Enguerrand de Monstrelet

“ By his death, the dauphin lost an able counsellor and friend; the more to be lamented, as the greatest confusion now reigned in many parts of France, and justice was trampled under foot.
The foreigners also that were attached to the party of the duke of Burgundy, such as Gastellimas Quigny, and others before named, robbed and plundered all the countries they marched through, and every person, noble or not, even such as were of the same party as themselves. Infinite mischiefs were done by them to poor countrymen, who were grievously oppressed. ”

“ When the king of France and his council heard of the surrender of Harfleur to the king of England, they consequently expected that he would attempt greater objects, and instantly issued summonses for raising in every part of the kingdom the greatest possible force of men at arms. The better to succeed, he ordered his bailiffs and seneschals to exert themselves personally throughout their jurisdictions, and to make known that he had sent ambassadors to England, to offer his daughter in marriage to king Henry, with an immense portion in lands and money, to obtain peace, but that he had failed ”

“ The duke of Berry replied,—'This matter does not any way touch you, nor does it become you to interfere between our lord the king and us who are of his blood and lineage; for we may quarrel one with another whenever it shall please us so to do, and we may also make peace according to our will.' The Parisians, on hearing this answer, returned home without further reply. ”

“ These assertions, and others made by the said duke of Burgundy, are, thanks to God, groundless, and notoriously false; for neither ourself nor our dear son have been or are under any subjection whatever, nor are our honour, our justice, or the state of our government, any way wounded or diminished,—but ever since the departure of the duke of Burgundy from Paris we have governed peaceably, freely, without any hindrance or contradiction. ”

“ The townsmen of Beauvais were well satisfied with this harangue, and finally consented to admit the duke, and as large a force as he should please, into their town. The duke, in consequence, marched thither from Mondidier, and was most joyfully received, carols being sung in all the streets through which he passed. He was lodged at the bishop's palace, and tarried there eight whole days,—while his army was quartered in the adjacent country, which suffered severely therefrom, although it was abundantly supplied with every necessary. ”

“ He was also accompanied by the dukes of Orleans, Bourbon, Bar, duke Louis of Bavaria, the counts de Vertus, d'Alençon, de Richemont, d'Eu, d'Armagnac, de la Marche, de Vendôme, de Marle, de Dampmartin, and numberless other barons, prelates, knights and esquires. The duke went out of Paris to meet the king, with the provost of merchants, the sheriffs, members of the parliament and of the university, citizens and crowds of common people, who kept a continual shouting for joy on account of his majesty's return to Paris. ”

“ When this business was over, numbers of men at arms were collected in the name of the king, by his ministers, throughout France; and in like manner did the duke of Burgundy, or permitted it to be done by those under him, so that the clergy and poorer sorts of people suffered greatly in various parts of the kingdom,—for there were few who defended them,—and they had no other support but their earnest prayers to God their Creator to take vengeance on their oppressors. ”

“ They forbade our herald to return again, and continue their usual mode of government to the destruction of the realm and of all his majesty's loyal subjects, because they know that we are averse to their measures which are daily becoming from bad to worse. It is this which engages us to persevere in our resistance whatever may be the consequences thereof, that they may no longer continue their wicked practices, and that commerce may have free course, and the kingdom may be governed according to justice. ”

“ After dining in the suburbs of Boulogne, he went to lie at Calais, whence the governor, the earl of Warwick, had come to meet him, accompanied by men at arms and archers. He was there most honourably entertained, at the expense of the king of England, until the ensuing Wednesday, when he embarked for England. ”

“ During these times, the town of Peronne situated on the river Somme, was strongly garrisoned by forces sent thither by the constable of France, in the king's name under the command of sir Robert de Loyre. They consisted of one hundred men at arms well appointed, one hundred genoese cross-bowmen, and the same number of other combatants; and they made very frequent excursions, day and night, over the countries attached to the duke of Burgundy and his allies, bringing to their garrison considerable plunder of cattle and other effects. ”

“ Towards the end of October, Sigismund of Bohemia, king of Hungary, Croatia and [Pg 74] Dalmatia, a valiant man at arms, and a catholic, came with his queen, the daughter of count Cilley, a Sclavonian, and a grand retinue, to Aix la Chapelle [12] . Sigismund was first raised by the electors to be king of the Romans, and then emperor of Germany. On the eighth day of November, he was consecrated and crowned emperor, by the archbishop of Cologne, in the church of our Lady at Aix la Chapelle, as is customary; after which ceremony, he was to be confirmed in his dignity by the pope of Rome. ”

“ Within a few days after the expiration of the truce, king Henry, whose preparations were now completed, sent one of his heralds called Glocester [24] , to Paris to deliver letters to the king, of which the contents were as follows:
'To the very noble prince, Charles our cousin and adversary of France. Henry, by the grace of God, king England and of France. To give to every one what is their due, is a work of inspiration and wise council, very noble prince, our cousin and adversary. The noble kingdoms of England and France were formerly united, now they are divided. ”

“ In these days, it was proclaimed by sound of trumpet, that every one, whatever might be his rank, merchant or otherwise, who should repair to the king's army, should wear the upright cross as a badge, under pain of confiscation of goods and corporal punishment. At this period, also, ambassadors were sent to Cambray, the principal of whom were the lord of Ivry, and the lord de Ligny, a native of Hainault, at that time keeper of the king's privy seal, attended by many knights and others, to the amount of two hundred helmets. ”

“ When the duke of Burgundy had remained at Lagny sur Marne six weeks without having been able to prevail on the king and his council to permit him to enter Paris any otherwise than in his [Pg 210] simple state, he marched away to Dampmartin, thence toward Rheims, and through the Laonnois, Tierrache and Cambresis, to the town of Douay, and thence to Lille. He was, all the time, accompanied by a strong body of men at arms, who much oppressed the poor people on their march. ”

“ On their being assembled, they were required by master Philip de Morvillers to swear allegiance to the queen and the duke of Burgundy against all persons whatever, excepting the king of France: which oath they all took, namely, sir John de Luxembourg, sir James de Harcourt, the vidame of Amiens, the lords d'Antoing and de Fosseux, the lord d'Auxois, sir Emond de Lombers, and many more, who declared they would serve him with their lives and fortunes so long as they should breathe. ”

“ After this conquest, the king of England caused the strong town and castle of Cherbourg to be besieged by his brother the duke of Gloucester; it was the strongest place in all Normandy, and the best supplied with stores and provision. This siege lasted for ten weeks, when sir John d'Engennes, the governor, surrendered on condition of receiving a certain sum of money for so doing, and a sufficient passport for him to go whithersoever he pleased. ”

“ If he be anxious that my lord and ourself should consider him as our relative, loyal vassal and subject, let him march to combat and conquer the king of England, the ancient enemy of this realm, and then return to the king, when he shall be well received. ”

“ Several of the partisans of the duke were, at this moment, beheaded in Paris, while he remained in battle-array half a league distant, waiting for intelligence from those whom he had sent in advance. When he learnt that his attempt had been discovered, he remanded his men from St Marceau, and marched his army back to Montlehery, attended always by the young count de St Pol his nephew. ”

“ You will also command, by proclamation, all who are bound to serve us, to hasten to join us with as numerous a body of men at arms as possible, that we may effectually oppose the duke of Burgundy and his accomplices, reduce them to the obedience they owe us, and punish them according to their misdeeds, and the tenour of those letters which we have before addressed to you. ”

“ On another day, the duke of Bar, the count de Marle and the count d'Armagnac, with the rear division, made good a lodgement on the opposite side, in the suburbs of Belle-mocte, so that the city of Arras was now so completely surrounded that scarcely a single person could venture out without being taken, although, during the siege, there were daily sallies made from the town, sometimes on foot, at others on horseback. ”

“ Those noble men who compose the duke's army should particularly observe, that these traitors consider them as disloyal to their king, and enemies to their country. The duke also declares, in the most positive manner, for himself and his companions, that he will not disband his army, but will continue to proceed according to the tenour of his public letters declaratory thereof. ”

“ In this year, the emperor of Germany caused the cardinal of Bologna, called pope John, to be arrested, and confined in prison in the duchy of Bavaria, for various crimes alledged against him. To restore peace to the church, the emperor had caused this council to be holden in Constance: it continued for the space of two years, before any persons came to attend it from Spain or Arragon. In the month of August, in the year 1416, a noble company of prelates and knights being assembled, the election of a true pope was proceeded upon. ”

“ The fire spread with such violence from quarter to quarter that it gained that of the king, and other divisions of the army, so that his majesty and the duke of Acquitaine were forced, within one quarter of an hour from its commencement, to escape in a disorderly manner, leaving behind many prisoners, and sick persons, who were burnt to death. Several warlike engines, tents, military stores, and many tuns of wine, were all, or the greater part, consumed. ”

“ With regard to the prisoners, we will do strict justice; for it is our pleasure that no lord, baron, knight, esquire, or other persons, under pretence of services not performed to us, or for services done to our said cousin of Burgundy, shall be prosecuted or molested in body or goods, but that all lands, castles, or any [Pg 106] territories whatever, that may have been taken possession of, and held by our officers for us, on account of the late war, shall be fully and completely restored to their true and lawful owners, without any fees or charges claimed in regard to us ”

“ There is very clear evidence of this last fact; for when they found [Pg 240] they could not by any means enter our said town of Paris, like madmen they gallopped off for the town of Beaumont-sur-Oise, belonging to our very dear and well beloved son and nephew the duke of Orleans, now prisoner in England, and on their march seized horses from the plough, and robbed and made prisoners every traveller they met. After this, they took the said town and castle by storm, plundered it, and killed or drowned very many of townsmen. ”

“ We therefore again command, and most strictly enjoin, on penalty of dismission from your office, that on the receipt of these presents, you do proclaim them, or cause them to be proclaimed, in all the accustomed places within your bailiwick, so that no one, whatever be his rank, may think of joining or serving the duke of Burgundy, in the army which lie has assembled; and that all who may have joined him may instantly return to their homes, under pain of suffering corporal punishment and confiscation of effects. ”

“ The princes with the king of England were the duke of York, his uncle, the earls of Dorset, Oxford, Suffolk, the earl marshal, the earl of Kent, the lords Cambre, Beaumont, Willoughby, sir John de Cornewall, and many other powerful barons of England. ”

“ When the king of France had marched his army from before Arras, the duke of Burgundy had his Burgundians quartered in the country of the Cambresis, and in Tierrache, and went himself to the city of Cambray. ”