Raphael Holinshed

“ I would to God there were with vs now so manie good soldiers as are at this houre within England! the king answered: I would not wish a man more here than I haue, we are indéed in comparison to the enimies but a few, but, if God of his clemencie doo fauour vs, and our iust cause (as I trust he will) we shall spéed well inough. But let no man ascribe victorie to our owne strength and might, but onelie to Gods assistance, to whome I haue no doubt we shall worthilie haue cause to giue thanks therefore. ”

“ The French king hearing that the towne of Harflue was gotten, and that the king of England was marching forward into the bowels of the realme of France, sent out proclamations, and assembled people on euerie side, committing the whole charge of his armie to his sonne the Dolphine and duke of Aquitaine, who incontinentlie caused the bridges to be broken, and the passages to be kept. Also they caused all the corne and vittels to be conueied awaie, or destroied in all places, where it was coniectured that the Englishmen would passe. ”

“ The king of England, perceiuing, by this new aliance, that nothing was lesse to be looked for, than peace at the hands of the Frenchmen, deuised still how to win townes and fortresses, which were kept against him: and now that the truce was expired, on the thirtith daie of Iulie, he being as then within the towne of Mante, appointed certeine bands of souldiers in the after noone to passe out of the gates, giuing onelie knowledge to the capteins what he would haue them to doo. ”

“ After the French king had created new officers, in hope to relieue the state of his realme and countrie, sore shaken by the late great ouerthrow, it chanced, that Thomas duke of Excester capteine of Harflue, accompanied with thrée thousand Englishmen, made a great rode into Normandie, almost to the citie of Rone, in which iournie he got great abundance both of riches and prisoners: but in his returne, the earle of Arminacke newlie made constable of France, intending in his first enterprise to win the spurs, hauing with him aboue fiue thousand horssemen, incountred with the duke. ”

“ If the French pensions mainteined not the Scotish nobilitie, in what case should they be? Then take awaie France, and the Scots will soone be tamed; France being to Scotland the same that the sap is to the trée, which being taken awaie, the trée must néeds die and wither.
To be briefe, the duke of Excester vsed such earnest and pithie persuasions, to induce the king and the whole assemblie of the parlement to credit his words, that immediatlie after he had made an end, all the companie began to crie; Warre, warre; France, France. ”

“ After a few daies they fell to councell, in which at length it was concluded, that king Henrie of England should come to Trois, and marie the ladie Katherine; and the king hir father after his death should make him heire of his realme, crowne and dignitie. It was also agréed, that king Henrie, during his father in lawes life, should in his stéed haue the whole gouernment of the realme of France, as regent thereof, with manie other couenants and articles, as after shall appéere. ”

“ The dukes of Clarence, Glocester, and Yorke, were of the same opinion, yet the king staied a while, least anie ieopardie were not foreséene, or anie hazard not preuented. The Frenchmen in the meane while, as though they had béene sure of victorie, made great triumph, for the capteins had determined before, how to diuide the spoile, and the soldiers the night before had plaid the Englishmen at dice. The noble men had deuised a chariot, wherein they might triumphantlie conueie the king captiue to the citie of Paris, crieng to their soldiers; Haste you to the spoile, glorie and honor ”

“ Diuerse other things were concluded at that present: for the king had caused not onelie the lords of the spiritualtie, but also of the temporaltie to assemble here at London the same time, to treat speciallie of his iournie that he purposed to make shortlie into France: and herevpon meanes was made for the gathering of monie; which was granted with so good a will both of the spiritualtie and temporaltie, that there was leuied the summe of thrée hundred thousand markes English: and herewith order was giuen to gather a great hoast of men, thorough all his dominions. ”

“ For Philip earle of Charolois, the sonne and heire of the said duke, tooke the matter verie gréeuouslie, as he had no lesse cause, and determined to be reuenged on the Dolphin, and other that were guiltie of the murther: so that now there was great expectation of slaughter and bloudshed, but no hope for the most part of tranquillitie & peace. France therefore, what with ouerthrowes giuen by the English, & diuision among themselues, was verie sore afflicted; insomuch that one miserie riding on anothers necke, the whole land was in danger of desolation by ciuill dissention & mutuall mutinies ”

“ The duke of Bauiere, commeth to king Henrie with a number of horssemen.
The king therefore, to take awaie all the issues and entries from them within, made a bridge ouer the riuer, able to beare horsses and carriage: and againe, appointed diuerse botes furnished with men of warre, to kéepe the streame; so that they within should haue no waie to come abroad, either by water or land; yet on a daie, the Frenchmen sailed foorth, and assailed the English lodgings, where the earle of Warwike was incamped on the east side of the towne, not farre from the duke of Burgognie ”

“ The king incontinentlie appointed the duke of Excester, with a great companie to take possession of the citie, who like a valiant capteine mounted on a goodlie courser first entered into the citie, and after into the castell. The next daie being fridaie, the king in great triumph, like a conquerour, accompanied with foure dukes, ten earles, eight bishops, sixtéene barons, and a great multitude of knights, esquiers, and men of warre entered into Rone, where he was receiued by the cleargie, with two and fourtie crosses ”

“ In the meane time tell this to the vsurper your master, that within thrée moneths, I will enter into France, as into mine owne true and lawfull patrimonie, appointing to acquire the same, not with brag of words, but with déeds of men, and dint of sword, by the aid of God, in whome is my whole trust and confidence. Further matter at this present I impart not vnto you, sauing that with warrant you maie depart suerlie and safelie into your countrie, where I trust sooner to visit you, than you shall haue cause to bid me welcome. ”

“ The towne of Alanson abode a siege for the space of eight daies; they within defending it right valiantlie at the first; but in the end, considering with themselues, what small hope there was for anie succours to come to remooue the siege, they grew to a composition, that if within a certeine daie they were not reléeued, they should yéeld both the towne and castell into the kings hands, which was doone: for no succours could be heard of. The king appointed capteine of this towne, the duke of Glocester, and his lieutenant sir Ralfe Lentall. ”

“ Quis est tam magnus dominus: Who is so great a lord as our God. This doone, he came to the castell, where he continued a good space after, receiuing homages and fealties of the burgesses and townesmen, and setting orders amongst them. He also réedified [Pg 106] diuerse fortresses, and townes, during which time he made proclamation, that all men which would become his subiects, should enioy their goods, lands & offices, which proclamation made manie townes to yéeld, and manie men to become English the same season.
Titus Liuius.
A league concluded betwéene king Henrie and the duke of Britaine. ”

“ The ninetéenth of October, the parlement that had béene broken vp, by reason of the emperours comming, began againe at Westminster, and there the king made to them a short and pithie oration, declaring the iniuries latelie doone and committed by the French nation, shewing also the iust and lawful occasion of his warres: signifieng furthermore the great discord and ciuill dissention which reigned amongst the nobilitie of France, rehearsing manie things, for the which it were necessarie to follow the warres now in hand against them, and that without delaie. ”

“ The doubt of [Pg 71] danger to be nothing in respect of the certeintie of honor that they should acquire, wherein himselfe (as they saw) in person would be lord and leader through Gods grace. To whose maiestie as chéeflie was knowne the equitie of his demand: euen so to his mercie did he onelie recommend the successe of his trauels. When the king had said, all the noble men knéeled downe, & promised faithfullie to serue him, dulie to obeie him, and rather to die than to suffer him to fall into the hands of his enimies. ”

“ Also in this first yéere of this kings reigne, sir Iohn Oldcastell, which by his wife was called lord Cobham, a valiant capteine and a hardie gentleman, was accused to the archbishop of Canturburie of certeine points of heresie, who knowing him to be highlie in the kings fauour, declared to his highnesse the whole accusation. The king first hauing compassion of the noble man, required the prelats, that if he were a straied shéepe, rather by gentlenes than by rigor to reduce him to the fold. ”

“ This Henrie was a king, of life without spot, a prince whome all men loued, and of none disdained, a capteine against whome fortune neuer frowned, nor mischance once spurned, whose people him so seuere a iusticer both loued and obeied (and so humane withall) that he left no offense vnpunished, nor fréendship vnrewarded; a terrour to rebels, and suppressour of sedition, his vertues notable, his qualities most praise-worthie.
In strength and nimblenesse of bodie from his youth few to him comparable, for in wrestling, leaping, and running, no man well able to compare. ”

“ The lord Powes therefore was sent to fetch him, who brought him to London in a litter, wounded as he was: herewith, being first laid fast in the Tower, shortlie after he was brought before the duke of Bedford, regent of the realme, and the other estates, where in the end he was condemned; and finallie was drawen from the Tower vnto saint Giles field, and there hanged in a chaine by the middle, and after consumed with fire, the gallowes and all. ”

“ In Aprill, the quéene passed ouer into France, with a faire retinue of men, vnder the conduct of the duke of Bedford, the duke of Glocester remaining lord gouernour of the realme in his place. At hir comming thither, she was so welcommed and honorablie receiued, first of hir husband, and after of hir father and mother, that she appeared to be no lesse loued of hir noble husband, than of hir déere and naturall parents. ”

“ And if so be that for our offenses sakes we shall be deliuered into the hands of our [Pg 80] enimies, the lesse number we be, the lesse damage shall the realme of England susteine: but if, we should fight in trust of multitude of men, and so get the victorie (our minds being prone to pride) we should thervpon peraduenture ascribe the victorie not so much to the gift of God, as to our owne puissance, and thereby prouoke his high indignation and displeasure against vs: and if the enimie get the vpper hand, then should our realme and countrie suffer more damage and stand in further danger. ”

“ A right roiall reward & worthie the maiestie of a king, bestowed vpon the said duke, and his retinue, partlie in respect of the aliance betwixt the king and him (for he had maried the kings sister) but speciallie for the notable seruice which they did him at the siege before Melun. So that hereby is commended vnto vs an example of gratitude and beneficence; teaching vs, that to such as haue béene good and gratious vnto vs, we should be alwaies forward with a right hand and readie mind to make amends in some proportion and measure. ”

“ There were two strong towers standing on the hauen side at Harflue, which looking for aid, did not yéeld, till ten daies after the towne was rendered. When the king had repaired the walles, bulwarks and rampiers about the towne, and furnished it with vittels and artillerie, he remooued from Harflue toward Ponthoise, intending to passe the riuer of Some with his armie, before the bridges were either withdrawen or broken. Such vittels and other necessaries as were to be caried with the armie, he appointed to be laid on horsses, leauing the carts and wagons behind for lesse incombre. ”

“ The duke of Glocester therefore caused his camps to be stronglie intrenched, and manie defensible blockehouses of timber to be raised, like to small turrets, that the same might be a safegard to his people, and to conclude, left nothing vnforeséene nor vndoone, that was auailable for the defense of his armie. The king doubting least some power should be sent downe, to the danger of his brother, and those that were with him at this siege, caused two thousand men to be imbarked in thirtie ships of the west countrie, by order sent vnto certeine lords there. ”

“ To rehearse the great paines, trauell and diligence, which the king tooke vpon him in his owne person at this siege, a man might woonder. And because diuerse of the souldiers had lodged themselues for their more ease, in places so farre distant one from an other, that they might easilie haue béene surprised by their enimies, yer anie of their fellowes could haue come to their succors; he caused proclamation to be made, that no man vpon paine of death should lodge without the precinct appointed them, nor go further abroad from the campe than such bounds as were assigned. ”

“ And for somuch as some singular case maie fall, that maie not be foreséene by mans wit, in the which it might be necessarie and behoouefull, that we doo write our letters; in such maner case, if any hap for the good and suertie of our father, and for the gouernance that longeth to vs, as is beforesaid; and for to eschewen perils that otherwise might fall, to the preiudice of our said father, to write our letters, by the which we shall command, charge, and defend after the nature and qualitie of the néed, in our fathers behalfe and ours as regent of France. ”