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A07267 The history of Levvis the eleuenth VVith the most memorable accidents which happened in Europe during the two and twenty yeares of his raigne. Enricht with many obseruations which serue as commentaries. Diuided into eleuen bookes. Written in French by P. Mathieu historiographer to the French King. And translated into English by Edvv: Grimeston Sergeant at Armes; Histoire de Louys XI. English Matthieu, Pierre, 1563-1621.; Grimeston, Edward.; Commynes, Philippe de, ca. 1447-1511. 1614 (1614) STC 17662; ESTC S114269 789,733 466

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them that fled s A Generall of an army should not abandon his campe to follow them that fly Alexander had like to haue miscarried in the last defeate of Darius for hauing followed the chase of his enemies too rashly he was in great danger Cyrus had alwaies men appointed to follow them that fled contemning the aduice of an old Gentleman of Luxembourg called Anthony the Britton who held him lost if hee past any farther The French rallied them-selues againe together to renew the fight and to vanquish or loose all He prest still forward desiring rather to repent him of his Fortune then to haue shame for his victory t Q. Curtius giues vnto Alexander 〈◊〉 se brane and hardy wo●ds I had rather repent me of my fortune then bee ashamed of my victory The Lord of Contay spake more boldly vnto him and caused him to returne Repassing through the village he went to charge a troupe of footemen who seeing him come fled A soldiar let him know that hee would not giue his life for nothing striking him on the brest with his Pert●●isan whereof hee shewed the marke at night Then passing towards the Castell hee saw the archers of the Kings garde where at he was much amazed thinking that the victory had bin absolutly his and that there was not any more resistance Hee turned on the one side to come vnto the place of Battle but there fell sodenly vpon him u Euery man runnes where the generall is euen ashippe wanting a Pylot and hel●e dot● soone yeeld to the violence of the waues so he that can by pollicy and good aduice finde meanes to beat the chiefe of his enemies the rest will soone faint Polib lib. 3. twelue or fifteene men at armes Earle of Charolois hurt and in danger to be slaine or taken who at the first slew Philip of Org his Guidon and hurt him in the throat Yeeld my Lord cryed Captaine la Hire and Gilbert Grassar wee know you well enough The beuer of his helmet being not made fast in the morning descouered all his face Hee made noe answer but with his sword and this summons to yeeld inflamed his courrage to defend and free him-selfe Iohn Cade● sonne to a Phisition of Paris big heauy and strong three goodly parts which the History giues him being mounted vpon a puissant hors passeth through them Oliuer de la Ma●ch calls him Robert Cot●rea● ●●nne to the Earles Phi●●tion diuides them and saues his maister This Act of valour and fidelity was presently rewarded for the E. of Charolois made him a Knight He came to his campe x There is no● retreat in a day of Battle but to the camp for ●ee that leaues it hath lost the field How many armies saith the Consull Paulus ●emilius haue there bee●● which hauing had noe good successe in the battle but bin driuen into their sorts by their enemies yet ● sallying forth a●terwards ● they haue put them to rout who held themselues victors Tit. Liu. lib. 44. all bloudy and his men repayred vnto him in small bands and tyred the footmen complayning that the men at armes had in the morning dis●rdred them and troden them vnder their horses feete y A wounde gotten in a good place is glorious Baies chaines no● grownes are not alwaies carried but such markes are neuer left at home Such as beheld Serto●ius who had lost his eye few with his losse a testimony of his valour and the Earle seemed much pleased to haue receyued a hurt on the face for a perpetuall marke of his prowesse The French recouered the dich where they had so valiantly contended and as it were diuided the fortune of the combat But they were amazed to see them-selues without a head Brut of the Kings death and the bruit was that the King was dead This brute was grounded for that the Seneshal of Normandy who ware his apparell and armes to confirme his loyalty z The King grew into some iealousie that the Seneshale of Normandy was of the league and spake of it to whome he answered Si● to shew what I am giue me your coate of armes to saue your life for your enemies seeke but after your person had beene slaine in the beginning of the incounter when as the Bourgondians knowing wel that if the king were ouerthrowne the rest could not stand had charged furiously whereas he shewed him-selfe This feare augmented the number of the runne-awaies and made them to fly who should rather want life then courrage The Earle of Maine who was suspected to haue intelligence with the enemies and Montauban a Britton led away the reereward Their courages fell to their feete not any one had the heart to strike stroake in sauing his life to saue his honour a To make a feightlesse dish●norable it must bee done like vnto the Parthians or Scithians who shoote in flying and sauing them-selues speedely they alwaies fight and so take away the infamy of their flight Plut. in the life of Crass. The flight was of eight hundred men which depriued the King of the honor of an absolute victory and of the meanes wholy to ruine his enemies The rest wauered betwixt feare and duty The King appeared in this amazement b The Princes presence cheers the soldiers harts It is the Planet of Mars from whence great courages borrow the constancy ass●rance of warlike Vertue and by his presence gaue courage vnto his men who from that time cared more how to vanquish then to liue how to fight then to saue themselues The enemies had more anoyed them that fled then the rest as Fortune doth sooner suppresse them that yeeld vnto her then them that resist The Earle of St. Pol leaues the forrest whether hee was retired and comes to the place of Battell with an order befitting men and not with violence which is proper to fooles and beasts c To go vnto military actions r●shly and without iudgement is no valour ●easts fooles goe 〈◊〉 That which nature makes proper to valour turnes to rashaes i● reason doth not gouerne both parties were so tired as they stood at the gaze They made some shot with their great Ordnance Disorders common in both armies The Earle had more men in his Army then the King but he alone was worth 10000. his presence assuring that which was much shaken d No good can be expected of an army that is scattered but the Princes presence In this battel of Mont●berry without the King who animated his mē with good words all had fled Phil. de Com. the amazement was great on either side a desire to saue themselues from danger did presse the French as well as the Burgundians and many did their e One told Pompey that to come vnto him and to leaue Caesar hee had abandoned horse to whom Cicero said You haue done more ho●or to your horse then to your selfe to make him know
corpus super humeros recipit et 〈◊〉 hostibus 〈◊〉 ad suos AEneas Sil. Munsterus It is not certaine how many were in the Suisses Army Haluuil the Suisse saith that they were 4000 the Chronicles of France speake of 5000. But whatsoeuer it were neither France nor England had any great cause to triumph for this Battell For they lost as many men as they must kill of the enemies to merit a triumph a A Triumph was not giuen for any victory except they had slaine 5000. enemies Val●●ius saith Neither did they giue it vnto the Victors when as the victorie had nad cost much bloud therfore Titus Liu●u● ia his 16. saith that it was refused to Artillius The Army that was before Farnsperg hearing of this defeat raised the 〈◊〉 and retired The Dauphin continued three daies vpon the place of Battell and to couer the nomber of men which they had lost caused them to be buried in diuers places as at Arlesheim Reinach and Esch Two Earles were interred at Montbelliard two at Isenheim The grand Pryor of France was slaine at this Battell with many other Noblemen They of Basill demand leaue to take a view of the dead men and to bury b Among the Grecians hee that demanded a dead body to bury it lost the fruit of the victory end renouned the triumph Plut. de Niceas Age●l●us them he would not refuse peace vnto the dead seeing he was willing to grant it vnto the liuing c Aeneas said vnto the La●ius who came to intreat him to haue their dead bodies to bury them Pacem me exa●●mis Martis sorte perempti oratis equidem 〈◊〉 concedere velim you pray to men slaine in the warres I peace should giue yea willingly I would grant it them that liue and that there was no likelihood that he would grow obstinate at the siege of Basil nor against the Suisses The begging Fryars were appointed for this act of pietie They made three pits to bury them in There were some that did breath three dayes after the battell They found some halfe burnt in the ruines of the Hospitall many in the hedges and a great number in the Riuer of Birs The Dauphin went to refresh himselfe in Alsacea His Court was at Ensisheim and the Armie lodged so at large in the country as it held from Montbelliard to Haguenaud Coun●●l of Basil seekes an accord with the Dauphin The Emperor assembled the Princes of the Empire at Ments to consult of the meanes to expell the strangers out of Germany The Councill of Basill sent d The Counci●l of Basill sent the Cardinall of Arles and Bishop of Basill vnto the Dauphin who did mediate a truce for twenty dai●s Embassassours vnto him to perswade him not to trouble the assembly to the which France was bound for the peace it had with the house of Bourgundy His Deputies were at Basil to vnderstand the will of the Fathers vpon this accord They of Berne and Soleure came thither yet there was nothing concluded but a truce of some few daies The Emperor Frederick gaue the Dauphin to vnderstand that if he did not retire himselfe the Empire would proclaime warre against him The Nobilitie of Germanie who had drawne the French and English into the country began to bee weary of their guests who dranke their wine without paying and made vergys of their Vines Mulhouse e Mulhouse was sometimes an imperiall ●own the Bish●p of Strausburge was gouernor and it was called 〈◊〉 It allied it selfe with the Suisses in the yeare 1464. and then in the yere 1506. it was made fellowburgis with all the Cantons Stump lib. ● of the Suisses commonweale freed it selfe from this storme refusing to receiue the Dauphins troupes When as hee saw that all the Empire began to rise against him The Dauphin retires into Lorraine and that the Suisses were like to haue their reuenge for the battell of S. Iames of Basill he went into Lorraine to see King Charles his Father who was before Mets being resolued to reuenge the King of Sicile who was much incensed against this Towne for that they had fauoured the Earle of Vaudemont against him The English who had refused a peace 1445 Truce betwixt Frāce and England prolonged tooke such taste in a truce f A truce is the bait● and charme of peace It is in the libertie of Princes to make it but when as the people 〈…〉 therof it is hard to 〈…〉 as it was prolonged for fiue yeares Such as tooke delight in the publike miseries for that they were profitable vnto them were not content they would haue the tempest cease but they still desired some winde to raise the storme Wee doe not alwaies finde spirits of that integritie but they preferre their priuate profit before the publike good Men of this excellencie haue been euer ingaged in great tempests the number of them which haue come to a safe port to make others haue been very small They grow like the Phenix at the end of fiue hundred yeares g A wise man such as the Stoicks discribe him neuer was nor neuer will be Quis sapipiens sit aut fuerit nec ipsi Stoici solent dicere Cic. And as great things happen rarely Seneca saith that fortasse tanquam Phaenix semel 500. annis nascitur Sen. Whiles that Rome was well gouerned the profession of Armes was in time of peace for an exercise and in the time of warre for necessitie and glorie euery man returned to his affayres hauing yeelded an account of his Armes witnessing still that hee carried them not for his owne priuate good but for the seruice of his country The ciuill warres troubled this order and therefore they said that Caesar and Pompey were held better Captaines then good Citizens and greater in valour then in integritie France was neuer fruitfull of such spirits as haue willingly made warre to haue peace and haue not troubled the peace to make warre h Marshall disciplin should be wel obserued if it did alwaies consist of men who after the war made no difficultie to return to their trades and labour but the libertie and disorder in warre is so great as it is hard to draw them to the rules of Duty and therefore warre makes theeues and peace hangs them During this Truce a marriage was made betwixt Henry the sixt King of England Marriage of Henry the sixth and Margaret of Aniou and Margaret of Aniow Daughter to Rene King of Sicile The Earle of Suffolk came to fetch her at Nancy the King was there present and the ioy was great but as any great ioy hath still some great sorrow attending it and pleasures strangle when as they imbrace most straightly i Ioy is commonly the beginning of sorow at riuers of fresh water die in the salt sea the sweetnes of life ends with sorrowes that are bitter King Charles receiued so great an affliction for the death
for many Captaines haue souldiers to serue the King in his Armies whom they would not imploy in their houses y If there bee not choise iudgment and distinction in the leuies of souldi●rs the Princes seruice cannot prosper Vegetius imputes the ruine of the Empire to this carelesnes Huic saith hee 〈◊〉 vbique ab hostibus illatae sunt clades dum longa pax militem incuriosus legit dum possefloribus indicti tyr●nes per gratiam aut dissimulationem probantur talesque sociant Armi● quales Domini habere facti dicunt Veget. Lib. 1. cap. 8. The Duke of Bourgundy caused the Earle of Charolois his son to march and at his departure he said vnto him Goe my Sonne in a happie hower Words of the Duke of Bourgundy and resolue to die rather then to flie if you fall into any danger you shall not be abandoned for the want of a hundred thousand men Words of power to giue courage to one that had been borne without it Words of infallible assurance spoken from a father whose loue admits no comparison all other friendships are but winde He did wisely looke vnto the future which Princes doe not alwaies they doe seldome looke vnto that which shall befall them and doe not thinke that great assents haue great downefals The E. of Charlois entred into France with an armie of fifteene thousand men he besieged Nesle in Vermandois and tooke it and past by Noion and Mondidier The Earle of Neuers his Cousin found himselfe to weake to stop his entrie into Picardie whereas all the people seemed ready to set vp Statues z The people follow a victory They of Samos erected a statue to Alcibiades in Iunos Temple but when hee was defeated they gaue another to Lysander his enemy for the Victors and to acknowledge him that should be most fortunate or most strong The Earle of Saint Pol hauing taken Pont Saint Maxence by composition or rather by the trechery of the Captaines which were within it the Armie past the riuer of Oyse and entred into the Isle of France The Earle of Charolois carried the title of Lieutenant generall to the Duke of Berry These first bruites a In new occurents reputation hath great effects In nouis ceptis validissima est fama Tacit. lib 13. gaue great reputation to his desseins he made a generall proclamation of liberty and exemption from taxes Hee caused the Rowles to bee burnt at Laigny and made a declaration that all should bee free causing the salt to be distributed at the Marchants price b He that will draw the people to his deuotion and build a foundation vpon their loues must free them frō oppressions for they hold eeuery one that hurts them for an enemy and neuer iudge of the equity of the warre but by the good which they receiue vpon these proclamations the people thought they should haue an ende of their miseries but they were but cries a farre of and vanished comming neere like vnto those noyses which vpon certaine coasts of the straight of Saint George terrefie those that are a farre of and when they come neere they heare not any thing The Princes of the League entring into France cryed liberty for the Common-weale and exemption for the people but comming neere to treat they spake noe more of it c The pretexts of ciuil war are alwaies goodly and plausible but when they are considered they vanish and haue noe substance Ioachin Rouvant Marshall of France Marshall Ioachin enters into Paris did alwaies coast the army but a farre of and hauing noe meanes to attempt any thing neerer he cast him-selfe into Paris with a hundred and tenne lances The Earle lodged at Saint Denis whereas the other Princes had promised to meete him to consult of their affaiers his army was lodged thereabouts Hee presented him-selfe in battell before Paris the amazement was great and the skirmish terrible euen vnto the gates Hauthourdin thought that the towne was to be taken in this amazement for they began to shut vp their shops A giddy headed fellow ranne through the streets crying the enemy was entred and with d One word of amazement or bad pr●sage is punishable this man was whipt through the streets of Paris the Chronicle saies that the King cried out to the hangman whip him soundly for hee hath wel deserued it feare many fell into feuers The King was well serued in this occasion by the Marshall Ioachin and Charles of Melun Prrisiens amazed Many as it happens alwaies in ciuill diuisions played the temporizers saw the storme comming and fitted them-selues for euery Element It was thought good not to attempt any thing vntill the Kings brother and the Duke of Brittaine were come They march slowly and the Earle complained of their stay Stay of the army of Brittany saying that they had broke their word for they had promised to be together in armes before Paris at the feast of S t. Iohn Romille Vice Chancellor of Brittaine excused his Maister and filled vp blanks signed to keepe the Earle in breth and to giue the Duke time to assemble forces at Chasteaubriant where he mustred his armie obseruing strictly the seuerity of discipline e It is impossible in ciuil war exactly to obserue military discipline if excesse bee punished in one party the souldi●r who ●●ues nothing but disorder flies vnto the other Ci●ilibus bellis plus militibus quā docibus licer T●cit lib. 2. Histo. although it be in a manner impossible in ciuil wars whereas the souldiers can doe more then the Captaines A resolution being taken to ioyne with the troupes of Brittaine the Earle of Charolois seased vppon the bridge of Saint Clou to passe to Estampes where a Lady aduertized him that the king had past Orleans Battle of Montlehery and came withall speede to enter into Paris Hee resolued to attend him and lodged at Longiumeau sending the Earle of Saint Pol to Montlehery where he made choise of a place of Battell betwixt both On twesday the 16. of Iuly the King arriued at Chastres he desired to enter into Paris or to goe out of the realme f King Lewis the eleuenth said that if hee had not entred into Paris hee had gone 〈◊〉 seeke succors in Italy of the D. of Milan has great f●iend It m●y be he w●ld not haue taken so desperate a resolution but would haue cōsidered that he had to doe with men which would not liue long together without some dispute if hee might not doe it And for that he would not hazard any thing amidest so many discontentments and infidelities he had commanded Breze great Seneshall of Normandy not to fight who notwithstanding this prohibition tould one of his friends that he would bring the two Princes so neere together as he should be a very able man that could part them He was slaine with the first and he is produced for an example that seldome doth that succeed
Athanasius was banished by the Emperor Iulian he said vnto his friends that came to sorow with him in this disgrace Courage my children this is but a little cloud which wil vanish presently Nic. lib. 10. c. 19. to passe with the first Sunne-shine for his darknesse continued his whole life and the King shewed some feeling thereof after his death hauing caused his Epitaph to bee altered He was content to haue kept Paris from fayling and would not search out too curiously neither the names nor the number of those that had mannaged this designe s Neuer saith the Sig r of Hail lā did the Parrisiens hold the better partie neither did they euer any thing well but this time for they were for the King whome they supported and relieued He considered that in so great a Citie there must needs be some bad spirits t There is not any Citie saith Tit. Linius which hath not bad Citizens but the multitude is alwaies ignorant and grosse and that in publike offences the number takes away the punishment Hee let the most capable vnderstand that he was King and that he had no need to haue the Princes come in Armes to reforme his Estate that none of them could loue his subiects so much as himselfe that by the grace of God he was the father and to let them know what they might hope for of the mildnes of his raigne the Parisiens priuiledges did abolish the impositions raised since the raigne of king Charles his father Normans will liue at discretion within Paris True it is the Parisiens could not well agree with the souldiers that were within the Citie u Townes besieged haue many times suffered more by them within it then by the enemie Such was the estate of the Lu●●●●ans de●●●ded by the Epir●ts Tit. Liu. lib. 8. the chiefe garrison was of Normandie who would liue in Paris as in a country of conquest threatning to doe any thing and they were not fearefull to any but to their hosts x There can be no great expla●s expected against an enemie from a soldier that is insolent and insupportible to his host as were they of Vitellius whom Tac. cals Hospitibus tantu● metuendos The Bourgesses were mooued and prepared for their defence as well against them within as their enemies abroad The people hold all them for enemies that trouble them and know not how to endure they of Paris were not then so apt to suffer as they haue been a hundred and fiftie yeares after for the first daie that the Princes armie appeared before the citie y A people shut vp is subiect to loose patience and to reuolt againsth s●prince when bee sees the enemie to spoil● his possessi●ns abroad that ●e is torme●ted by thē within that gard him Wherefore he must be kept in awe by two meanes vigour and mildnes by the scare of worse and hope of better The King telling certaine Bourgesses that were in guard at S t. Antonies gate that the Bourgundians should not annoy them as they had done a Proctor of the Chastelet hauing more feeling of the wine that was lost then of the bloud that was spilt answered Yea Sir but they gather our z The vines about Paris were gather●d the first daics of the siege before September although the gropes were not r●ps The Chronicle saith that the wine was very small and that they called it wi●e of the Bou●gondians yeare Vines and eate our grapes and we cannot help it It were better replyed the King that they eate your grapes then to come and take the siluer which you haue hidden in your sellers Paris hath alwaies loued her ease and to take her gaine from her a Great townes are not kept in obedience and awe but by the mea●es which the people haue to gaine Cleon could do much in Athens for that hee flattered the common people vsing them like an old man and giuing them stil some meanes to gaine Plur. in the life of Niceas were to draw her out of her Element They are prompt vppon the first terrors and are sooner sicke of opinion then effect more things amaze them then hurt them The Armie shewed it selfe euery day as it were in Battell in that great plaine towards S t. Anthonies and to make it seeme greater the horse-boyes tarried not at home but some seemed gallant whom hunger tormented and many had winde in their bellies as well as in their heads It was obserued then for a strange thing that the armie which thought to famish Paris Paris famisheth the Ar●●ie which would haue fami●hed it had beene famished without Paris so commodious is the situation of this Citie and was so well chosen by her first founders b The first care of them that build Citties is for the Commodity of victualls The Ingenor Democrates perswaded Alexander to build a towne vpon Mont Ath●s Alexander commended this designe but how said he shall the Inhabitants liue wherewith Democrates was confounded and Alexander mocking his Architector built Alexandria neere vnto the sea and the Riuer of Nil Phil. de Commin●s obseruing that the siege had caused no dearth of victuals in Paris and that the Citty did furnish them aboundantly admires the scituation The King who in the guiding of this Ship hath his eyes alwaies lift vp to heauen and his hands at the helme was more resolute to defend himselfe then to attempt any thing yet hee made a trench from Charanton beneath Constans with a little fort at the head of it where hee lodged foure thousand Archers with some Ordinance which made the Princes to keepe their chambers for it played in their quarter The Dukes of Berry Brittanie came in the morning to the Earles lodging to hold a Councell where they dined and departed not but by the fauour of the night This was all that the King did for hee held it not fit to hazard any thing hee knew this great and gaping breach would exhale contagious vapors that it would not be closed vp with the death of one man alone but would swallow a million that he had rather saue his subiects then vanquish his enemies c A Prince should alwayes haue in his mind euen in the heat of Combats that royall saing of Scipio which Anthony the Gentle did so much esteeme Se malle vnum seruare Ciuem quam mille hostes occidere Iul. Capitoll So great a conspiracie would that choller should straine the sinewes of his soule and that hee should refuse peace to them who demanded nothing but warre but he represented vnto himselfe the deadly bitings of incensed necessitie that the bloud which should bee spilt in this warre flowed from his veines that the blowes would fall vppon his members and vpon part of his bowels That it is a goodly thing to suffer himselfe to bee vanquished when the victorie is dangerous to the victor Hee resolued to make their Camels drinke the water which them selues
appeared vnto him in his d●eame said vnto him for thy impieties I cut off fourteen yeares of thy 〈◊〉 he dyed instantly Paul Diacre Lib. 15 As this Princes hart was inflamed with choller so his cruelties cōtinued for hauing caused Nesle to be razed he presented himself before Roy which yeelded without defence Louiset of Balagny Mouy and Rubemprè who had about two hundred Lances went forth with the losse of all that was within it The victors gained by this bootie aboue an hundred thousand crownes From thence hee thought to surprise Beauuais the measure of the ladders were as ill taken as his designes Choller carrying him to rashnes f when as the iud●e●ent is darkened with Ch●ller Crue●ty makes it to take strange resolutions Valentinean was cruell because he was cholerick As soone as any word was spoken crosly vnto him Choller transported ●im beyond the bounds of reason was the cause of his death all his inward parts were found dryed vp burnt and that vnto indiscretion hauing failed in his first designe he desired saith Phil. de Commines to take it by assault and burne it He caused them to discharge two peeces of Ordinance which made a great hole in the gate whereas the besieged defended themselues couragiously and in the end set fire of it Siege of Beaunais which troubled the assailants so as they could not stop the approches towards Paris An error which ruined their designe An error which a Generall of an armie should foresee and which had vndone Caesar before Alexia g Caesar wonne great reputation at the siege of Alexia where he did besiege and was besieged There were a hundred and seuentie thousand men within the Towne and three hundred thousand without yet he kept them from ioyning and forced the Towne to yeeld Plut. if he had not preuented it An error which was the preseruation of Beauuais and did shew the iniustice of the enterprise and that there is in heauen an all-seeing eye which blinds malice Innocencie were in a hard case if wickednes were alwaies accompanied with wisedome shee hath more furie and rage then conduct and resolution to hurt These approches remaining free Succors sent by the K. to Beauuais the besieged were releeued with victuals munition from Paris and Orleans h Orleans relea●ed Bea●●ais with a hundred pipes of wine Paris with Pioners Canons Poulder Bowes and Arrowes and with good numbers of foote and horse The chiefe honor of these succors is due vnto the memory of the Earle of Dammartin and to the Marshals Ioachim and Laheac who being followed by many other Captaines were no sooner entred but hearing the assault left their horses with women which kept them and went directly to the wals to repulse the enemies and their assault the which continued from seuen of the clocke vntill eleuen before noone on Thursday the 9. of Iuly 1472. in the which the Duke of Bourgundy lost fifteene or sixteene hundred men The next day i The History names them that were at this succors the Earle of Dammartin the Marshals Ioachim and Loheac William of Vallee Crusol Rubempre Estout●uille T●rey Bueill Salezard Vignoles and Croy. Captaine Salezard performed a generous Act Occasion Braue exploits of Captaine Salezard k Wee must alwaies watch for occasions and embrace them Vespasian did often vse the words w●ich Pittacus had taught him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know the time they said at Rome I came in time As we must not vnder take any thing before an occasion so we may not let it passe without the which it is folly to vndertake and also follie to let it slip gaue him the meanes The losse of so many men in this assault the expectation and feare of worse had strooke a great amazement into the assaylants armie He made a sally at the breake of day surpriseth the enemie in his Campe fires it kils all hee incounters wins two Bombards wherewith the Towne had beene battered two Serpentines one great Canon of Brasse which they called one of the twelue Peeres which the King had lost at the Battell of Montlehery Although that in these occasions many haue no more share in the paine and perill l An vnprofitable presence ought to haue no share in the glory of a painfull action then the flye hath in the labour of the Oxe or the running of the horse yet all say we haue pursued wee haue vanquished and euery man ascribes vnto himselfe the best part of the glory The men which were at the siege of Beauuais could not deny it vnto women Courage of the women at Beau●ais for they presented themselues valiantly and more then manlike vpon the walles casting wild-fire stones and scalding oyle and water vpon the enemies There was to be seene in the Iacobins Church of Beauuais an ensigne which a woman called Ioane Foucquet wrested out of an Ensigne-bearers hands who had gotten to the top of the wall This did shew that vertue makes no distinction m In Platoes Commonweale women are called to politick and militarie charges Antistenes did not distinguish masculine from seminine vertues of sexe and that there are women to bee found which may teach men to liue and die The Duke of Brittanie had promised the Duke to come before Rouen n If the Duke of Guienne had not dyed saith Phil. de Com. I beleeue the K. would haue bin much troubled for the Brittons were ready and had greater intelligence within the Realme then euer all which failed by reason of this death to help him to besiege it Spoile done to the Duke of Burgundies Armie The Duke of Bourgundy went but hee appeared not for Monsieurs death had made all his desires subiect to the yoke of feare and reason so as he was contented to burne all that quarter of Normandie euen vnto the gates of Diepe The same furies of warre which the Duke had caused to be seene in Normandie were heard vpon the frontier of Champagne wheras the Earle of Roussy the Constables sonne led them The Earle Dauphin of Auuergne did the like in Bourgundy and in all places the victory was not famous but by the lamentable estate wherin the vanquished were left The King had affaires o That victory is famous which doth subdue an enemy and not make him perpetually miserable The Consull Popelius stript the Ligurians of their goods and sold them as slaues hauing vanquished them The 〈◊〉 found this Act to be cruell and reuoked all that had been done concluding Claram victoriam vincendo non saeuiendo in afflictos fieri Tit. Liu. in diuers places when as he turned head against the Duke of Bourgundy he was sure to haue the Duke of Brittanie at his heeles and hauing seperated them with a designe to pacifie the one and content the other he sees them vnited againe to make warre against him The Duke of Brittanies Embassadors came vnto the King being at Pont
all them that fled had reserued one of the Dukes pages who did serue to finde out his body z The Duke of Burgundies bodie was known by a Por●ugall Phisition by the bas●ara of Bourgundy by Oliuer of La March and by the Gr●omes of his Chamber the which he knew by diuers markes the wanting his teeth of the vpper Iawe which he had lost in his youth with a fall by the scarre of a wound which he receiued in the throate at the Battell of Montlehery by the withering of the skin vpon his shoulder which a cole had made by a Fistula which hee had vnder his nauell and by his nailes which he ware longer then any one of his Court. The Dukes Ensignes and coulours were presently carried to Rene who obseruing the Fuzils or Irons to strike fire which they carried said The Duke interred at Nancy What a Pittie when this Prince would warme himselfe hee could not make vse of these Fuzils to strike fire a The duke carrie 〈◊〉 his coulours an iron to strike fire betwixt two trenchers of wood meaning that it was in his power to make a great fire of warre when he pleased The bodie was drawne from among the dead and carried to Nancy where after they had washt it and attired it in a poore weed of linnen cloth they layed it vpon a table vnder a cloth of Estate of black Veluet the chamber being hanged with the same The Duke mourning in his outward habite for this death and carrying ioy in his heart for his victory would needs see him and was not so scrupulous as Pompey who turned away his eyes from the dead body of Mithridates King of Pontus least he should prouoke the reuenging wrath of the Gods against him At this sight the Duke was moued to pittie and sorrow as compassion is not lesse naturall in great courages then crueltie euen against the dead is proper to base and cowardly mindes b Great mindes are moued at the spectacle of the ruines of nature and at the ●ragicall effects of fortune Alexander felt his ●ies to swell with teares when he read these words in Persian vpon Cyrus tombe I am Cyrus who conquered the Empire of the Persians let no man enuy this little ground which couers my poore carkasse Taking him by one hand he said God receiue your soule you haue caused vs much trouble and sorrow He caused him to be interred with all kindes of Funerall Pompe finding no expence so pleasing as that which is made to interre an enemie It is strange to reade what is written and credited K. Lewis aduertised of this death the next day that the day after the Battell King Lewis being at Masse the Archbishop of Vienna said vnto him presenting him the Pixe Reioyce S r your enemy is dead The Posts which brought this newes so speedily might truely be called windes like vnto those of Elius Verus c The Emperor A●lius Verus gaue wings and the names of winds vnto his Posts calling one the North another the great wind an other the South c. And as the people beleeue not that which they desire not his subiects were long doubtfull of the truth of his death They said that the griefe of this losse kept him hid and that he had been seen in a Pilgrims weed It is troublesome to beleeue the death of Princes whom they loue who haue won their hearts by mildnes and affabilitie This Prince said and his tombe speakes it yet that he neuer had any rest in his life He would be the Eagle of Princes in designe and execution and as Eagles haue alwaies in their nests stones which sound hee had alwaies some designe in his head which disturbed his rest Hee that did inherit the matteresse whereon he slept might well keepe it to cause sleepe seeing that a man so distempered did sleepe little Wee must not suffer honor to grow old Humor of the D. of Bourgundy nor to weare like a garment it must be renued by some goodly action He sought by new designes and new enterprises to maintaine the brute of this reputation which he thought did passe away presently if some other couragious action did not renew it and hee feared nothing more then that his idlenes should giue the people occasion to demand what he did Meane men are not to giue an account of all their actions but will know what great men doe or doe not d A Prince should neuer giue the people occasion to inquire of his idlenes Cato had reason to say Non minus otii quam negotii clarorum virorum rationem extare oportere The reason of famous mens Idlenes must be apparent is wel as of their imployments His great courage was giuen him to afflict his bodie to torment his spirit His force was not equall to his Ambition lesse pride or more power His life was too short to goe that great way Hee would not haue been satisfied with halfe Europe Excesse the Dukes Ambition All or nothing Hee had more valour then gouernment Of this King this D. might haue bin made the composition of a great and absolute Prince e Who so could haue takē some of the King our Masters conditions and some of his might well haue made a perfect prince for without doubt the King exceeded him much in iudgement and the end did shew it by his workes Phil. de Com. for the two essentiall parts necessarie to make a great Captaine Wisedome and Valour he had but one and would make himselfe to bee esteemed by actions which were rather animated by courage then guided by Counsell But he was laborious and diligent two qualities f He is a good Captaine that is both wise valiant Hanniball was valiant Fabius wise This man by his w●sdome vndermined the heat courage of the other Guiechiardin saith That it is no lesse the dutie of a valiant Captaine to doe ●he workes of a wise man then of a couragious Paulus Aemilius did perswade Marcus Varro his Colleage to temper the hot fumes of his courage by the coolenes of his vvisedome requisite to make a Captaine He would be euery where himselfe did view the scituation of his Campe with the aduantages and discommodities about it he obserued who went and came who entred and who went forth g Charles D. of Bourgundy vvas called by many the toiling for that he vvould see all and doe all toiling himselfe extraordinarily in all occasions He was still walking among the souldiors reprehending the Captaines priuately and the soldiors publikely when he found them to neglect their duties The meanest fortune requires wisedome to guide it and the greater it is the more it is enuironed with difficulties This Prince grew so insolent fell into so great a conceit of his own valour after his first deeds of Armes that although his naturall inclinations were not meerely warlike yet hee tooke delight in no other
sometimes in sachirresolution as not daring to make warre he● doth things preiudiciall to peace Phillip de Commines saith His Exercises and pleasures that hee had no thought but of Ladies and more then was fit of Hunting and to entreate his owne person well When hee went a Hunting hee caused many Pauillions to be carried for Ladies and in this sort made great feasts for hee had a body as fit for it as any that euer I saw being yong and as beautifull as any man that liued in his time q Edward was held in his youth to excell all the Princes of his age in beauty and stature but when as hee came into France in the yeare one thousand foure hundred three score and fifteene He was growne grosse F●w men become so but by their owne meanes Entring into the Realme hee saw himselfe surprized with a storme and expelled by him who had assisted him to conquer it Hee retired into Holland with two Hulkes a little Ship and many men without mony seeing himselfe to giue a gowne furred with ●ables to satisfie the Marriner who had transported him At the end of sixe monthes he re-entred into London when as his enemies had held him to be lost In eleuen daies the Earle of Warwicke had wonne the whole Realme for Henry the sixth Edward recouers it in twenty daies with the hazard of two great battles The strongest carried it r They are sometimes bound to fortune and sometimes to pollicy for the happy euents of great enterprises but most cōmonly the stronger is the Maister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Occurrat forti qui mage fortis erat and remained peaceable King yet with some remorse to haue beene bound for the quiet possession of his Realme to the cruelties and inhumanities which he committed against his owne bloud For he put to death King Henry the sixth and Edward Prince of Wales his sonne with the Duke of Clarence his brother The cause of this brothers death is not very certaine The most common opinion is that hee would haue armed to succour the Princesse of Bourgundy contrary to his brothers liking Polydore Virgil saith that enforming himselfe he learned of them that liued in those times that King Edward being aduertised by a Coniurer s All the answeres of Sorcerers are doubtfull and deceiue them that trust in them They spake truely meaning the Duke of Glocester and the King deceiued himselfe vnderstanding it of his brother of Clarence that his name that should succeed him beganne with a G. had a conceit that George Duke of Clarence his brother should take the Crowne from his children Death of the Duke of Clarence the Kings brother and vpon this apprehension hee put him to death in a But of Malmesey Others haue written that hee sought the Alliance of the Princesse of Bourgundy and that the Dutchesse Margaret sister to Edward fauoured his Designes which the King not wishing so great a fortune to his brother hindred That at the same time one of the Dukes seruants hauing beene condemned to dye for poyson the Duke of Clarence was offended and spake in such sort as the King taking his words for threates of some great trouble caused him to die in pryson t George Duke of Clarence brother to the King of England made choice to dye in a But of Malme●cy to die with some content which an 〈◊〉 disolution of the soule is wont to cause as Seneca saith or to make himselfe drunke and to free himselfe from the horrour end feeling of death Drusus meaning to dye of hunger would not cate any thing in nine daies but the flockes of his bed Tacit. l. 6. Annal. An act notwithstanding which did afflict him with such griefe and repentance as remembring the great precipitation of his iudgement procured by his brothers enemies when as any came to sue for a pardon for any one that was condemned to dye u Repentance doth vndoubtedly follow cruell and rash actions Caracalla hauing put his brother Get● to death hee did neuer thinke of him or looke vpon his stature but hee wept Hee caused Loetus who had perswaded him to this paracide to be imprisoned and did all kindes of honour vnto his Funerall Funus Gerae accuratius fuisse dicitur quam eius qui à fratre videretur occisus Getas Funerall was performed with more then his that seemed to bee murthered by his brother AELIVS SPARTIANVS he alwaies said My poore brother had not any to sue for him He left two children Margaret who was married to Richard Poole and Edward whom the King made Earle of Warwicke All the crosses which Edward had suffred did not so much afflict him as he receiued contentment at his returne from the warres of France for the peace which he had brought backe and the Treatie of marriage which he had made of his daughter with the Dauphin of France and the pension of fifty thousand Crownes So when he saw the Dauphin married vnto the Lady Margaret of Austria he was so grieued as hee resolued to returne into France to reuenge this iniury Choller and griefe were so violent in his soule as he dyed the tenth of Aprill at Westminster whereas the Parliament was assembled to resolue vpon the warre of France His body was carried to the Castle of Windsor and interred in S. Georges Chappell He had tenne children by Elizabeth his wife and left Edward Prince of Wales and Richard Duke of Yorke liuing All his life hee had beene liberall and dyed coue●ous Hee recommended his wife His brother murthers his children children and Realme to Richard Duke of Glocester who to haue the Crowne put Edward who had raigned but two monthes and Richard his Nephewes to death x Edward had a base sonne called Arthur his daughters were married to diuers Princes Brigit the last was a religious woman The daughters were declared Bastards by the Parliament for that a Bishop affirmed that hee had married Edward vnto a Lady of England before that hee was married to the Lady Elizabeth Riuers Hee caused himselfe to bee Crowned King in Iuly following The parricide of his two Nephewes caused so great scandall and horrour in all the orders of the Realme and the mother who had fledde into the Sanctuary at Westminster y This trust and recommendation of such precious Iewels bound the Duke of Glocester to haue a care of them IS DIGERDES King of Persia seeing that ARCADIVS the Emperour his enemy had recommended his some THEODOSIVS vnto him found himselfe bound to preserue his Estates and laying aside all passions of precedent hatred hee proclaimed warre against any one that should molest his pupill hauing fore-seene the rage of this Tiger filled the Citty of London with very pittifull and strange complaints as euery man found this greedy and vnsatiate desire to raigne inhumane and tyrannous hauing forced him brutishly to teare in peecees the Lawes of Nature and to pollute his hands with
Polyb. lib. 11. Mathias held it not fit for his reputation nor courage to attend them hee goes to meete them with eight thousand horse and hauing furnished the Towne of Vratislauia with victuals and munition he lodged himselfe in the sub-vrbs and there attendeth them with a resolution not to hazard any thing c A Prince shold not stay vntil his enemy come vnto him and force him to feed him at his charge Euery day they made Sallies and Skirmishes to the Polonians losse who neuer returned but with griefe for some prisoners taken but many more slaine And to shew that hee did little esteeme their Attempts and that hee could loose little and get much he caused scaffolds of Wood to bee built vpon the Walles for the chiefe Ladies and Gentlewomen of the Towne It is a great aduantage for a Generall of an Army when hee is assured that victory brings him great profit great effects and that the losse cannot equal the gaine and for those chiefly who were not made but to bee beloued They beheld the Knights who made Sallies vpon their Enemies and cast themselues couragiously into dangers for their sakes At their returne they commended their valours and encouraged them to continue If they were hurt they were the first that drest them if they returnd victors they presented them the prisoners Armes and colours which they had taken The Princes of Germany desiring to diuert this storme and fearing that this fire kindled vpon the Frontier would flye further laboured to quench it Ernestus Duke and Elector of Saxony and Iohn Marques of Brandebourg e The courages of these 3 Princes were vanquished by the eloquence of the Marques of Brādeburg who in the Assembly of three Kings of Casimir King of Polonia Ladislaus King of Bohemia and Mathias King of Hungry discoursed with such grauity and vehemency vt prae admiratione adstantes obstupuerint Ita tune virtute Ernesti Saxonis eloquenti● Ioannis Marchionis haec or a Germaniae magno discrimine liberata redijt ad tranquilitatem That the assistants were amazed with admiration So then by the vertue of Ernest of Saxony and the eloquence of the Marques Iohn that coast of Germany was freed from great danger and recouered peace made an Army of six thousand horse and presented themselues before Vratislauia protesting that they came thither to no other end but to set vpon him that would not liue in peace So by their meanes a peace was concluded the 12. of February in the yeare 1475. and Silesia was diuided betwixt Ladislaus and Mathias Mathias makes war against the Emperour This war being ended he began an other against the Emperour he besieged Bohemia and forst the Emperour to demand a peace Pope Sixtus and the Senate of Venice for that they would not incense the Emperour tooke from him the pensions which they had giuen him to the end that the Emperour should not think that they fauoured his designes Death of Mathias Huniades yet for all this Mathias did not forbeare to presse the Emperour to effect that which he had promised him seeing that hee thought to entertaine him with the vanity of his words hee began the warre againe and besieged and tooke Hambourg vpon the confines of Austria and Hungary Mahomet thinking to make his profit of this diuision ouer-ran the Countries of Dalmatia Carinthia and Friuly and carried away a great number of slaues but they were set at liberty and they that led them cut in peeces being incountred by Mathias Captaines f The portrait of of 〈◊〉 Prince makes him of a higher sature then the ordinary of men open and quicke eyes his eye-browes eleuated a bigge head a faire face and of a good complexion a large forehead flaxen haire The Emperour Fredericke sought a peace of him the which taking no effect there was a truce concluded Soone after Mathias g Hee that hath written the History of the kings of Hungary ends the discourse of Mathias life in these tearmes In somma non si può diro altro di vantagio se non ch'e vanita il persuadersi che altre personnagio si trouasse alhora in tutte lc parti pareggiante l'inuitto glorioso Matthia Coruino se l'ambitione d'vna principessa Aragonesse non lo hauesse tyrannegiato To conclude there can bee no more said but that it is a vanity to think that there can bee any one sound comparable to the inuincible and glorious Mathias Coruinus if the ambition of a Princesse of Arragon had not tyrannized ouer him died at Vienna in Austria of an Apoplexie in the yeare 1490. being 47. yeares old He had taken to his second wife Beatrix daughter to Ferdinand King of Naples by whom he had not any children suffering himselfe to be transported with her ambitious humors enemies to all rest The commendation which is giuen him of a great Prince and a great Captaine doth not blemish that to haue made the Sciences and learning to flourish againe and to haue fauoured them that made profession thereof and among others Iohn of Monroyall the Ornament of the Mathematickes He replenished his library with the rarest bookes hee could finde out of the which are come some fragments of Polybius and Diodorus Siculus h A Prince which affects glory esteemes them that are the Trumpets The most valiant haue done things worthy to be written and haue written things worthy to be read Corn. Sulla Caesar Augustus Claudius Traian Adrian If after the death of Mahomet they had put Zizimi into his hands as he desired and besought the Pope he had ouer-throwne the tyranny of the Ottomans for Bajazeth vpon these apprehensions sought to be at peace with him but the Pope would haue him make warre against the Hussites of Bohemia Let vs returne and see what Lewis doth in his sad melancholike thoughts of that day which must bee the Iudge of all the rest he hath giuen an end to all his designes and the law of Nature will haue him end he● doth not liue but by intreaty and the dayes which remaine serue onely but to the end he should husband them that they might profite those which hee hath past and lost His Seruants comfort him and his Physitians haue no meanes to cure him they entertaine him with vaine hopes and diuert his thoughts from any thing that might augment his waywardnesse And for that they told him that a Northerly winde which did then reigne made mens bodies sickly and did hurt the fruits he commanded the Parisians to goe in Procession to S. Denis to cause it to cease i The Chronicle saithn that to appea this Northerly winde all the Estates of Paris went diuers dayes in procession to S. Denis in the moneth of February that the same prayers were made in May following for the kings health But he was more troubled with distrust Distrust of Lewis 11. It is a torment vnto him in comparison whereof
preuailed in Normandy and Guyenne Peace treated at Pouilly and then a peace was treated betweene the Dauphin and the Duke of Burgundy vnder the assurance whereof the Duke came vnto the Dauphin being at Montereau Faut Yonne m The Dauphin sent Charles of Poitiers Bishoppe of Valence to the Duke of Burgundy to draw him to Monste●cau in Gasteacis for that he had refused to come by Tanneguy du Chastel saying that it were better for the Dauphin to com to Troye The 10. of Nouember 1419. he came was slaine vpon the bridge which was fortified with 3. barres The Duke hauing past the first entred into some apprehension of his fortune and meeting Tanreguy du Chastel he laid his hand vpon his shoulder saying Behold h●m in whom I trust and presenting himselfe vpon his knee Robert de Loire taking him by the arme sayd vnto him rise you are but too honourable who rising laid his hand vpon his sword to drawe it forward for that it hung too much back then said de Loire vnto him Doe you lay your hand vpon your sword before my Lord the Dauphin whereupon Tanneguy du Chastell stroke him so forceably vpon the face with a battell-axe as he made him to fall vpon his knee and cut off his chin another thrust his sword into his belly The body being stript was drawne into a mill and buryed the next day This death reuenged the house of Orleans but it gaue so great a share of the Realme to strangers as there remained very little for Charles who presently after the death of the Duke of Burgundy was declared by the king his father at the perswasion of his mother vnworthy to succeede vnto the crowne of France Hee might iustly haue appealed from these declarations to the Kings good sence but seeing him decay daily and that hee was still vnder the gouernment of this Medea he chose rather to appeale to God n Priuate persons haue many Iudges kings haue none but God saies M. Anthony Dion Nice●s the Iudge of Kings and to his sword lamenting with teares drawne from the bottome of his heart his owne miserie and that of France This disorder Death of K. Henry the fifth Charles the sixth contrary to the reason of nature the lawes of the realme was followed with strange changes Henry the fifth dies and 50. daies after Charles the sixth king of France Henry the sixth king of England is crowned at Paris Charles the seauenth at Poictiers there were two kings in one Realm two parties two armies but the English holde Paris and the first o In all factions the authority of the Senate is of great force Otho to shew the difference of his partie that of Vitellius said Nationes aliquas occupauit Vitellius imaginem quandam exercitus habet Senatus nobis cum est Sic fit vt h●c Resp. inde hostes Reip. constiterint Tacitus Hist. lib. 1. Senate who thought that all authoritie and soueraigne command was in effect on their side that the king had but the image some calling him for pitty sake Dauphin of Viennois and others in mocking King of Bourges or Earle of Ponthieu there remaining nothing to make him knowne to be the fourth sonne of Charles p Charles the 6. had 5. sonnes Charles who died of a ●●●sumption at 9. yeeres Lewis D. of Guyenne who died at 19. Iohn Duke of Touraine married to Iacquet of Bauaria in the yea●e 1404. Charles the seuenth borne in the yeer 1402. the fi●th was he of whom the Queene was brought to bed when the Duke of Orleans was slaine the sixth but a peece of the crowne He goes to field weake of all things of armes friends men and mony but strong in right and courage to maintaine the quality of his birth which the enuy of fortune and the conspiracie of his enemies could not take from him for his mother had brought him into the world vnder purple q The Emperors of Constantinople ordained that their wiues should bee brought in bed vnder purple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nicetas lib. 5. and the flower deluce There is nothing so powerfull as a good cause maintained with a good sword nothing doth so much comfort the soule in aduersity nor moderate it in prosperitie as the iudgement of conscience when as she feares not to haue her intentions knowne to God and men But seeing himselfe forced to vanquish before he raigne that victories depend of the force of Armes and that the triumphant Chariot of Mars is not moued but by the force of gold and iron r Fower things do perpetually follow warre men iron siluer and bread but of these 4. the two first are the most necessary for that m●n and iron cannot furnish siluer bread but bread and siluer may find men and Iron● that the springs of his treasure are drawne dry and the royall reuenues held by his enemies he procures his subiects to assist him with taxes Taxes ordained The French who haue alwaies excelled other nations in fidelitie and deuotion towards their Kings not knowing what it is to haue good when they want did contribute freely cheerefully to the necessities of Charles who like a good Shepheard was content to fleece his 〈◊〉 and not to flea them France which had beene besieged 70. yeares Miseries of France last 70. yeares with the miserie and calamitie of warre might well haue beene without this cruell diuision which was no other thing then a conspiracie of the Children s Ciuill warre is a mortall seuer in an estate This ardent desire in the Graecians to make warre in Greece is called by Plutarch a conspiracy against themselues by the which they staid with their own armes the fortune which led them to the height of felicity and turned their weapons against their owne bowels to turne the points of their swords against their owne bowels to inuite their Ancient enemies to the funerals of her liberty and to bring back those cruell and bloudy dayes for the which England hath giuen to the two Edwards the proud titles of Lightening Edward the third and the Prince of Wales and Eagle There was nothing in generall but miseries confusions amasements and desolation The pesant being stript both of flesh and fat had nothing left but bones and they were bruised The Historie admires that euen the cattell hearing the bell a signe of the enemies approch fledde of themselues to recouer their retreates She had so lost her first excellence as she seemed a building of whose beauty no man could iudge but by the peeces that remained of her ruines Vertue and Fortune t For the greatnes and continuance of an Empire fortune or to speak better prouidence and destiny must agree with vertue Roma vt ageretur sublimibus incrementis faedere pacis aeternae virtus conuenit atque for●una quarum si altera defuisset ad perfectam non venerat summitatem Ammianus which in the beginning
they held in France reseruing onely the soueraigntie were declared enemies to all parts Paris beeing freed from their command desired to see them out of Pontoise and therefore they supplied the king with money to expell them Behold an armie of twelue thousand men before Pontoise good souldiars and inured to dangers who could both incounter and passe them without feare and knew better how to dye then to kill the best and onely part of valour The approches to Pontoise were not so well garded but Talbot enters and relieues Talbot releeues Pontoise it both with men and victuals The Duke of Yorke Lieutenant Generall to the King of England presents himselfe at Cenery and Hotonuille with 8000. men He sent a Herald vnto the King to signifie vnto him that either he should accept of a Battell or raise his siege In this first furie of the French there was not any one but said that it were better to eate rootes p Perseuerance forceth places Caesars souldiours beeing before Duras they had no bread but a root called 〈◊〉 they wi●hin the town● laught at the 〈◊〉 of the be 〈◊〉 being so ill furnished But they told them that as long as they found such rootes about Duras whereof t●ere were 〈◊〉 they would not dislodge and die then to raise the siege But the King would not hazard any thing The riuer was betwixt both Armies the King caused the bridge at Beaumont to bee garded the onely conuenient passage for the enemies Armie The Duke of Yorke had small boates to passe ouer his souldiors beneath the bridge towards the Abbey yet with such difficultie as ten men had beene able to hinder a hundred But the order was so great and the night so fauourable as the Armie was in a manner all past before the Sentinels had giuen the alarum A happie passage and which strooke such an amazement into the Kings Armie as the Captaines were more busied to wonder how the English had past then to keepe the rest from passing q A 〈◊〉 and admiration are weake Armes to stay as enemie Tit. Lin. obserues how the Romans passe a riuer whilest that the Spa●iards wonder and consult what they should doe Qui tumultum iniicere 〈◊〉 in ipso 〈…〉 Tit. Li● who might haue caused a disorder in the very passage of the riuer from constreining him The King raiseth the siege seeing there was a riuer betwixt both He wanted not-courage but iudgement to embrace the occasion and opportunity r Agisilaus being demanded what parls made the commander of an Army excellent and brauc hee answered courage against his enemies and counsell with iudgement in occasions that a●e offered He dislodged from Maubuisson leauing Charles of An●on and the Admirall of Cottiuy with 2000. men in the fort of St. Martin and so retires to Poisy The Duke of York followes him thinking to ingage him to fight but the King wil not change his resolution which was not to giue a battell but to take Pontoise s When as the Duke of York sent to offer battaile vnto the King hee made no other answer but that seeing hee had such a desire to fight he should haue 〈◊〉 belly full and sooner then he looked for The Duke of Yorke passeth at Mante to victuall and refresh the besieged The King remained scorned by the English and contemned by the Parisians who repent themselues for the mony they had giuen him vnprofitably for the charges of this enterprise The greatest of his Court murmured for that he had retired so vnseasonably He sees his reputation so blemished as he resolues to take the place or to dye there he returnes thither within ten dayes after causeth the Towne to be battered in three places and a breach being made goes himselfe to the assault hazarding all for all He was forced to play the soldier to be a King vnles he would of a King become a soldier and try how insupportable repentance is not to haue done in an opportunity that which can no more bee done when it is past and how shee scornes at those ouerweaning wits which think in all places to ioyne authority to wisdome imparting nothing to necessity The Kinges t Necessity bindes a Prince to cast ●imselfe int● dangers In the wa●re which the Emperor Albert of Austria had against the 〈◊〉 they demanded of him to whom he would giue the charge of his army he answered If any other then my selfe were your Captaine you would no more call me Archduke of Austria AEneas Silu. ●ib 3. de 〈…〉 affaires were not in such termes as he should be ashamed to be whereas the Cannon might glance by his crowne u Charles bragd of the wou●ds that he had●receiued in the war and shewed them Timoth●us an Athenian Captaine said I was ashamed before S●mon that an arrow came from the walls and fell neer vnto me for that I had aduanced farther then was fit for a commander of an Army Plut nor to trouble his thoughtes to consider how hee should escape out of danger nor how much it did import that hee should escape The besieged cannot withstand the fury of the assault Pontosse tak●n by assault they enter they kill the enemies and saue the Cittizen they heare not those cruell wordes let the friend perish with the enemy Those whom the fury of armes could distinguish and know for French were saued and the English slaine But it is hard in these encounters 〈◊〉 with fury and foming with reuenge to obserue any Image of iustice in sparing his friend or his host x 〈◊〉 that great Capta●ne who neuer slew any one vanquished held him a wicked men how good a Citizen soeuer that did not spare his friend or his hoste They speak of God when they go to a charge or an assault they recommend them selues vnto him they pray vnto him they make vowes At their returne they speake no more of him then if he had not beene present But the first thing and the first action which the King did at his entry was to giue God thanks acknowledging him the sole author of this victory y The glory of 〈◊〉 belongs to the God of Batte●●s The King of france haue alwaies bene carefull of this duty Phillip Angust●● after the Battell of Bouines caused the Church of our ●ady of victory to be built 〈◊〉 vnto Senl●s K. Lewis the twelfth built a Chappel wheras he won the Battel of Ghiaradadda vnder the name of St. Marie of victory King Francis the 1. did the like vpon the place of battel wheras he defeated the Suisses at s. Dona● without whom he had beene as much troubled with his owne Subiects as with the enemy For the Duke of Bourgundy was not so well reconciled as he desired not to raise the greatnes of his house vpon the ruines of the Kings affaires and the greatest of the Realme had already made secret assemblies to reforme the disorders whereof euery one had complayned
Alencon was condemned for that he would have brought the English into France The cleere sighted said that his misfortune grew rather from Iealausie or from the loue which he ●are vnto the Dauphin who gouerned him by his counsels The Dauphin being wel aduertised of al that passed at Court grieued at the misfortunes of his godfather whom he loued The desire to see a change did much disquiet him Claude of Seyssel Bishop of Marceilles vnder the raigne of Lewis the twelfth saith that the Dauphin and they that followed him desired nothing more then his Fathers death some enquired by Astrologie some by Negromancie He had many politique inuentions to augment his Fathers cares and caused his suspition to turne into feares d Great courage should not easily receiue suspitions and Seneca saith that it is the act of a timerous soule to turne suspition into feare He knew that the Earle of Dammartin was as it were the Kings King and he found meanes to bring him into iealousie with the King whose braine beeing weake and very moist did easily receiue such impressions e In matters of state Princes enter easily into icalousies of their most trusty seruants and suspition is a bone which age of it selfe doth willingly gnaw vpon He wrote a letter vnto a Lady whom the King loued and sent it vnto her by a Franciscane Fryer which hee wittingly deliuered to the Earle of Mayne enemie to Dammartin who shewed it to the King f The chiefe points of this letter reported by the Chronicle Marti●ienna are I haue receiued letters from the Earle of Dammartin whom I make shew to hate I pray you tell him that hee serue mee still wel as he hath alwaies done I will thinke of those matters whereof hee did write vnto me and hee shall very shortly receiue newes from me It was full of termes of so great trust in the Earle of Dammartin as the King not considering from whom it came nor by whom it was presented commanded the Earle of Dammartin to retire himselfe then being informed by the Dauphins secretaries that this Prince had no greater enemie that he had not written vnto him he did easily beleeue that it was an act of his bad Sonne who had so much troubled him as it was the ordinary argument of his complaints Some few daies before his death hee recalled him apprehension bred no lesse amazement in him then his life gaue him affliction The aduise which a Captaine gaue him that hee could not liue long K. Charles resolues to dye of hunger and that there was a conspiracie plotted against his life did so distemper and torment him as he could not liue without feare and trembling g There is no tormēt so much to bee feared as feare what auailes it to feare that which is ineuitable to feare death is to call it for the feare of death is a perpetuall death And imagining that they ment to poyson him he depriued himselfe of eating and brought himselfe to so great a weakenes as when they would haue caused him to take any thing to restore him the passages were so shrunke as that which hee would haue done willingly happened vnto him by force and against his will and it may be said that he died of hunger h The Earle of Dammartin who was retired to his house at S t. Forgeau came to see the King the day before his death perswading him to take something who told him that he would take a Cullis from his hand if he saw it made the which hee presented vnto him but he could not swallow any thing the conduits were so stopt the 21. of Iuly 1461. Dying he recommended to the Earle of Dammartin his yonger Sonne whom he called the little Lord to whom hee desired to leaue the Crowne knowing the spirit of Lewis to be terrible an implacable enemie to his best seruants God would not suffer him to trouble the Order of Nature to reuenge his priuate affections nor to runne the fortune of Alphonso i Alphonso beleeuing by the rules of his Astrologie that the youger of his sonnes would be the more capable to raigne named him his successor whercat the elder was soineensed as be caused the Father to dye in prison and slew his Brother King of Castill who hauing preferred the yonger before the elder forced him to bee a parricide and a fratricide Charles the seuenth was the restorer of France France hath giuen him the title of Victorious of a Towne of Bourges he made a whole Realme he expeld the English who of the whole peece which they held kept nothing but Callice He had the honor to haue pacified that great and deadly schisme against the which were held the Counsels of Constance and Basill A time of such strange and terrible confusion as no man could say that Rome was where the Pope remained as they were wont to say that whereas the Emperor was there was Rome k During the Schisme of three Antipopes they might say Imperiumque suis a sedibus errat Claud. But they could not say that the authoritie of the church was whereas the Pope remained for there was a Scisme as they were wont to say that where the Emperor was there was Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod lib. 1. for there was a Pope in Spaine one in France and two in Italy He ordeined by the aduise of the Prelates of France and caused to bee confirmed and past at the councell of Basill the pragmaticke sanction l The orders which the councell of Basill made for the gouernment discipline of the Church were not generally receiued Germany and Italy would none of them King Charles caused as assembly to be made at Burges by the aduise whereof they were obserued and published in Parliament the seuenth of Iuly 1438 vnder the name of the Pragmatick Sanction With the like zeale as he laboured for the peace of the Church he desired to reuenge the iniurie which it had receiued in Asia and Europe by the armes of Amurath Mahomet Pope Nicholas and Pius the second exhorted this Prince as Elezeus did Ioas to shoote his arrowes against the East but he was so troubled for his iust defence against his neighbours as he had no meanes to think theron m Among the obseruations which they giue for the leuies of Souldiers they haue respect to the ayre and the place hot countries produce men of more vnderstanding then courage and could doe the contrary A good rule for them that haue diuers prouinces to choose but to make it generall they must take them where they finde them They also giue vnto this Prince the honor to haue set an order for his troupes for seeing that the number of his souldiers were so diminished as his could not equall those of his enemies hee made leuies throughout all his villages taking one labouring man out of threescore who were bound to arme and pay him and
the reproch of flying desertiō horses the honor to remaine in the fight when as they stale away The Earle had none but horsemen he wanted footmen slings f For the inhabitants of the Islands Balea●res called now Maiorca and Minorca had been held most cunning with slings Hee sola genti●rm● sunt et vnum ab Infantia studium cibum puer am tre non accipit nisi quem ipsa monstrante percussit Flo. lib. 3. cap. 8. or bowmen to dislodge the French from the hedge and ditch The King retires to C●rbeil A hundred men had beene able to force them He had whole troupes remaining neither were the Kinges all broken If hee had Eagles remaining so had hee not to doe with pies g We must alwaies consider in comparing of forces with whom we haue to deale and not regard the number Nonius after the Battell of Pharsalia said vnto Pompey We haue yet seuen Eagles that were good said Pompey If wee were to fight with Parrats or Popingaies but the night made them take another resolution The King was conducted by the Scottish men to Montlehery there to refresh himselfe for hee had past the day without meat or drinke as hee had done some nights before without rest Hee went to Corbeil to his bed the Earle thought that hee would remaine vppon the field and this beleefe was confirmed by the light of fiers which hee saw there long after for the fire falling into a barrell of poulder had burnt some Cartes along the hedge The disorder was great of either side as it happens alwaies in these incounters Inequality of Recompences after the Battell sooner seene then foreseene What victories were gotten and what battells wonne in those dayes without disorder h None but the Romans could brag that they neuer committed error is warre Absit in●●dia verbo et Ciuilia Bell a sileant nunquam ab equite hoste numquā a pedite nunquā aperta Acie nunquam equis vrique locis labora●imus Tit. Li● lib. 9. The king Lost of his horsemen and the Earle footmen and the number of the dead were 3000. Goodmen were honored cowards blamed and runawaies punished But as Princes are men as well in the distribution of Cowards as in the distinction of punishments i In the recompence of merits as well as in punishing of faults Princes doe not alwaies obserue such Iustice and equalitie but they make it knowne that they are men and no Angels some lost their offices for flying who saw others rewarded which fled twenty miles farther There was a man of quality noted in the kings Army who fled to Lusignan and neuer rested and a Bourgundian as farre as Quesnon The field was couered with 3600. men slaine Repast of the Earle of Charolois among the dead bodies They were faine to remoue foure or fiue bodies to set the Earle downe vpon two bottells of straw and to giue him meat It was a Princely table and a millitary feast which he should desire that will iustly and gloriously carry the title of Generall of an Army k Sobriety is one of the parts necessa●y to the pe●fection of a great Captaine The frugality of Iulian the Emperour is much commended in the History Mamertinus in his Panegyric saith that be tooke delight to eat of the prouisions of the Army to bee s●ruca by the fi●st that came and to drinke of any cup Gaudebat Castrensi cibo ministro obuio et poculo fortuito Amian Marcelinus saith that hee did sometimes eat such things as would haue dist fled a Pioner Et ●mperatori non e● pediae ciborsi ex ●egio more sed sub columellis tabernacu●is cenaturo pultis pottio p●rabat ex●go● etiam munifici fastidienda Gregatio Hee that is called victorious hath nothing about him but bodies dead or dying among which there are some that call for drink What good cheere could he make in a place all couered with horror in an vnseasonable time and in so generall an amazement To them that said hee had the field and that he held it all night He had reason answered the King to lye vppon the field seeing he had neither Towne nor Castell for retreat A word spoken wittily and to purpose did shew wisedome necessary in the Generall of an Army to disguise the aduantages which the ennemy may haue ouer him to make them lesse and to turne them to another sence then they are commonly taken l It is an Argum●nt of a settled iudgement to haue w●rds able to disguise accidents which happe in such sort as the amazement which may grow may bee turned into resolution The earth trembles an armie is amazed See you not said Sempronius Gracchus how our enemies are amazed the earth sha●●es vnder their feet At the battell of Cerignoles fire fell among the munition The great Captaine taking it for a good presage said Noi habbiam● vinto Id●io e● annuncia manifestamente la victoria dandoci segno che non ci bisogna piu doperare la●tilleria Guic. lib. 5. Many thinges obserued in this Incounter shew that executions are not answerable to Councells Obseruations of this Battell and that there is a great difference to fight by discourse and to command in field The order of the battell was changed m The Conduct of warre how discreet and indicio● soeuer it bee cannot command accidents But they must haue a care neuer to change the order of the Armie Philippe of Valois lost the battell of Cr●cy for that he changed the order the Earle of Alencon tooke it ill that the footemen of Genoua were put in the formost rankes It was said they should take breath on the way and the Earle made them to march speedly through the Corne which was high and strong so as his men were so wearied as they had more need to lye downe then to stand And although the Princes had disputed the victory vnto the last point of valour yet knew they not to whom the trophee did belong and they might say that the Earle of Charolois had lost the Battell but the King had not wonne it Night increased the Bourgondians amazement seeing themselues to haue no defences nor trenches Counsells in perplexity but dead carcasses They were in a great perplexity what they should doe euery man found difficulties and o Feare is a Christall glasse which represents all things to be greater more doubtful and difficult and holesome counsels are not well executed by men that are troubled and fearefull Adde this reason of Guicc●ard Nelle co●e auer●e diuenta ogni di maiore ill timore et le di●ficulta di chi estato vn●o In aduerse fortune the feare grows alwaies greater the difficulties of him that is vanquished feare made them greater then they were They held a Councell along the hedge vppon a peece of timber The Lords of Crequy and Hautbourdin spake of Duke Phillips the Earles father first carying armes at
S t. Requier who recouered the next day that which he had lost the day of Battell It was to prepare this Prince to the glorious emulation of his fathers valour and to bind him not to dislodge The Earle of St. Pol said that they must take the way to Bourgondy and leaue some part of their carriages to retire more speedily His reason was grounded vppon the apparant danger they were in to remaine without victuals betwixt Paris and the Kings forces Many were of the same opinion and yet they that were sent to take view of the Kings army were not yet returned and that their opinions should begin whereas their reports ended It was dangerous to giue aduice in a matter where the issue might bring reproch to the sincerity of the Councell for the wisest aduice doth not alwaies succeed happily p A fatall accident makes a good Counsell to bee blamed and they that iudge by the euents will mock at wisedome which hath bee●e vnf●rtunate and will commend rashnes which hath succeeded wel Cauta potius concilia cum ratione quam prospera ex casu placeant Tac. Lib. 2. Wary Councels with Reason do more p●ease then prospe●ous by chance and many times rash Councells fall out well But it were better to stumble with reason then to go firmely with hazard their opinions were all doubtfull and their minds much perplexed Counsell● of the Lord of Contay The Lord of Contay said that this retreat could not be made without disorder that as soone as it should be bruted through the Army euery one would grow amazed and flye that the most diligent should not goe twenty leagues before he were staid or slaine That the safest course was to passe the night with a good guard and at the breake of day march directly to the place where the King should be that they must vanquish or dye and that to leaue the field were to quit and loose all q The victory belongs to him that keepes the field although hee had b●ene beaten broken Paulus Aemilius speaking to ●is soldiers sai●h Castris erutus etiams● pugnando aci●m vicisset pro victo habebatur Tit. Liu. lib. 9. This Councell seeming more generous and hardy was commended and followed by the Earle of Charolois who commanded euery man to rest two houres and to be ready at the sound of the trumpet Oliuer de la March saith that when Contay had giuen his opinion day began to breake Such as had beene sent to discouer bring word that the King was not farre off and that they had seene the fiers in his army they send others and euery man seemes resolute to fight but the greatest part had more desire to fly and who so had left to their choise to fight or to fly or had suffered thē that fainted r Chabrias not willing to relye vppon his soldiers whom he new to bee n●w caused a proclama●ion to b●e made through the Army that whosoeuer was ill at ease should lay aside his armes all the cowards were sick he vsed them to make a number but the faction ended hee cassiered them Poliaenus lib. 4. to lay aside their armes the Battalions had growne very thin In the morning they were aduertised that there was not any one in the village of Montlhery Montleherry abandoned and that all were gone s Agis seeing that they of Argos whom he had vanquished did rallie themselues to come againe to the fight and that his soldiers were amazed Courage my friendes said hee seeing the Victors are amazed thinke how the vanquished tremble Pluarch They that an hower before said that they must not presse the enemy and seemed much amazed were the first that cried go let vs runne after them They grew assured and hardy for company boldnes returned vnto them after the danger The day discouered the feares and heauines which night had concealed The Earle of Charolois incouraged euery man He thought that seeing there was amazement in his army which he held to be victorious there was dispaire in the Kings which he held to be scattered and lost But such as had lost would not hazard any more they murmured against the heat of this Prince who was obstinate to fight and could not retire vppon his losse but made himselfe miserable vppon hope of good hap in the recouery of that which he had lost Ambition t Ambi●ion is neuer so high● but she thinkes still to mount That which seemes to be the top is but a step to her Cui assecut● satis fuit quod optanti ●●i●ium videbatur Sen. sees nothing too high neither doth it find any thing too difficult that which seemes great in desiring seemes little when it is in her power That which confirmed the courages of the most resolute Duke of Brittaine expected was the assurance of succors from Brittaine but many thought that this ill fortune would stay it The Earle of Charolois entertained them with the assurances he had of the armies marching u When an army or Towne is in expectation of succours they must alwaies assure that it comes and although they shold haue news to the contrary yet the commander in his wisdome must giue it out otherwise Syphax sent word to Scipio that hee could not succor him and that he was for Carthage Scipio entertayned his Ambassadors courteously gaue them presents to make his mē beleeue that Siphax came that his Ambassadors did returne to hasten him and when hee had not any nor other newes yet matters were reduced to those termes as he must tell them it was neere He caused a Frier to make shew to come out of Brittaine who said that hee had left the army so neere as they should see it the same day But the feare and amazement was so great as they could not beleeue it This pollicy x A lie how little soeuer it bee beleeued doth profit much And newes brought by a person least suspected of lying are soonest receiued at the least they do for a while suspend their iudgements if it did not augment the courage yet did it the patience of them that were most danted and the lye did profit for the small time it was beleeued the great desire they had to see the troupes of Brittaine made it be receiued without confideration as money which is receiued by esteeme and common approbation although it bee not of waight The King went from Corbeil to Paris as soone as hee saw what course the Earle of Charolois tooke He arriued there on thursday at night The King comes to Paris and is feasted and supt in the house of Charles of Melun his Lieftenant generall in the Isle of France this was his triumphing feast y They vsed to prepare a triumphant feast for the victors whereas the first place did belong vnto him for whom it was made and the Counsulls were intreated not to be present for that in their presence this honour
could not be giuen to any other Plut. where they dranke to his health as to Iupiter the Deliuerer The Assembly of Noblemen and Ladies was great he related his great dangers his diligence and toyle He drew teares of ioy and pitty from the hearers euery man said all is well z The King reported his aduentures and in so doing spake and declared many goodly words and pittifull where at all wept aboundantly Chro Martin seeing the King is wel a The health of a good Prince is the health of his Estate the people said of Alexander Seuerus Salu● Roma quia saluns est Alexander Lamprid. Hee assured all his seruants that he would neuer cease vntill he had chased all his enemies out of his realme Yet his designe was to doe what he could to end it other-wise then by Armes He sent the Bishop of Paris to the Earle of Charolois Bishop of Paris sent to the Earle of Charolois to let him vnderstand that he desired to know to what end he was entred into his Realme with so great a troupe for that hee could remember that when as he went into Flanders in the time of King Charles the seauenth his Father hee was not followed with so great a traine He commanded him to let him know the iniustice of his desseine That he vndertooke a warre vnder collour of the publik-weale to vndermine the whole estate and to set fire of the house to driue them out that clensed it That there was no such Phrensey as to make ones selfe sick to vse remedies b Peace is sweet after warre but much more proffitable before It is better neuer to haue beene an enemy then to bee reconcyled being naturall for a sick man to desire health But for him that was found to make himself sicke vpon hope of cure was folly and madnesse The Bishop of Paris went and hauing represented vnto the Earle of Charolois the Kings intentions and complaints Say vnto the King answered the Earle fretting the bitternesse of his ambition with humanity and myldnesse c Princes desirous to raigne haue made seruitude sweete with courtesie and mildnesse By this poysoned myl●nesse Caesar ouer threw the common-wealth of Rome that I am not come to doe any ill but to procure the good of his Realme hauing liued in such sort with mine army as noe man hath occasion to complaine that being as I am able to serue and succor my friends and to anoy myne enemies I am not bound to yeeld any other reason of my desseignes But not to conceale them from him I am heere for two reasons the one not to fayle of my word to the Princes which haue taken armes for the publike good the other to haue two men which the King hath fauored and supported against me d Priuat inter●st are alwaies mingled with the sublike causes of warre The E. of Charolois was an implacable enemy to the Earle of Neuers and the Lord of Croy be added this hatred to the causes of war If I be come well accompanied it is to defend my selfe in France from that harme which the king would haue done me in Flanders That when he came hee was receiued honorably richly and quietly and then was not that done vnto him which hee had a will to doe vnto mee That in a word France had more need of a warlike and armed liberty then of a quiet and miserable seruitude After the Battell the Earle of Charolois caused the whole army to bee lodged at Estampes and there abouts Armes of the League loged at Estampes The commodity of this lodging saued that which one more discomodious had lost e ●f time and occasion giue leaue to chose a lodging to stay there they must consider two things which the ancient Romans haue alwaies obserued in their lodgings The helthfulnesse of the place for one and water with commodity of victualls for the other They knew what places were not helthfull obseruing their scituation the cōplexion of the inhabitants In this place as the Earle of Charolois spake vnto Mounsieur at a window with great attention and affection a Britton cast a squib which strooke against the barre where they leaned and being amazed at this accident they thought it done of purpose to hurt them The lodging was presently enuironed with souldiers to gard them There was a dilligent search made for him that had done it who beeing only couered with his inocency descouered him-selfe and said that it was but a squib which he had cast to shew them pastime wherevpon this great amazement was turned to a iest All their forces being vnited they tooke councell how they shold imploy them Their opinions were alwaies applyed to their passions and desseines Charles the Kings brother weary of the warre An ordinary mischiefe in enterprises where there are many commanders f The plural●ty of heads is alwaies rumous and vnproffitable euery one seekes to prefe●re his owne reasons and counsells They doe and vndoe indespight on of another T●ndendo ad sua quisque consilia cum aliud alii videtur ad inuasionē lo●um hosti apperiunt Tit. L●u lib. 4. That of the duke of Brittain was not answerable to that of the Earle of Charolois Monsieur seemed already weary of the warre he lamented those that were slaine hurt or maymed in the army which shewed that matters were represented to his imagination of another collour in the vndertaking then in the executing g Matters whē they are conceiued and proiected haue an other f●ce then when they are executed He wisht that they were to begin greeuing that they made him the cause of so many miseries h A generous spirit is not sensible of the ruines and desolations which grow by warre and ciuill broyles The Duke of Berry was heauy seeing so great a number slaine and hurt in the Battell of M●ntlehery The first slaughters of warre sticke terror into them that haue not seene them as of humain miseries the most lamentable is that which proceeds from his fault that complaines He had kindled the fire yet could not endure the flame he had begun the tragedy nay rather a cruell game whereas men made but a sport to force spoyle burne and kill He is not esteemed a soldiar that cannot doe al this in ciuill wars the most wicked of all others whereas by a fatall disorder they saw the fathers bury their children i When Craesus was prisoner to Cyrus by this reason that in the time of peace the children buried the frather and ●n warre the fathers bury their children be preferred peace before warre And of all warres ciuill is the most vniust i●humaine furious Summū Brute naefas ciuilia bella fatemur Luc. These words were well obserued by the Earle of Charolois King of England sends the garter to the Earle of Charolois who from that time perswaded him-selfe that there would be noe great difficulty to reconcyle the
had troubled They propounded a peace with goodly conditions The Princes make show that they desired not warre but for the publike quiet and to liue without wrong They made many truces to treat that they which lasting but little was not much distinguished from warre d A short truce fauours more of war then peace Ign●uum tempus nec p●ce laetū nec bellis exercitum Cognatae induciis Insidie sunt as the middest doth alwaies leane more to one of the extremes then to the other The treatie was begun by diuers but the King ended it who one morning came by the riuer to Conflans Before he went out of the boat hee said vnto the Earle who attended him on the banke Enteruie● of the King Earle of Charolois Brother doe you assure me that to whom the Earle of Charrolois answered I as a brother e The word of an enemie is a dangerous assurance K Lewis the eleuenth had no other to goe into the Princes Army which were iust against him If there cōfidence hath vndone some it hath bin successefull to others and Scipio Africanus went vpon this assurance to Siphax who although he were abaroarian a cruell enemie to the Romane name yet the mildnes and generositie of Scipio made him a friend Ladislaus King of Bohemia went freely to Mathias King of Hungary his capitall enemy to end controuersies which could not be determined at Olmutz they became great friends Dubrau lib. 2● He receiued the King with much respect and the King spake vnto him with great mildnes which made his heart apt for any impression so great is the force of words and so well hee could handle his tongue the which he vsed as a pensill for all coulours He that will haue effects according to his owne heart must not spare words to his liking that may giue them Mens spirits are gouerned by words as a ship is gouerned by the helme and a horse by the bit and wee cannot say what power the sweetnes of words haue ouer the minde of man f Words are the Instrument by the which the minde of man is animated thrust forward and held backe A Prince that knowes how to vse them hath a great aduantage in all that he treates and when it is acompanied with such sweetnes as grauity is not wronged it workes what it lists in the hearts of men The King framing his speech to this tune said vnto the Earle Brother I know that you are a Gentleman and of the house of France why my Lord answered the Earle For that said the King When the foole Moruillier spake so boldly vnto you you sent me word that I would repent the words hee had spoken before the yeare were past you haue not failed and before the time The King spake these words with a countenance so free and full of affection although his heart were full of indignation and spleene as the Earle tooke delight in it He disauowed Moruillier and tooke the seales from him Princes play with their subiects and disauow them when as their negotiations are not answerable to their hopes He did walke long by the riuers side betwixt the Earle of Charolois and the Earle of S t. Paul and heard their Intentions g The King who thought nothing wel done if he were not an Actor went to the Earle of Charolois preferring the necessity of his affaires before the consideration of his quali●● for he held that the honor and glory of an action depended on profit Yet they had deputed som● of either side to treat For the King were imployed Charles of Aniou Earle of Maine The Signeur of Pressigny President of the Acounts 10. Dauuet President of the Parlament of Toul●s● For the Princes the D. of Calabria the Earle of Dunois and the E. of S t. Paul The Earle of Charolois demanded the Dutchie of Normandie for the Duke of Berry and the riuer of Somme for himselfe little for the publike and much for priuate men The King told him plainely that he would neuer consent to dismember the Duchie of Normandie but he was content to restore him the Townes of Somme and finding that the Earle of S t. Paul was the Oracle of the Counsels and will of this Prince he offered him the office of Constable By these offers the strict bond of this league began to be dissolued for there is nothing so fast bound but it is vndone when as one string begins to slip The King did and spake all things so cunningly mingly offers with threats and curtesies with braueries as the Earle applied himselfe to his intentions The day after this first conference h This conference of the King and the Earle was the end of the war It was not thought fit the King should seeke vnto the Barle but to do his busines hee past all formalities would not comit that to hope which he might doe by discretiō What doth it import to ascend to any place to vse staires of wood or ston or whether the key bee of gold or iron so as it open the Earle of Charolois mustred his Armie Muster of the leagues Armie in view of the King whether the King came with thirty or forty horse commending those goodly forces The Earle of Charolois speaking vnto them vsed these words My masters you and I are for the King our Soueraigne Lord to serue him when soeuer hee shall haue need of vs. The Kings offers bred a iealousie betwixt the Princes of the league euery man cared for his owne affaires The Earle of Charolois saw one day vpon his conferences and propositions three Councels and three bands whereat hee was discontented saying that there should not be any thing secret in his presence During these conferences and enteruiewe Isabell of Bourbon Countes●e of Charolois died the Earle mourned and the King did comfort him This death gaue some more facilitie to the peace for the marriage of the Earle with the Lady Anne of France the Kings eldest Daughter was propounded with the transport of the Counties of Bry and Champagne i In marriages of the daughters of France Kings haue somtimes giuen money sometimes lands of the Crowne vpon condition they should returne Charles the fift gaue to his two eldest daughters a 100000. franks of gold and to the rest 60000. Charls the sixt gaue eight hundred thousand to Isabell married to Richard the second King of England King Iohn gaue the Contie of Somiers in Languedoc to Isabel his daughter married to the Duke of Milan Lewis the yong gaue to Margaret his daughter married to Henry the third King of England the Contie of Vexin for her dowrie and preferment which the Kings Predecessors had neuer done in marrying their daughters The Earle of Charrolois affected nothing more but vpon the doubt which was made vnto him of the alienation of these two Prouinces he sent William Hugonet and Iohn Carandolet to Paris to know if these two peeces
might be seperated from the Crowne The King gaue them all the assurances they could desire but he shewed that his intent was not to lodge his daughter in a house which he could not loue The conditions of the accord being treated after this manner with the Earle Charolois as hee who had all the power in his hands euery man stood vpon his gard The Earle was aduertised of the kings designes and there was still some one which discouered the Earles vnto the King k In ciuill warres Councels are not secret and the most hidden are diuulged euery one hath some friend on the contrarie partie A page came at midnight to the riuer side crying that they should be set vpon by all the forces that were in Paris Dukes of Berry and Brittanie armed once during this warre This cry gaue so hot an Alarum as no man doubted it Monsieur and the Duke of Brittanie shewed themselues armed which else they had neuer done and so past through the armie to finde the Earle of Charolois and the Duke of Calabria who had sent skouts to discouer These men troubled with the darknes of the night and the generall feare l Caesar sent Consydius at the break of day to discouer the enemy and going feare surprised him so as he returned with all speed and although hee had not seene any thing yet hee said that the enemy had already gotten the top of a mountaine wheras Caesar ment to lo●ge and that hee knew that by their Armes Ca●●s with knowldege of the Gaul●s Caesar ●ib 1. of the wars of Gaule beeing neere vnto Paris tooke thistels for the pikes and lances of an Armie put in Battell and so returned sweating to tell them that all Paris came vppon them Iohn Duke of Calabria came vnto the Dukes standard who like a couragious Prince beleeuing that which hee desired spake after this manner Now we are come to that which we haue alwaies desired behold the King and all the people sallied out of the Cittie and marching as our skouts report and to the end euery man may haue courage euen as they sallie out of Paris wee will measure after the Cittie Ell which is the greatest measure The Duke of Bourgundy vppon some aduertisement that the Duke of Berry and Brittanie might make their accord apart as the Kings designe was onely to diuide them he held it not fit to leaue his Sonne in that Estate as he should bee forced to doe any thing vpon necessitie m He that suffers himselfe to bee surpris●d by necessitie d●th no more any thing freely his councels actions sauor of a troubled iudgement and that if he were fortified with men and Armes he should keep his confederates in awe Succors of men and money sent to the Earle of Charolois and make his conditions more assured n To make a peace honorable and with aduantage it must be done in arms and that hee whom they will wrong may say boldly I will not doe it He sent him a hundred and twenty men at Armes led by the Lord of Saueur a thousand fiue hundred Archers and sixscore thousand crownes the which would haue made him more difficult in the Treatie if they had come before the conclusion It had been concluded that Monsieur should resigne Berry vnto the King Dutchie of Normandie giuen to the Kings brother and haue the Duchie of Normandie that Iohn Duke of Bourbon should enter into the Castle of Rouen o The Duke of Bourbon entr●d into Rouen by the Castle the widdow to the signior of Brezay S●n●shal of Normandie fauoured this entrie contrary to the ●ing● intention The Bishop of Bayeux and Iohn Hebert Generall of the Finances of France aduanced the same designe All offended the K. and repented the displeasure they had done him during the treatie but hee entred also into the Towne When as the King saw that the Normans had allowed of this change without those difficulties and moderations which he expected he sent word vnto the Earle of Charolois that he desired to meete with him neere vnto Con●●ans Hee came and the King said vnto him that the Peace was made seeing his Brother was in Rouen This did so please the Earle of Charolois Earle of Charolois in a danger not foreseene as vnwittingly hearing and speaking with affection of this accord hee found himselfe at the entry of the Bulwarke which was at the end of the trench which the King had caused to be made by the which they might enter into the Towne The long black cloake which he carried for the losse of his wife seemed in a manner to mourne for his libertie He was much amazed but hee dissembled his feare and his amazement all hee could fearing that if the King perceiued it he would hold himselfe wronged and it may bee proceed farther The chiefe men that were in the Armie held their master lost and represented vnto thēselues that which had hapened to his Grandfather at Montrea● Faut Yonne p Ani●iury must bee dissembled when as he that receiues it is not in case to reuenge it and that he is in dāger to receiue a greater if hee make show of it So Agripina seemed not to perceiue that Nero would haue slaine her Choller forced the signior of Neufchastell Marshall of Bourgundy to vse these words If this foole and mad man hath vndone himselfe we must not follow him nor ruine his house nor his fathers affaires let euery man thinke of his owne safety and of an honorable retreat No man can hinder vs from recouering of the frontier The ioy was exceeding great when they saw him returne This Marshall seeing him said vnto him that he was not at his seruice but by loane so long as his father liued q A young Prince must bee reprehended by such persons whose age experience and authoritie giue power to speake freely but the acknowledgement of the error must cause the reprehension cease the which must not be done publikely least it breed contempt and that they which should bee confirmed in an opinion that their commanmander hath nothing imperfect grow doubtfull of his conduct So all hold speeches free aduertisements to a delicate Prince that cannot endure to be grieued by hearing are dangerous Chide mee not answered the Earle Heacknowledgeth his error and is ashamed I confesse my great error but I found it so late as I was neere vnto the Bulwarke The Marshall of Bourgundy added you haue done it without me The Earle of Charolois held downe his head and made no answere for that which he had done exceeded the bounds of all iudgement The King was commended to haue dealt so iustly and the Earle of Charolois to haue committed himselfe so freely into a strongers hands The conditions of the peace beeing all concluded the King gaue to the Earle of Charrolois the Castle of Bois de Vincennes for his assurance promising to come thither the
King by him q It was neuer a w●se and aduised resolution to hazard all his fortune and not all his forces and being in danger to loose all if he had been too weake distrust was auailable The Duke commanded the Marshall of Bourgondy who led the foreward Siege of Liege to lodge with in the Citty either with their wills or by force The Pope had a Nuncio within the Citty to end the Controuersies which were in a manner perpetuall betwixt the Bishop and the people who changing his power and forgetting his duty vppon a designe to haue this Bishoprick exhorted the inhabitants to defend themselues and caused them to make a sally with such fury as they that were without had no hope to enter but victors Clearchus made a sally put all his 〈◊〉 in battell then he commanded the gates to be shut and the keyes to be cast ouer the wall to take all hope of entry from the Soldiers vntill they had lost or wenne This Sally was so vnfortunate as he repented him of his Councell and apprehending the danger gets out of the towne and flies away but he was stayed by the Dukes men who promised to them that had taken him to make their profit vsing no speech to him But whilst they contended for their shares in his ransome they came vnto the Duke being at Table who blamed that in publique which he had commended in secret Popes Non cio set at liberty declaring the prize not good and causing the Bishop to come vnto him ●he honored him and caused all his goods to be restored leauing repentance vnto the rest who had not done that without brute which they should haue done s There are some things to be done before they aske if they shall doe them It is the answer which Pompey supping with Anthony in a ship made vnto an officer who told him that he had a good opportunity to be reuenged of them and that if hee would ther should not one remaine before they asked leaue The marshall of Bourgondy and I●bercourt winne the suburbs and march directly to the Towne-gate which stayed not vntill that necessity should force the Inhabitants to demand a peace in mourning gownes t Although the Athenians had no reputation of great courage yet they neuer demanded any accord but in mourning robes prest with extreame necessity vpon their first approch the Deputies present themselues to Parle The beseeged demand a Parle but hope and desire of spoile would not giue them hearing Night surprised the assailants before they were lodged and doth so disorder them as they know not whether to goe but calling one another in confusion they gaue courage to the besieged to make a Salley u Hee that chargeth first by night hath the aduantage for it is alwaies● presumed that he is the stronger● flight doth cōmonly follow amazement The night hath no shame They arme some for feare others without feare Sallie made by them of Liege and issue out vppon them by diuers places for their walles being razed the yeare before gaue them passage where they slew seauen or eight hundred Foure Can●ons discharged against the gate along the great street crye quittance and keep them from comming forth who through fauour of this first Sally had a great desire Yet for all this they that were come forth would not retire into the Towne but barricadoed themselues or as Phillip de Commines saith insconsed themselues with wagons which they had wonne and remained there vntill day Iohn de vilette x In sallies the Commander should alwaies stand firme to maintaine the besieged in their duties by his presence and to fauour their retreat hauing a care that being repulst the enemy doth not enter pel mel with them When as they of Liege had lost their head in the first sally their defence was desperate the sole Commander of the people was hurt and slaine The suburb was kept by the Marshall of Bourgondy who had committed a grosse error hauing giuen no better order for his lodging y The first duty of a good Captaine is to know how to lodge his men For this only respect Hanibal in the iudgement of Phirrhus was the first Captaine of Greece next to Alexander a principall part of the duty of a good Captaine The Prince of Orange was hurt there and in this action the History giues him the glorious surname of a man of vertue as it commends the valour of the Lordes of Lau and Vrfe and reprocheth the contempt of honor to aboue two thousand men who vnder fauour of this night had sacrifized their safeties and honors to flight This first defeat aflicted the Duke and hee would not that the King should haue knowne it if he could haue concealed it amidst so many passions and diuers Interests The Dukes troupes ill intreated in the suburbs Beleeuing that the brute was greater then the losse he went himselfe to tell it him The King was very glad but this ioy was more grounded vppon discretion then iustice for if the Dukes designes had not prospered the King had had cause to repent him and therefore he did apply his spirit to the motions of the Dukes approuing that it is a hard seruitude for a great man to force himselfe to the humors of his inferiour He was aduised to goe and refresh his foreward plunged in the mire besieged with hunger and benummed with cold The Duke sent 300. horse with some victualls to refresh them that were ready to faint z A famished soldier hath neither courage nor force to fight It was a great negligence in the Dukes Captaines to haue ingaged the soldiers so neere the enemy and not prouide to make them eat Asdruball lost his men against Scipio by this defect Vliffes blames Achilles for that hee would lead his men to the warre before they had eaten hauing not eaten of two dayes Hee came also and lodlodged in the midst of the suburbe and the King in a farme halfe a mile off This first night about midnight there was a hot alarme although it were in the heart of a very sharp winter The King shewed himselfe vnto the Towne as soone as the Duke Alarum giuen and the King goes to horse and they were amazed at his diligence the name of King and his presence put the Duke out of countenance a The Duke saith Phil. de Commines held not soe good a countenance as many men wisht for that the King was present tooke the word and authority of Command The Adamant hath no vertue neer vnto the Diamond the King would not seeme other then a King he takes the word and commands what should be done b It is an act of a great Captaine in accidents not forescene to reduce things speedily into order No other but he in so sodaine an accident could haue assured the amazed and that with such iudgement courage and maiesty as
prest by two powerfull and violent motions despaire and boldnes and had alreadie made knowne how deerely they would sell their liues n When as a multitude begins to know that matters are reduced to these termes as nothing cā happen but misery they assure thēselues in dangers they change their boldnes into fury their hopes into despaire yet he would be present with the rest and had no reason to goe to Namur He might haue safely retired for he had a hundred Archers a good number of Gentlemen and three hundred men at Armes Yet for more danger then hee apprehended hee would not haue made one dishonourable step The respect of his honour o There is not any great courage but starts at this word Honor. A Prince must go into all places where his reputation is ingaged The King saith Phil. de Com. where it cōcerned his honour would not bee blamed of cow●dise and that great desire of glorie the onely Obiect of great spirits was more deere vnto him then his life About eight of the clocke on Sunday morning being the 30. of October 1468. the signe for the assault was giuen the inhabitants hauing no thought that they would trouble their rest on Sunday p The Earle of Montfort who was caled Iohn the valiant D. of Brittany sent to intreate the Earle of Blois his enenmy to referre the Battel which hee ment to giue him vntil the next day for that it was Sunday St. Michels feast and it was one of those dayes on the which the Countesse of Blois his wife had forbidden him to fight but the Earle of Blois would not beleeue any of them and was slain there This hapened in the yeare 1364. a day by the scrupulous of that time held vnfortunate to fight in and moreouer much tired for that euery day they had beene in gard and now they were gone to dinner They were surprised without any resistance euery man sauing himselfe either in the Forrest of Ardennes or in Churches he that escaped the fury of the sword fell into that of cold and hunger and all tryed that in vaine q King Ferdinand going out of Naples with Don Frederic the Queene his Grandmother the Princesse Ioan his daughter and imbarked in the Galleys to recouer the Iland of Ischia which the Ancients called Enaria thirty miles from Naples had no other words in his mouth but this Verse of Dauid saying That Sentinels and gards auaile not if God keep not the Citie men keep the Citie if God take not the care The Duke being master of the Citie came and conducted the King vnto the Pallace This prince fitting his words vnto the time and to the Dukes humors commended his victorie and spake to all that past of the Dukes valour and good conduct who tooke a wonderfull delight to haue a King for a Panegyrist The Towne was reduced to that estate as it might serue to posteritie for an example not of conseruation Ruine and desolation of the Liegeois but of extreame miserie The gates and walles were ouerthrowne the ditches filled vp the priuiledges reuoked the lawes changed and all the Churches except the Cathedrall spoiled The Duke caused it to bee kept by some of his houshold against the souldiers who sought to force the two doores A strange thing to see churches r Seeing that God ought to be feared and worshipped in all places that which belongs vnto his seruice should also hee religiously respected euen in the Armies Zenophon saith that Agesylaus would not allow them to touch any Temples in the enemies country in daunger among Christians whose impieties are such as euen the most Barbarous Nations doe abhorre them for they haue alwaies respected holy places but it was so peruerse and corrupted an age as there were men without soules and soules without religion The Duke not able to restraine this furie slew a souldiour to make the rest dislodge all was reduced to a vast and fearefull wildernes The Duke repented himselfe of the cruelties which had been committed in the furie of the Sacke and offered for an expiation the S t. George wherewith S t. Lamberts church in Liege is at this day adorned The King fiue daies after the desolation of a countrey which relyed vpon the succors of his power and which stumbled into seruitude for it could not goe straight in libertie s Liberty is to be desired when as they that will not be subiect to haue meanes to liue free but as Plato saith Epist. 8. Many haue fallen into seruitude for that they could not vse their libertie vvell tooke leaue of the Duke and told him that if he had any more cause to vse him that he should not spare him but if all were done he desired to goe to Paris to haue their Treatie verified yet hoping to meet againe the next Summer in Bourgundy I will said he The King desires to returne to Paris that wee remaine a month together to make good cheere t Princes as all other men are by nature subiect to passions and alterations and not able to endure the toyle of the body and minde long without tiring and haue need of some rest and recreation It is that which K. Lewis the eleuenth in this place cals good cheere The forme and manner of his words did much help the matter for he deliuered them with an open countenance and a heart which seemed free which did binde the Duke to please him An Act of incomparable wisedome to fit his words and actions for the necessitie of the time and place wherein he was and humilitie in these actions doth no wrong vnto a great Prince u Humilitie abates nothing of a princes greatnes for either hee that humbles himselfe is inferior and then it becomes him well or superior but brought to such a straight as he is forced to bēd if he escapes he greeues not at his humility although that doe him good who hath intreated him with pride and arrogancy which knoweth there is no other meanes to continue with spirits that are insolent of their fortunes but dissembling The Duke also knowing the humor of this Prince murmured still Treatie made without liberty bindes not made his distrust knowne he did consider that bonds of promises made by men which cannot say they are in libertie are light that force hath no power to prescribe a force sufficiently noted in the solemne words of the oath wherevnto they desired the King should consent that in case of contrauention to the Treatie all his subiects should retire from his obedience and adhere to the Earle of Charolois And therefore he would that before the kings departure their Treatie should be read and read againe and all the points expounded x In Treaties of peace they must vnderstand one an other well Al words must be made plaine and those that are comprehended or excluded expressed and that vpon all hee declared his intention
this indisposition hee assembled his Captaines and recommended his sonne vnto them Sicknes death of Scanderbeg whom hee would haue conducted into Pouillia vntill he came to age leauing him vnder the Venetians gouernment And for his last wordes he said vnto him That if he were good he gaue him a Realme most firme and stable if otherwise very weake and feeble yeelding vp his last groanes the 17. of Ianuary 1467. he gaue an amazement to his enemies This Prince with small forces defeated great Armies who beside the good qualities of the mind for Iudgement Conduct and Councell f The Turkes came running about Croy some horsemen went out of the towne by Scāderbegs commandemēt the enemy thinking he had been there in person grew amazed and fledde through the mountaines although they were 15000. horse and left the booty they had taken frō the Scutariens had an admirable strength of body comparable only to that of the ancient Champions Force and dexterity o● Scanderbeg Biton g Biton carried a great Bull vppon his shoulders Pau●anias Fusius Saluius went lustily vp a ladder with 200. pounds waight in his hands 200. at his feet and as much vpon his shoulders Plinie Seruilius did sight 23. times body to body and was alwaies Victor Plut. Fusius Saluius Seruilius Talking with Ieams Picenin Generall of the Duke of Calabrias Army he did lift him aboue his head like a child of sixe yeares old He had a Cimiterre with the which he had done miraculous deedes as cutting of the head of a Boare at a blow and of a wild Bul which was famous for the ruines it had done in the Country hauing hurt and slaine many that assayled it This dexterity force and agility of body continued all his life and exercise h Exercise doth continue the dexterity and disposition of the body long Philopemen of whom Plutarch speakes was nimble in his age by great exercise made it in the beginning of his age in a manner equall to that it had beene in the prime of his youth After the siege of Croy they presented vnto him in chaines Iouyma and Hedert the Brother and Nephew of Baillaban this representing vnto him the cruelties which they had committed vppon his subiects put him into such choller as hauing not the patience to attend any other hand he cut them both asunder by the wast at one blow He punished them with the like paine that their Prince did punish Christians i Mahomet made one man die as it were of two deathes he made them to be cut off by the wast at a blow of tentimes it happened that hee dyed of two deathes for Chalcondile saith you might see either part liue long after the blow During the Truce he had with Mahomet he sent him this Cymeterre for that he desired to see it hauing heard say that with it he cut any armes asunder The strongest armes of his Country would trye if it were true and finding not the vertue which was ascribed vnto it he sent it back againe disdainefully thanking him for a thing which he held to haue beene better Scanderbeg answered The vertue of my sword depends of mine owne arme which I cannot send him for that I reserue it against mine enemies It was an increase of glory and reputation to the common weale of Venice to see Kings and Realmes vnder their charge But at that time they did an act of prouidence k Prouidence is one of the most apparant effect of wisdome Prudents postumus dicere prouidentes which shewes that wisedome hath long held the helme of that Estate They did adopt for daughter of the common-weale the heyre of Marc Cornare and married her to the King of Cypres after whose death and of the after-birth his sonne she was acknowledged for Queene and made present of her Crowne vnto the Venetians her fathers by adoption From this action followed two diuers effects the one of great ioy to the Venetians the other of extreame afliction to Charlotte of Sauoy the French Queene who by this act saw her Brother as it were exiled from Cipres and seperated from the Queene his wife The History is long and tragicall but thus in breefe By the like accidents that other realmes haue beene made desolate the Crowne of Cipres fell from the house of Lusignan l Iames of Lusignam King of Cypres put Peter his brother to death and being told him that the Genouois were entred into his Pallace with armes had some designe vpon his person hee put many innocent Marchants to death a cruelty which made the Signory of Genoua to arme against him Bolius writes the History at large in the which it had long remained A Fratricide was the cause for Iames of Lusignan hauing put his brother to death to raigne alone added other violences to this cruelty which made him odious to the people and forced the Genouois to arme against him Cruelty makes the Princes of Lusignan odious to reuenge an iniury done vnto certaine Marchants of their Common-weale Hee was dispossest of the Crowne his brothers Children restored to the Realme and he himselfe carried prisoner to Genoua where he had one sonne who was King of Cipres m King Iames of Lusignan had one sonne named Iohn or Iames who was K. of Cypres and Anne married to Lewis Duke of Sauoy sonne to Amidee Iohn had one daughter named Charlotte who was first married to Iohn King of Portugall and after his death to Lewis of Sauoy and this sonne one daughter whom he left sole heire to the Crowne She was married to Lewis of Sauoy sonne to Lewis Duke of Sauoy and to Anne of Cypres Sister to King Iohn Lewis imbarked at Venice to passe into Cipres to take possession of his wife and Realme Iames base sonne to King Iohn Bishop of Nicosia past into Egipt to haue succours from the Soldan of Egipt who made him to be proclaimed King of Cypres Letters of the Souldā to the King of Cipres prepared a great Fleet at Sea to goe into Cypres and wrote in these termes to King Lewis Thou art come out of the Westerne parts to possesse another mans Realme in the East and to spoile the heire of his iust inheritance wh●ch is in thee a foolish enterprise The Iland of Cypres is tributary vnto me and it belongs to me to dispose assure thy selfe if thou dost not dislodge presently thou shalt dye by the sword of Egipt If thou hast a desire to carry away thy wife I am content vpon condition that thou dost not attend a second Summons This barbarous letter deserued no other answer but by the sword n Perswasions are vnprofitable when as Iustice is inferiour to force but Iustice being forced to yeeld vnto tirrany King Lewis by the meanes of the great maister of Rhodes let him vnderstand that by the Christian lawes the Realme did be long vnto the lawful daughter that
de See and brought words and offers of affection and seruice on the Dukes behalfe who feared that the King would make some sodaine inuasion The D. of Brittaine demands a peace hauing an armie of fifty thousand men ready to fall vpon his country The King with all his forces p A Prince should neuer doe all that be may against his enemies would not doe what he might doe against these gyant-like enterprises reseruing his thunder-bolts to an other season The more slowly Princes take Armes the more difficult it is to draw them out of armies hee resolued to vanquish without fighting and considering that the Lord of Lescun was the first linke of the chaine of the Duke of Brittanies Councell that all the iudgement conduct and experience in Brittanie did lye in the person of this Nobleman q Phil. de Com. speaking of the Lord of Lescun saith that there was neither iudgement nor vertue in Brittanie but what proceeded from him who after the death of the Duke of Guienne his master had retired himselfe to the Duke of Brittanie a good and a loyall French man who neuer would consent that the places of Normandie should bee giuen vnto the English hee thought that if he could draw him to his seruice the accord which he should make with the Duke of Brittanie would be more firme and withdrawing him from the Duke of Bourgundies alliance hee should make him so weake as all his forces would not suffice for his defence The King drawes the D. of Brittanie from the Duke of Bourgundies alliance There r When as the Prince hath won him that is in most credit and authoritie with him with whom he treats hee doth worke his affaires safely and with aduantage is nothing so easie as to bring one whether necessitie driues him The Lord of Lescun being won giues the Duke his master to vnderstand that there is no other safety for his affaires but the Kings protection The accord was made so as the Duke might haue eight thousand pounds starling The Lord of Lescun had a pension of six hundred pounds starling foure thousand crownes in readie money the Order of S. Michel the Earledome of Cominges halfe the gouernement of Guienne the Seneshallships of Vennes and Bourdelois The Captainship of one of the Castells of Bourdeaux s K. Charles the seuenth hauing taken Bourdeaux againe he caused two Castles to be built Castell Trumpet towards the Sea and that of Du Han towards the firme land which King Charles the seuenth had caused to be built and those of Bayonne and St. Seuert Essars and Souppleinuille instruments of this negotiation were also rewarded t Phil. des Essars a Gentlemā of the house of Brittany had 4000. Crownes giuen and six score pounds star●ing for yearely pension with the Baillewike of Meaux and was made Master of the Riuers Forrests of France Souppleinuille who did belong to the Lord of Lescun had six thousand crownes in gift a pension and offices fit for his qualitie the Kings bounty could not suffer any seruice to passe without recompence Truce annuall betwixt the King and the Duke of Bourgundy The affaires of Brittany being compounded the King went into Picardie It was his and the Duke of Bourgundies custome euery yeare to make a truce for six monthes in the beginning of Winter during the which there were many voiages and conferences to quench the causes of warre which they held to be shut in the Constables thoughts who began to stand in feare of the Duke and to keep aloofe from the King Philip de Commines saith that the Chancellor of Bourgundy came to make it but as it was the first yeare of his comming to Court he was not very curious to vnderstand the truth the which is drawne out of the Articles that were published and signed by the Earle of S. Paul Constable of France and by Philip of Croy deputed for the King and Guy of Brunen Lord of Imbercourt and Anthony Rollin Lord of Emery for the Duke of Bourgundy The Deputies promised to cause this Truce to be ratified by the first of December it ended the first of Aprill following betwixt which they should meete at Amiens u This assembly was appointed in Amiens the first of December 1472. to treat a peace and the restitution of S t Valery which the D. of Bourgundy demanded to treat a Peace The Constable following the intention of the King his Master and that which had been treated with the Lord of Lescun would not haue the Duke of Brittany comprehended in the Truce among the Allies of Bourgundy The Deputies shewed that the Duke of Brittany their Ally did relye vpon them x To forget Allies in Treati●s and Accords is an iniury against the lawe of friendship Vnde maiores cum qui socium fe●ellisles in virorum bonorum numero non puta●●erunt haberi oportere Cic. our Elders did not hold him worthy to bee put in the number of good men that deceiued his companion that they could not forget them in the number of their frends that he had not disclaimed their friendship that they held him yet for their Allie and that he had often abandoned them by Letters and words and yet had beene firme to them in effect That youth did inflame his bloud but reason did still reclaime him That the Duke did then name him among his Allies leauing it to his choise by the first of February whether he would be comprehended among the Kings Allies or the Dukes There was no remedy The King would haue fifteene daies to name his Allies and eight dayes after to adde such as he should forget The Duke of Bourgundy Ambitions designes of the Duke of Bourgundy who would spend the time of Truce in great imaginations which filled his head with fumes and his heart with perpetuall flames propounded to allye himselfe vnto the Emperor He desired to extend the bounds of his Empire from one Sea vnto the other his spirit went still on and neuer lookt backe y It is an error in Princes that they seldome or neuer look behind thē They consult vpon the passage but neuer vpon the returne Leopold Archduke of Austria talking how hee should passe an Army of twentie thousand men into the Can●on of Su●its Kune of Stocke his i●ster said vnto him I will not follow thee thou talkest how thou shalt enter but thou neuer dreamest how thou shalt come forth Leopold was defeated a● Morgarten Munster The like was said vnto K. Francis the first by Amaril vppon his proposition to passe th● Alpes He held himself King alreadie of one part of Gaule hee deuoured all Germany in Imagination God had giuen him great Prouinces which he thought deserued a more stately Title then of Duke of Earle for the obtaining whereof hee made a voyage to Treues to the Emperor Frederi● hauing made a very sumptuous preparation for the solemnitie of that publike
vnto it excusing himselfe vpon his word giuen vnto the English Vpon this refusall the King prouides him worke of all sides He puts Rhene Duke of Lorraine in mind of the iniury the Duke haddone him in holding him prisoner The King stirs vp enemies against the Duke of Bourgondy Rene incensed with this remembrance sent a Herald presently to defie him In like manner the King perswaded the Arch-Duke Sigismond to redeme Ferrete and the Townes of Basill Strausborug Colmar and others interessed in the Duks designes to furnish the money to free the Country from so troublesome a Prince k The King was well serued 〈◊〉 this negotiation by one called Iulius of Silligny a Suisse borne he was Bishop of Lyon and afterwards of Grenoble and themselues from so terrible a neighbour By this meanes the Duke was stript of the Prouinces ingaged and disappointed of the conqest of Germany wherof his people had already made a Mappe l When as Princes make a designe to conquer a Conquer a Contry they which desire the execution talke of it continually and represent it in pourtrait The Atheniens did nothing but talke of the Conquest of Sicile when as the voyage of Niceas being resolued he did draw out vpon the ground the forme of the Iland numbred the ports the meanes it gaue to attempt vppon affrike Plu. in the life of Niceas At the same time that this remboursment was appointed and the money consigned the Arch-Duke Sigismond caused Peter Hagembach the Duks Lieutenant Generall in all the Countries ingaged to be taken prisoner His Processe was made by seauen and twenty Iudges two of ech Town Strausbourg Basill Schletstart Colmar Kentzingem Freibourg Neuuembourg Soleurre Berne eight of Brissac and the President of Ensisheim Their proceedings in Iustice was speedy the fourth of May they committed him to prison and put him to the rack on the ninth they brought him before his Iudges and gaue him an Aduocate Death of Peter of Hagembach Gouernour of Ferette Thy accused him of many violences insolences and concussions and hauing noe meanes to iustifie himselfe they condemned him to lose his head There was noe help he must vndergoe it He caried for his deuice three Dice with this Motto Iepasse m Peter of Hagembach lost his head at Brisach the 9. of May 1474. by torch-light His Laqueis seruants carried his deuice of three dice with this motto Iepasse At that time this distique was published Omnis spes fallax sed fallacissima ludi Hagembach Ich passe spes stulta fuit He past indeede the most cruell in excesse and cruelty His crimes iniustice his cruelty to men and his impiety to God brought him to this scafold to be a mornfull president of the wretched end of an vnrestrayned vniust and vnsupportable power and that to commaund people long and safely it is better to desire to be loued then feared n After that Philip King of Macedonie had vanquished the Citties of Greece they councelled him to put in good Garisons to assure his Conquest I had rather said he be called gentle for a long time then Lord for a short to be good then mighty Lewis made all the instruments of these counsels to worke he was the master-whele of these great motions and thought so to distract the Duke of Bourgundies mind into diuers parts as he would forget the designes which he had in France and that he should be at rest whilest his enemie was in troble The death o The greatest pollicy of State is that which the most pollitick Romaine Emperour did practise Pacem in Vrbe bellum pocull habere to haue peace in the Citty and warre a farre off of Hagembach did much offend the Duke he commaunded his seruants which were in Bourgundy to ouer runne the Countrey of Ferrete Vpon this commaundement the Marshall of Bourgundy of the house of Neufchastel Army of the Duke of Bourgondy in the County of Ferette one of the foure Ancients of Bourgundy p They haue giuen the honor of antiquity nobility valour and greatnes to foure houses of Bourgundy Vicune Chal●n Neufchastel and V●rgy came about Montbeliard to haue the place yeelded vnto him and towld the Gouernor that if he did not yeeld it he would bring the life of the Prince of Wirtemberg into danger whom the Duke had caused to be taken neere vnto Luxembourg q Henry of Wirtemberg taken prisoner in the warre in his youth by Charles Duke of Bourgondy in the yeare 1474. Eberhard his vncle held his prisoner in the yeare 1499. Munster saies it was for madnes He dyed in the yeare 1519. and was father to George Earle of Wirtemberg He answered that this Prince was not iustly taken prisoner in any good warre that he had Brethren interessed in the guard of the place and to whom he was bound to keep it A braue answere He that commands a place should not leaue it but like an honest man The bloud of his children spilt before his face should not moue him r In the yeare 1292. Schane Castille brother to Sancho King of Castille beseeging Tariffe sent word to Alfonso father to G●● man Gouernour of the place that if he yeelded i● not he would put his onely sonne whom he held prisoner to death Alfonso answered I will not faile of my duty for a hundred Children and if thouthen beest so greedy of the bloud of mine heere take my sword vse it Soone after being at diner with his wife hee heard a great noyse and supposing it to bee the enemy he went directly to the wall where they tould him that they had seene his sonne slaine I had thought said he that the enemy had bin entred the town so returned without any signe of trouble in amasement An admirable constancy They of Basill being aduertised that the Duke of Bourgundy practised Montheliard to be assured of the passage sent men thither The Marshall of Bourgundie gaue the Contie of Ferrete in prey to his armie Laague made against the the Duke of Bourgundy The Suisses being assembled at Lucerne could not suffer their neighbours to be so ill intreated They declare war against the Duke of Bourgundy and send him the Pattents which they call friends briefe Letters of enemies The Marshall of Bourgundy made answere thereunto and felt the blowes as soon as the threats The first of Nouember the troupes of the Cantons and other Townes their confederates against the Duke of Bourgundy came to Basill which furnished them with Canon and Munition Hericourt taken by the League and then they marched directly to besiege Hericourt a Towne belonging to the Marshall of Bourgundy who presented himselfe with 10000. men to raise the siege but hee was repulst with the losse of aboue two thousand Stephen of Hagembach brother to him that was beheaded yeelded the place vpon composition to haue his life saued Many were carried prisoners to Basill
intent and that the place deserued some ceremonies that he would not purchase that reproch to haue yeelded at the first sight of the enemy and that he knew his humor not to attempt any thing but when he may doe it safely profitably and honorably He thought otherwise in his heart and Edward knowing well that the Constable deceiued them The K of England repents that he beleeued did not conceale it that the duke had done him wrong to imbarke him vpon his assurances The Duke take his leaue vnder a pretext to goe fetch his forces and retired into Brabant to passe at Mezieres into the Dutchie of Bar. The King of England did not like of the reason of his sodaine departure knowing well that the Dukes affaires were in no good estate and might impaire The English were amazed and discouraged as they are commonly which ground their enterprises vpon the promises and passions of strangers z They that haue needs of forraine succors promise wonders to ingage them and doe not commonly performe halfe their promises Their wils wauered betwixt hope and repentance For all the Townes whereof they promised themselues the conquest and which they had sometimes held they had onely Perronne and that was but by way of passage to refresh them The season was incommodious The Duke of Brittanie remained quiet to see the game and who should win He had incensed the King too much who had new drawne from a Secretarie of England two Letters written by Vrse a The Duke of Brittanie promised to loyne his forces with those of England and to receiue 3000. English This designe was discouered by two letters written by Vrse who then serued the D. of Brittany the one vnto the King of England and the other to Hastings his Lord Chamberlaine which discouer his practises and the promise which he had made to ioyne with the English All these reasons make Edward incline to a peace he hath some about him would gladly haue re-past the sea His chiefe seruants were not very eager of warre and remembring the entertainment at S. Quentin they found that the English were too blame to trust in the French against the French and to beleeue that Rauens will pick out one anothers eyes The Ceremonie was who should speake first there was not any one betwixt these two Princes that would attempt this mediation they thought that hee which should first demand a Peace had confest himselfe vanquished There is a great disparitie betwixt the affaire of Princes and priuate men their rules and Maximes are very different like to the Kings of Thrace whose Gods which they serue are not the Gods of the common people b The dissemblance of the affaires of great men sh●wes it selfe in many respects and ceremonies which are not considered among priuate persons The King of Thrace is distinguished from his su●iects by the difference of the s●ruice of his Gods he hath his apart which his subiects are not suffred to worship Haward and Stanley Occasion which caused an ouerture of a Peace who were neerest about the King of England offred an occasion to breake this Ice They had taken a Groome of the Kings Armie who was sent back without ransome as the first prisoner of the English Being at libertie and readie to depart Haward and Stanley said vnto him Recommend vs to the good grace of the King your Master if you may speake vnto him He failed not and the King remembring what Garter had said vnto him found that his veluet had wrought These salutations draue him into a great perplexitie Whatsoeuer comes from an enemie is to be suspect He caused the messenger to be put in Irons fearing that he was a spie he is sounded into and curiously examined by his most confident seruants hee himselfe speakes vnto him and findes him constant without varying This perturbation of minde held him vntill the next day with the which he sate downe pensiue to his meate Posture of Lewis the eleuenth when hee was pensiue When as he was in his deepest cogitations the minde did so neglect the actions of the bodie and left them in such disorder as no man would haue taken him for a wise man c Phil. de Cō represents in these world 's the grace of K. Lewis when hee had any fantasie in his head As soon as he was set at the table and had studied a little as you know he did in such sort as it was very strange to them that did not know him for without knowledge of him they would haue held him vnwise but his deeds witnes the contrary After that he had been a while pensiue hee told Philip de Commines that hee should take away the table and went to dine in his chamber causing the seruant of the Siegneur of Halles to come vnto him of whom he demanded if hee would goe into the King of Englands Armie in the habite of a Herauld He had bethought himselfe of this man to whom hee had neuer spoke but once and notwithstanding that Phil. de Commines told him that in his opinion hee had neither stature nor grace yet would hee not any other Iudgement of the King to distinguish spirits He had made choise of him as of a man of good vnderstanding and who had as the Historie saith a sweet and pleasing voice He considered that if the charge hee gaue him did not succeed he should quit in disauowing him and make it knowne that he was but in a disguised habite like vnto Comediens d They demanded of Polistratidas Embassador of Sparta if he came in the behalfe of the commonweale or of himselfe hee answered eloquently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you grant me that which I demand said Polistratidas I will cause my selfe to be aduowed if not I let you vnderstand that I haue no charge He would not accept this charge for any thing that Philip de Comines could say or promise him he fell vpon his Knees as if hee had beene condemned to die e When as the King thought this man was in a good humour he sent the master of his horse for the banner of a trumpet to make him a coate of Armes for the K. was not curious nor accompanied with Heralds and Trumpets as many princes be Phil. de Com. l. 4. c. 7. The King came and spake with him and wonne him at the first word A Herald sent to the King of England promising him mony and the office of an Esleu in the I le of Rez Hee must be attired and there was some trouble to make him a coate of armes and more to send him away secretly and not to seene but most of all to instruct him in that which he should say His coate of armes was in a bouget behind his saddle hauing commandement not to put it on vntill hee did enter into the English army Philip de Comines obserues in this place the little care and
horse and some few foot to ●●ght with them he was repulst with losse but finding the great aduantage of the Suisses armes against horsemen he resol●ed to returne and being neere ●e caused his men at Armes to light who br●ke the Suisses slue 15000 and the rest laying down their Armes yeelded but the amazement was such as the Dukes Armie resolued as soone to a Generall abandon of Campe baggage and Artillerie as to fight The Suisses recouering Granson they tooke them of their Nation downe whom the Duke had caused to bee hanged and in their place hung vp as many Bourgundians with the same halters The spoile was aboue three millions in gold moueables iewels whereof the victors made so little esteeme through the ignorance of price of things as they gaue gold for copper and siluer for tynne They tare tents and pauillions of cloth of gold in peeces to apparell their wiues and children They liued yet in the commendable ignorance of money which made Sparta for fine hundred yeares the Queene of Greece e Soarta flourished by the lawes of Lycurgus but when as vnder the raigne of Agis it began to know gold siluer and to loue and admire riches then werethey violated and came to nothing Plut. in the life of Li●urgus The Dukes great Diamond which was held a master peece of the sun was sold for a Florin to a Priest who was so religious as he sent it to the Magistrates of his Canton who gaue him six shillings starling They say that this peece past through many hands for a small price at last it came vnto a Geneua Marchant remaining at Lyon who sold it for eleuen thousand Florins and then Pope Iulio the second had it for twenty thousand They found also three Rubies alike which were called the three Brethren with other inestimable Iewels which were little esteemed by the Suisses Their Generall made many Knights after this victorie three of Zurick foure of Berne two of Basill and some of Strausbourg Valour is no lesse respected in Common-weales then in Monarchies in the first they loue valiant men in the other they feare them and although that in the common-weales f There proceed more excellent men 〈◊〉 of Common-weales then out of Realms for that men gr●w excellent make proofe of their vertue as they are imployed rewarded by the Prince or commonweale so as where there are many Principalities and diuers Est●tes so they also find greater ●obers of valiant men Asia had sew for that it was all vnder the Empire of one alone Affricke in like manner Carthage hath raised many Emrope hauing been diuided into many Empires hath had more then all the rest and the feare they haue had one of another hath made the profession of Armes to florish and that they which haue excelled haue been partakers of honors and publike recompences they apprehend alwaies least some one which excels the rest in merit should attempt to exceed them in authoritie yet it is certaine that Europe for that it hath had more common-weales then Affricke or Asia beeing subiect to the power of one alone hath had more excellent Captaines then those and after that Rome had made but one state of all the world and that vertue had no other Theater but Rome the Estates of Europe began to neglect the excellencie of Armes vertue giuing her fauours and recompences no where but at Rome This was a great Corosiue vnto him to see himselfe vanquished by them whom hee contemned and held vnworthy of his courage but much more to see that his reputation which hee had so highly preserued was blemished for that it was well knowne that he had come from Granson to Ioigne without any staye and that it was a dishonorable thing that footmen had caused such mighty troopes of horse to flie fifteene leagues Courage of the D. of Bourgondy after the Battell lost But he hath courage enough remaining not to faint vnder the rigour of this misfortune He doth not blame his own rashnes but the blindnes of fortune and the daily hazard of armes He hath lost nothing but what may be recouered for money the losse concerned himselfe alone and if it deserued greefe no heart should bee toucht therewith but his He thought that the greatnes of his house g Indiscretion doth ●alwaies take fortune to warrant her from reproch for her bad gouernment Fortune alone is commended ir all mens Actions soly esteemed and soly outraged and soly blamed for bad euents and of his fortune stood yet firme as long as hee had an army on foot He coniured the chiefe noblemen which suffered in this losse to forget it and to change their greefe into wrath against enemies vnworthy of such a booty to make them buy the little profit which they had gotten at a deere rate h The words which proceede from the mouth of a Prince after any lo●se should bee generous M. Crassus seeing that the Parthians carried the head of Pub Crassus his sonne vppon a lance and that this sight did daunt the courage of his souldiers he went through the band crying out the griefe of this losse doth concerne mee alone but the greatnes of the Fortune and glory of Rome remaynes inuincible so long as you stand firme Yet if you haue compassion on mee who haue seene mee loose so vertuous and so valiant a sonne I beseech you to conuert it into wrath against your enemies and make them bu●e the ioy which they haue receiued deerely Thus he resolued to haue his reuenge but nothing troubled him but the King He feares that he will make his profit of this losse and that he will anoy him wherefore he sends the Siegneur of Contay vnto him The Duke seeks for a continuance of the Truce with the King to aduertise him of this accident and the opinion hee hath to repaire it to his aduantage beseeching him with words of humility befitting the condition of his affaires more then the greatnes of his courage to entertaine the Truce and to excuse him if he came not to Auxerre as they had concluded together Although the Duke were in bad estate yet the King considering that he had lost nothing but his reputation and that he had his estates and forces entire would not breake with him but assured him all that he desired for the Truce He could not beleeue that this Prince was ruined so long as he had a sword remaining in his hand i The loss● of reputation is great i● should neuer be hazarded but it may be recouered if the estate remaine it being lost they labour in vaine to returne againe a vanqu●shed prince is m●s●rable that is expelled his estates hee knew that his subiects carried so great a●●ection and loialty that they would not suffer him long in that necessity that armes were changeable and that all the nations in the world had many examples and France some how that the vanquished had
Gand to giue him a fauourable end of his suite and to haue infringed the priuiledges of Gand Hogonet Imbercourt condēned to die the which may not be changed nor broken without paine of death Vpon these accusations or rather slanders the Maior Aldermē of Gand condemn thē to loose their heads In 6 daies their processe was made the number of their freinds nor the appearance of their innocency which in those extremities is the last refuge could not saue them n Innocency is the last refuge of the miserable helps him much that hath nothing else remaining It hath sometimes set the condemned in the Iudges place Neri sonne to Vgucione of Fagiuola Lord of Luga condemned Castrucio to death and the people freed him going to execution and set him in Neris place Three houres after the sentence was pronounced they were executed without any respect to the appeale which they had made to the Court Parliament at Paris Brother in law The Pope and Emperor offended at this impiety at whose instance the Pope and the Emperour Fredericke send vnto Adolph to set the Country at liberty and to yeeld obedience to his father and vpon the contempt of this commandement they write vnto the Duke of Bourgundy not to suffer this impiety any longer The Duke was then about Dourlans he commanded Adolph to come and to bring his father Adolph durst not displease so mighty a Neighbour The Duke heares them in their complaints and confronts them together The sonne accuseth the father of villanous and wicked actions Duke of Bourgundy Iudge of the quarrell whereof he presently purgeth himselfe and by the testimony of Noblemen that were there present at this confrontation the sons slander was discouered and detested then the father transported with extreme griefe presented the single cōbat vnto his son The Duke would not allow it for the vncertaine euent could not be where soeuer the victory fell without a certain crime Hauing conferred of this businesse with his Councell hee ordained that the father should retaine the title of Duke with the Towne of Graue and 3000. Crownes for his entertainment the son should haue all the rest Notwithstanding that this iudgement was so fauourable for the sonne as all men thought that the Iudge was more affected to him then to the father x Adolph had maried Catherine of Bourbon daughter to Iohn Duke of Bourbon and Anne of Bourgundy sister to Phillip The Sig r. of Argenton saith that the Duke fauored Adolph in respect of this marriage yet this vnnaturall sonne straying from all obedience duty y Decius was commended for that hee refused the Empire saying that being Emperour hee should forget to be a sonne Imperet pater meus meum imperium sit parere humiliter imperanti Let my father rule my Empire shall be humbly to obay him that rules Val. Max. lib. 4. would not be satisfied saying That his father had raigned long enough and that he should content himselfe with the pension of 3000. Crownes and that he should neuer set his foote in the Countrey of Guelders To be short that hee had rather cast his father into a Well and himselfe headlong after him then consent to the conditions of this sentence z It is an impious thing saith Plato for any one to force his father and his Country he saith more-ouer that the child should haue a care not to offend him for there is not any praier which the Gods heare sooner then that which the fathers make against their children The Duke being prest to go vnto his Army before Amiens leaues them in this dispute and would not alter his iudgement The sonne fearing that his obstinacy might bring him to the place where he had put his father and knowing that few men affected him stale away in a disguised French habite and tooke the way to Graue Adolph steales away and is taken prisoner But passing the Riuer at Namur with one man in his company he was knowne by a Priest and staied by others and conducted to the Duke of Bourgundy who sent him prisoner to Villeuor and afterwards to Courtray where he remained miserable and no man pittied him in his misery a It is a cruelty and inhumanity to pitty a parricide The punishment which he endures how great soeuer doth not giue so much amazement as the crime causeth horror and execration vntill that the Gantois set him at liberty to be their Generall in the warre of Tournay The father dying had giuen the Dutchy of Guelders to the Duke of Bourgundy The warre being vndertaken by them of Gand against Tournay and the Mutiny growing insolently violent against the Dutchesse of Bourgundy they had need of a Head for without it their hands were not much to be feared He is set at liberty by the Gantols They cast their eyes vpon Adolph draw him out of prison and like mad-men as they are thinke that this cruell wretch who could not loue his father will haue a care of their affaires b What piety can bee expected of him that hath beene impious and inhuman to his owne father Qui fallere audebit Parentes qualis erit in ceteris He that dares deceiue his Parents what will hee bee to other men Casiod They giue him absolute command being resolued to aduance him higher then his Predecessours and to make him husband to the Dutchesse People in such distractions haue played madder prankes and made more indiscreete elections He lead them to Tournay where hauing burnt the Suburbs he was slaine His death was not more honourable vnto him then his life The Princesse was not sorry for this action For if hee had returned tryumphing from this exploite the Gantois had forced her to mary him and rather then to haue had a husband of their choice she would haue taken one by chance as the heire of Bohemia had done Primislaus a Labo●er becomes King of Bohemia who marryed Primislaus and drew him from labour to the honour of her Marriage and Crowne c Lybussa daughter to Gracus second King of Bohemia declared in an Assembly of the Estates held in an open field that shee would take him for husband before whom a horse shold stay which she should let go without guide or force He stayed before Primislaus who was tilling his Land They tooke him and led him to the Princesse who made him her husband and gaue him to the people for their King His wodden shoes were long kept in the Cathedrall Church of Prage and shewed to the Kings of Bohemia to make them remember their beginning The Princesse of Bourgundies affaires impaired Many Physitions vndid the Patient The King had a mighty Army which kept all the Low Countries in awe in his absence it was commanded by the Bastard of Bourbon Admirall of France There was nothing attempted by the enemy but was defeated In many exploits of warre which were made vpon this
The great Maister whose prudence was without feare and valour without rashnesse would not neglect it he was as couetous of his peoples bloud as he was prodigall of his owne he could not see them die miserably but provided a good remedy r To feare to loose his men to spare their liues is the duty of one that commands Fortes paratissimi effundere sanguinem suum alienum videre non possunt Valiant men are ready to powre forth their own bloud but they cannot see anothers Sen. commanding the Women Children and vnable persons to leaue the houses causing them to be lodged in a void place betwixt the houses and the Towne-wall vnder Tents supported with great peeces of timber The stones they shot out of their Bombards alwayes past ouer them for the Turkes shot onely at the houses and at the places most frequented and if any stone fell there it found resistance and did no harme At night the people retired into Churches that were vaulted He commanded publicke prayers to be made euery man casting his eyes to heauen hauing no other hope of helpe it was impossible to defend the wall and therefore hee made intrenchments where the Women laboured with a wonderfull affection they would haue giuen their haire s Women haue often giuen their haire to make Instruments for the warre or strings for bows the examples are reported by Vegetius lib. 4. The Senate of Rome in remembrance thereof did dedicate a Temple vnto them called Venus without haire In honorem Matronarum Templum Veneri caluae senatus dicauit I●l cap. to haue made ropes against the Turkes more willingly then euer the Dames of Rome Aquilea or Bizantium did to make bow-strings against their enemies When as the Bashaw saw that the sole presence of the great Maister was the chiefe force and defence of Rhodes The Bashaw seeks to poyson the great Maister he set two men to poyson him the first being surprized and trembling at the first demaund they made him entring into Rhodes discouered the second Saint Nicholas Tower did so command the Port as the enemy thinking that all the defence of Rhodes depended theron gaue an assault by night when as they thought that the besieged tired with the continuall toyles of the day had neglected the defence they made their troopes to land secretly and marched directly to the Mole it is the Port whereas sometimes the Colosse one of the wonders of the world stood u The Colosse of the Sunne at Rhodes was 70 cubits high of brasse set vpon the port all ships past betwixt the legges It was ouerthrowne by an Earth-quake and laie long vpon the shore Mabia a Captaine of the Sarazens hauing defeated Constant the son of Constantine and nephew to Heraclius in a battell at sea seized vpon Rhodes and sold the mettall of this Colosse to a Iew who laded 900. horse and sent it to Alexandria in the yeare 614. that is to say 1460 yeares after that Charles the Indian an excellent Grauer had made it but found them that attended them who repulst them in such sort as they lost a great number of their companions The Bashaw by these first attempts did iudge of the Issue of the siege thinking that he did beate in vaine against this rocke and that he might win the great Maister by some other meanes he demaunded to speake with him vpon the ditches banke where hee told him that hee wondered at his presumption and rashnesse in seeking to resist so mighty a Prince and obstinately to refuse him tribute x It is a troublesome and importune demand to require a tribute of free-men yea it is insupportable to them that are born to seruitude The King of Castille demanded from Muly Alboacen King of Granado the Tribute and Arrerages to whom the Embassadors answered that the Kings of Granado tributaries to them of Castille were dead and therefore their bond was voyd and that in Granado they carried no more gold nor siluer but heads of Lances Arrowes and such like Armes to turne them against their enemies and to free themselues from seruitude and charge seeing that he could not receiue more honor then to be Tributary to a Prince to whom the greatest of Asia Affricke and Europe paid tribute Although the great Maister did not thinke it fit to spend time in words and answeres for that in such occasions a Generall should not haue his hands on his tongue but his tongue in his hands yet would he not suffer the Bashaw to returne without an answere as without any profite of his discourse and therefore he said vnto him Know that thou hast not to doe with base and effeminate Asians Generous answer of the great Maister but with Christian Knights who are ready to burie themselues in the ruines of this Towne rather then once thinke of yeelding The walles of Rhodes had in few dayes endured 3500 Cannon shot the Towers the Bastions with the goodliest buildings were beaten downe and ruined there was a breach on all parts but in the knights hearts who were resolued to loose themselues rather then to leaue it y Constancy and courage is neuer beter tryed then in Townes besieged whereof there haue been admirable examples seene Some more through obstinacy then reason haue first slaine their wiues and children and then killed one another to win the honour to be constant The Bashaw the more to incourage the Souldiers to an assault gaue them the spoile of the towne and caused it to bee proclaimed by Trumpet declaring that nothing should bee saued but the Infants to bee conducted to the great Turkes Serrail that all the rest should bee put to the Sword hauing caused 8000 stakes to be made to impale them that should be taken aliue All things beeing ready forty thousand Turkes came vnto the assault towards the Iewes wall and the quarter of Ierusalem with such fury as if their Prophet had beene behinde them like vnto the Egyptian Gods z King Amasis making warre against the Arabians caused the statues of the Aegyptians gods whi●h they did worship to bee carried after them to the end they might goe more cheerefully to dangers remembring that they had behinde thē their Gods for spectators and that they were bound to saue them and not to leaue them in their enemies power Polioenus lib. 7. The attempt was so great as the Christistians could not hinder them from planting of their ladders the wall was wonne and their Ensignes set vp in signe of victory but they continued not long the great Maister and Anthony of Aubusson Vicount of Montelier his brother came to succour them they finde many Turkes within the Towne Scalodoe repulst whom they cut in peeces repulst the rest and follow them euen to the Bashawes Pauillion where they take the Turkes standard Royall and carry it to Rhodes They say that in this assault the Turkes saw a This vision is related at large by I. Bosio
were armed Souldiers They entred but seeking to seaze vpon the gate the Portcullis was let downe and they all taken and slaine in the Towne which they would haue surprized the first hauing beene vnlucky and vnfortunate Thus there remained not any Male of the Branch of the Dukes of Lorraine there was not any but that of the yonger brethren of Vaudemont and Guise Branch of Vaudemont The Law preserued the right of the succession for the daughters of René Duke of Aniou and of Isabel of Lorraine Margaret Queene of England being a prisoner pretended not any thing Yoland widdow to Ferry Earle of Vaudemont succeeded Shee was mother to many children and the right of Priority gaue the title of Lorraine to René but Yoland reserued the authority and command vnto her selfe the which held ten yeares René assured himselfe to be Earle of Prouence as he was Duke of Lorraine that his Grandfather by his mother side disposing of his estate would remember him but the King had perswaded him to make Charles of Maine his Nephew his Heire f René Duke of Aniou King of Sicile and Earle of Prouence made his Will at Marsellis the 22. of Iuly 1474. as hee did in all his Estates except in the Dutchy of Bar the which hee gaue to René Duke of Lorraine with the lands of Lambesque and Orgon Hee gaue to Iohn his base sonne the Townes of S. Reny S. Canat and the Marquesat of Pont. They would both haue had Prouence but the good old man to let them know that neither of them should haue it being one day at Table hee cast a shoulder of mutton to two Spannels which fought for it and at the same instant hee let slippe a great Dogge which scattered them and tooke it away It shall bee euen so said René of your affaires you contend for that which one that is more mighty shall carry away This Embleme is yet to bee seene imbost and ingrauen on a cha●re in his Oratory in Saint Sauiours Church at Aix This Discourse grounded vpon the very Originals do contradict the opinion of them that haue written René did not giue Prouence to the King g An errour of some Writers which haue beleeued that which the chronicle hath spoken of this donation making expresse mention that René being at Lyon concluded with the King that after his death the County of Prouence should returne directly vnto the King and bee vnited vnto the Crown that René gaue the Earledome of Prouence to Lewis the eleuenth That the losse of the battell at Gransson hauing altered the minds of many Princes towards the Duke of Bourgundy King René changed that which hee had done to institute him his Heire and that being come to Lyon he flatly renounced his friendship and did consent that Prouence should bee vnited to the Crowne vpon condition that the King should set at liberty his daughter being Widdow to Henry the sixth King of England and prisoner to Edward and that for her ransome hee should pay fifty thousand Crownes that in regard of this summe shee should renounce the pretensions which she might haue vnto Prouence That to content those which the children of his daughter Yoland Dutchesse of Lorraine might also haue hee left them the Lands of Lambesque and Orgon That to make the King know that the declaration of his Will came from his heart with an extraordinary content hee wrot this Donation in letters of Gold with his owne hand and did enrich it with exceeding faire Lymning h Wee must obserue that among the titles which René tooke in Testament hee addes that of Earle of Prouence Barcelona Forcalqueci P●dmont The Testament of this Prince speakes not any one word of King Lewis neither is it found that he made any other notwithstanding that hee came vnto him the yeare following being at Lyon Hee named for Executors of his Will Queene Ioane of Lauall his wife Executors of Renes Testamēt Charles Earle of Mayne his first and cheifest Heire René Duke of Lorraine his second Heire William of Harcourt Earle of Tancaruille Gui of Laual Knight Signior of Louë and Seneschall of Anjou Iohn of Vignolle Deane of Anger 's and President of the Assises and Accounts of Anjou Iohn Pinot Doctor of Diuinty his Confessor Peter Le Roy called Bemanon Vice-Chancellour of Angiers Iohn Buell Doctor of the Lawes and Maister of the Accounts i Beside the contentment which the obseruation of these names may giue vnto those families which haue any interest therein it serues to the curiosity of diuers qualities vnited in the same persons the which at this time seeme incompatible Hee would also that if hee dyed in Prouence the Archbishop of Aix and the great Seneschall of Prouence should bee among the Executors of this Testament The King being aduertised that René Duke of Lorraine made practises in Prouence and fearing that by his meanes King René should change his mind commanded that they should seaze on him k Kings haue long hands and many s●ares to entrap their enemies It is hard to auoid all their ambushes and laid so many ambushes for him as it had beene impossible for him to escape if hee had not speedily recouered Marsellis where hee imbarkt Hee remained three monthes at Sea past into Sicile came to Venice and crossing through the Grisons Country hee arriued in Lorraine neuer complaining of the dangers which had runne nor the time which hee had lost to make hast and flye from an incensed Prince whose clemency is nothing but a wearied seuerity and rigour René had that misfortune which is insupportable to great courages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suruiue the greatnesse of his house Hee saw the Crownes which had honoured the heads of Kings his Predecessours broken Battell of Rocgueseiche Lewis Duke of Anjou his Grand-father second sonne to King Iohn had gotten the second Title of Right vnto the Crowne of Naples but his bad Gouernement after the battell which hee had wonne against Ladislas in the yeare one thousand three hundred foure score and three l At the battell of Rocqueseich the troupes ●f Ladislas were defeated by them of Lewis but the victory was not pursued whē as Ladislas spake of this encounter he said that the first day after the battell his enemies had beene Maisters both of his person and the whole Realme if they done their endeuours to vanquish the second day they might haue beene Lords of the Realme and not of his person if they had followed the victory but the third day they could neither haue had his person nor the Realme whereof hee had reaped not the profite which hee should haue done forced him to quitte Italy where hee had entred with an Army of fifty thousand men and to retire into France grieuing very much at the vnfortunate and ill successe of his enterprises His sonne Lewis the third Duke of Aniou was also declared King
the Sun is far from the Horizon Iudgements are setled vpon that which they see wherefore Machiuel saith It concernes euery man to see and few to feele but in the end the maske falles Hee tooke from the poore to giue vnto Churches and did more oppresse his people with Tributes and Taxes then any other King of his Predecessors and therefore hee made his subiects to bee ill affected vnto him Hee confest himselfe often for that once a weeke hee touched them that were troubled with the Kings euill Curing of the Kings euill It is the onely miracle which hath remained perpetuall in the Christians religion and in the house of France That this griefe whose beginning is an incorrigible ill digestion a hidious vlcer to looke on dangerous to touch and for the most part incurable should bee healed by these words The King toucheth thee and God cures thee is a wonder beyond the reach of discourse and iudgement m That Clouis did first cure the Kings Euill is drawne out of the Epistle of Hormisda a Pope S. Lewis addes to the Ceremony of touching the signe of the Crosse. His arme is at Poblette whither they that are sick of that discase go in pilgrimage to be cured I say aperpetuall miracle The Kings of England haue the same vertue for since Clouis the first Christian King it hath continued to them which succeeded to his Religion and Crowne Other Realmes haue had the like graces giuen them but they haue not continued The Kings of England cured the falling sickenesse they of Hungary the Iaundise and they of Castille those that were possest I could not finde what men he imployed for the seruice of God and the conduct of his conscience n Wee finde that he who was the head directer of Gods seruice in the Kings house was cald Apocris●ire vnder the first race Arch-chaplain in the secōd and great Chaplain or great Almoner vnder the third I reade that besides the great Chaplin or Arch-chaplin hee had two Chaplins and one Clarke of the Chappell and that a Franciscan Fryer called Iohn Vouste did for a long time exercise one of these charges The Chronicle saith that a little before his death hee made a Doctor of Tours called Maister Martin Magistri his Councellour and Almoner who dyed at Clerry after the voyage of Saint Claude In the accounts and expences of his House wee finde that hee bound the Citty of Tours to giue euery day in the Weeke Friday and Saturday excepted a peece of Royall Beefe a foote square to the Lepers and Hospitall of Tours and for the performance thereof gaue a hundred pounds sterling to bee imployed in the purchase of lands for the foundation of this peece Leprosie which growes from an Adust and Melancholy bloud demands meates that are lesse earthly o The aire water and nourishmēt may not only alter the temperature of bodies but also of the minde Sunt qui non corpora tantū verum etiam animos valeāt mutare liquores being certaine that nourishment ingenders diseases and being ingendred entertaines them Hee granted vnto the holy Chappell at the Palace of Paris the moities of the Regalities to bee imployed in the entertainment of the Church and Ornaments Hee founded the Religious Nuns of the Aue Marie which was the ancient Conuent of the Beguines a kinde of Religion which was as it were Neuter betwixt the Maries and other religious Women his picture and that of Queene Charlotte is to bee seene in the quire in glasse He did enrich the Church of our Lady of Clery and of Victory with great reuenues Being at Lyon in the yeare 1476. he gaue vnto the Chapter of the Church of Foruiere p This Church is on●● of the most remarkable Antiquities of the C●tty of Lyons The word of ● oruiere comes from Forum veneris or Forum vetus It is much bo●nd to the memory of Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury the rents and guards of S. Simphorien le Chastel and the Farme of the Chastelenie of Charlien to binde them to say certaine Masses daily in a Chappell called Our Lady of good Councell The letters of dispatch shewe the great deuotion of this Prince to the seruice of the virgin Mary and begin in these tearmes Hauing had consideration of the great and singular graces which God our Creator hath heretofore done vs at the Intercession of his blessed Mother the glorious virgin Mary in whom after God her sonne we haue alwayes had our chiefe refuge and hope and who in the conduct of our greatest affaires hath alwayes imparted vnto vs her grace and Intercession to God her sonne so as by her meanes and aid our Realmes and Signiories are by the grace of God preserued entertained and remaine in peace vnder vs and our true obedience notwithstanding any enterprises practises and conspiracies which haue beene made since our comming to the Crowne against vs and our said Realme Signiory and Subiects as well by our enemies and aduersaries as other our rebels and disobedient subiects their adherents and complices He did institute many godly things the obseruation whereof hath continued vnto our times q The institution of the prayer which is made at noone by the sound of a bed was the first day of May 1472. his deuotion to the virgin Mary made him ordaine that at noon-day euery man should pray at the sound of a bell and say the salutation of the Angell for the peace of the Realme The Emperour Charlemaine had great and eminent vertues The commendatiō of Charlemaigne hee declared himselfe enemy to Didier King of the Lombardes who had reuolted against the Pope he pacified Italy subdued the Saxons and expelled the Sarazens out of Spaine But this enterprise was greater and more hardy then profitable and needfull for Gannes otherwise called Gannelon betrayed him and was the cause of that memorable defeat of Roncivaux r In the valley of Ronceuaux dyed these valiant Captaines Rowland Reynold of Montauban and Ogier the Dane Charlemaigne made these foure verses vpon the death of Rowland his sisters sonnes Tu patriam repetis tristi nos orbe relinquis Te tenet aula nitens nos lachrymosa dies Sed qui lustra geris octo binos super annos Ereptus terris iustus ad astra redis where those braue and generous knights were lost whose incredible valour is no more beleeued then the truth of the Romance He ioyned the Roman Empire to the Monarchy of France But the Emperiall Diadem did not cure the great afflictions of the minde which he had all the time of his Empire by the reuolt of the Sarazens in Spaine the Sclauonians or Danes and the Normans Three yeares before his death at the age of 68 yeares he gaue himselfe to holy contemplation and to the care of Religion and the Church Founder of the Vniuersity of Paris he erected the Vniuersity of Paris by the aduice of Alcuin
old make the good wine In all that he vndertooke hee shewed the force of his spirit speaking of Armes hee seemed neuer to haue done any other thing but fight with men and besiege places and discoursing of affaires of Estate he seemed to haue past his whole life in Councell b Great Spirits are alwaies entire in any thing they deale in When as Cato had Armes in hand bee seemed neuer to haue practised any other thing When as hee spake of Sciences a man would haue said hee had neuer gone out of the Vniuersity Hee informed himselfe curiously and exactly of all things and of all persons whom he knew not to be capable to shew any arte or disguising A Prince addes much esteeme and respect vnto his reputation when as he beleeues that he knowes all Phillip de Commines obserues an effect of his wisedome to sow discord and diuision among those that would agree against his seruice King Lewis our Maister vnderstood that Art better to diuide men then any other Prince that I euer knew and hee spared neither his Siluer Goods nor Paines not onely towards the Maisters but also to the seruants c The must heare all things to draw profi●e from them Valetius Publicola is praysed by Plutarch for the liberty hee gaue euery man to enforme● him of that which concerned him And Isocrates doth therefore commend Euagoras King of Cypres But there must bee great discretion in that which is spoken with and against priuate men Another act of his wisedome to haue kindled and entertained the fire which did consume the forces and burnt to ashes the ambition of his enemie In causing the instruments of the warre of Germany Swisserland and Lorraine to moue he remained at peace Hee had meanes to discharge his Realme of the vnprofitable burthen of men which cannot liue but in trouble As the flowing and ebbing is necessary for the Sea to discharge it of the great scumme and filth which a calme gathers together so a great Empire must purge it selfe and cast forth the bad humours which a dead and idle life drawes together Although his promptnesse in speaking hath oftentimes hurt him Silence a soule of great actions yet would hee haue it knowne that his very Hat had no part of his secrets Silence is the Pole and Axletree of enterprises the which must not onely be in words but also in gesture and countenance for the eyes and the face are the dumbe interpreters of the mind d He that doth manage a great designe must know how to gouern his tongue but much more his minde for Polybius saith that many haue discouered by their faces the designes which they haue kept in their hearts They cannot be executed but at certaine times vpon certaine places with certaine men and by certaine meanes if the one or the other be neglected or discouerd all must go to smoake The concurrence of many things is necessary for the execution of a designe the failing of one is able to ruine it but there is neuer enough when they talke too much Wisedome hath also cause to complaine of his tongue Hee hath often paid for the liberty of his speech But who can impose silence to Princes The liberty of Speech is a marke of their authority it is the point and seasoning of discourse but the diuersity of occasion makes it perilous It sometimes offends the most mild and patient spirits and as euery wound hath his griefe so there is not any wound that seemes light to him that feeles it and oftentimes they fall into incurable vlcers e Nothing can happen more troublesome to free men then to bee debarred of the liberty of free speech The liberty of free Discourse saith Democrates is a signe of courage and generosity There are houres when wee may not speake anything A rule how to speake others when we may speake some thing but none when wee may speake all Besides the exact intelligence of his affaires he had a great iudgement in the choice of men and an admirable wisedome to entertaine them and keepe them He esteemed them bound them vnto him and did not suffer them to languish in any discontent nor to attend the fruits of their seruice He knew how to lay the stone-worke to enrich the Iewell and to beautefie it with Amaile gold and ornament Hee not onely knew them of his Realme that were most capable to be imployed in diuers functions for his seruice but also who were the most worthy Ministers with Neighbour Princes Hee knew in what heads did reside the sufficiency of England Spaine and Portugall and did not cease This great and profitable skill to diuide their minds that might hurt him did not onely stetch to the seruants and ministers of the same Prince but he knew how to diuide Princes of one bloud and family He did gouerne the affections of Sigismond at his pleasure n The Archduke Sigismond of Austria was wonne by the King whose party hee followed both against the Duke of Bourgondy and the Archduke Maximilian He reuoked the adoption which hee had made in his fauour beleeuing them that sayd that to shorten his hopes hee would shorten his life and turned him sometimes against the Archduke Maximilian his perswasion being of such force with this Prince who was good and tractable as he made him beleeue that Maximilian had designes against his life the sooner to get possession of his Estates which were assured him after his death Sigismond in the end discouered this fraud and found that the ruine of the Archduke his Nephew toucht him so neere as the Franch-County could not bee lost but the County of Feret would be also exposed to great danger and had great subiect to apprehend the increase of greatnesse of so mighty a neighbour and therefore hee yeelded to a leuie of some troopes in his Estates of Elsasse and Ferret which were imployed to relieue and defend Dole the chiefe Town of the Franch County which was besieged by the Lord of Chaumont of Ambois The King found meanes in loosing Sigismond to winne the Captaines that led the Troopes so as they suffered a great number of Franke Archers of the Kings Campe to slippe into the Towne with their Troopes who seizing vpon the Gates gaue entry to the rest of the Armie The Towne was exposed to sacke and pillage Sacke and desolation of Do●e both of the enemies and of strangers and fire made an end to ruine that which the Souldiers could not spoyle or carry away neither was there any house exempt but whereas the Generall was lodged o A lamentable example of the misery of those Townes which are relieued by forraigne forces whose fidelity being gotten maintained by money depends alwayes of him that offers most From that time Dole was called the Dolorous By the same skill of winning men and knowing how to vnknit knots without cutting the Corde hee had at his deuotion the most confident
hath neither enemy nor misfortune cannot make accoūt of the force of his courage Mis●rum te esse iudico qui nunquam tue●is miser traxisti sine aduersario vitā Nemo scit quid potueris neque tu quidem ipse Opus est enim ad sui notitiam experimento Quid quisque possit non nisi tentando didicit I hold thee miserable that wer● neuer wretched and hast drawn forth thy life without an enemy No Man knowes what thou canst do no nor thou thy selfe It is needfull to haue experiēce to know ones selfe No man hath learned what he can do but by tryall no man can iudge of his good fortune nor her forces if hee hath not tryed those of mis-fortune and the vigor of his enemies Shee is a learned mistresse in all professions and makes that ruines ship-wracks and routs produce the precepts which frame sufficiency and assure the iudgements of Architects Pilots and Captaines Hee gaue Military charges to them that were capable to discharge them he loued men that were resolute to dangers and did them good By the Capitulation of the Castle of Hedin Flamen of Launoy who was gouernour remained in the Kings seruice k There is no other thing to bee considered in the prouisiō of great Offices which cannot bee executed but in presence person but experience and sufficiency Tiberius regarded the quality of the birth so as it were seconded by proofes of vertue Mandabat honores nobilitatem maiorum claritudinem militiae illustras domi artes spectando vt satis constaret non alios potiores fuisse He gaue honours respecting the Nobility of the Ancestors their valour in warre and their good deserts at home so as it might appeare there were not any more worthy Tacit. all his lands being then in the Conquerours power and dominions the King gaue a pension to Raoul of Launoy his sonne After the siege of Hedin the King did batter Quesnoy le Comte made a breach and gaue an assault Raoul of Launoy to begin his seruice by some notable proofe of his courage and valour did clime vp the ruines of the Wall through the blowes fire and flame so couragiously as the King seeing and admiring his courage said aloud Hee is too furious hee must be bound The place being taken by assault the king sent for him and said vnto him Passion of God my friend thou art but too furious in a fight we must binde you to moderate your heate for I will not loose you desiring to make vse of your seruice more then once And in saying so he put a Chaine about his necke of fiue hundred Crownes and gaue him a company of foot-men l The presents and rewards of Princes are Chaines and Manacles which bind and captiuate mens affections Hee was made Bailiffe of Amiens and Lieutenant for the King at Genoa They of his house haue for a long time carried a Chaine about the Scutchion of their Armes in remembrance of this gratification Armes then were the delight of this Prince in his youth wisedome gaue him Maximes contrary to those of his courage when hee was king and yet in all places wither hee sent his Armies commanded by his Liutenants and in those where hee was himselfe vpon the Frontier of Flanders hee alwayes made it knowne that his wisedome to resolue and his presence to execute made the principall part of the happinesse of his affaires He had all the time of his reigne Armies on foote Contempt of discipline in Souldiers and they giue him the honour to haue entertained greater and more mightie Armies then his Predecessors m One demanded of Agesilaus what parts were requisite to make a great Captaine hee answered Courage against his enemies and wisedome and iudgement to make vse of occasions and to haue had more care of Men of Warre Fortresses and Artillery All this is seene in the Precedent booke speaking of his new erection of Troopes to haue alwayes the body of a great Armie ready to guard his Estate and person and to suppresse any sudden reuolt holding it indiscretion to attend necessity for the leuying of Souldiers They of his time liued very licentiously The complaints that were made presently after his death n An Estate should haue ordinary extraordinary forces the ordinary is vnderstood of Companies which are entertained in Forts and neere vnto the Prince the extraordinary is in Armes which are leuied entertained and imploied in occasions of warre to the Estates at Tours vpon this subiect were vehement and it was particularly said That the men at Armes the Gentlemen of the Ban the Franke Archers and the Suissers had done infinite harme vnto the people that the Souldiers not contenting themselues with the goods they found in the labourers houses forced them with cudgels to goe and fetch Wine Fish Spices and other excessiue things from the Towne King Lewis the eleuenth sought to remedy these disorders and to settle discipline to make the Souldiers more modest and moderate o Military discipline consists in three poynts Continency Modesty and Abstinency By the first they avoyd voluptuousnesse which makes courage fainte By the second they frame thēselues to valor and it hath these three poynts Velle vereri obedire to Will to feare and to obey By the third they are content to doe that which is allowed and to hold their hands free from all violence But hee did it not effectually for his Edicts had neither constancy nor execution Edict to reforme Souldiers The Chronicle saith that in the yeare 1474. being at Creil hee made an Edict touching the Men at Armes of his Realme by the which hee declared That a Launce should keepe but sixe horses that is to say the Launce three horses for himselfe his Page and Cutler and the two Archers two horses and one horse for the Groome and that they should no more haue Paniers to carry their Armes and withal they should not lodge aboue one day in a village And moreouerit was proclaimed That no Merchant should sell vnto the said Men at Armes or lend any Silkes and Chamblets vpon paine of loosing the money which the said Souldiers might owe them by reason thereof and also that they should not sell vnto them any woolen-cloath of aboue three shillings three pence an Ell. The disorder of Silkes was as great in those times as it had been little knowne in precedent Ages p PHILIP the faire made an Ordonance for the reformation of apparrel according to the condition and difference of persons There was no mention made of Silkes for that the vse was not common nor known in France It allowes a Duke Earle or Baron of sixe hundred pounds sterling a yeare rent or more to make foure suits of apparrell euery yeare and no more and as many for their wiues and forbids Lawyers and Clarkes which are not in dignity to make Gownes for their bodies of cloth of aboue sixteene Soulz the Ell
of the wise negotiation of the Lord of Imbercourt to draw in the Duke One of the greatest signes of Iudgement that a Prince can shew is to draw vnto him vertuous and honest men For he shall be held in the opinion of the world to be of the disposition and humour of such as are neerest about him God hath not ordained the Office of a King or Prince to be executed by beasts nor by them who through vaine glory say I am no Clarke I refer all to my Councell I trust in them and so giuing no other reason go to their sports If they had beene well bred in their youth they would haue other reasons and bee desirous that both their persons and vertues should be esteemed God cannot send a greater plague vnto a Country then a Prince of weake vnderstanding for from thence proceed all other miseries First growes diuision and warre for he alwaies puts his authority into an other mans hand the which hee should be more carefull to keepe then any other thing and from this diuision proceeds famine and pestilence and all other mischiefes which depend of warre Princes hate them mortally that seeke to keepe them in feare Wise Princes do alwaies in their Designes seeke some honest and apparant coulour Example in Lewis the eleuenth who caused the Estates to assemble at Tours and there made his complaints against the Duke of Bourgundy to haue a Subiect to breake the peace Of those bad Princes and others hauing authority in this world which vse it cruelly and tyrannously not any or few haue remained vnpunished but it is not alwaies at a prefixed day nor at such time as they that suffer desire it It is no blemish to Princes to be suspitious and to haue an eye ouer those that go and come But it is a great shame to be deceiued and to loose by his owne errour yet suspitions should haue a meane for to exceed is not good A weake and couetous Prince endureth any thing Example in the Emperour Fredericke whom the Authour cals a man of a faint courage and who endured all for feare of spending There is no reason a Prince should thrust himselfe into danger for a small matter Lib. 1. chap. 1. if God hath not abandoned him Example in the Duke of Bourgundy who vndertooke a war against the Suisses for a very light occasion and without hope of profite considering the nature of the people and country Princes giue not honours and riches at their pleasures that demand them In the 〈◊〉 Princes feare not to thrust a seruant into danger if neede require Lib. 3. The Duke of Bourgundy had commanded Phillip de Commines to go to Calice which he durst not do without some assurance The Duke commanded him to passe on although he should be taken promising to redeeme him A Prince gouerned by other counsell then his owne doth in the end returne to that which is most necessary for him Lib. 3. chap. 10. Example in the Duke of Brittany A Prince should alwaies feare to put any thing in hazard Lib. 6. chap. 2. There is not any man Lib. 6. chap. 12. of what dignity soeuer but doth suffer either in secret or in publicke and especially they that cause others to suffer The condition of two Princes which haue beene enemies is therin miserable that they cannot by any meanes assure themselues one of an other Example in Lewis the eleuenth and Charles Duke of Bourgundy When they were together at Leige there were not fifteene daies past that they had made and sworne a Peace and yet saith the Authour there was no trust The old age of a Prince makes him patiently to endure many things Lib. 1. chap. 2. Example of the Duke of Bourgundy who dissembled that which the Earle of Charolois his sonne did against the house of Croüy Realmes GOD hath had Lib. 4. chap. 7. and hath still the Realme of France in speciall recommendation The diuisions of Realmes are made in heauen Lib. 1. chap. 3. Example of the houses of Lancaster and Yorke and of the crownes of Castile and Portugall Lib. 5. chap. 18. God hath giuen to the Realme of France the English for Opposites Lib. 3. chap. 18. and to the English Scots to Spaine Portugall to Castile Grenado to the Princes of Italy the Common-weales to the house of Arragon the house of Anjou to the Sforca's that of Orleans to that of Austria that of Bauaria and the Swisses to that of Cleues that of Guelders to that of Guelders that of Iuliers The Princes and Townes of Germany are opposite one to another and it is necessary it should be so throughout the world Salique Law VVIth wise and great deliberation Lib. 6. chap. 3. and the Assistance of Gods Grace that Law and Ordonance was made in France that the daughters should not inherite the said Realme least it should fall into the hands of a forraigne Prince for hardly should the French euer haue endured it neither do other Nations And in the end there is no great command whereas the Country doth not remaine to them which are of the Country the which you may see by France whereas the English haue had a great command within these forty yeares and at this day they haue nothing left but Callice and two little Castles which cost them much to keepe The rest they lost with much more ease then they conquered it and they lost more in one day then they got in a yeare The like wee may say by the Realme of Naples the Iland of Sicile and other Prouinces which the French haue enioyed many yeares and at this day there is no signe nor memory of them but by the Sepulchres of their Predecessours And although they should endure a Prince of a Forraine Nation with a small traine well ordered and himselfe wise yet shall they hardly do it with a great number of men For if he brings with him a great Traine or he sends for them vpon any occasion of warre they fall out with the Subiects as well for the diuersity of their humours and conditions as for their violence and for that they are not beloued in the Countrey as they that are borne there and especially when they seeke Offices Dignities and the Managing of great affaires in the Country A Prince that will shew himselfe wise when he goes into a Forraine Country must reconcile all his Townes and if he bee endowed with this vertue which onely comes from the grace of God it is to be esteemed before any other thing And if hee liue the age of a man hee shall haue great troubles and affaires and all they that shall liue vnder him especially when hee shall come to age and his men and seruants shall haue no hope of amendement Enterueiw of Princes IT is almost impossible that two great Lords shall euer agree Lib. 1. chap. 14. for the reports and suspitions which they haue howerly