as the Duke of Sommerset did with the house of Lancaster To be short these wars indured so long that all they of the houses of Warwick and Sommerset were either slaine or beheaded in them King Edward caused afterward his owne brother the Duke of Clarence to be drowned in a Butt of malmesey charging him that he ment to make himselfe King but after King Edwards death his other brother the Duke of Glocester murthered the said Kings two sonnes proclaimed his daughters bastards and vsurped the crowne Immediately after the which cruell deed the Earle of Richmond now King who had been prisoner many yeeres in Britaine passed into England and discomfited and slew in battell this bloody King Richard late murtherer of his two nephewes Thus haue there died in England in these ciuill wars since my remembrance aboue fowerscore persons of the blood Royall part of the which I my selfe knew part vnderstood of by the English men resident with the Duke of Burgundie at the same time that I serued him Wherfore you see it is not at Paris onely nor in Fraunce alone that men fall at variance for worldly goods and honors But sure all Kings and great Princes ought to take heed that they suffer not factions to arise in their courts for thereof kindleth the fire that consumeth their whole countrey in the end Notwithstanding such alterations happen not in mine opinion but by Gods disposition for when Princes and realmes haue long florished in great wealth and prosperitie and forget from whence all these benefits proceede God raiseth vp an enimie against them whom they neuer feared nor stood in doubt of as appeereth by the Kings mentioned in the Bible and by that also which hath hapned and daily doth happen not onely in England and in these countries of Burgundie but in diuers other places also The Notes 1 The last of Iuly arriued the French Kings ambassadors at the treaty of Arras Annal. Burg. so that the treaty began in the beginning of August and the English men departed discontented the 6. of December Annal. Bur. and the treatie ended the 21. of September but De la Marche saith the 10. of December Meyer 11. Calen. Octob. which agreeth with Annal. Burg. 2 At the treatie vvas present Philip D. of Burgundie himselfe La Marche Meyer 3 Our Chronicles report that the Duke of Yorke vvith diuers others slaine in the battell and the Earle of Salisbury father to the Earle of VVarvvick vvho vvas taken prisoner in the battell vvere behedded and their heds sent to Yorke in derision but I remember not that the Earle of VVarvvick vvas behedded after he vvas slaine and I suppose the vnskilfull corrector hath here omitted a vvord or tvvo and that vve must read in place of Luy le Comte de Warwic Luy le pere du Comte de Warwic 4 The Earles of Marche and VVarvvick vvent to Calice before the Duke of Yorke vvas slaine or ouerthrowen in battell for they fled from Ludlovv lying in campe there against the kings force bicause they found themselues too vveake and their counsels betrayed by Andrew Trowlop vvho fled from them to the King How King Lewis entred into Paris while the Princes of Fraunce practised with the citizens Chap. 8. I Haue been long in this discourse and it is now time to returne to the historie After the Princes were come before Paris they began to practise with the citizens promising offices and great rewards to diuers and omitting nothing that might further their purpose At three daies end the citizens assembled togither in the towne hall where when they had long debated these matters and heard the Princes requests demands made openly to them for the benefit of the whole realme as they pretended they determined to send ambassadors to them to treate of peace according to the which determination a great number of the best citizens came to Saint Mor where the Princes lay and Master VVilliam Chartier then Bishop of Paris a notable prelate declared the citizens embassage and for the Princes the Earle of Dunois was appointed to be mouth The Duke of Berry the Kings brother was president of this Councill sitting in a chaire and all the other Princes standing about him On the one side stood the Dukes of Britaine and Calabria and on the other the Earle of Charolois armed at all peeces saue the head peece and vantbrases and wearing vpon his quirage a short cloke maruellous rich for he came from Conflans and Bois-de-Vincennes being well manned was held for the King wherefore it stood him vpon to come armed and well accompanied The Princes request was to enter into Paris to confer with the citizens about the reformation of the state which they said was euill gouerned charging the King with diuers disorders The citizens gaue them very lowly and humble language desiring respite before they could make any resolute answer yet notwithstanding this delay the King was afterward discontented both with the Bishop and the rest that accompanied him Thus returned these ambassadors into the towne continuing still their former practise for euery one of the Princes talked with them apart and I am of opinion that some of them had agreed secretly to suffer the Princes in their owne persons to enter the towne and their men also if they so thought good by small troupes which practise if it had taken effect had not onely been the winning of the towne but the atchieuing of the whole enterprise For the citizens would easily haue been brought for diuers considerations to reuolt to them and so consequently all the other townes in the realme But God put wise counsell into the Kings head which also he executed accordingly being alreadie aduertised of all these practises Before the ambassadors that were returned from the Princes had made their report the King in person entred the towne of Paris accompanied like a prince that commeth to relieue his people for he brought with him into the towne two thousand men of armes all the nobles of Normandie a great number of franke archers and all his owne seruants pensioners and others that vse to accompanie the King in such affaires Thus this practise was broken off and all the people altered their mindes neither durst any of them that had been with vs make farther mention of the Princes demaunds Some of them also sped but euill for that they had alreadie done notwithstanding the King vsed no extremitie towards them 1 but some lost their offices and others were sent to dwell in other places for the which easie reuenge the King vndoubtedly deserued great commendation considering that if this practise begun had taken effect the best that could haue happened to him had been to forsake his realme which also was his resolution For as himselfe hath often told me if he could not haue entred into Paris but had found the towne reuolted he would haue retired to the Switzers or to Francis Duke of Milan whom he accounted
Prince of Wales sonne to King Henry attempt to set vp againe the house of Lancaster passe with the said Prince into England discomfited in the field and slaine both he his brethren and kinsfolks and diuers other noble men of England who in times past had done the like to their enimies After all this the children of these when the world turned reuenged themselues and caused in like maner the others to die which plagues we may be assured hapned not but by the wrath of God But as before I said the realme of England hath this speciall grace aboue all other realmes and dominions that in ciuill wars the people is not destroied the towns be not burned nor razed but the lot of fortune falleth vpon the soldiers especially the gentlemen whom the people enuy to too beyond reason for nothing is perfect in this world After King Edvvard was quiet in his realme and receiued yeerely out of Fraunce fifty thousand crownes paid him in the tower of London and was growen so rich that richer he could not be he died suddenly as it were of melancholy bicause of our Kings mariage that now raigneth with the Lady Margaret the Duke of Austriches daughter For so soone as he was aduertised thereof he fell sicke and began then to perceiue how he had been abused touching the mariage of his daughter whom he made to be named the Lady Daulphinesse Then also was the pension which he receiued out of Fraunce taken from him which he called tribute although indeed it were neither the one nor the other as before I haue declared 10 K. Edward left by his wife two goodly sonnes one Prince of Wales the other D. of Yorke and two daughters The D. of Glocester his brother tooke vpon him the gouernment of his nephew the Prince of Wales being about ten yeeres of age and did homage to him as to his soueraigne Lord and lead him to London pretending that he would there crowne him King hoping by that meanes to get the other brother out of the Sanctuary at London where he was with his mother who began already to be iealous of his proceedings To be short by meanes of the Bishop of Bathe who hauing been somtime of K. Edwards Councell fell afterward into his disgrace and was put in prison and made to fine for his deliuerance the D. of Glocester executed this exploit which you shall now heare This Bishop aduertised the Duke that K. Edvvard being in loue with a certaine Lady promised hir mariage vpon condition that he might lie with hir wherunto she consented so far foorth that the said Bishop maried them togither none being present but they two and he himselfe Which matter this Bishop being a iolly courtier neuer disclosed during K. Edvvards life but caused also the said Lady to conceale it so that it was kept secret After this the said King falling againe in loue maried the daughter of an English knight called the Lord Riuers being a widow and mother of two sonnes But after K. Edvvards death this Bishop of Bathe reuealed this matter to the D. of Glocester whereby he egged him forward not a little to the executing of his mischieuous pretended enterprise For the said D. murthered his two nephewes crowned himselfe King by the name of Richard the third proclaimed his brothers two daughters bastards in open parlament tooke from them their armes and put to death all the faithull seruants of the late King his brother at the least as many as he could lay hands on But this cruelty remained not long vnpunished for when the said King Richard thought himselfe safest and liued in greater pride than any King of England did these hundred yeeres hauing put to death the Duke of Buckingham and hauing a great army in a readines God raised vp an enimy against him of no force I meane the Earle of Richmond then prisoner in Britaine but now King of England of the house of Lancaster though not This error of Commines touching K. Henry the 7. you shall finde controuled by the peâ—egree in the end of this booke the neerest to the crowne 11 whatsoeuer men say at the least so far as I can learne The said Earle told me a little before his departure out of this realme that from the fift yeere of his age he had liued continually like a prisoner a banished man And indeed he had been fifteene yeeres or therabout prisoner in Britaine to Duke Frances that last died into whose hands he fell by tempest of the sea as he fled into Fraunce accompanied with the Earle of Pembroke his vncle I my selfe saw them when they arriued for I was come of a message to the D. at the same time The Duke entreated them gently for prisoners after King Edwards death lent the said Earle great force of men a great nauie with the which he sent him hauing intelligence with the Duke of Buckingham who for this cause was afterward put to death to lande in England but the winde was against him and the seas so rough that he was forced to returne to Diepe and from thence by land into Britaine From whence soone after he departed with his band into Fraunce without taking leaue of the Duke partly bicause he feared to ouercharge the Duke for he had with him fiue hundred English men and partly bicause he doubted lest the Duke would agree with King Richard to his preiudice for he knew that King Richard practised with him to that ende Soone after the King that now is appointed three or fower thousand men to waft him ouer onely and deliuered those that accompanied him a good summe of money and certaine peeces of artillerie and thus passed he ouer in a ship of Normandie to land in Wales where he was borne King Richard foorthwith marched against him but a kinght of England called the Lord Stanley who was married to the Earles mother ioined himselfe with the Earle and brought vnto him at the least 26000. men 12 The battell was giuen King Richard slaine and the Earle crowned King in the field with the said Richards crowne Will you saie that this was fortune No no it was the iudgement of God and for further proofe thereof marke this also Immediately after the King had murthered his two nephews he lost his wife whom some say he murthered also Further he had but one onely sonne who died in like maner incontinent after this murther This example would haue serued better heereafter when I shall speake of King Edwards death for he was yet liuing at the time my former Chapter treateth of but I haue rehearsed it heere to continue my discourse which I am fallen into In like maner we haue seene of late the crowne of Spaine altered after the death of Dom Henry that last died For the said Dom Henry had to wife the King of Portugales sister last deceased by whom he had issue a goodly daughter which notwithstanding succeeded not hir father but was
Glocester who had vsurped the crowne of England signing his letters by the name of Richard cruelly murthered the King his brothers two children This King Richard sought the Kings friendship was desirous as I suppose to haue this pension paid also vnto him But the K. would make no answer to his letters neither giue his messenger audience but esteemed him a wicked cruell tyrant For after K. Edvvards death the said Duke of Glocester had done homage to his nephew as to his soueraigne Lord and King and yet immediately thereupon committed this murther and caused in open parlament the said King Edvvards two daughters to be degraded proclaimed bastards vnder colour of a certaine matter which he prooued by the testimonie of a bishop of Bathe who somtime had been in great credit with King Edvvard but afterward fell into his disgrace and was laid in prison and made to fine for his deliuerance This Bishop affirmed that King Edvvard being in loue with a certaine gentlewoman in England whom he named promised hir marriage to haue his pleasure of hir which promise he said was made in his presence and thereupon the King lay with hir minding onely to abuse hir Such pastimes are very dangerous especially when such poofe may be brought foorth But I haue knowne many a courtier that would not haue lost a good aduenture that liked him in such a case for want of promise This wicked Bishop buried reuenge in his hart the space of twenty yeeres But God plagued him for his wickednes for he had a sonne whom he loued entirely and whom King Richard so much fauored that he meant to giue him to wife one of these two daughters degraded from their dignitie at this present Queene of England and mother of two goodly children The said sonne being in a ship of war by King Richard his Masters commandement was taken vpon the coast of Normandie and bicause of the contention that fell betweene those that tooke him led to the court parlament of Paris and there put in prison in the petit Chastellet where in the end he starued for hunger and pouertie As touching King Richard he liued not long vnpunished for God raised vp an enimy against him euen at This error you are admonished of before that very instant being poore hauing no right to the crowne of England as I suppose and of no estimation saue that as touching his owne person he was well conditioned and had endured many troubles For the greatest part of his life he had been prisoner in Britaine to Duke Francis who entertained him well for a prisoner from the eighteenth yeere of his age This Earle of Richmond being furnished by the King with a small summe of money and three thousand men leuied in Normandie of the vnthriftiest persons in the countrey passed ouer into Wales where his father in lawe the Lord Stanley met him with sixe and twenty thousand men at the least And within three or fower daies after he encountred this cruell King Richard who was slaine in the field and the Earle crowned King and raigneth yet at this day in England Of this matter I haue made mention before but it was not amisse to rehearse it heere againe to shew thereby how God hath plagued in our time such crueltie almost immediately after the fault committed Diuers other such like punishments hath he shewed also in this our age if a man would stand to rehearse them all How the King behaued himselfe towards his neighbors and subiects during the time of his sicknes and how diuers things were sent him from diuers places for the recouerie of his health Chap. 10. THis mariage of Flaunders so much desired by the King was thus accomplished as you haue heard by meanes wherof he had the Flemmings at his commandement Britaine which he so much hated was in peace with him but liued in continuall ielousie bicause of the great number of soldiers he had in garrison vpon their frontiers Spaine was quiet and the King and Queene thereof desired nothing more then his amity and friendship for he kept them in feare and continuall charge bicause of the countrey of Roussillon which he held from the house of Arragon being engaged to him by Iohn King of Arragon father to the King of Castile now raigning vnder certaine conditions yet vnperformed As touching the Princes Seniories of Italy they desired to haue him their friend and were in league with him and sent often their ambassadors to him In Almaine he had the Swissers as obedient to him as his owne subiects The King of Scotland and Portugale were his confederates part of the realme of Nauarre was wholie at his deuotion his subiects trembled before him and his commandements were executed incontinent without delay or excuse As touching those things that were thought necessarie for his health they were sent him out of all parts of the world Pope Sixtus that last died being informed that the King of deuotion desired to haue the corporall vpon the which Saint Peter song masse sent it him incontinent with diuers other relickes which were conueied backe againe to Rome The holie viole which is at Reims and neuer had been remooued thence was brought into his chamber to Plessis and stood vpon his cupboord at the hower of his death he was determined to be annointed therwith as at his coronation But many supposed that he wold haue anointed all his body with it which is vnlikely for the said holy viole is very small and containeth not much oile I saw it both at the time I now speake of and also when the King was buried at Nostre-dame-de-Clery The Turke that now raigneth sent an ambassador to him who came as far as Rhiue in Prouence 1 but the King would not heare his message neither permit him to passe any further The said ambassador brought him a great role of relickes remaining yet at Constantinople in the Turks hands all the which he offered him togither with a great summe of money if he would keepe in safe custodie the said Turks brother who was then in this realme in the hands of the knights of the Rhodes and is now at Rome in the Popes keeping By all this aboue rehearsed a man may perceiue how great the King our Masters wisdome and authority was how he was esteemed through the whole world and how all things 2 as well spirituall of deuotion and religion as also temporall were imploied for the prolonging of his life But all would not helpe there was no remedy needes he must go the way his predecessors went before him one great grace God shewed him that as he created him wiser liberaller and more vertuous in all things than the Princes that raigned in his time being his enimies and neighbors and as he surmounted them in all good things so did he also passe them in long life though not much For Duke Charles of Burgundy the Duchesse his daughter King Edvvard Duke Galeas of
England and how the King of England passed the sea and besieged Bolloin and of the peace betweene the King and him and of the surprising of Arras and Saint Omers by the King of Romains men Chap. 7. KIng Edvvard the fourth the same that met with King Levvis the eleuenth at Picquigny dying in the yeere 1483 left behinde him two sonnes being very yoong and diuers daughters the gouernment of the which sonnes togither with the realme was committed to the Duke of Glocester King Edvvaras brother but he most â—nnaturally murthered his two nephewes slewe those of the nobilitie that he thought would impugne his proceeding and vsurped the crowne In the end the Duke of Buckingham who had takerpart with the Duke of Glocester who intituled himselfe King Richard in all his actions fell at variance with him and sollicited Henry Earle of Richmond that had liued many yeeres in Britaine as a banished man to passe ouer into England promising him a great armie to ioine with him so soone as he should be landed The Earle communicated this matter with Peter Landois who wholie at that time gouerned the Duke of Britaine The said Landois hoping that the Earle if by his meanes he obtained the realme of England would giue him aide to reuenge him of his enimies perswaded the Duke of Britaine to succour him in his enterprise who furnished him of three great ships well manned with soldiers which tooke sea and sailed towards England but when they were readie to land the Earle was aduertised that the Duke of Buckingham was beheaded his army defeated and all his faction ouerthrowen and that King Richard lay with a great army vpon the sea coast attending his landing Vpon which news the Earle of Richmond returned thinking to recouer the coast of Britaine from whence he was departed but tempest draue him vpon the coast of Normandy where he was forced to take land The Ladie of Beauieu being aduertised thereof sent vnto him desiring him to come to speake with the King and so he did The King curteously receiued him and entertained him well Afterward he returned to Vannes in Britaine there to remaine as before attending some better opportunitie But Peter Laudois seeing himselfe disappointed of his purpose altered his minde and practised with King Richard to deliuer the Earle of Richmond into his hands who being aduertised thereof vnder colour of going a hauking one morning with ten or twelue horses fled into France to King Charles who not long after furnished the Earle of ships and a good number of soldiers to accompany him into England where by the helpe of the French and of diuers of his owne kinsmen who had called him into England and tooke part with him he slew King Richard in the field was himselfe crowned King in his place This good turne of King Charles togither with the desire the King of England had to liue quietly at home in his countrey and to gather wealth was the cause that King Henry during al the wars and troubles in Britain aboue mentioned had not passed his forces into Fraunce notwithstanding that he had been often earnestly sollicited thereunto both by the Duke of Britaine and the Earle of Dunois and others of that faction For ordinarily when any troubles arise in Fraunce our neighbors especially the Englishmen within a yeere are bidden to the banquet and so was King Henry inuited and had come long ago if the reasons aboue rehearsed togither with some other respects namely feare of domesticall troubles had not staied him at home But notwithstanding the K. of EnglaÌ„ds backwardnes heertofore to inuade France yet in the yeere 1490. partly by the earnest sollicitation of Maximilian who promised 1490. him great aide in his wars and yet performed nothing partly to content his owne people who began to account him as too much affectionate to the French in that he had suffered them to the great preiudice of the realme of England to vnite to the crowne of Fraunce the Duchie of Britaine he passed ouer his armie to Calice and from thence marched and laide his siege before Boloyne whither the Lord of Cordes and the bastard of Cardonne Captaine of Arras with a small army went to make resistance Further the King leuied his forces to succour the place but bicause his armie proceeded but slowlie forward the saide de Cordes and Cardonne tooke vpon them the defence of the tovne The siege was nothing whot for the which cause a heraultsent into the English came to treat of peace from the which King Henry seemed nothing strange as well for the affection that he bare to the King who had aided him to obtaine the realme of England as also for that he feared sedition at home durst not long be absent out of his râ—alme bicause Maximilian had broken promise with him and lastly bicause he hoped by this peace to receiue of the King a great summe of money which he loued as well as any Prince in his time De Cordes finding the King of Englands inclination to peace went and communed with him in his campe his demands were first a great summe of money that he said he had lent the late Duke of Britaine and secondarily that the King should desraie al the charges that he had been at in these wars All the which the King yeelded vnto and order was giuen that the King of England should yeerely receiue a certaine summe of money till all the summes by him demanded were cleerely paid and discharged and thus returned the King of England home In the meane time while de Cordes and Cardonne were at Bolloin treating with the K. of England the citizens of Arras knowing the garrison within the town to be but weake practised to yeeld it into Maximilians hands who sent certaine bands thither the which in great diligence approched neere to the towne When all things were in a readines and the gates being so negligently guarded that the traitors with their counterfaited keies had opened them they began a song whereby they willed the enimies to make haste who presently repaired to the gates and were receiued into the towne Paul Carqueleuant a Briton gouernor of the townein the absence of the bastard of Cardonne at the enimies first entrie retired himselfe with his soldiers into the castel but fearing least it should be taken by assault he soone abandoned it greatly to his reproch for if he had held it but till the next day diuers French bands had come thither to his reliefe The towne was spoiled and many slaine neither were the churches spared nor the traitors houses The author of this treason was a poore smith that dwelled vpon the towne wall and had beene the onely man that was suffered to remaine in the towne by Levvis the eleuenth when he transported the townes men as a colonie into Fraunce Carqueleuant the gouernor when the towne was surprised lay fast a sleepe drowned in drinke and good cheere as it is
4 Of the war the king made in Britaine and of the Earle of Dunois ambassage to the king for peace page 252 Chap. 5 Of the battell of Saint Albin wherein the Duke of Orleans was taken prisoner of the treatie of peace betweene the king and the Duke of Britaine and of the said Duke of Britaines death page 255 Chap. 6 Of the kings marriage with the Lady Anne of Britaine whereby Britaine was vnited to the crowne of Fraunce page 258 Chap. 7 Of the troubles in England and how the king of England passed the sea and besieged Bolloin and of the peace betweene the king and him and of the surprising of Arras and Saint Omers by the king of Romaines men page 259 Chap. 8 Of the restitution of the countries of Roussillon and Parpignan to the king of Spaine of the Emperor Fredericks death of the peace betweene the king of Romaines and the king and of the Duke of Orleans deliuery out of prison page 262 The seuenth Booke The Progloue of the Author containing that which he mindeth to treate of in this historie following page 265 Howe Rene D. of Lorraine came into Fraunce to demaund the Duchie of Bar the Earledome of Prouence which king Charles held and how he failed to enter into the realme of Naples whereunto he pretented title as the king did and what right both of them had thereunto page 266 Chap. 2 How the Prince of Salerne in the realm of Naples came into Fraunce and how Lodouic Sforce surnamed the Moore and he sought to perswade the king to make war vpon the king of Naples and for what cause page 268 Chap. 3 How king Charles the 8 made peace with the king of Romaines and the Archduke of Austriche restoring to them the Lady Margaret of Flaunders before he made his voiage to Naples page 274 Chap. 4 How the king sent to the Venetians to practise with them before he enterpised his voiage to Naples and of the preparation that was made for the said voiage page 275 Chap. 5 How king Charles departed from Vienna in Daulphin to conquer the realme of Naples in person and what his nauie vpon the sea did vnder the leading of the D. of Orleans page 278 Chap. 6 How the king remaining yet in Ast resolued to passe foorth towards Naples at the earnest sute of Lodouic Sforce How Philip de Commines was sent ambassador to Venice of the D. of Milans death after whose decease the said Lodouic seized vpon the Duchy to the preiudice of a sonne the said D. left behinde him page 281 Chap. 7 How Peter of Medicis yeelded fower of the Florentines strongest places to the king and how the king restored Pisa being one of them to their ancient libertie page 284 Chap. 8 How the king departed from Pisa to Florence of the flight ruin of Peter de Medices page 287 Chap. 9 How the king entred into Florence and through what other townes he passed till he came to Rome page 289 Chap. 10 How the king sent the Cardinall Petriad Vincula to Ostie what the Pope did at Rome in the meane time and how the king entred into Rome maugre all his enimies page 291 Chap. 11 How king Alfonse caused his sonne Ferrand to be crowned king and then fled himselfe into Sicilie with a discourse of the euill life that his father the old Ferrand and he had lead page 295 Chap. 12 How the yoong Ferrand after he was crowned king of Naples went and encamped at Saint Germain to resist the kings cōming of the treaty that K. Charles made with the Pope at Rome page 297 Chap. 13 How the King departed from Rome towards Naples what happened in the meane time in diuers partes of the said realme and through what places he passed till he came to Naples page 299 Chap. 14 How King Charles was crowned King of Naples of the faults he committed in the defence of the realme and how an enterprise attempted on his behalfe against the Turke was discouered by the Venetians page 301 Chap. 15 A discourse somwhat out of the course of the history wherin Philip de Commines Author of this present woorke treateth amply of the estate and gouernment of the Seniorie of Venice and of those things that he saw there and were done there during the time of his ambassage to the said Seniorie for the King page 304 The eight Booke Chap. 1 Of the order and prouision the King left in the realme of Naples at his returne into Fraunce page 314 Chap. 2 How the king departed from Naples and passed againe through Rome whereupon the Pope fled to Oruiette of the communication the king had with Monseur d'Argenton at his returne from Venice how he tooke aduise whether he should restore the Florentines places to them or not and of the sermons woorthie of memorie of frier Ierom of Florence page 316 Chap. 3 How the King retained in his hands the town of Pisa and certaine other of the Florentines places and how in the meane time the Duke of Orleans entred on the other side into Nouarre a towne of the Duchie of Milan page 319 Chap. 4 How King Charles passed diuers dangerous straights in the mountaines betweene Pisa and Seriaue how the towne of Pontreme was burned by his Almaines and how the Duke of Orleans behaued himselfe in the meane time at Nouarre page 321 Chap. 5 How the kings great artillery passed the mounts Appenines by the Almaines helpe of the danger the Marshall of Gie was in with his vaward and how the King arriued at Fornoue page 324 Chap. 6 Of the battell of Fornoue wherein the enimies of Fraunce were put to flight and how the Earle of Petillane who the same day brake the Kings prison relied them togither againe page 329 Chap. 7 How the Lord of Argenton went himselfe alone to parle with the enimies when he saw that those that were appointed to go with him would not go and how the King returned safe and sound with his army to the towne of Ast page 336 Chap. 8 How the king sent ships to the sea to succour the castles of Naples why the said castles could not be succoured page 341 Chap. 9 Of the great famine and miserie the D. of Orleans his men were in at Nouarre of the Marchionesse of Montferrats death likewise of Monseur de Vendosmes and how after long deliberation the king inclined to peace to saue those that were besieged page 343 Chap. 10 How the D. of Orleans and his company were deliuered by composition out of their great miserie in Nouarre where they were besieged and of the Swissers arriuall that came to succour the king and the said D. of Orleans page 349 Chap. 11 How the peace was concluded betweene the king and the D. of Orleans on the one side and the enimies on the other and of the conditions and articles thereof page 351 Chap. 12 How the king sent the Lord of Argenton
strange that all these Princes should thus conspire against the King for zeale of the common wealth if other particular greifes had not more mooued them than the misgouernment of the estate 2 To the ende the reader finde it not strange that Rene is here called King of Sicily sith the house of Arragon possessed the same Realme at that time it is to be vnderstood that the race of the Normans who about the yeere 1060. subdued Sicily Calabria and Apulia and about the yeere 1102. tooke vpon them the title of Kings of Sicily being extinct in Roger the last King of Sicily of that race about the yeere 1195. the said Realme fell to the issue of the Emperor Fridericus Barbarossa by the marriage of Constantia daughter to Roger the first King of Sicill and aunt to Roger the last King of Sicill of this race with Henry the said Barbarossas sonne in which race it continuedtily Manfridus bastard sonne to Fridericus the Emperor sonne to the aboue named Henry obteined the crowne of Sicill Naples by dispossessing Conradinus his nephew the true heir therof Against this Manfridus Pope Vrbanus the 4. called into Italie Charles of Amon brother to S. Lewis King of Fraunce who slew Manfridus in battell and afterward executed also Conradinus the true heire of the crowne being taken in battell comming with an armie to conquer the said realmes of Naples and Sicily as his true inheritance and thus obteined this Charles of Aniou the crowne both of Naples and Sicily till not long after by the comming of Peter king of Arragon who had married Constantia daughter and heire to Manfridus the Sicilians arose suddenly against the French slew them all in one euening and yeelded the Realme of Sicily to the saide Peter whose posteritie euer sithens euen till this day haue continued in possession thereof Notwithstanding the posteritie of Charles of Aniou held still the Realme of Naples with the title of the Realme of Sicily till the time that the later Iane Queene of Naples to fortifie hir selfe against Pope Vrbanus Sextus adopted Alfonse of Arragon sonne to Ferrande King of Arragon which Ferrandes mother named Elenor was daughter to King Peter but after the saide Iane for displeasure conceiued against the saide Alfonse adopted secondarilie Lewis D. of Aniou brother to Charles the 5. King of Fraunce descended of the race of the first Charles King of Sicily against whom and his sonne Lewis Alfonse long warred and in the end after Queene Ianes death chased them both out of Italy and left the Realmes of Arragon and Sicily to Iohn his brother but the Realme of Naples to Ferrande his base sonne with whom Rene heere mentioned brother to Lewis the 2. of that name D. of Aniou and king of Sicily and by him with Ianes consent adopted long vvarred but preuailed not so that Rene had onely the title of Sicily and Naples by the adoption aforesaid but no possession thereof for Sicily the kings of Arragon held euer since the conquest of Peter and the realme of Naples Ferrande the bastard held of his fathers gift from vvhose posterity hovv in the end after many alterations it fell to the house of Arragon that novv possesseth it shall be set dovvne at large in the vvars of Naples made by King Charles the 8. vvho had the house of Anious title vvhereof our author treateth in the 7. and 8. booke of this historie 3 This force led by the Marshall of Burgundie vvas of 4000. men Meyer 4 This Oudet is he that acquainted the Duke of Berry vvith this confederacie and conueighed him into Britaine Meyer La Marche 5 Franck archers were these King Charles the 7. in the yeere 1449. being destitute of footemen appointed that euery threescore houses in his realme should arme a man vvho in time of vvar receiued paie of the King and vvere exempt from all subsidies and payments for the which cause they vvere all called franck that is free but King Lewis the 11. anno 1480. abolished these franck archers and waged Switzers in their place A discourse vpon ambitious hunting after offices and estates by the example of the English men Chap. 7. I Speake of these offices and estates bicause in changes they are so greedily desired and are also cause thereof as appeereth by that which hath happened not onely in this our age but also in the time of King Charles the sixt vnder whom the wars began that endured till the treatie of Arras during the which wars the English men entred into the realme and conquered so far that at the time of the saide treatie which continued 1 the space of two moneths the Duke of Bedford brother to Henry the fift King of England being maried to Duke Philip of Burgundies sister was regent in Fraunce for the English men whose monethly allowance in that office amounted to 20000. crownes at the least At the said treatie were present for the King of Fraunce fower or fiue Dukes or Earles fiue or sixe Prelates and ten or twelue Councellers of the Parliament For Duke Philip likewise diuers Noble men 2 in much greater number for the Pope 2. Cardinals as mediators and for the English men diuers noble personages Duke Philip greatly desired to acquite himselfe honorably towards the English men before he would abandon them bicause of the ancient league that had been betweene them wherefore the Duchies of Normandie and Guien were offered to the King of England with condition that he should do homage for them to the crowne of Fraunce as his predecessors had done and restore all the places he held in the Realme out of the said Duchies which condition the English men bicause of the homage refused but to their great losse for being abandoned of this house of Burgundie their good successe altered and all their intelligences within the realme failed whereby their power daily so diminished that in short space they lost Paris and by little and little all that they held in this realme After their returne into England none of them would diminish his estate but the offices within the realme sufficed not for maintenance of them all wherupon long ciuil wars arose among them in the which King Henry the sixt who had been crowned King of England Fraunce at Paris was proclaimed traitor and imprisoned in the tower of London where he remained the greatest part of his life and in the end was there murthered The Duke of Yorke father to King Edward that last died intituled himselfe right heire to the crowne soone after was slaine in the battell and had his head smitten off as had also the Earle of Warwick 3 that last died whose credit was so great in England and all the rest that were slaine in those wars The said Earle of Warwick led the Earle of Marche afterward named Edward the fourth by sea to Calais with a small companie escaped out of battell 4 for the Earle of Warwick tooke part with the house of Yorke
began to attempt more boldly against his neighbors in such sort that in the end these 120000. crownes grew to 500000. and the number of his men of armes augmented so excessiuely that his subiects were greatly charged for their maintenance To say my fansie of these ordinarie men of armes I thinke vnder a wise Prince they be well imploied but if he be otherwise or happily at his death leaue his children in their minoritie the seruice wherein their gouernors imploy them is not alwaies profitable neither for the King nor for his subiects The hatred betweene the King and the Duke diminished not but still endured Further the Duke of Guienne being returned into his countrie sent often to the Duke of Burgundy following still his sute for his daughters marriage who fed him continually with faire words as he did euery other man that required hir And I thinke verily that he neither was desirous of a sonne 5 neither would haue married his daughter during his life but haue kept hir to intertaine men thereby to obtaine their friendship and aide For he had so many great enterprises in his head that all his life time could not suffice to atchieue them and those aduentures almost impossible to be compassed for halfe Europe would not haue contented him He had courage ynough to attempt any thing his bodie was able to endure as much labour and trauell as was needfull he was furnished both of men and mony but he lacked finenes and cunning sufficient for the managing of his affaires And what Prince soeuer desireth to be great notwithstanding that he be accomplished with all other good parts yet if he lacke an excellent wit all is to no purpose which vndoubtedly proceedeth of the meere grace of God To be short if part of the Dukes vertues and part of the King our masters had been tempered togither they would haue made a perfect Prince for vndoubtedly in wit the King far excelled him as it well appeered in the end The Notes 1 Of this armie he spake somwhat in the Duke of Bourbons aduertisement sent to the Duke of Burgundie mentioned in the first chapter of this booke it was led by the Earle Daulphin d'Auuergne sonne to the Earle of Montpensier Of this discomfiture reade Annal. Burgund pag. 945. 2 The reason was bicause he perceiued the intelligences of the Constable and the rest to be vntrue 3 This assembly was held the 16. of Iune Meyer 4 But this subsidie of 120000. crownes was granted but for three yeeres Meyer pag. 348. and 367. 5 The Duke desired no sonne bicause then his daughters marriage could not haue stood him in such stead as now it did Of the wars among the Princes of England during these troubles betweene King Lewis and Charles Duke of Burgundy Chap. 4. I Must now discourse of Edward King of England bicause Note that from this place til the 7. Chapter all these English affaires fall into the yeeres 1469. 1470. these three great Princes namely our King the King of England and the Duke of Burgundy liued all in one age in the which discourse I will not obserue the Historiographers vsuall order in writing who set downe the certaine yeeres and daies when each thing hapned neither will I vouch examples out of ancient histories for you know them better than my selfe and in so dooing I should but seeme to reason of Diuinitie before a Doctor But I will rudely aduertise you of all that I haue seene knowen or heard of these Princes of whom I write You liue in the selfe same age that all these things hapned wherefore me thinke it needlesse so exactly to note the houres and seasons I haue before rehearsed what occasion mooued the Duke of Burgundy to mary King Edvvards sister and said it was principally to fortifie himselfe against the King otherwise he would neuer haue done it for the great affection he bare to the house of Lancaster whereof he was descended by his mother for she was daughter to the King of Portugall and hir mother daughter to the Duke of Lancaster 1 so that as feruently as he loued the house of Lancaster as extremly hated he the house of Yorke But you shall vnderstand that at the time of this mariage the house of Lancaster was vtterly destroied and the house of Yorke no more spoken of For King Edvvard being both King and Duke of Yorke raigned peaceably During the ciuill wars betweene these two houses were fought in England seauen or eight cruell battels and in them slaine three or fower score Princes and Lords of the blood royall as before is rehearsed in this history The rest that escaped being all yoong Lords whose fathers died in these battels aboue mentioned liued as banished men in the Duke of Burgundies court who receiued them as his kinsmen of the house of Lancaster before his mariage with King Edvvards sister I haue seene them in so great misery before they came to the Dukes knowledge that those that beg from dore to dore were not in poorer estate then they for I once saw a Duke of Excester run on foote bare legged after the Duke of Burgundies traine begging his bread for Gods sake but he vttered not his name He was the neerest of the house of Lancaster and had maried King Edvvards sister 2 but when he was knowne the Duke gaue him a small pension to maintaine his estate They of the house of Somerset and diuers others were there in like maner who died all afterwards in the wars Their fathers and kinsmen had spoiled and destroied the realme of Fraunce and possessed the greatest part thereof many yeeres and afterwards slew one another and those that remained aliue in England and their children haue died as you haue seene Yet men say that God punisheth not now as he did in the children of Israels time but suffereth euill men and euill Princes to liue vnpunished True it is that he threatneth not now by expresse messengers as he was wont for he hath left examples inough to instruct vs. Notwithstanding you may perceiue by these discourses ioining thereto the great knowledge you haue besides that of euill Princes and such as haue authority in this world and abuse it to cruelty or tiranny few or none escape vnpunished though it happen not by and by after the fault committed neither so soone happily as those that are afflicted desire But to returne to King Edvvard the chiefe man in England that maintained the house of Yorke was the Earle of Warwicke And on the other side the greatest champion of the house of Lancaster was the Duke of Sommerset The said Earle of Warwicke might iustly be called King Edwards father as well for the training of him vp as also for the great seruices he did him for the which the King had also highly aduanced him for besides his owne inheritance which was great he held goodly lands of the Kings gift aswel crowne lands as lands forfeited by attaindor Farther he
was deputy of Calice and had diuers other great offices so that I haue heard his yeerely reuenewes valued at fower score thousand crownes besides his owne inheritance But in the end he fell at variance with the King his master about a yeere as I gesse before the Duke of Burgundies comming before Amiens which breach the said Duke furthered to the vttermost of his power For the Earles great authority in England much discontented him besides that they two were not friends for the Earle had continuall intelligence with the King our master To be short about this present or not long before the Earle of Warwickes force was so great that he seased the King his master into his hands and put to death diuers personages that he highly fauored namely the Lord of Scales the Queenes father 3 and two of his sonnes the third being also in great danger with them diuers other knights He entertained the King his master for a season very honorably and placed new seruants about him supposing that through simplicity he would soone forget the old The Duke of Burgundy being not a little troubled with this aduenture practised secretly how King Edvvard might escape and they two commune togither which enterprise had so good successe that the King escaped indeede and leuied men and defeated certaine of the Earles bands He was a fortunate Prince in the field for he wan at the least nine great battels fighting himselfe on foote in euery one of them The Earle of Warwicke vnable to make resistance aduertised his friends what they should do and embarked at leisure accompanied with the Duke of Clarence who had married his daughter and tooke part with him notwithstanding that he were King Edwards brother They transported with them both wiues and children and a great band of men and sailed straight towards Calais within the which was the Earles lieutenant named the Lord of Vaucler 4 and diuers of the said Earles houshold seruants who in stead of receiuing their Master presented him the canon Further you shall vnderstand that as they lay at anchor before the towne the Duchesse of Clarence daughter to the Earle of Warwicke was deliuered of a sonne and great intreatie was made before Vaucler and the rest of the towne would suffer two flaggons of wine to be brought foorth to hir which was great extremitie of the seruant towards the master For it is to be supposed that the Earle thought himselfe well assured of this place which is they very key of England and the goodliest captainship in mine opinion in the world at the least in Christendome which I dare boldly auow bicause I was there diuers times during these wars and heard also the Maior of the staple report that he would willingly farme yeerely the deputyship of Calais of the King of England for fifteene thousand crownes For the deputie receiueth the profits of all that they haue on this side the sea and of all safe conducts and placeth also the greatest part of the garrison at his pleasure The King of England fauoured highly the Lord of Vaucler for this refusall made to his Captaine and granted him by his letters patents the office of Deputie which the Earle his master before held for he was a wise and an ancient knight and one of the order of the garter The Duke of Burgundie also who then lay at Saint Omer conceiued a maruellous good opinion of him so far foorth that he sent me to him granting him a yeerely pension of a thousand crownes and desiring him to continue a true and faithfull seruant to the King his Master as he had begun which at my comming thither I found him fully determined to do so that he sware in Staple Inne in Calais laying his hand within mine to be faithfull and true to King Edward and to serue him against all men The like oth all the towne and all the garrison sware also Farther I was by the space of two months almost continually resident at Calais at the least posting daiely betweene Calais and Bullen to entertaine the said Vaucler for you shall vnderstand that during these English troubles the Duke of Burgundie came to Bullen where he prepared a great army by sea against the Earle of Warwick who at his departure from Calais tooke many ships of the Dukes subiects which aduanced forward the war betweene the King of Fraunce and vs. For the Earles men sould the bootie in Normandie whereupon the Duke of Burgundie arrested all the French Marchants that came to the Mart at Andwerp Now bicause it is meete to vnderstand as well the cunning and subtill as the iust and vpright dealings of the world not to practise them but to know how to avoide them I will rehearse vnto you a sleight or subtilitie terme it as you list that was cunningly conueighed Farther I would that men should vnderstand the practises as well of our neighbors as our selues to the end it may appeere that in all places are both good and bad When the Earle of Warwick came before Calais thinking to enter into it as his onely refuge the Lord of Vaucler being a very wise gentleman sent him word that if he entred the towne he should cast away himselfe considering that all England the Duke of Burgundie the people of the towne and a great part of the garrison namely the Lord of Duras Marshall there for the King of England and diuers others that had men in the towne were his enimies wherefore his best way should be to retire into Fraunce and as touching the towne of Calais he willed him not to trouble himselfe for he would yeeld him good account thereof when time and occasion should serue He did his Captaine good seruice by giuing him this aduise but shewed himselfe thereby a very Iudas to his Master For vndoubtedly a more traiterous part was neuer plaied considering both that the King of England had made him Deputie of the towne of Calais and the Duke of Burgundy giuen him so large a pension The Notes 1 Philippa daughter to Iohn Duke of Lancaster was married to Iohn King of Portugale and had issue by him Isabell mother to Duke Charles 2 This was Henry Holland Duke of Exceter whose wife was Anne sister to King Edward the fourth and his grandmother was Elizabeth daughter to Iohn Duke of Lancaster by his first wife but he died without issue 3 Our chronicles name the Queenes father Earle of Riuers and so doth afterward also our Author lib. 5. cap. 15. 4 This Vaucler was a Gascoine borne How by King Lewis his aide the Earle of Warwicke chased King Edward out of England to the Duke of Burgundies great greefe who receiued him into his countries Chap. 5. THe Earle of Warwicke followed Vauclers aduise and landed in Normandie where the King honorably receiued him and furnished him largely of mony for his mens expences and appointed also the bastard of Bourbon Admirall of Fraunce being well accompanied to defend the
Englishmen and their ships against the Duke of Burgundies nauie which was so mighty and strong that no man durst stir in these narrow seas for feare of it making war vpon the Kings subiects both by sea land and threatening them euery where All this happened the sommer before the King surprised Saint Quintine and Amiens which was as before you haue heard in the yeere 1470. The Duke of Burgundies nauie aboue mentioned was stronger than the Kings and the Earles ioined togither For he had taken at Sluse many great ships of Spaine Portugall and Genua and diuers hulks of Almaine King Edward was a man of no great forecast but very valiant and the beautifullest Prince that liued in his time He tooke no care for the Earle of Warwicks landing as the Duke of Burgundie did who perceiuing great tumults already arising in England in the Earles fauor aduertised the King often thereof But he made small account of any danger neither seemed to feare his enimy which sure was great follie considering the great preparation he saw made For the King armed all the ships to the sea that he could get and manned them well and prouided furniture also for the English men Besides this he made a mariage betweene the Prince of Wales and the Earle of Warwickes second daughter The said Prince was onely sonne and heire to King Henry of England who liued yet prisoner in the Tower of London This was a strange mariage when the Earle had deposed and imprisoned the Princes father to cause him to mary his daughter and to entertaine also the Duke of Clarence brother to the King of the other faction who had iust cause to feare his owne estate if the house of Lancaster recouered the crowne Thus we see that such enterprises are not atchieued without dissimulation At the selfe same time that this army aboue mentioned lay in a readines to saile into England I was at Calice to entertaine the Lord of Vaucler whose dooble dealing till that very instant I neuer perceiued notwithstanding that it had now continued the space of three months But at that present I desired him bicause of the newes we heard to put all the Earle of Warwicks houshold seruants being to the number of twenty or thirty out of the towne alledging that I was sure the Kings army and the Earles were ready to depart out of Normandy where they lay and if the Earle should happen sodainly to land in England some such tumult might arise in the towne of Calice by meanes of his seruants that he should not be master thereof Wherefore I pressed him earnestly in all haste to put them out of the towne which he alwaies heertofore promised me to do but now he drew me aside saying that he would be master of the town well inough and required me to do this message to the Duke of Burgundy that if he would be a friend to the realme of England he should endeuor himselfe to make peace and not war which words he spake bicause of the nauy the Duke had on the sea against the Earle of Warwick He told me farther that peace might easily be made bicause that day a gentlewoman passed through Calice to go into Fraunce to the Duches of Clarence with certaine ouertures of peace from King Edward And he said true indeed but as he abused others euen so was he himselfe deceiued by this gentlewoman for she went about a great enterprise which also she atchieued to the preiudice of the Earle of Warwick and his whole faction Of this fine practise all other that haue been managed on this side the sea I write the more at large bicause I am well assured that no man is able to make truer report of them then my selfe at the least of those that haue hapned within these twenty yeeres The secret deliuered to this woman was to counsell the Duke of Clarence not to cause the destruction of his owne house by setting vp againe the house of Lancaster but to remember their ancient harred and diuision adding that he might well assure himselfe that the Earle of Warwick hauing maried his daughter to the Prince of Wales and already done homage to him would by all meanes possible seeke to make him King This gentlewoman so wisely executed the charge committed vnto hir that she wan the Duke of Clarence who promised to reuolt to the King his brother immediately after his returne into England Shee was a woman well aduised and of few words and bicause of hir sexe had leaue granted hir to passe to hir Meistres easilier then a man should and as craftie a foxe as this Vaucler was this woman went beyond him and was the onely contriuer of the enterprise whereby the Earle of Warwick and his whole faction were vtterly destroied wherefore it is no shame to be suspicious and to haue an eie vpon those that passe to and fro but great shame it is to be deceiued and vndone through our owne follie Notwithstanding suspicions ought to be grounded vpon some good presumption for to be too suspicious is naught You haue heard already how the Earle of Warwicks army and the Kings ships appointed to wafte him ouer were in a readines to take sea and how the Duke of Burgundies nauie being at Hancy lay prepared to fight with them But it pleased God so to dispose of this voiage that the selfe same night so great a tempest arose that the Dukes nauie was forced to seuer part wherofran vpon the cost of Scotland and part into Holland and not long after the Earle hauing a good gale of winde passed into England without all danger The Duke of Burgundie had aduertised King Edward in what part rhe Earle would land and had sent men purposely to him to sollicite him to looke to himselfe but he litle regarding the danger passed foorth the time in hunting hauing none so neere him as the Archbishop of Yorke and the Marques of Montagu the Earle of Warwicks bretheren who had promised and solemnly sworne to serue him against their brother and all others wereunto he gaue credite Immediatly after the Earles landing great forces ioyned with him wherewith the King being much abashed began then but all too late to looke about him and sent word to the Duke of Burgundy desiring him that his nauie might still keepe the Sea to stop the Earle from retiring againe into Fraunce for vpon the land he would match him well ynough which message pleased no man that heard it for it had beene much better to haue kept him from landing then to be constrained to hazard his estate in battell when he was landed Fiue or sixe daies after the Earles arriuall his power was so great that he encamped within three leagues of King Edward Notwithstanding the Kings force was greater than his if all his men had beene faithfull and true and lay also in campe to fight with him Further you shall vnderstand that the King lodged as himselfe told me in
that I now write of the D. of Guienne at the least his seruants and the D. of Britaine desired the Duke of Burgundy in no wise to call the Englishmen to his aide for seeing all that they did was for the good and benefite of the realme they would not bring the ancient enimies of the crowne into the realme adding farther that if he would be in a readines they should be strong ynough of themselues aswell bicause of their great forces as also of the good intelligence they had in the realme with diuers Captaines and others And once it was my chance to be present when the Lord of Vrfé had communication with the Duke to this effect and withall pressed him earnestly with all speede to leauy his army The Duke stoode at a window and called me to him and said Heere is my Lord of Vrfé that presseth me earnestly to leauy the greatest force that possible I may alleaging that it shall be greatly for the benefite of the realme what thinke you of this motion if I enter into the realme with my army shall I do any great good there I answered him merily that I thought no then said he I loue the realme of Fraunce better than my Lord of Vrfé weeneth for where it hath one King I would it had six During the treaty of mariage aboue mentioned Edward King of England who thought verily that the mariage should haue bin accomplished wherein he was deceiued as was also the King traueled earnestly with the Duke of Burgundy to breake it off alleaging that the K. had no issue male wherfore if he hapned to die the crown should descend to his brother whereby if this marriage tooke effect the realme of England shuld stand in great danger so many seigniories being vnited to the crown This matter troubled maruellously though needlesly not onely the King of England but also his whole Councell in such sort that they would giue no credite to the Duke of Burgundy what promise soeuer he made to the contrary The saide Duke notwithstanding the request aboue mentioned made vnto him by the Dukes of Guienne and Britaine for not calling in strangers to his aide was very desirous that the King of England should inuade some part of the realme and himselfe would haue pleaded ignorance therein But the Englishmen would not be woon therunto for they so much feared the annexing of the house of Burgundy by this mariage to the crown of Fraunce that they would at that time rather haue aided the King than inuaded him You see heere all these Princes throughly busied and accompanied with a number of wise men who as the sequele well declared foresawe a far of more by the one halfe than in their life time tooke effect for they all through this continuall toile and trauell in short space one after another ended their liues each man reioicing at others death as of a thing most desired Soone after also followed their masters leauing their successors troubles enow all saue the King our master who left his realme to his sonne quiet both from foraine wars and ciuill dissention so that he did more for him than euer he either would or could do for himselfe for I neuer knew him in peace saue onely a litle before his death The Duke of Guienne at this present lay sicke and in danger of death as som said but others affirmed the contrary his men pressed earnestly the Duke of Burgundy to put himselfe into the field bicause the time of the yeere serued fitly for that purpose and aduertised him that the Kings army was abroad and lay at Saint Iohn d' Angelie or at Xainctes or thereabout To be short they labored the Duke so importunately that he went to Arras and there assembled his forces and marched towards the townes of Peronne Roye and Montdidier his army was maruellous great yea the greatest that euer he had before for in it were twelue hundred Launces of his ordinary retinue euery one of them accompanied with three archers well armed and well mounted farther in euery company of these Launces were ten men of armes for a supply besides the lieutenant and ensine bearer The gentlemen of the Dukes dominions were likewise in very good order for they were very well paid and led by valiant knights and esquires And sure at that time these countries were maruellous rich The Notes 1 This Nicolas is named in other histories Marques du Pount 2 The King made war vpon his brother bicause he had restored the Earle of Armignac to all his possessions in Guienne whom the King before had banished Annal. Aquit How the finall peace treated of betweene the Duke of Burgundie and the King brake off bicause of the Duke of Guiens death and how these two great Princes sought to deceiue each other Chap. 9. WHile the Duke was leuying his armie aboue mentioned the Lord of Cran and the Chauncellor of Fraunce named Master Peter Doriole came to him twise or thrise from the King and secretly treated with him of a final peace which heertofore could neuer be concluded bicause the Duke required the restitution of Amiens and Saint Quintine whereunto the King would neuer condiscend but now partly bicause of the great preparation he saw made against him and partly in hope to compas certaine purposes whereof heerafter you shall heare he agreed to yeeld them The conditions of this peace were that the King should restore to the Duke Amiens and Saint Quintine and whatsoeuer else was in controuersie betweene them That he should abandon the Earles of Neuers and Saint Paule Constable of Fraunce and permit the Duke to do with them and all their possessions at his pleasure and seize them into his own hands if he could That the Duke in like maner should abandon the Dukes of Guienne and Britaine and permit the King to do with them and their seigniories at his pleasure I was present when the Duke of Burgundie sware this treatie and likewise the Lord of Cran and the Chauncellor of Fraunce in the Kings name who also at their departure from the Duke aduised him not to dismisse his armie but to march still forward to the end the King their Master might make the speedier deliuerie of the two places aboue named Further Simon of Quinchy was sent with them to see the King sweare and confirme this treaty which his ambassadors had concluded but the King delaied the confirmation a certaine space and in the meane time happened his brothers death The D. being readie to depart from Arras receiued two seuerall aduertisements one that Nicholas Duke of Calabria and Loraine heire of the house of Aniou and sonne to Iohn Duke of Calabria was comming to him about his daughters marriage whom the Duke honorably receiued and put in great hope of his sute But the next day being the 15. of May 1472. as I remember came letters from Simon of Quinchy the Dukes ambassador to the King wherein he aduertised his Master
him how I had wrought with this good fellow naming diuers others who in mine opinion seemed fitter for this purpose than he but the King would none but him Wherfore he came and talked with him himselfe and confirmed him more with one word than I had with an hundred None entred into the chamber with the King saue onely the Lord of Villiers then Master of the horse and now bailife of Caen. When the King perceiued this good fellow to be well perswaded to go he sent the said Master of the horse to fetch a trumpet banner thereof to make this counterfet herault a cote armor for the King bicause he was not pompous as other Princes are had neither herault nor trumpeter with him Thus the Master of the horse and one of my men made his cote armor as well as they could which being finished the said Master of the horse fetched a scutchin of a little herault of the Lord Admirals called Pleinchemin which was fastened to our counterfet herault his bootes also and his cloke were brought priuily to him and likewise his horse whereupon he mounted no man vnderstanding any thing of his iourney Further a goodly budget was tied to his saddle bowe into the which he put his cote armor Thus being well instructed what to say he rode straight to the English campe where when he arriued with his cote armor on his backe he was staied incontinent and brought to the King of Englands pauilion Where being demanded the cause of his comming he said that he came from the King to speake with the King of England and had commandement to addresse himselfe to the Lord Hovvard and the Lord Stanley whereupon they led him into a tent to diner and made him good cheere After the King of England was risen from the table for he was at diner when the herault arriued the said herault was brought before him and the King gaue him audience His message was chiefely grounded vpon the great desire the King had of long time to be in perfect amitie with the King of England to the ende both the realmes might liue togither in peace and quietnes adding further that since the time he was first crowned King of Fraunce he neuer had attempted any thing against the King of England or his realme 1 secondarily he excused himselfe for receiuing in times past the Earle of Warwicke into his dominions saying that he did it onely against the Duke of Burgundie and not against him Further he declared vnto him that the said Duke of Burgundie had for none other cause called him into Fraunce but that by the occasion of his comming he might conclude a better peace for himselfe with the King And if happily any others were furtherers thereof it was onely to amend the broken state of their owne affaires and for their owne priuate commoditie but as touching the King of Englands good successe they were altogither carelesse thereof he put him also in minde of the time of the yeere alleaging that winter approched and likewise of the great charges he sustained lastly he said that notwithstanding a great number in England as well gentlemen as merchants desired war with France yet if the King of England would incline to peace the King for his part would condiscend to such conditions as he doubted not but he and his realme would allow of lastly to the ende he might the better be informed of all these matters he said that if the King of England would grant a safe conduct for an hundred horse the King his Master would send ambassadors to him well informed of their Masters pleasure or if the said King of England should like better to assigne the place of treatie in some village betweene both the armies and to send Commissioners thither on both sides the King his Master would willingly agree thereunto and send the like safe conduct for his part The King of England and part of his nobles liked these ouuertures very well and granted our herault as large a safe conduct as he demanded gaue him fower nobles of gold 2 in reward Further an English herault was sent backe with him to the King to bring the like safe conduct from him as the King of England had granted And the next morning in a village neere to Amiens the Commissioners of both Princes met being these for the King the bastard of Bourbon Admirall of Fraunce the Lord of Saint Pierre and the Bishop of Eureux called Heberge and for the King of England the Lord Howard one called Chalanger 3 and a Doctor named Morton at this present Chancellor of England and Archbishop of Canterbury Some may thinke peraduenture that the King humbled himselfe too much but those that be wise will easily perceiue by that I haue aboue rehearsed in how great danger the realme stood had not God put to his helping hand as well in causing the King to take this wise course as also by troubling the D. of Burgundies wits who committed so many errors as you haue heard in this action lost now through his owne follie that which so long he had wished for and desired Many secret practises lay hidded at that time among our selues as well in Britaine as elsewhere which would soone haue broken foorth into great inconueniences had not this peace beene speedily concluded Wherefore I assure my selfe by that I haue seene in my time that God had then and yet hath a speciall regard of this realme The Notes 1 King Lewis had forgotten that before this time he had attempted to restore Queene Margaret daughter to King Rene. Annal. Burgund 2 Hall reporteth that the French herault had giuen him a gilt cup and an hundred angels 3 This Chalanger our chronicles name Sentleger How truce for nine yeeres was treated of betweene the Kings of Fraunce and England notwithstanding all the lets and impediments that the Constable and the Duke of Burgundy made Chap. 8. THe Commissioners of both the Princes met as you haue heard the next day after our heraults returne for we lay within fower leagues or lesse togither The said herault was well cheered and had his office in the I le of Ré where he was borne and the sum of mony that was promised him Many conditions of peace were treated of betweene our Commissioners The English men after their woonted maner first demanded the crowne at the least Normandie and Guienne but they were no more earnestly demanded than strongly denied Notwithstanding euen at this first meeting the treatie was brought to a reasonable point for both the parties desired peace whereupon our ambassadors returned to the King and the others to their campe The King heard the English mens demands and last resolutions which were these That he should pay to the King of England presently before his departure out of Fraunce 72000. crownes 1 That the King that now is then Daulphine should marrie King Edwards eldest daughter at this day Queene of England and that she should
haue the Duchy of Guienne for hir maintenance or 50000. crownes yeerely to be paied in the Tower of London by the space of nine yeeres which terme expired the King that now is and his wife should peaceably enioy the reuenues of the whole Duchie of Guienne and then the King our Master to be cleerely discharged of all paiments to the King of England Diuers other trifling articles there were touching matter of trafike which I ouerpasse Lastlie this truce was to endure nine yeeres betweene the two realmes all the confederates of both parties being comprehended therin and namely on the King of Englands behalfe the Dukes of Burgundie and Britaine if they themselues would Further the King of England made a maruellous strange offer which was to name in writing certaine noble men who he said were traitors to the King and his crowne The King reioiced maruellously at the report that his Commissioners made at their returne sat in counsell about these ouertures of peace where among others I my selfe was present Some supposed all this treatie to be meere deceit and cunning of the English men but the King was of a contrarie opinion for he alleaged first the time of the yeere saying that winter now approched and that they had not one place to lodge in secondarily he declared the euill turns the Duke of Burgundie had done them who was also departed from them And as touching the Constable he did in maner assure himselfe that he would put no places into their hands bicause he sent howerly to him to entertaine him to asswage his malice and to keepe him from doing harme lastly he alleaged the King of Englands disposition whom he knew well to be a Prince wholy giuen to his pleasures delights Wherfore he seemed to discourse wiselier than any man of the companie and better to vnderstand than any other the matters there debated He concluded therefore with all speed to pay this summe of mony and deuised order how to leuie it and in the end commanded that euery man should lend a portion the sooner to furnish it for the King cared not what he did to rid the King of England out of his realme saue onely that he would in no wise consent to put any places into the English mens hands for rather than he would suffer that he was fully determined to hazard all The Constable who began to smel these practises was stricken with sudden feare bicause he had offended all the three Princes Further he doubted much the treatie almost concluded against him at Bouuines Wherefore he sent often to the King and euen at this present arriued at the Court one of his gentlemen named Levvis of Creuille with one of his Secretaries called Iohn Richer who are both yet liuing They deliuered their message to the Lord of Bouchage and me before they spake with the King as his pleasure was they should The newes they brought liked the King well bicause he meant to vse them to good purpose as you shall heare The Lord of Contay seruant to the Duke of Burgundie lately taken prisoner before Arras as you haue heard went to and fro vpon his word betweene the Duke and the King and the King had promised to release him his raunsome and to giue him a great summe of money if he could perswade his Master to peace By chance he returned to the King the selfesame day that these two seruants of the Constables arriued Wherefore the King made him and me to stand in a great old presse in his chamber to the end he might heare and make report to his Master of the language the Constable and his seruants vsed of him We being there placed the King sate downe on a forme hard by the presse to the end we might the better heare Lewis of Creuilles and his companions message Who began thus that of late being by their Masters commandement with the Duke of Burgundie to perswade him to depart from the English mens friendship they found him in such a rage against the King of England that they had almost woon him not onely to abandon the English men but also to helpe to spoile and destroy them in their returne home And in vttering these words the better to please the King the said Lewis of Creuille counterfetting the Duke of Burgundies gesture by stamping vpon the ground and swearing Saint George rehearsed many reprochfull speeches that as they said the Duke vsed of the King of England To be short they vttered as many scofs and mocks of the D. as was possible The King made great sport with this matter bad the said Lewis of Creuille to speake alowd faining himselfe to be growen somwhat deafe and to tel him this tale againe which the other making no bones thereat did with a good will The said Contay who stood with me in the presse was maruellously astonished at this talke neither would haue beleeued it vnlesse himselfe had heard it The Constables mens conclusion was this They counselled the King for auoiding of all these great dangers he sawe hang ouer his head to conclude a truce for the which the said Constable offered to trauell to the vttermost of his power and to put into the English mens hands the better to content them some small towne or two to lodge them in this winter saying that were they neuer so bad yet the English men would holde themselues contented with them And it seemed by their talke though they named no place that they ment Eu and Saint Valery By this meanes the Constable trusted to recouer the King of Englands fauor which he had lost bicause of the refusall made him of his places But the King who thought it sufficient to haue plaied his part by bringing the Lord of Contay to heare what language the Constable and his men vsed of the Duke his Master gaue them no euill answer but said that he would send to his brother 2 to aduertise him of such newes as he knew and so licensed them to depart Notwithstanding one of them before his departure sware to reueale vnto him whatsoeuer he could learne touching him or his estate The King had much adoo to dissemble any longer when he heard them counsell him to put townes into the English mens hands Notwithstanding he gaue them no such answer whereby they might gather their counsell to be taken in euill part bicause he feared that would the more increase the Constables malice but sent one backe with them to their Master it was not far betweene him and vs for a man might go and come in very short space When the others were departed the L. of Contay I came out of the presse the K. laughed maruellously and was very mery with this pageant But the said Contay was so far out of patience to heare such petit companions thus flout and scoffe his Master especially the Constable pretending so great friendship to his Master and treating with him of so many matters that
he thought euery hower ten til he were on horsebacke to aduertise the Duke his Master thereof Wherefore he was dispatched with all speede and wrote his instructions himselfe he caried also with him a letter of credit written with the Kings owne hand and so departed The peace with the English men was already concluded as aboue is mentioned and all these practises were abroch in one instant The Kings Commissioners had made report of their negotiation as you haue heard and the King of Englands were also returned to him Further it was concluded and agreed on both sides by the ambassadors that passed betweene them that the two Princes should meete togither and after they had seene one another and sworne the treaty the King of England should returne home into his countrey hauing first receiued the sum aboue mentioned of 720000. crownes and leauing in hostage behinde him till he were passed the seas the Lord Hovvard and the Master of his horse called sir Iohn Cheinie Lastly a pension of 16000. crownes was promised to be diuided among the King of Englands principall seruants of the which sum the Lord Hastings had two thousand The rest had the Lord Howard the Master of the horse Master Chalanger Master Montgomerie and others besides this great sums of money and goodly presents of siluer plate were giuen to King Edvvards seruants The Duke of Burgundy hearing these newes came in great haste from Luxembourg where he lay to the King of England accompanied onely with sixteene horse The King being much astonished at this his so sudden arriuall asked him what winde draue him thither perceiuing by his countenance that he was displeased The Duke answered that he was come to talke with him The King demanded whether he would speake with him priuately or publikely Then said the Duke haue you concluded peace I haue quoth the King made truce for nine yeeres wherein both you and the Duke of Britaine are comprehended and I pray you agree thereunto But the Duke grew maruellous hot and spake in English for he could the language rehearsing what noble acts diuers Kings of England had done in Fraunce and what great trauell they had sustained to purchase honor and renowme Afterward he inueighed vehemently against this truce saying that he had not desired the English men to passe the seas for any neede he had of their helpe but to the end they might recouer their owne right And to the intent they might perceiue that he stood in no need of their comming he protested that he would not make truce with the King till the King of England had been three moneths at home in his realme which talke ended he departed and returned from whence he came The King of England and his Councell tooke these words in euill part but they that misliked the peace commended much the Dukes speech The Notes 1 Meyer saith thus Quinquaginta millia aureorum pro tributo Aquitaniae Septuaginta quinque millia praeterea soluta prae manibus Edwardo à Gallorum Rege Annal. Aquit say 65000. our chronicles and Gaguin 75000. But the truce saith Gaguin vvas concluded but for seuen yeeres Introduction de la Marche saith 60000. crovvnes the yeerely tribut but in the second booke cap. 1. the same author saith but 36000. 2 The King calleth the Constable brother bicause the King and he had married tvvo sisters as our author maketh mention in this booke cap. 4. How the King feasted the English men in Amiens and how there was a place assigned for the enteruiew of the two Kings Chap. 9. THe King of England to the end the peace might be fully concluded came and encamped within halfe a league of Amiens The King was at the gate from whence he might behold the English men a far off as they came To say the truth they seemed but yong soldiers for they rode in very euill order The King sent to the King of England 300. carts laden with the best wines that might be gotten the which carriage seemed a far off almost as great as the King of Englands armie Many English men bicause of the truce repaired to the towne where they behaued themselues very vndiscreetly and without all regard of their Princes honor They came all in armes and in great troupes and if the King our Master would haue dealt falsly with them so great a number might neuer so easily haue beene destroied Notwithstanding he meant nothing lesse but studied to make them good cheere and to conclude a sure peace with them for his time He had caused to be set at the entrie of the towne gate two long tables on each side of the street one furnished with all kindes of delicate meats that prouoke drinke and with the best wines that might be gotten and men to wait vpon them of water there was no mention At each of these tables he had placed fiue or sixe great fat gentlemen of good houses thereby the better to content those that desired to drinke The gentlemens names were these Monseur de Cran de Briqueber de Bresmes de Villiers and others So soone as the English men drew neere the gate they might behold this good cheere Besides this men purposely appointed tooke their horses by the bridles saying that they would breake a staffe with them and so led them to the table where they were feasted according to the varietie of the meats which they tooke in very good part After they were within the towne what house soeuer they entred into they paid nothing Further nine or ten tauerns were well furnished at the Kings charge of all things necessarie whither they went to eate and drinke and called for what they would but the King defraied all and this cheere endured three or fower daies You haue heard how the Duke of Burgundie misliked the peace which howsoeuer it displeased him troubled the Constable much more bicause he saw he had failed of his enterprise and purchased himselfe hatred on all sides wherefore he sent his Confessor to the King of England with a letter of credit desiring him for Gods loue to haue no affiance in the Kings words and promises but to accept the townes of Eu and S. Valerie and there to lodge himselfe part of the winter adding that within two moneths he would finde meanes to lodge him more commodiously Other assurance heerof gaue he him none for his onely meaning was to feede him foorth with these faire words Last of all to the end he should not conclude a dishonorable treatie for greedines of a little money he promised to lend him fiftie thousand crownes with diuers other large offers But the King had already caused the two places aboue mentioned to be burned bicause he knew the King of England had intelligence that the Constable had perswaded him to put them into the English mens hands King Edwards answer was that the truce was alreadie concluded and that he would alter nothing therein but if he had performed his promises he
would haue made no such appointment which answer draue the Constable into vtter despaire You haue heard of the English mens great cheere in Amiens but one euening Monseur de Torcy came to the King and told him that so great a number of them were in the towne that it stood in some danger But the King was displeased with his message wherefore euery man forbare to bring him any more such newes The next morrow was one of the daies that represented Childermas day that yeere 1 on the which the King vsed not to debate any matter but accounted it a signe of some great misfortune towards him if any man communed with him of his affaires and would be maruellously displeased with those that were neere about him and acquainted with his humor if they troubled him with any matter whatsoeuer Notwithstanding the same morning I now speake of as he being but newly risen was saying his praiers one brought me word that there were at the least nine thousand English men within the towne which newes I hearing determined to aduertise him thereof Wherefore I entred againe into his closet and said vnto him Sir though this day represent vnto you Childermas day yet necessity inforceth me to informe you of that I heare Then I aduertised him at large of the great number of English men that were within the towne adding that they entred continually all armed and that no man durst refuse them the gate for feare of displeasing them The King was content to heare me speake and foorthwith arose from his praiers saying that he would not obserue the ceremony of Innocents that day and bad me mount on horsebacke to see if I could speake with the English mens captaines to cause them to depart the towne further he commanded me if I met any of his owne captaines to bid them repaire vnto him saying also that he himselfe would come to the gate immediately after me I did as I was commanded and spake to three or fower English captaines with whom I was acquainted aduertising them what I thought good to be done in this case but for one they put foorth of the towne twenty came in The King sent immediately after me the L. of Gié now Marshall of Fraunce to take order for this inconuenience we two entred togither into a tauerne where were spent that morning 111. shots yet was it but nine of the clocke The house was full some sang some slept and some were drunke which when I sawe I perceiued no danger to be of such men and sent word thereof to the King who came incontinent with a goodly traine to the gate and caused two or three hundred soldiers to arme themselues secretly in their captaines houses and placed some also vpon the gate where the English men entred Further he commanded his diner to be brought into the porters lodge where he caused diuers English gentlemen to dine with him The King of England being aduertised of this disorder was ashamed thereof and sent to the King desiring him to giue commandement that no English man should be suffered to enter the towne whereunto the King answered that he would neuer so do but desired him if it so pleased him to send certaine of the yomen of his crowne to keepe the gate and let in such as they should thinke good and so the King of England did whereupon a great number of English men departed the towne by his commandement It was then determined that for perfect conclusion of the peace Commissioners should be appointed on both sides to assigne a place for the enteruiew of the two Kings For our King the L. of Bouchage and I my selfe were named and for the King of England the L. Howard one called Chalenger and a herault After we had ridden vp and downe and viewed all the riuer we agreed in the end the pleasantest safest and most commodious place to be Picquigny a towne three leagues from Amiens with a strong castell belonging to the Vidame of Amiens Notwithstanding that it were once burned by the Duke of Burgundy The towne standeth in a bottom the riuer of Som passeth through it which is deeper there than a mans height but very narrow The country on both sides of the riuer through the which the two Kings should passe was very open and pleasant saue that when the King of England drew neere to the riuer side there was a causey at the least two bowe shot long enuironed with a marsh a very dangerous passage if we had not meant good faith Wherefore without doubt the Englishmen as before I haue said are not so subtill and circumspect in these treaties and assemblies as the French For whatsoeuer men say of them they go bluntly to worke but a man must haue patience with them and giue them no crosse language After the place was assigned we determined to build a strong large bridge ouer the riuer the worke men and stuffe we furnished In the midst of this bridge a woodden grate was made like to a lions cage the space betweene each bar being no greater than that a man with ease might thrust in his arme ouer the head it was boorded to keepe off the raine so brode that ten or twelue might stand couered vnder it on each side ouer the bridge no man could passe for the grate was framed cleane ouerthwart it and vpon the riuer was but one bote with two men in it to ferry ouer such as passed from the one side to the other I will tell you what mooued the King to make this grate in such sort that no man could passe through it bicause it may peraduenture stand some man in stead that shall haue occasion to make the like In King Charles the 7. youth this realme was greeuously plagued by the English men For King Henry the 5. held the siege before Roan and had brought the towne to great extremity the most part of the inhabitants being either subiects to Iohn Duke of Burgundy then liuing or of his faction Betweene the said Duke Iohn of Burgundy and the Duke of Orleans great variance had beene of long time so far foorth that the whole realme or the greatest part was rent into two factions whereby the Kings estate was much weakened for partiality neuer ariseth in any realme but in the end the fire thereof is dangerous and hard to be quenched This variance grew so hot that the Duke of Orleans was slaine at Paris about eleuen yeeres before 2 The Duke of Burgundy led a great army with the which he marched towards Normandy minding to leuy the siege before Roan 3 but to the end he might be the stronger and the better assured of the King it was agreed that the King and he should meet at Montereau faut Yonne where a bridge was made and a grate ouerthwart it with a little wicket in the middest boulted on both sides so that a man might passe through with consent of both parties The King 4
earnestly the other the hope he had to reserue to himselfe a great part of the subsidie leuied in England for this voiage for as before I haue said the Kings of England receiue onely the bare reuenues of their lands saue when they leuie money to make war in Fraunce Further K. Edward had deuised this subtiltie to appease his subiects he had brought with him ten or 12. great fat paunches as well of the citie of London as of other townes in England who were the wealthiestmen of the commonaltie and had been the chiefest instruments both in perswading the King to passe into Fraunce and also in leuying this mightie army The King caused them to be lodged in good tents but that was not the life they were accustomed to lead wherefore they soone waxed wearie of it At their first arriuall they looked for the battell within three daies after their landing But the King of England alleaged many doubts vnto them and endeuored to put them in feare of the battell and to perswade them to allow of the peace to the ende they might aide him at their returne into England to pacifie the murmuring and grudging of the people that happily might arise bicause of his returne for neuer King of England since King Arthur passed at one time with so great force and so many noble personages into Fraunce But after the peace was concluded the King of England repaired homeward with speed reseruing to himselfe a great summe of monie leuied in England for the paiment of his soldiers so that he obtained in effect all his purposes His bodie could not away with such labor as a King of England must endure that mindeth to atchieue any great enterprise in Fraunce Further the King our Master had made great preparation for resistance though to say the truth he could not well haue prouided defence sufficient against all his enimies for he had too manie Lastly the King of England had a maruellous great desire to accomplish the marriage of his daughter with King Charles the 8. now raigning which caused him to winke at a number of inconueniences that turned after to the King our Masters great profit After all the English men were returned home sauing the hostages the King tooke his iourney towards Laon and lodged in a little towne vpon the maâ—â—â—es of Henault called Veruins and to Auennes in Henault came the Chauncelloâ— oâ— Burgundie with the Lord of Contay and other ambassadors from the Duke The King was very desirous at this time to conclude a finall peace for this mightie English armie had put him in feare and no maruell for he had seene in his time of their doings in this realme and would in no wise their returne The said Chauncellor writ to the King desiring that it would please him to send his Commissioners for the peace to a certaine bridge in the midway betweene Auennes and Veruins saying that he and his colleagues would meet them there The King sent him answer that he would come thither himselfe and notwithstanding that diuers whose aduise he asked in this matter perswaded him to the contrarie yet thither he went leading also with him the English hostages who were present when he receiued the Dukes ambassadors the which came very well accompanied with archers and men of war At this first meeting they did but salute the King then went to dinner One of the English men began to repent him that the treatie was concluded and said to me at a window that if they had seene many such men with the Duke of Burgundie peraduenture they would not haue made peace Which words the Vicount of Narbonne 1 now Lord of Fouez hearing said Were you so simple to thinke that the Duke of Burgundie had not great force of such men he had sent them onely to refresh themselues but you were so desirous to returne home that sixe hundred pipes of wine and a pension the King giueth you blew you quickly backe into England The English man in a great furie answered I perceiue now their sayings to prooue true that told vs you would deride vs for making peace Call you the money the King giueth vs a pension it is tribute and by Saint George you may babble so much that you may soone make vs to returne But I brake off their talke and turned it to a iest notwithstanding the Englishman was discontented and cast out a word thereof to the King who was maruellously offended with the Lord of Narbonne for his speech The King communed not long at this first meeting with the Chancellor and the other ambassadors for it was agreed that they should go with him to Veruines where when they arriued he coÌ„manded M. Tanneguy du Chastell and M. Peter Doriole Chancellor of Fraunce and others to negotiate with them much ado there was betweene them many reasons alleaged and many demands made on each side The Kings Commissioners made report to him that the Burgundians vsed fierce and stout language but that they had paid them with the like and withall tolde him what their answers were Which he much misliked saying that the like answers had been made diuers times before and that they treated not of a finall peace but onely of truce wherefore he would haue no more such language vsed but would himselfe commune with them and thereupon caused the said Chauncellor and the 〈◊〉 â—â—bassadors to come into his chamber out of the which all men were commanded to auoid saue the late L. Admirall called the bastard of Burbon Monseur de Bouchage and my selfe There the King concluded truce for nine yeeres wherein it was agreed that euery man shuld be restored to his former estate But the ambassadors besought the King that the truce might not yet be proclaimed to saue the D. their Masters oth who had sworne not to make truce before the King of England had been a certaine space in his realme least he should thinke their Master had accepted his truce But the King of England who thought great scorne that the Duke would not be comprehended in his truce being aduertised that he treated with the King of an other sent ouer into Fraunce a knight neere about him called Sir Thomas Montgomery who came to Veruins at the very same instant that the King treated with the Duke of Burgundies ambassadors of this truce aboue mentioned The said Sir Thomas required the King in the King his Masters name to make no other truce with the Duke of Burgundy than that which was already concluded betweene them two Further desiring him not to deliuer Saint Quintins into the Dukes hands offering that if he would continue war with the Duke his Master would be content the next sommer to passe the seas againe for him and in his aide with these conditions First that the King should recompence the losse the King of England should sustaine by the wooll custome of Calice amounting yeerely to 50000. crownes which if the war opened with
all good counsell and sought all meanes to hurt themselues In the which vale of misery they are still like to continue or if happily they wade out of it for a season like they are to fall into it againe Wherefore I am of a certaine wise mans opinion of my acquaintance that God giueth to subiects Princes according as he will punish or chastise them and likewise towards the Prince disposeth the subiects harts according as he will aduaunce or abase him and euen so dealt he with the subiects of this house of Burgundie For after three great good and sage Princes who gouerned them the space of 120. yeers or more with great wisedome and vertue he gaue them in the end this D. Charles who held them in continuall wars trauell and charges almost as much in winter as sommer so that a great number of rich wealthy men were either slaine in these wars or starued in prison Their great miseries began before Nuz and continued with the losse of three or fower battels till the hower of the Dukes death who in this last battell wasted and consumed the whole force of his countrie and lost all his seruants that could or would haue defended the estate and honor of his house It seemeth therefore as before I said that this aduersity hath counteruailed all the time of their felicitie For as I say that I haue seene him a great mighty and honorable Prince so may I say also of his subiects for I haue trauelled the best part of Europe in mine opinion yet saw I neuer countrey in my life of the like greatnes no nor far greater abound with such wealth riches sumptuous buildings large expences feasts bankets and all kinde of prodigality as these countries of Burgundy did during the time that I was there And if those that knew them not during the time that I speake of thinke my report too large I am sure others that knew them then as well as my selfe will thinke it too little But God with one blowe hath laid flat on the ground this sumptuous building I meane this mighty house that bred and maintained so many woorthy men that was so greatly esteemed both far and neere and obtained greater victories and liued in greater honor during the time it florished than any other which great felicity and grace of God towards them continued the space of a hundred and twenty yeeres During the which time all their neighbors suffered great afflictions namely Fraunce England and Spaine so far foorth that all these at one time or other haue come to craue helpe and succor of this house of Burgundy as you haue seene by experience of the King our Master who in his youth while his father King Charles the seuenth raigned liued in Burgundy the space of sixe yeeres with good Duke Philip who louingly receiued him As touching the Princes of England I haue seene in the Duke of Burgundies court King Edvvards two brethren the Dukes of Clarence and Glocester who afterward named himselfe King Richard the third and on the contrary side of the house of Lancaster that tooke part with King Henry I haue seene in maner all the noble men suing to this house of Burgundy for aide To be short as I haue knowen this house honored of all men so haue I also seene it at one instant fall downe topsie turuy and become the most desolate and miserable house in the world both in respect of the Prince and also of the subiects Such like works hath God brought to passe before we were borne and wil also when we are dead For this we ought certainly to beleeue that the good or euill successe of Princes dependeth wholy vpon his diuine ordinance The Notes 1 Of the deuise of the Fuzill read the chronicles of Flanders pag. 345. Claude Paradin in his deuises heroiques pag. 46. and Annal. Burgund lib. 3. pag. 711. who saith that he gaue the striking iron bicause it is made in the forme of B. which is the first letter of Burgundie Further he giueth the said iron striking against a stone with infinite sparkles flying from them to signifie that the cruell wars betweene the Duke of Burgundie and the realme of Fraunce had set all their neighbours on fire 2 His meaning is that bicause he bestowed vpon euerie man he could not bestow much vpon any one whereby his liberalitie was the lesse apparant 3 He meaneth in hearing their sutes for as touching matters of counsell he hath said before in diuers places that he would neuer vse any mans aduise How the King was aduertised of the Duke of Burgundies last ouerthrow and how he gouerned his affaires after the said Dukes death Chap. 10. BVt to proceede in our historie the King who had now laid posts in his realme for before were neuer any looked howerly for the certaine newes of this battell of Nancy bicause of the occurrents he had alreadie receiued of the Almains arriuall and of all the other circumstances aboue rehearsed and was foorthwith aduertised of the Dukes ouerthrowe Diuers there were that waited diligently to beare him the first newes heerof for alwaies he gaue somwhat to him that first brought him tidings of any good newes withall not forgetting the messengers Further his delight was to talke of them before they came and to promise rewarde to him that could bring him some good newes Monseur de Bouchage and my selfe being togither receiued the first word of the battell of Morat whereof both of vs iointly aduertised the King who gaue to each of vs two hundred marks of siluer Monseur de Lude who lodged without Plessis was the first man that knew of the Courriers arriuall with the letters of this battell of Nancy and commanded the said Courrier to deliuer him his packet who durst not denie it him bicause of the Kings great fauour towards him The next morning by breake of day the said de Lude came rapping at the doore next to the Kings chamber which foorthwith was opened to him and in he went and deliuered these letters sent from the Lord of Cran and diuers others notwithstanding none of them writ any certaintie of the Dukes death but some reported that he was seene flie and was escaped This newes at the first so rauished the King with ioy that he wist not what countenance to shew notwithstanding two doubts there were that troubled him the one least the Almaines if the Duke were taken for greedines of monie whereof the Duke had plentie would not onely raunsome him but also conclude some treatie with him and of his foes become his friends The other if the Duke were escaped thus thrise discomfited whether he should seaze into his hands his seniories of Burgundy or no knowing them easie to be taken bicause in manner all the force of the countrie was slaine in these three battels Touching the which point his resolution whereunto few I thinke but my selfe were priuy was if the Duke were escaped aliue to
raigning for notwithstanding that the said King Edward were a most valiant Prince and had woon in England eight or nine battels wherein he fought alwaies himselfe on foote greatly to his renowme yet were these troubles but by fits so that his head was not continually busied in matters of state for immediately after the victorie obtained he returned to his former sports and pleasures till another storme arose For you shall vnderstand that when war beginneth in England in ten daies or lesse the one or the other getteth the garland But our affaires in Fraunce passed not after that sort for besides the war it selfe the K. was forced to haue an eie continually vpon diuers places as well of his owne realme as of his neighbors but especially by all means possible to content the King of England and to entertain him by ambassadors presents and smooth words to the end he should not entermeddle with our affaires For the K. knew well the English men as well Nobles and Commons as the Cleargie to be naturally inclined to make war vpon this realme aswell vnder colour of the title they pretende thereunto as also in hope of gaine For they trust to haue euer such successe heere as their predecessors haue had whom God permitted to obtaine in this realme many great victories and large dominion both in Normandie and in Guienne the which they had possessed by the space of three hundred and fiftie yeeres 2 when King Charles the seuenth first recouered it During the which time they inriched the realme of England with great spoiles and much treasure that they got aswell of the Princes and noble men of Fraunce a great number of whom they tooke prisoners as also of the townes and places which they subdued Notwithstanding they should hardly haue had such successe in the King our Masters time for he would neuer haue indangered his estate in battell as King Charles the sixt did at Agincourt where all the nobility of Fraunce lighted on foote to fight with the English men but would haue proceeded more warily if the matter had come to execution as you may perceiue by the course he held in sending King Edvvard home Wherefore the King well perceiued that he must in any wise keepe the King of England and his principall seruants his friends whom he sawe altogither inclined to quietnes and very greedy of his money for the which cause he paid duly at London the pension of fiftie thousand crownes which they called tribute And further gaue yeerely sixteene thousand crownes to the said Kings principall seruants whose names were these the Lord Chauncellor the Master of the Rols who now is Chauncellor the Lord Hastings Lord great Chamberlaine a man of singular wisdome and vertue and in great authority with his Master and not without cause for he euer serued him faithfully Sir Thomas Montgomery the Lord Hovvard afterward Duke of Norfolke partaker with the wicked King Richard the Master of the Horse called Master Cheiny Master Challenger and the Marques Dorset the Queene of Englands sonne by hir first husband Further he gaue goodly presents to all the ambassadors that came to him were their messages neuer so sharpe and bitter and sent them home with such goodly words Princely rewards that they returned well contented And notwithstanding that some of them vnderstood that he did all this onely to win time the better to atchieue his enterprise in the conquest of the Duke of Burgundies dominions yet winked they at it bicause of the great riches they receiued at his hands To all these aboue named he gaue besides their pensions many goodly presents so largely that the Lord Hovvard ouer and aboue his pension receiued of him in lesse then two yeeres space in money and plate fower and twentie thousand crownes To the Lord Hastings also L. great Chamberlaine of England he gaue at one time a present of plate to the value of ten thousand marks The acquittances of all which great personages are yet to be seene in the chamber of accounts at Paris saue of the Lord Hastings Lord great Chamberlaine of England which is an high office for there is neuer but one alone in it This L. Chamberlaine was long labored before he would become the Kings pensioner my selfe being the onely man that perswaded him thereunto For I wan him first to Charles Duke of Burgundies friendship during the time I serued him who gaue him yeerly a pension of a thousand crownes whereof when I had aduertised the King he would in like maner that I should be a meanes to make him his friend and pensioner for in times past during Duke Charles his life and after his death also in fauor of the Lady of Burgundy he had alwaies beene the Kings extreme enimy and trauelled once to perswade the King of England to aide the said Lady against the King our Master I began this friendship by letters and the King gaue him a pension of two thousand crownes which was double the summe he receiued of the Duke Further the King sent to him one of the stewards of his house called Peter Cleret charging him to bring with him the said Lord Chamberlains acquittance to the end heereafter it might appeere that the great Chamberlaine Chauncellor Admirall and Master of the Horse of England besides diuers others had beene the French Kings pensioners The said Peter Cleret was a wise fellow and communed priuily alone with the Lord Chamberlaine at his lodging in London where after he had declared his message from the King he presented him his two thousand crownes in golde for the King neuer gaue but gold to strangers which money when the Lord Chamberlaine had receiued Peter Cleret humbly besought him for his discharge to giue him an acquittance wherein the said Lord Chamberlaine made difficultie Then Cleret desired him to giue him onely a letter of three lines to the King to testifie the receit of the money least the King being a suspitious Prince should thinke that he had conuerted it to his owne vse Which reasonable demand the Lord Chamberlaine hearing answered thus Sir you require but reason but this gift proceedeth of the King your Masters liberality not of my request if it please you that I shall receiue it put it heere into my sleeue and other letter or testimoniall get you none of me For I will not for my part that any man shall say that the Lord great Chamberlaine of England hath beene pensioner to the French King nor that my acquittances be found in his chamber of accounts Whereunto the said Cleret replied not but departed leauing the money behinde him and at his returne made report thereof to the King who was not a little displeased with him for that he brought no acquittance but as touching the said Chamberlaine he commended and esteemed him more than all the King of Englands other seruants and his pension was euer after paied without acquittance After this sort liued the King with
successe this voiage was like to haue had if God alone had not guided the enterprise The King abode at Ast a certaine space 2 That yeere all the wines of Italie were sower which our men much misliked neither could they away with the great heate of the aire To Ast came the Lord Lodouic and his wife with a goodly traine to visite the King where they abode two daies and then the said Lodouic departed to a castell of the Duchie of Milan a league from Ast called Nom whither the Kings Councell repaired daily to him King Alphonse had two armies abrode in the countrie the one in Romaine 3 towards Ferrara vnder the leading of his sonne accompanied with the Lord Virgill Vrsin the Earle of Petilhane and the Lord Iohn Iames of Trenoul who is now become French Against these the King sent the Lord d'Aubigny 4 a valiant and wise Knight with two hundred men of armes French and fiue hundred men of armes Italians being in the Kings seruice vnder the leading of the Earle of Caiazze so often before mentioned who was there as the Lord Lodouics lieutenant and feared greatly the discomfiture of these forces which if it had happened we had repaired homewards incontinent and he should haue had his enimies vpon his necke whose intelligence was great in the Duchie of Milan The other armie was vpon the sea vnder the leading of Dom Frederike King Alphonses brother and lay at Ligorne and at Pise for the Florentines tooke part as yet with the house of Arragon and furnished them of certaine gallies Moreouer with the said Dom Frederike was Breto de Flisco and certaine other Genuois by whose intelligence he hoped to cause Genua to reuolt 5 And sure they had almost obtained their purpose at Specie and Rapalo neere to Genua where they landed a thousand of their faction by meanes whereof they had vndoubtedly atchieued their enterprise if they had not been very speedily assailed But the selfesame day or the next day Lewis Duke of Orleance arriued there with certaine ships and a good number of gallies and one great galliasse being mine the patrone whereof was one Master Albert Mely and it caried the said Duke and the principall of the armie and manie goodly peeces of artillerie for it was very strong and approched so neere the shore that the very artillery almost discomfited the enimies who before had neuer seene the like for artillerie was at that time strange and new to the Italian nation The soldiers landed also that were in the other ships and from Genua where the whole armie laie came a band of Swissers by land led by the Bailife of Digeon who had ioined with him certaine of the Duke of Milans forces vnder the leading of Master Iohn Lewis de Flisco brother to the forenamed Breto and of Master Iohn Adorne the which notwithstanding that they were not at the skirmish shewed themselues valiant soldiers in defending a straight against the enimies To be short bicause our men came to hand-strokes with the enimies they were discomfited and put to flight and a hundred or sixscore slaine and eight or ten taken prisoners among the which was one Fourgousin sonne to the Cardinall of Genua Those prisoners that were dismissed were all stripped to their shirts by the Duke of Milans bands and other harme had they none for such is the law of armes in Italie I saw all the letters that were sent both to the King and to the Duke of Milan making report of this skirmish Thus was the enimies Nauie repulsed which afterward approched no more so neer At our mens returne the Genuois thought to haue raised a tumult and slew certaine Almaines in the towne certaine also of them were slaine but the matter was soone pacified I must heere speake a word or two of the Florentines who had sent twise to the King before his departure out of Fraunce meaning onely to dissemble with him with their first ambassadors being the Bishop of Arese 6 and one named Peter Sonderin the King commanded me the Seneschall and the Generall to negotiate Our demands were onely these First to giue the King passage through their countrie and secondarily to serue him with a hundred men of armes paying them after the Italian intertainment which was but ten thousand ducats the yeere 7 These ambassadors depended wholie vpon Peter of Medicis a yoong man of small wisedome sonne to Laurence of Medicis who was dead and had beene one of the wisest men in his time and had gouerned this citie almost as prince as did also at this present his sonne for their house had continued thus already two mens ages namely Laurence the father of this Peter and Cosme of Medicis the first roote and founder of this house a man woorthie among the woorthiest And sure of their trade being merchandise I thinke it hath beene the greatest house that euer was in the world for their seruants and factors haue had so great credit vnder their name that it is woonderfull I my selfe haue seene the proofe thereof both in Flaunders and England For I knew one called Gerard Quanuese by whose onely helpe in a maner King Edward the fowerth kept the crowne on his head when ciuill wars were in the realme of England for he lent him at times more then sixscore thousand crownes little for his Masters profite notwithstanding he recouered his principall in the end Another also I knew named Thomas Portunay who was pledge at one time betweene the said King Edward and Duke Charles of Burgundie for fiftie thousand crownes and at an other time in another place for forwerscore thousand I commend not the wisedome of merchants in thus doing but I commend Princes that vse merchants well and keepe daie with them for they know not when they shall need their helpe and sometime a little money doth great seruice It seemeth that this house of the Medicis fel to ruine as mighty houses do in realms and Empires for the great authoritie of this Peter of Medicis predecessors did him harme notwithstanding the gouernment of Cosme the first of this house was milde and gentle such as was agreeable with a free state But Lavvrence this Peters father whom we now presently write of bicause of the great variance before mentioned in this historie that was betweene him and them of Pisa and others diuers of the Lib. 6. cap. 5. which at that time were hanged tooke a garde of 20. men for the defence of his person by the commandement and leaue of the Seniory who commanded nothing but at his pleasure notwithstanding he behaued himselfe in this great authoritie very discreetly and soberly for as I before said he was one of the wisest men in his time But this Peter who succeeded his father supposing the like authority to be due to him of right became terrible by meanes of this guard and vsed great violence in the night beating men as they went in the streetes and abusing their common treasure
Francesco Gonzaga 2 Nicholas succeeded Borso but his vncle Hercules right heire expelled him and seeking to recouer the state he was taken and beheaded by Sigismundus his other vncle 1 Borso a bastard succeeded his brother bicause his brothers son was yoong he was created the first Duke of Ferrara by the Emperor Frederic 3 Hercules expelled Nicholas his nephew he was generall to the Florentines Venetians and Milanois This is he so often mentioned in this historie m. Leonora daughter to Ferdinand King of Naples Betrice married Lodouic Sforce Duke of Milan Alfonse m. Lucretia daughter to Alexander the 6. Biâ—â—op of Rome Franciscus Hippolitus a Cardinall 5 Hercules m. Renee daughter to Lewis the 12. King of Fraunce 6 Alfonsus D. of Ferrara Luigi Cardinall of Este m. Laura Alfonsus Alfonsinus â— Elizabeth married Francis Gonzaga the Marquesse of Mantua mentioned in this storie Sigismundus The pedegree of Francis Marques of Mantua so often mentioned in this historie The familie of Gonzagua had gouerned Mantua before this Francis from the yeer 1328. vnder this Francis Iohn Galliazzo besieged Mantua a yeere but preuailed not this Francis serued the Duke of Milan and the Venetians Francis died anno 1407. Iohn Francis first Marques of MaÌ„tua made by the Emperor Sigismundus was thrice generall to the Venetians died anno 1443. m. Paola daughter to Malatesta Lord of Rimini Luigi liued in the time of Frederick the third m. Barbara daughter to the Marques of Brandenburg Luigi Francis a cardinall Frederick was generall to the Duke of Milan and the Venetians m. Margarita Tedesca Francis in the age of 38. yeeres fought with Charles the 8. at Laro died 1520. m. Elizabeth daughter to Hercules Duke of Ferrara Hercules a Cardinall Frederick made general of the Church by Pope Leo and so confirmed by his successors made D. by Charles the fift he died 1539. Montferrat m. Margaret daughter and heire of William Paleologus marques of Montferrat William Francis Lewis Frederick Ferdinandus generall of Milan to the Emperor Charles the fift Iohn Francis Rodolfe m. Margaret daughter to the Duke of Bauiera Charles troubled his brother but was chased away by him died in very poore estate Lucedus was mishapen Alexander croked backed was a monke How Ferdinand King of Arragon had more right to the realme of Naples than the Kings of the house of Arragon that possessed it as writeth Commines Lib. 8. cap. 17. 1 Iohn the first of that name King of Castile m. Daughter to Ferdinand the first King of Portugale Castile 2 Henry the third King of Castile and Leon. Mary wife to Alfonse King of Arragon and Naples 3 Iohn the second 4 Henry the fourth married a daughter of the King of Portugale Elizabeth put froÌ„ the crowne by hir aunt Commin Lib. 5. cap. 7. 5 Elizabeth succeeded hir brother putting hir neece from the crowne as a bastard Castile and Arragon vnited 4 m. Ferrand King of Arragon and Castile by his wife so often mentioned in these Italian wars Katharine wife to Henry the eight King of England Iane married Philip Archduke of Austrich 6 Charles the fift Emperor Iohn married Margaret daughter to Maximilian the Emperor died before his father m. Elenor daughter to Peter King of Arragon Arragon 1. Ferrand Earle of Medina del Campo K. of Arragon This Ferrande obtained the realme of Arragon anno 1407. bicause his mother was daughter to king Peter whose heire male failed in Martin his nephew and notwithstanding that Martin had a daughter yet Ferrande obtained the crowne to hir preiudice 3 Iohn succeeded his brother in Arragon but in Naples Ferrand his brothers bastard succeeded Ferrand King of Arragon and Castile by his wife so often mentioned in these Italian wars Castile and Arragon vnited 4 m. 5 Elizabeth succeeded hir brother putting hir neece from the crowne as a bastard Katharine wife to Henry the eight King of England Iane married Philip Archduke of Austrich 6 Charles the fift Emperor Iohn married Margaret daughter to Maximilian the Emperor died before his father Charles King of Nauarre sans issue Iane Queene of Portugale Mary married Iohn the secoÌ„d K. of Castile 2 1 Naples Alfonse adopted by Iane Queene of Naples who after adopted Lewis Duke of Aniou 2 Ferrande the bastard succeeded his father in the realme of Naples died a little before King Charles came into Italy 5 Frederick succeeded his nephew Ferdinand led after into Fraunce by Lewis the 12. Ferdinand married Germain widow to King Ferdinand of Arragon 3 Alfonse fled when K. Charles came into Italy 4 Ferdinand chased from Naples by King Charles but after recouered the realme died sans issue Isabella wife to Iohn Galeas Duke of Milan Elizabeth wife to Hercules Duke of Ferrara The King of Spaine had better right to Naples than Alfonse that possessed it when King Charles came into Italie bicause Alfonses father was a bastard King Ferrands father being the first Alfonses brother ought to haue succeeded him before his base sonne Further you shall vnderstand that after Frederick was led into Fraunce by Lewis the 12. the said K Lewis enioied Naples but within fower yeeres Ferrande King of Arragon by the great captaine Consaluo chased King Lewis out of the realme and left it to his nephew Charles the Emperor from whom the French K. could neuer recouer it but at this day it is in the possession of the King of Spaine sonne to the said Emperor Charles FINIS Faults escaped Page 3. line 1. reade to wit a pag. 7. lin 13. r. armie Of ead lin dele lin 28. r. Seniories pag. 8. l. 9. dele and ead p. l. vlt. r. of Coulches p. 11. l. 28. r. with them p. 13. l. 22. r. the best ead p. l. vlt. r. Seniories p. 14. l. 41. r. and La Marche p. 17. l. 8. r. flying p. 18. l. 12. r. them not ead p. l. 13. r. before My ead p. l. 32. r. aduise p. 19. l. 21. r. and in a p. 24. l. 46. r. of Aniou p. 27. l. 4. r. 6. of September ead p. l. 38. r. quirace p. 28. l. 32. r. this companie p. 29. l. 5. r. scouts p. 31. l. 43. r. ditch notwithstanding the truce No p. 38. l. 5. r. florens ead p. l. 26. r. cordingly p. 39. l. 31. dele with p. 40. l. 2. r. his campe p. 46. l. 9. r. the canon ead p. l. 44. r. Noone drew p. 47. l. 8. r. stayning ead p. l. 31. r. 6 ead p. l. 32. r. 5 p. 49. l. 7. r. vpon our ead p. l. 38. r. After these p. 50. l. 4. r. of the which p. 54. l. 32. r. goodly p. 59. l. 2. r. rased their wals but ead p. l. 35. r. Romont p. 61. l. 36. r. Angien p. 63. l. 42. r. or Herbart p. 64. l. 38. r. Estelle p. 66. l. 5. r. Ferrette p. 68. l. 34. r. haue had but ead lin r. sixtie thousand p. 69. l. 25. r. hardinesse ead p. l. 43. r. bounds of p. 74. l. 47. r. foorthwith p. 77. l. 1. r. touching the p. 78. l. 23. r. and Desmeries p. 79. l. 9. r. Polence p. 80. l. 13. r. bounds p. 82. l. 4. r. to Gaunt p. 83. l. 9. r. his principall ead p. l. 24. r. to repaire p. 84. l. 41. r. and receiued p. 85. l. 48. r. in feare p. 87. l. 44. r. foorth on foote p. 91. l. 24. r. the very p. 94. l. 13. r. what port the ead p. l. 38. r. three thousand p. 98. l. 35. r. the others p. 106. l. 20. r. cause p. 107. l. 2. r. foade p. 109. l. vlt. r. six score soldiers p. 111. l. 12. r. the onely p. 117. l. 17. r. these Dutch p. 118. l. 5. r. than in any p. 120. l. 2. r. church Then ead p. l. 7. r. 1474. Meyer p. 127. l. 2 r. is it p. 134. l. 2. r. stoutly denied p. 138. l. 43. r. a marrish p. 139. l. 32. r. whereof p. 150. l. 23. r. debebant p. 154. l. 21. r. preparation p. 155. l. 38. r. most of the which p. 16◠〈…〉 p. 164. 〈…〉 p. 165. l. 32. r. great p. 176. l. vlt. r. Burgund pa. 988. p. 179. l. 13. r. ride p. 186. l. 36. r. had good p. 196. l. 33. r. begin p. 201. l. 39. r. to the king his p. 205. l. 40. r. Burgundish p. 208. l. 21. dele had p. 224 l. 6. r. This second p. 227. l. 23. r. in the towne p. 240. l. 16. r. to proceed p. 243. l. 18. r. a number ead p. l. 37. r. which is called p. 253. l. 33. r. vantmures p. 254. l. 25. r. Fougieres p. 260. l. 45. r. was sent p. 261. l. 30. r. Dabecsin p. 263. l. 16. r. commendation p. 267. l. vlt. r. foorth to p. 274. l. 17. r. Proctor ead p. l. vlt. r. they lawfull p. 276. l. 21. r. first voiage p. 278. l. 41. r. Treuâ—ul p. 280. l. vlt. dele Duke p. 281. l. 3. dele Duke p. 284. l. 21. r. also of the p. 291. l. 16. r. Caballiau p. 292 l. 40. r. Caballiau p. 293. l. 19. r. vantmure ead p. l. 43. r. Rosanes p. 294. l. 9. r. Picinino p. 295. l. 12. r. ride about p. 296. l. 14. r. for cruell p. 297. l. 4. r. Aenaria p 306. l 38. r. their other ead p. l. 48. r. places than they p. 307. l. 8. r. accompanie ead p. l 31. r. Otrante p. 313. l. 4. r. or Musiua p. 316. l. 17. r. and two p. 318. l. 16 r. and voluntarily p. 319. l. 39. r. Luques p. 325. l. 18 r. Albanie p. 335. l. 7. r. the Florentines p. 342. l. 4. r. enimies nauie p. 350. l. 3. r. they might p. 380. r. Iane daughter heire to Robart of Bar E. of Marle p. 391. r. Cosmus died the 80. yeere of his age We must intreate the Readers patience for these faults escaped and that he will amend the booke according to this table before he enter into the reading thereof
Flaunders were cleerely lost And secondarily that the King should pay the one halfe of the English army and the King of England the other The King yeelded great thanks to the King of England for this curteous message and gaue a goodly present of siluer plate to the said Sir Thomas Notwithstansting as touching the war he excused himselfe saying that the truce was already concluded being the very same that the King of England and he had made for the terme of nine yeeres saue that the Duke would haue his letters apart Thus to content the ambassador he excused the matter the best he could and the said Sir Thomas returned into England and the hostages with him The King maruelled much at the King of Englands offers at the report whereof I onely was present But it seemed to him a dangerous thing to cause the King of England to passe the seas againe both bicause euery trifle would breede quarrels betweene the French and English being in campe togither and also bicause it was to be feared that the Burgundians and they would easily concile themselues wherefore he was so much the more desirous to conclude the truce with the Duke of Burgundy The Notes 1 The French hauing onely Monseur de Narbonne made Sleidan translate it the Bishop of Narbonne whereas in deed he was Vicount of Narbonne not Bishop as other authors affirme and these words Qui an iourd'huy s'appele Monseur de Fouez plainly prooue wherefore for auoiding of Sleidans error I haue put this word Vicount into the text though it be not in the French How the Constables death was fully concluded and sworne betweene the King and the Duke of Burgundie and how he went into the Dukes dominions where by his commandement he was staied and deliuered to the King and after put to death Chap. 12. THe truce being concluded the old practise against the Constable was reuiued and to the end the processe thereof should be short they ratified all that was done before at Bouuines and the writings there made as before you haue heard were againe interchangablie deliuered In the said writings the King promised the Duke Saint Quintins Han Bohain and all the lands that the Constable held of the Duke and all his moouables wheresoeuer they were found 1 Further the maner how to besiege him in Han where he lay was deuised It was also agreed that whether of the two Princes could first take him should either put him to death within eight daies or deliuer him to the other All men incontinent began to feare this confederacie so far foorth that the Constables principall seruants forsooke him namely Monseur de Genly and diuers others Further he being aduertised that King Edward had deliuered his letters to the King and discouered all that he knew of him and seeing also that his enimies had made truce fell into great feare and sent to the Duke of Burgundie humbly beseeching him to giue him a safe conduct to come and speake with him about certaine affaires that greatly imported him The Duke at the first made dainty to grant a safe conduct but in the end sent him one This mighty noble man had oft debated whither he should flie to saue himselfe for he was informed of all that was done and had seene the writings deuised against him at Bouuines Sometime he consulted with certaine of his seruants being Lorrains determining to flie with them into Almain carying a great sum of money with him for the way was very safe therewith to buy som place vpon the riuer of Rhene to remaine in till he were reconciled to one of the two Princes Somtime he resolued to put himselfe into his strong castel of Han which had cost him so much money and which he had fortified to serue him at such a pinch and furnished of al things as well as any castell that euer I knew But he could not finde men to his minde to put into the place bicause all his seruants were borne vnder the Dominions of one of the two Princes And peraduenture his feare was so great that he durst not wholy discouer himselfe and his estate to them for I thinke a great many of them would not haue forsaken him neither was it so dangerous for him to be besieged of both the Princes as of one for it had been impossible for the two armies to agree But in the end he concluded to go to the Duke of Burgundy vnder this safe conduct being accompanied onely with fifteene or twenty horse and rode to Montz in Hainault where the Lord Desmeriez great bailife of Hainault and his especial friend lay With him he soiourned a certaine space attending newes from the Duke of Burgundy who had lately begun war vpon the Duke of Lorraine bicause he had defied him when he lay at the siege before Nuz and done much harme in the countrey of Luxembourg The King being aduertised of the Constables departure purposed so to order the matter that he should neuer recouer the Duke of Burgundies fauor for he leuied seauen or eight hundred men of armes and rode with them in all haste to Saint Quintins knowing well what force was within the towne neere to the which when he approched certaine of the Citizens came foorth to receiue him The King commanded me to enter the towne and appoint euery captaine to his quarter and so I did First the soldiers entred and then the King who was very honorably receiued of the townes men whereupon certaine of the Constables seruants retired into Hainault The King immediately aduertised the Duke by a letter of his own hand of the taking of Saint Quintins thereby to put him vtterly out of hope to recouer it by the Constables meanes Which newes when the Duke vnderstood he sent word to the Lord Desmeriez great bailife of Hainault to garde the towne of Montz in such sort that the Constable could not depart and farther to commaund him to keepe his lodging which commandement the bailife executed accordingly for he durst do no lesse Notwithstanding the garde was not strong enough for such a personage if he had been disposed to escape What shall we say heere of Fortune This noble man dwelt vpon the frontiers of both these Princes dominions being enimies hauing strong townes in his hands and fower hundred men of armes well paied of the which he was Comptroller himselfe and placed whom it pleased him and had been their Captain the space of twelue yeeres He was a wise and a valiant knight and of great experience and had great treasure in ready coine yet notwithstanding at this last pinch his courage so failed him that he wist not what shift to make We may well say that fickle Fortune behelde him with a frowning countenance or rather if we will speake like good Christians we must say that such great miseries depend not vpon Fortune for Fortune is buâ—â— phantasticall fiction of Poetrie Wherefore we must thinke if we will well weigh both
grounding himselfe vpon the Kings title to the said Duchie of Britaine which was said to grow by means of a certaine conueiance that Master Iohn of Brosse Lord of Boussac husband to dame Nicole of Britaine daughter and heire to Charles of Blois Earle of Ponthieure had made to the Kings ancestors togither with diuers other titles which were not yet prooued good adding that if the King had no right thereunto it should be a damnable and a tyrannous act to vsurpe another mans countrie that appertained not to him Wherefore his aduice was that according to the request of the ambassadors of Britaine being at Angiers certaine graue and learned men should be appointed to examine the right of both sides This opinion tooke place and according thereunto the King agreed with the ambassadors of Britaine that both he and the Duke would appoint some graue men of their Councell who should meete in some indifferent towne with the charters and writings of both sides to determine in conscience to whom the said Duchie did appertaine and that in the meane time the King should hold all the places in the said Duchie that alreadie he possessed The Duke of Britaine liked this agreement well and bicause the plague was vehement at Nantes he departed thence with his two daughters the Ladie of Laval the Lord of Alebret the Earle of Dunoys the Marshall of Rieux the Earle of Comminges and diuers other Lords to Coiron vpon the riuer of Loyer three leagues beneath Nantes where soone after namely vpon wednesday the seauenth of September in the same yeere 1488. he ended his life thorow a sicknes which he got by a fall leauing the gouernment both of his Duchie of Britaine and of his two daughters to the Marshall of Rieux to whom he appointed the Earle of Comminges for assistant His body was carried to Nantes and buried in the Church of the Carmelites Of the Kings mariage with the Ladie Anne of Britaine whereby Britaine was vnited to the crowne of Fraunce Chap. 6. Soone after the Duke of Britaines death died also Isabell his 1489. yoonger daughter by reason whereof the Ladie Anne remained his sole heire about whose mariage the nobles of Britaine fell at great variance for part of them inclined to the Lord of Alebret a great Lord in Guienne who also as it was reported but falsely was contracted to this yoong Princes with the Duke hir fathers consent but the daie before the Duke died but this faction was soone daunted bicause the yoong Ladie hir selfe vtterly refused this match part openly fauored furthered Maximilian the Emperor Fridericks sonne alleaging that he would not onely be a protector of the libertie of their countrey but also a strong rampier against all French attempts Neither was the King of Fraunce ignorant of this treatie but knew right well that ambassadors had passed to and fro betweene Maximilian and them so far foorth that the said Maximilian supposing al matters to be throughly concluded and agreed on began to imbrace al Britaine in his minde and thought no enterprise too high for him if to his low countries obtained by his first marriage he could now ioine the Duchy of Britaine by his second Great consultation was had in Fraunce how to repulse this terrible storme but Maximilians owne slacknes most furthered their deuises The K. councell in the end resolued that the King should refuse his wife being Maximilians daughter and seeke with all expedition the marriage of the Lady Anne of Britaine alleaging that the neighborhood of so mightie a Prince as Maximilian was could not be but dangerous to his estate of whom he could hope for nothing but dissembled friendship presently and assured war in time to come considering that the said Maximilian forgetting already his league and affinitie with the King stirred vp continually one war after another against him and by that meanes professed himselfe an open enimy to him and his realme Wherefore ambassadors were presently sent to treate of this marriage with the Lady Anne She at the first woondered at the matter and alleaged that she had giuen hir faith to Maximilian which she might not breake and further that she had beene solemnly married to him according to the accustomed maner of Princes by VVolfgangus Poleme of Austrich his proctor purposely sent by him into Britaine to that end But the Lady of Lauat and other noble women of Britaine whose company and familiarity this yoong Princes vsed and greatly delighted in being corrupted with French rewards and promises perswaded hir that this French match should be most for hir safety and auancement alleaging that if she married with Maximilian he should hardly be able to defend Britaine whereof already they had good proofe considering that he had euer disappointed them of the succors he had promised to send them And as touching hir scruple of conscience they said that the Pope who had power ouer all lawes Ecclesiasticall would easily be brought to dispence therwith the rather bicause this match should be best for hir safety and for the preseruation of hir estate The yoong Princesse though she were of a singular wit and rare vertues yet being vanquished by these perswasions yeelded to their request and deliuered both hirselfe and hir countrey into the Kings hands and soone after was the marriage solemnly accomplished to the great reioicing of the French And thus receiued Britaine the French yoake to the great griefe of all the subiects who desired to be gouerned by a particular Duke of their owne as they had euer been in times past Not long after this marriage the Earle of Dunois who had been the principall instrument of the peace a great furtherer of the mariage therby throughly reconciled to the K. suddenly died as he was on horsebacke for want of meat as it was said When the K. had set all things in good order in Britaine he returned into Fraunce and appointed that the Ladie Margaret of Flanders should remaine accompanied with the Princes of Tarent in the castell of Melun vpon the riuer of Seine Maximilian was forewarned of al these French practises and seemed to make no account of them but when he perceiued this marriage to be accomplished it doubled his hatred against the King so far foorth that he openly railed vpon him and vowed himselfe to destroy France with fire and sword and presently inuaded Picardie But the Lord of Cordes gouernor thereof made head against him and valiantly defended the countrey to his owne honor and the profit of Fraunce Further Maximilian meaning a thorow reuenge vpon this realme stirred vp the English men the ancient enimies of the crowne to passe into Fraunce promising them great aide both of men and money out of his dominions Wherefore I wil heere speake a word or two of the affaires of England bicause the Englishmen are our next neighbors and both in peace and war haue euer to do with vs and we with them Of the troubles in
and the Queene his wife had so greatly desired that they would neuer credit any man that aduertised them to the contrarie were he English man or stranger For the Councell of England had debated this matter with him at the same time that the King conquered that part of Picardie that ioineth to Calice alleaging that after he had subdued that he might easily attempt to take Calice and Guisnes The like was also told him by the ambassadors resident in England for the Duke and Duchesse of Austriche and by the Britons and diuers others but he beleeued no whit of all this which incredulitie turned much to his losse Notwithstanding I suppose it proceeded rather of couetousnes than ignorance for he feared the losse of the fiftie thousand crownes the King paid him besides that he was loth to leaue his ease and pleasures whereunto he was maruellously addicted About the conclusion of this marriage an assembly was held at Halots in Flaunders whereat the Duke of Austriche now King of Romans was present togither with certaine deputies for the three estates of Flaunders Brabant and the other countries belonging to the saide Duke and his children The citizens of Gaunt did many things there contrarie to the Dukes minde for some they banished and some they remooued from about his sonne in the end they told him how great desire they had to see this marriage accomplished therby to obtaine peace forced him to consent therunto The Duke was very yoong and accompanied with few noble men for all the subiects of this house of Burgundie very few excepted I meane of great personages that could haue giuen him counsell or aide in these affaires were as you haue heard either dead or reuolted to the King As touching himselfe he was come thither very slenderly accompanied and now hauing lost his wife being Lady of the countrie he durst not giue them so stout language as before he was accustomed To be short the King being aduertised of all these actions by Monseur de Cordes reioiced much thereat and a day was appointed when this Lady should be brought to Hedin Not long before the conclusion of this marriage to wit in the yeere 1481. the towne of Ayre was yeelded for a summe of monie to Monseur de Cordes by the Lord of Croy of the countrie of Artois who held it for the Duke of Austriche and the Lord of Beures his captaine The towne is very strong situate in the countrie of Artois and the deliuerie thereof increased the Flemmings desire to further this marriage bicause it standeth vpon the very entrance into Flaunders For notwithstanding that they wished the weakening of their Prince yet were they not willing to haue the King so neere a neighbor to their frontiers After these matters aboue mentioned were fully concluded ambassadors came to the King out of Flaunders and Brabant but all depended vpon them of Gaunt both bicause of their force bicause the children were in their hands and for that they were alwaies the ringleaders of all tumults There came also from the King of Romanes for the pacifying of his dominions certaine Knights yoong men like himselfe and of small experience whose names were Master Iohn de Bergues and Master Baudouin de Launoy and certaine Secretaries The King was brought maruellous low with sicknes so that hardly he suffered himselfe to be seene and made great difficultie to sweare the treatie bicause he was loth to come abrode in sight notwithstanding in the end he sware it It was very auantageous for him for in all assemblies that had beene held heeretofore about this marriage he neuer required but the countie of Artois or Burgundie one of the two but now the Lords of Gaunt as he termed them caused them both to be yeelded vnto him togither with the counties of Masconnois Charolois and Auxerrois yea and if it had lien in them to haue put into his hands Hainault and Namur and all the seniories of this house of Burgundie being of the French language they would willingly haue done it thereby to affeeble their Prince The King our Master being a wise Prince vnderstood well that no account was to be made of Flaunders nor the Earle thereof without he had the countrie of Artois which lying betweene the King of Fraunce and the Flemmings is as it were a bridle to them For in the countrie of Artois are leuied very good soldiers to scourge the Flemmings when they play the fooles Wherefore by taking away from the Earle of Flaunders the countrie of Artois he left him the poorest Prince in the world and without all obedience of his subiects saue onely at the pleasure of them of Gaunt After this ambassage was returned home the said Lady was led to Hedin and deliuered into the hands of Monseur de Cordes in the yeere 1483. She was conueied thither by the Lady of Rauastain bastard daughter to Duke Philip of Burgundie and was receiued there by the Duke and Duchesse of Bourbon that now are and by the Lord of Albret and diuers others sent thither by the King who led hir to Amboise where the Daulphin lay If the Duke of Austriche could haue rescued hir before she was passed out of his dominions from them that conueied hir he would willingly haue done it but they of Gaunt had sent hir well accompanied And as touching the said Duke all his subiects began to disobey him so far foorth that a great number tooke part with them of Gaunt bicause they had his sonne in their hands and remooued from him and placed about him such as pleased them and among the rest that were resident at Gaunt was the Lord of Rauastain brother to the Duke of Cleues principall gouernor of the said yoong infant called Duke Philip who is yet liuing and like to be a great Prince if God spare him life Whosoeuer reioiced at this marriage the King of England was highly displeased therewith for he accounted it great reproch and dishonor to be thus deluded and feared both the losse of the pension the King paid him which the English men called Tribute and also that the contempt heereof would stir his subiects to rebellion against him bicause he would giue no eare to good aduice Further he saw the King with great force neere to his dominions for the which causes he conceiued such inward griefe when he heard these newes that soone after he ended his life some say of a catarrhe But whatsoeuer his disease were the report goeth that the sorrow conceiued of this marriage caused the disease whereof he died soone after in the moneth of Aprill anno 1483. It is a foule fault in a Prince to trust more to his owne braine than to the aduice of a great number for it causeth oftentimes both great sorrow and also losse irrecouerable Immediately after King Edvvards death the King our Master was aduertised therof and seemed nothing ioifull of the newes but soone after receiued letters from the D. of