men of armes whom we let passe quietly fearing to assaile them When we had brethed our horses we rid foorth a fast trot towards the King not knowing what was become of him but after a while we descried him a far off Then caused we our seruants to light on foote and gather vp the launces wherewith the place lay strawed especially with Bourdonasses which were not much woorth for they were hollow and hardly so waightie as a iauelin but trimly painted and by this meanes we were better furnished of launces than in the morning Thus as we rid towards the King by the way we met a broken band of the enimies footemen crossing ouer the fielde being of those that had lien hid among the hils and had led the Marques of Mantua vpon the King backe many of them were slaine and the rest escaped and waded through the riuer and we staied not long about them Diuers of our men cried often during the whole conflict remember Guynegate which was a battel lost in Picardie in the time of K. Levvis the eleuenth against the K. of Romanies 6 through the folly of our men who fell to spoile the enimies carriage notwithstanding in that battell no whit of their carriage was taken nor spoiled but in this their Estradiots tooke all our carriage horses of which notwithstanding they led away but fiue and fifty being the best and best couered namely al the Kings and all his chamberlains They tooke also a groome of the Kings chamber called Gabriell who had about him the ancient iewels of the Kings of Fraunce which he then caried with him bicause the King was there in person True it is that a number of coffers were also lost but they were ouerthrowne and spoiled by our owne men for we had in our campe a great many varlets and harlots that stripped the dead bodies and spoiled all that they could come by but as touching the enimies they tooke onely those aboue rehearsed There were slaine on both sides as I haue been credibly enformed both by them and certaine of our owne men to this number We lost Iulian Bourgneuf the sergeant porter of the Kings house a gentleman of the Kings house and nine Scottish archers of horsemen of our vaward to the number of twenty and about our cariage three or fower score horse-keepers And they lost three hundred and fiftie men of armes slaine vpon the place but not one of them was taken prisoner which chance I thinke neuer hapned before in any battel Of their Estradiots few were slaine for they turned al to the spoile as you haue heard There died of them in all three thousand and fiue hundred men as diuers of the best of their army haue enformed me others haue told me more but sure they lost many gentlemen for I sawe my selfe a role wherein were the names of eighteene gentlemen of good houses and among them fower or fiue of the Marques owne name which was Gonzague besides the which the Marques lost also at the least three score gentlemen of his owne dominions all the which were horsemen and not one footeman among them It is strange that so many were slaine with hand strokes for as touching the artillerie I thinke it slew not ten on both sides The fight endured not a quarter of an hower for so soone as they had broken or throwne away their launces they fled all the chase continued about three quarters of an hower Their battels in Italy are not fought after this sort for they fight squadron after squadron so that a battell endureth there somtime a whole day neither party obteining victorie The flight on their side was great for three hundred of their men of armes and the greatest part of their Estradiots fled some to Rege 7 being far thence and others to Parma being about eight leagues off 8 In the morning the very same hower that the two armies ioined the Earle of Petillane the Lord Virgile Vrsin escaped from vs. The said Virgile went but to a gentlemans house thereby where he remained vpon his word but the Earle fled straight to our enimies and to say the truth we did them both great wrong to leade them with vs after this sort The Earle being a man well knowne among the soldiers for he had alwaies had charge both vnder the Florentines and vnder King Ferrand began to crie Petillane Petillane and ran after them that fled aboue three leagues saying that al was theirs and calling them to the spoile by the which meanes he brought backe the greatest part of them and put them out of all feare assuring them vpon his word that there was no danger so that had it not been for him alone their whole armie had fled for the word of such a man newly departed from vs was no small staie to them The said Earle as himselfe hath since told me gaue aduise to assaile vs again the same night but they would not harken thereunto The Marques hath also since communed with me of these affaires chalenging this aduise as his but to say the truth had it not been
there were also of the countrie of Vaulx in Senonie 7 and some of Gelderland These were to the number of eight hundred newly sent thither with two moneths pay the which being spent before they came thither and at their arriuall there no new pay being found they seeing themselues in this distresse declared that they bare vs no such good will as the Swissers do for they practised with our enimies and turned to King Ferrande for the which cause partly and partly for the diuision that was among our captaines our men made a shamefull appointment with their enimies the which King Ferrande sware to keepe and obserue being forced so to do by the Marquesse of Mantua who thought thereby to assure the person of his brother in lawe Monseur de Montpensier yet notwithstanding the said Ferrande brake the treatie as afterward mention shall be made more at large By the said composition they yeelded both themselues and all the Kings artillerie to their enimies promising further to cause to be rendred all the places that the King held in the realme as well in Calabria where Monseur d'Aubigny was as in L'Abruzzo where Master Gracian des Guerres was togither with the townes of Caietta and Tarente vnder this condition that King Ferrande should send them by sea into Prouence with bag and baggage which was not much woorth but notwithstanding the composition King Ferrande commanded them all to be led to Naples being to the number of fiue or sixe thousand persons or more So shamefull a composition hath not beene made in our time neither do I remember that euer I read of the like saue that which the two consuls of Rome made as rehearseth Titus Liuius 8 with the Samnites whom I suppose to be those of Beneuent at a place called then Furculae Caudinae which is a certaine straight in the mountaines notwithstanding the Romanes would not agree to the composition but sent the two Consuls prisoners to their enimies If our force had fought and beene discomfited yet should not their losse haue been so great as by this composition for two parts of them died either of famine or of the plague in their ships in the yle of Prusse 9 whither they were sent from Naples by King Ferrande and namely there died Monseur de Montpensier himselfe some say of poyson others of an ague which I rather beleeue And I thinke verily that of all this companie neuer returned fifteene hundred for of the Swissers which were thirteene hundred returned but three hundred and fifty all extreme sicke Their faith and loyaltie was greatly to be commended for they all chose rather to die than to serue King Ferrande and so a number of them died in the said yle of Prusse some of heate some of sicknes and some of famine for they were held there a long time in their ships in such penurie and lacke of victuals as is almost incredible I saw them all that returned especially the Swissers who brought backe with theâ— all their ensignes and sure it well appeered that they had endured great miserie for they were all so extreme sicke that when they came foorth of their ships to take the aire they were faine to be staied vp from falling It was also agreed by the said composition that the Lord Virgill Vrsin should returne home to his countrie in safetie and his son all the Italians that serued the King yet notwithstanding the enimies detained him still and his said legitimate sonne also for he had but one and as touching his base sonne called the Lord Charles who was a very valiant gentleman certaine Italians of their companie spoiled him as he repaired homeward If this miserie had fallen but vpon them onely that made this composition they had notbeen greatly to be moned Immediately after King Ferrande had receiued this honor aboue mentioned and married King Ferrande his grandfathers daughter being a yoong maide of thirteene or fowerteene yeeres of age begotten of the King of Castiles sister that now raigneth so that his wife was sister to his owne father King Alfonse he fell into a continuall ague whereof soone after he died and the crowne of the realme descended to King Frederick the said King Ferrandes vncle now presently raigning It abhorreth me to write of such a marriage as this notwithstanding diuers such haue beene contracted in this house of Arragon within these thirtie yeeres King Ferrande died immediately after the composition aboue mentioned made in the towne of Ateâ—â—e the yeere of our Lord 1496. The said Ferrande during his life and Dom Frederick also after he came to the crowne excused the breach of this composition bicause Monseur de Montpensier had not performed the conditions thereof nor rendred the places promised which he could not to say the truth Caietta and diuers others being out of his power For notwithstanding that he were the Kings lieutenant yet were not they that held these places for the King bound to yeeld them at his commandement Although all things well considered the King should haue sustained no great losse if they had then beene yeelded for he spent afterward great treasure in defending and victualling them and yet lost them in the end I my selfe was present three or fower times at the dispatch of those that were sent to victuall and succour first the castels of Naples and thrise after the towne of Caietta And I thinke I should not lie if I said that these fower voiages cost the King aboue three hundred thousand franks and yet all to no purpose The Notes 1 Before cap. 8. he named him de la Chappelle d'Aniou but if Loudonnois be in Aniou the places be reconciled 2 The Venetians paid the monie for the Pisans were not able to redeeme it but after the Citadelle deliuered the Pisans put themselues into the Venetians protection who razed the Citadelle Guicciar 3 This bastards name was de Bienne Guicciar 4 Mutron was also sold to the Luquois Guicciar 5 Librefacto was sold to the Pisans but the Venetians paid the monie Guicciar 6 This Virgill Vrsin is he aboue mentioned who after the Coulonnois reuolt from King Charles turned to him and of his foe became his friend and seruant 7 The French corrector readeth it Sionnie meaning the countrie called in Latin Valesia Sedusiorum whereof Sedunum called in French Sion is the chiefe towne or else he supposeth it should be Vaulx in Sauoy whereof our author maketh mention lib. 5. cap. 1. 8 Decad. 1. lib. 9. 9 Procida it is named by Colleuntius other Italians name it Ponze I suppose it to be that which Plinie lib. 3. cap. 6. calleth Proclita or Prochita saying that it lieth in Sinu Puteolano not far from Naples nor from the yle of Ischia Boccace also Decame 2 nouell 6. reporteth both Procida and Ponze to be neere to Naples Guicciar hath Pozzuole How certaine practises entertained by diuers noble men of Italy on the Kings behalfe as well for the conquest
purged him fower daies before he died bicause they sawe in his bodie the occasions of his death Euery man ran to the Duke of Orleans who was to succeede him as next heire to the crowne But King Charles his chamberlains caused him to be richlie buried and immediately after his death began solemne seruice for him which continued both day and night for when the canons ended the friers Franciscans began and when they ended the Bons-hommes 1 which was an order founded by himselfe his body remained at Amboise eight daies partly in his chamber which was richly hanged and partly in the church All solemnities belonging to his funerals were more sumptuous than euer were any K. of Fraunce for his chamberlains officers those that were neere about him neuer departed from his body till it was laid in the ground which was about a moneth after his death al the which space this solemne seruice continued so that the charges of his funerals amounted to fiue and fortie thousand franks as diuers of the receit haue informed me I arriued at Amboise two daies after his death and went to say my praiers ouer his body where I abode fiue or sixe howers And to saie the truth I neuer saw so great mourning and lamentation nor that continued so long for any Prince as for him and no maruel for he had bestowed vpon those that were neere about him namely his chamberlaines and ten or twelue gentlemen of his priuie chamber greater offices and gifts than euer did King of Fraunce yea too great to saie the truth Besides that he was the mildest and courteousest Prince that euer liued for I thinke he neuer gaue foule word to any man wherefore in better hower could he not die both to leaue his fame behinde him in histories and to be bewailed of those that serued him And I thinke verily that my selfe am the man whom of all other he vsed roughliest but bicause I knew it to be the fault of his youth and not to proceede of himselfe I could neuer loue him the woorse for it After I had staied one night at Amboise I went to the newe King with whom I had been more familiar than any man and further for his sake had susteined all my troubles and losses which now he seemed little to remember notwithstanding with great wisdome he tooke possession of the crowne for he changed no pensions that yeere though halfe the yeere were yet to come neither displaced many officers but said that he would maintaine euery man in his estate whereby he wan great honor Moreouer with all speede possible he went to his coronation whereat my selfe was present And these that follow represented the peeres of Fraunce The first was the Duke of Alençon who represented the Duke of Burgundie the second the Duke of Bourbon who represented the Duke of Normandie the third the Duke of Lorraine who represented the D of Guienne The first Earle was Philip L. of Rauastaine who represented the Earle of Flaunders the second Engilbert of Cleues who represented the Earle of Champaigne the third the Earle of Foix who represented the Earle of Tholouze And the said King Levvis the twelfth now raigning was crowned at Reims the 27. of Maie the yeere 1498. and is the fourth that hath come to the crowne by collaterall line The two first were Charles Martell or Pepin his sonne and Hugh Capet who were both of them Masters of the pallace or gouernors of those Kings whom they deposed from the crowne which afterwarde themselues vsurped the thirde was King Philip of Valois and the fourth the King that now raigneth but these two latter came to the crowne by iust and lawfull title The first genealogie of the Kings of Fraunce beginneth at Meronee two Kings had raigned in Fraunce before the said Meronee namely Pharamond who was first chosen King of Fraunce for his predecessors were called Dukes or Kings of Gaule and his sonne Claudio The said Pharamond was chosen King the yeere of grace 420. and raigned ten yeeres and his sonne Claudio eighteene so that these two Kings raigned eight and twentie yeeres and Meronee who succeeded next after was not sonne but cosen to the said Claudio Wherefore it seemeth that the right line of the Kings of Fraunce hath failed fiue times notwithstanding as before I said men begin the first line at Meronee who was crowned King in the yeere of our Lord 448. from the which time to the coronation of King Levvis the twelfth are numbred 1050. yeeres But if you reckon from Pharamond you must adde eight and twentie more which make 1078. yeeres since there was first King of Fraunce From Meronee to the raigne of Pepin when the line of the said Meronee failed are numbred 333. yeeres From Pepin to Hugh Capet raigned the true line of the said Pepin and Charlemaine his son the space of 237. yeeres The right line of Hugh Capet raigned 339. yeeres and ended in King Philip of Valois and the right line of the said King Philip of Valois continued till the death of King Charles the eight which hapned in the yeere of our Lord 1498. The said King Charles was the last of this line the which had continued 169. yeeres during the which space these seuen Kings raigned in Fraunce Philip of Valois King Iohn Charles the fift Charles the sixt Charles the seuenth Levvis the 11. and Charles the eight in whom the right line of Philip of Valois ended The Notes 1 This vvas an order of religion deuised by the King How Charles Duke of Burgundie was of the house of Lancaster as Commines mentioneth lib. 1. cap. 5. and in other places Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster m. Blaunch daughter and heire of Henry Duke of Lancaster and Darby Philippa m. Iohn the tenth King of Portugale bastard to King Ferrande of Portugale Isabella m. Philip Duke of Burgundie Charles Duke of Burgundie of whose wars and death this history treateth How Elizabeth wife to King Edward the fourth was neece to the Constable of Fraunce as mentioneth Commines lib. 4. cap. 5. Peter of Luxembourg m. Margaret Countesse of Saint Paul Conuersane Briane Lignac c. Petrus Earle of Saint Paul c. m. Margaret daughter to William D. of Andre in Prouence Iaquelna or Iaquette m. Iohn Duke of Bedford m. Richard Wooduile Earle of Riuers Elizabeth m. Sir Iohn Gray Thomas Marques Dorset m. Edward the fourth King of England Edwardus quintus R. Ang. Lewis of Luxembourg Earle of Saint Paul Constable of FrauÌ„ce m. Iane daughter heire to Robert Earle of Marle c. Anthonie Earle of Roussv mentioned by Commines lib. 2. cap. 11. lib. 4. ca. 4. Iohn Earle of Marle slaine at the battell of Morat Peter Earle of Saint Paul and Brienne m. Margaret daughter to Lewis D. of Sauoye Marie Francis m. Marie daughter to Lewis Duke of Sauoye Lewis Eaâ—â— of Ligny How Brabant Lambourg Luxembourg and Namurs came to Philip Duke of Burgundie as mentioneth Commines lib.
Constable gaue the lie very shamefully to the said Hymbercourt who answered thereunto that he would not beare this reproch at his hands were it not in respect of the Kings honor vnder whose safe conduct he was come thither as ambassador and of the Duke his Master whose person he represented and to whom he would make report of this iniurie done vnto him This onely villanie and outrage so soone done cost the Constable both lands and life as heereafter shall be declared more at large Wherefore those that are in authority yea and Princes themselues ought to take great heed how they iniurie any man by word or deed and whom they iniurie for the greater they are the greater greefe and sorrowe is conceiued of their words bicause they that are iniuried thinke that the great authority of the person that iniurieth them will cause them the more to be marked and noted And if he be their Master or Prince they vtterly dispaire of benefite or good turne at his hands and most men serue rather for the good they hope to haue than for that they haue already receiued But to returne to the point the Kings men practised continually with Hymbercourt and likewise with the Chancellor as well bicause the words spoken at Roye touched him in part as also bicause of the neere friendship that was between Hymbercourt and him And the matter was so earnestly pressed that an assembly was held about it at Bouuines a towne neere to Namur whither the King sent the Lord of Courton gouernor of Lymosin and Master Iohn Heberge afterward Bishop of Eureux and the Duke the said Chancellor and Hymbercourt being the yeere 1474. The Constable being informed that they practised at Bouuines to his cost sent with all speede to both the Princes aduertising them he vnderstood of all their doings and so cunningly he wrought that he perswaded the King that the Duke meant nothing but deceit onely to allure the said Constable to his friendship whereupon with all speed the King sent to his ambassadors at Bouuines commanding them to conclude nothing against the Constable for certain reasons he would declare vnto them but to prolong the truce according to their instructions for a yeere or sixe moneths I wot not well whether But when the messenger arriued he found the treatie already concluded and the writings sealed and deliuered the night before Notwithstanding the ambassadors had so good intelligence togither and were so great friends each to other that they deliuered the writtings backe againe the contents whereof were that the Constable for the reasons therein rehearsed was declared enimie and traitor to both the Princes who promised and sware each to other that whether of them could first lay hands on him should either put him to death within eight daies or deliuer him to the other to do with him at his pleasure It was also therein concluded that he should be proclaimed by sound of trumpet enimy to both the Princes and likewise all that should serue helpe aide or fauour him Further the King promised to deliuer to the Duke the towne of Saint Quintin so often before mentioned and to giue him all the Constables treasure and moouables that should be found in the realme of Fraunce with all such seigniories and lordships as were held of the said Duke and among the rest Han and Bohain which are two very strong places Lastly a day was appointed when both the King and the Duke should send their forces to besiege him in Han. Notwithstanding for the reasons aboue rehearsed this conclusion was cleane broken off and a day and place assigned where the Constable should come to commune with the King vnder safe conduct for he stood in doubt of his person bicause of the late treatie held at Bouuines The place assigned was three leagues from Noyon neere to the towne of La Fere vpon a pretie riuer which no man could passe bicause the Constables men had taken vp all the bridges In the said place was a narrow causey ouerthwart the which a strong grate was built whither the Constable came first accompanied with all his men of armes or the greatest part for he had with him aboue three hundred gentlemen all men of armes and he himselfe ware his quirace vnder a short gowne vngirt The King came accompanied with the Earle of Dampmartine Lord great Master of Fraunce the Constables mortall enimie and with sixe hundred men of armes and better and sent me before him to make his excuse to the Constable of his long stay and soone after arriued himselfe and they communed togither at which their communication were present fiue or sixe of the Kings seruants and as many of the Constables who excused his comming thither in armes bicause he stood in feare of the Earle of Dampmartin as he said To be short in the end it was agreed that all offences past should be forgiuen and forgotten and the Constable passed through the grate to our side of the riuer where the Earle of Dampmartin and he were made friends That night he lodged with the King at Noyon and the next morning returned to Saint Quintin throughly reconciled as he said But when the King had well weighed this matter and heard the murmuring of the people he accused himselfe of great folly in going after this sort to commune with his seruant stomaked not a little that he found the grate shut between them considering that all the Constables men of armes were his subiects and paide out of his coffers wherfore if his hatred against the Constable were great before sure this meeting much increased it and as touching the Constable his proud stomack was no whit abated The Notes 1 This Confessor was the Abbot of S. Iohn d'Angely who died prisoner at Nantes in Britaine in the great tower du Buffoy where he confessed maruellous matters and died very strangely Annal. Aquit 2 These places were those that remained in the Lord of Lescuts hands by the treaty of Caen mentioned lib. 1. cap. 15. A discourse very fit for this place of the wisdome of the King and the Constable with good aduertisements to such as are in credit with Princes Chap. 12. IF a man consider well this action of the Kings he cannot but iudge it to proceede of great wisdome for I am of opinion that the Duke of Burgundy to recouer Saint Quintin would easily haue pardoned the Constable all his offences notwithstanding any promise made to the King of the contrary Further as touching the Constable though he were a gentleman of great wisedome and vnderstanding yet did he very vnaduisedly and it appeered that God had vtterly bereft him of all good aduise in that he came thus disguised before the King his Master whose subiects all the men of armes were that accompanied him and to say the truth his very countenance shewed him to be astonished and abashed thereat for when he came in person to the place and found the grate shut betweene
the King and him he caused it foorthwith to be opened and passed to our side of the riuer where vndoubtedly he was in great danger This his dooing peraduenture himselfe and his familiar friends accounted a woorthy exploit supposing the King to stand in feare of him whom also they reputed a timorous Prince And true it is that he was so at times when there was cause why but not alwaies when the world so iudged of him For you shall vnderstand that the ciuill wars with the Princes of his realme out of the which he had wound himselfe by large gifts and promises had beaten this lesson into his head not to put any thing in aduenture if he could compasse his purposes by any other means which caused a number of men to suppose all his dooings to proceede of feare But diuers that vpon this imagination attempted foolish enterprises against him found themselues much deceiued namely the Earle of Armignack and others whom their fond attempts cost full deere For the King knew when it was time to feare and not to feare Sure this praise I dare boldly giue him which though happily I haue written before yet deserueth againe to be spoken that he was the wisest man in aduersity that euer I knew But to returne to my discourse of the Constable who desired peraduenture to hold the King in feare at the least I suppose so for I will not charge him with it but write this onely for an aduertisement to those that are in Princes seruice and vnderstand not all alike the affaires of this world for mine owne part if I had a friend I would aduise him to endeuor himselfe that his Master might loue him not feare him for I neuer knew man whose authority depended of the feare his Master had of him that sped not euill in the end and that by his Masters consent Examples ynow haue been seene heerof in our time or not long before In this realm of the Lord of Trimouille and others In England of the Earle of Warwick and his faction I could name some also in Spaine and in other countries But those that shal reade this discourse may peraduenture be able to say more therin than my selfe This their presumption oftentimes proceedeth of their good seruice for they thinke their experience so great that they cannot be spared and their deserts such that their Masters ought to beare all things at their hands But Princes on the contrarie side both say and thinke that men are bound to do them seruice and desire nothing more than to be rid of such malapart fellowes Touching the which point I must needes speake somewhat of the King our Master for once he told me in talking of those that do their Prince great seruice naming withall his author from whom he receiued this opinion that good seruice sometime vndooeth men and is recompensed with great ingratitude not alwaies by the Masters forgetfulnes but many times through the seruants owne fault who presuming vpon their good seruice behaue themselues arrogantly either towards their Masters or their fellowes Further as touching those that come to preferment in Court this was his opinion that he is happier that receiueth a benefit of the Prince he serueth without great desert whereby he standeth bound to his Prince than he that hath done so great seruice that his Prince seemeth in debted to him adding that he for his part loued those better that were bound to him than those to whom he was bound Thus you see how hard it is to liue in this world in any estate wherfore greatly are they bound to God whom he hath indued with vnderstanding how to gouerne thēselues in their vocation This enteruiew between the King the Constable was in the yeere 1474. THE FOVRTH BOOKE How the Duke of Burgundy being seazed of the Duchie of Gueldres sought to encroch farther vpon the Almaines and how he laied his siege before Nuz Chap. 1. THe same sommer as I remember that the King and the Constable met the Duke of Burgundy went to conquer the Duchy of Gueldres vpon a title woorthy to be declared to the end we may therby consider the wonderfull iudgements and power of God There was a yoong Duke of Gueldres named Adolph who maried his wife being of the house of Bourbon and sister to Peter Duke of Bourbon 1 now liuing in the Duke of Burgundies court for the which cause he was wel fauored there This Duke Adolph committed an horrible fact for one euening he tooke his father named Duke Arnold prisoner as he was going to bed and led him fiue dutch miles on foote bare legged in a maruellous colde night and laid him in a deepe dungeon the space of six moneths 2 where he sawe no light but through a little hole Wherfore the Duke of Cleues whose sister the old Duke being prisoner had maried made sharpe war vpon this yoong Duke Adolph The Duke of Burgundy sought diuers meanes to agree them but no good could be done Wherefore in the end the Pope and the Emperor began to stir in this matter so far foorth that the D. of Burgundy vnder great curses was commanded to take the old Duke out of prison which he did accordingly for the yoong Duke durst not withstand him both bicause he saw so many good men against him and also bicause of the Dukes great force I haue often seene them both togither in the Duke of Burgundies chamber pleading their cause before a great assembly and once I saw the good old man present the combat to his sonne The Duke of Burgundy was very desirous to agree them and offered the yoong Duke whom he fauored the title of Gouernor 3 of Guelderland with all the reuenues thereof saue of one little towne neere to Brabant called Graue which should remaine to the father with the reuenues of three thousand florens a yeerely pension of as much and the title of Duke as was but reason I with others wiser than my self were appointed to make report of these conditions to the yoong Duke who answered vs that he had rather throw his father headlong into a Well and himselfe after than agree to such an appointment alleaging that his father had been Duke forty fower yeeres and that it was now time for him to gouerne Notwithstanding he said that he would willingly agree to giue him a yeerely pension of three thousand florens with condition that he should depart the countrey as a banished man neuer to return diuers other such like lewd speeches he vsed This hapned at the very same instant that the King wan Amiens from the Duke of Burgundy who was then with these two Dukes at Dourlans whence bicause of the wars he departed in haste to Hedin forgetting this matter This yoong Duke put on French apparell 4 and departed with one onely seruant to repaire home into his countrey But as he ferried ouer a water neere to Namur he paied a gildon for his passage whereupon a
for the Earle alone they had all fled the same night When we were come to the King we discouered a great number of men of armes and footemen standing yet in order of battell without their campe whose heads and launces onely we could descrie They had stood there all the day and neuer mooued from that place notwithstanding they were further from vs than they seemed for they and we could not haue ioined without passing the riuer which was risen and arose howerly bicause all the day it had thundered lightened and rained terribly especially during the battell and the chase The K. debated with his captaines whether we should assaile these new discouered enimies or not with him were three Italian knights one named Master Iohn Iames of Treuoul who is yet liuing and behaued himselfe that day like a woorthy gentleman another Master Francis Secco a valiant knight in pay with his Florentines and of the age of 72. yeeres and the third Master Camillo Vitelly who with his three brethren was in seruice with the King and came vnsent for from Ciuita de Castello as far as Serzane which is a great iourney to be at this battell but perceiuing that he could not ouertake the King with his companie he came himselfe alone These two latter gaue aduice to march against these enimies newly discouered but the Frenchmen were of a contrarie opinion saying that they had done ynough and that it was late and time to make their lodgings But the said Master Francis Secco maintained stoutly his opinion shewing people that passed to and fro vpon the high way that leadeth to Parma the neerest towne that the enimies could retire into whom he affirmed to be enimies flying thither or returning thence and indeede he said true as we vnderstood afterward and sure both his words and countenance shewed him to be a hardy and a wise knight For all their captaines confessed to me yea some of them before the Duke of Milan himselfe that if we had marched forward they had all fled by meanes wherof we should haue obtained the goodliest honorablest and profitablest victorie that happened in ten yeeres before for if a man could haue vsed it well haue made his profit of it haue behaued himselfe wisely and entreated the people gently the Duke of Milan by the space of eight daies after should not haue had any one place to hold for him in his countrie except the castell of Milan yea and I doubt of that too so desirous were his subiects to rebell The like would also haue happened to the Venetians so that the King should not haue needed to take care for Naples for the Venetians should not haue been able to leuie a man out of Venice Bressa and Cremone which is but a small towne bicause all the rest that they held in Italie would haue reuolted But God had performed that which Frier Ierom promised to wit that the honor of the field should be ours for considering our small experience and euill gouernment we were vnwoorthie of this good successe that God gaue vs bicause we could not then tell how to vse it but I thinke if at this present which is the yeere of our Lord 1497. the like victorie should happen to the King he could tell better how to make his profit thereof While we stood debating this matter the night approched and the band of our enimies which we saw before vs retired into their campe and we for our part went and lodged about a quarter of a league from the place of the battell The King himselfe lay in a farme house being an old beggerly thing notwithstanding the barnes about it were full of corne vnthreshed which I warrant you our army quickly found Certaine other old houses there were also which stood vs but in small stead euery man lodged himselfe as commodiously as he could for we had no lodgings made As touching my selfe I lay vpon the bare ground vnder a vine in a very straight roome hauing nothing vnder me no not my cloke for the K. had borrowed mine in the morning and my carriage was far off and it was too late to seeke it He that had meate ate it but few there were that had any vnlesse it were a morsell of bread snatched out of some of their seruants bosoms I waited vpon the King to his chamber where he found certaine that were hurt namely the Seneschall of Lyons and others whom he caused to be dressed Himselfe was merrie and made good cheere and each man thought himselfe happy that he was so well escaped neither were we puffed vp with pride and vaineglorie as before the battell bicause we sawe our enimies encamped so neere vs. The same night all our Almaines kept the watch and the King gaue them three hundred crownes whereupon they kept the watch very diligently and strake vp their drums brauely The Notes 2 Vicount of Narbonne Ferron 2 Rereward after the French corrector the leading whereof Iouius giueth to two that straue for it Ferron and our author to Narbonne otherwise called Earle of Foix alone Annal. Franc. to Monseur de la Trimoille Vicount de Touars and to Monseur de Guise but it appeereth lib. 7. cap. 13. when the K. thought to haue fought with Dom Ferrand at Saint Germain that Monseur de Guise led the vaward so that I know not how it is best heere to be read 3 Bourdonasses were holow horsemens staues vsed in Italy cunningly painted our author himselfe in this Chapter describeth them at large 4 By their companions he meaneth the Estradiots that had assailed the Kings corriage at the first 5 Annal. Franc. write that this bastard Mathew Monseur de Ligny and Monseur de Piennes were armed like to the King and continually about him 6 Of this battell he writeth lib. 6. cap. 6. 7 Vnderstand not Rege in Calabria but Rege neere to Parma called in Latin Regium Lepedi and I doubt me the vnskilfull corrector at the first printing of the worke chopped in this parenthesis supposing the author to meane Rege in Calabria wherefore I had rather leaue the parenthesis out 8 The French corrector supposeth this number to be also corrupted How the Lord of Argenton went himselfe alone to parle with the enimies when he saw that those that were appointed to go with him would not go and how the King returned safe and sound with his army to the towne of Ast Chap. 7. THe next morning I determined to continue our treatie of peace desiring nothing more than the Kings safe passage But I could get neuer a Trumpeter to go to the enimies campe partly bicause nine of theirs were slaine in the battell being vnknowen partly bicause they had taken one of ours and slaine another whom the King as you haue hard sent to them a little before the battell began notwithstanding in the end one went and caried the Kings safe conduct with him and brought me one from them to commune in the midway