Part 12

Herewith, he inueied against Charles the Dolphin, being the head and onelie mainteiner of all the ciuill discord, whose wicked nature, and cruell disposition, did well appeare in the murther of the late duke of Burgognie. He therefore willed them, according to their dutie, oth, and agréement, to stand with him, and helpe to reduce such a stubborne and disloiall sonne vnto the obeisance of his father king Charles, that he might shew himselfe conformable vnto such orders and decrées, as they had taken, appointed, and agréed vpon: and for his part, he promised to worship, loue, and honor his father in law the said K. Charles, in place of his owne father, according to the true mening of this concord and agréement, trusting the same to be a peace finall.

[Sidenote: It was rendered vp the tenth of Iune.]

[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius_ Sens & M[=o]streau beseiged and taken.]

[Sidenote: The siege was laid the 16 of Iune.]

And to conclude, he promised, that if they shewed themselues true and loiall to him, according to the same agréement; the Ocean sea should sooner ceasse to flow, and the bright sunne lose his light, than he would desist from dooing that which became a prince to doo to his subiect, or a father to his naturall child. When he had thus persuaded the nobilitie, and dispatched his businesse at Troies, he with all his armie, hauing with him the French king, and the duke of Burgognie, departed from thence the fourth of Iune; and vpon the seauenth daie of the same moneth, came before the towne of Sens in Burgognie, which held on the Dolphins part: but after foure daies siege, it was yéelded vnto the king, and there he made capteine, the lord Genuille. From thence, he remooued to Monstreau ou fault Yonne, which towne was taken on the thrée and twentith daie of Iune, by assault, so that manie of the Dolphins part were apprehended, before they could get to the castell.

Whilest the siege laie there, and before the towne was entred, the duke of Bedford came thither vnto the king, bringing with him a faire retinue of soldiers out of England. After the getting of the towne, the castell being well vittelled and manned, denied to render, and therefore was it enuironed with a strong siege. During the which, the duke of Burgognie was informed, in what place of the towne the duke his father was buried, who was slaine there (as before you haue heard) and now his corps was taken vp againe by his sonnes appointment, and seared, and so conueied vnto Digeon in high Burgognie, and there buried by his father Philip: to the end that the remembrance of him should remaine to posterities, by the reseruation of some monument abiding in the place of his interment, after that his bodie was consumed, and his naturall countenance forgotten. Which is the last point of reuerend dutie (as we may well thinke) which pietie of children towards their parents dooth require; namelie, that they be decentlie buried when they be departed; and that their graues or toome stones may put vs that are aliue in mind of going the same waie, and to set no more by this flitting life, than standeth with the vncerteintie and shortnesse of the same; as one right well saith:

Cùm tumulum cernis, cur non mortalia spernis? Esto memor mortis, quo viuis tempore fortis.

[Sidenote: It held not out so long as should appeare by Tit.]

[Sidenote: Liuius, who saith, that it was rendred the fourth of Iulie.]

Bicause they within the castell of Monstreau, gaue opprobrious words vnto the kings herald that was sent to them, the king caused a gibet to be set vp before the castle, on the which were hanged twelue of those spitefull offenders, all gentlemen & fréends to the capteine named monsieur de Guitrie, who at length, perceiuing that by no means he could be succoured; and fearing to be taken by force, began to treat with the king of England, who for the space of eight daies would hearken to none of his offers; but in conclusion, he and his rendred themselues simplie, their liues onelie saued, six wéekes after they had béene besieged. The earle of Warwike was made capteine, both of the towne and castell, who fortified it with men, munition, and vittels.

[Sidenote: _W. P. Buchan. lib._ 10.]

[About this time Robert the gouernour of Scotland, the fiftéenth yéere after his brothers reigne, and in the thirtith yeare of his owne regiment deceassed, in whose stéed and office his sonne Mordac duke of Albanie was by and by chosen, who had sonnes thrée, Walter, Alexander, and Iames, whereof the two eldest beginning betimes to be obstinate, grew soone after verie graceles and wicked: that in one flagitious feat among the rest by this Walter verie impiouslie against his parents was vttered. The gouernour had a faire, a gentle, and well flieng falcon, whereby he set great store. The sonne verie desirous of the same, made manie meanes and motions to haue hir, not without note of malapert importunitie and lacke of reuerence toward his parents pleasure, which the father dissembling to sée, would not yet in anie wise forgo his hawke. Whereat this child reiecting regard of dutie, and receiuing an vnnaturall hate and heat by broth of iniquitie set a boiling in his brest, came in on a time, where standing a while at a sudden braid, pluckt awaie the bird from his fathers fist, and straight before his face wrang of hir necke. The gouernour héereat sore astonied, for verie gréefe gaue a great grone; "Well sonne (quod he) since yée cannot bridle your brunts for dutie and reuerence toward me your parent and souereigne, I will bring in one that shall bridle vs both." Héerevpon soone after, he with one Calen Campbell, a noble man & of much authoritie (vnto whome this Walter had doone a great despight) and with other of the nobilitie fell straight in consultation about the calling home of their king. Which all with one assent they did right well allow, whereby soone after (as is touched afore, and followeth more at large) he was by them in his kingdome right roiallie placed. But this came of it. These mischéefous children Walter and Alexander, the verie cause of their fathers confusion and their owne, within few yeares after condemned by law, vpon a hill by Sterling castell, had their heads chopt off at once. Walters wife with hir two sonnes, Andrew and Alexander, ran for refuge awaie into Ireland; thus for their long iniquities their hires iustlie paid all in a daie.]

[Sidenote: Melun besieged by king Henrie.]

[Sidenote: The king of Scots in K. H[=e]ries armie.]

[Sidenote: Eightéene wéekes haue the chronicles of Flanders.]

[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius._]

[Sidenote: Monsieur de Barbason a vali[=a]t captein.]

Now to procéed in our processe of France. After the thus winning of the towne and castell of Monstreau; the king departing from thence, came to Melun vpon Seine, the thirtéenth daie of Iulie, and besieged it round about, hauing then in companie with him the French king, and the yoong king of Scots, the dukes of Burgognie, Clarence, Bedford, Glocester, and Bar, the prince of Orajnge, and one and twentie earles, besides lords, barons, & knights, equal to lords in degrée, to the number of seauen and fiftie, what of England and France; and beside also fiftéene maister soldiers. This siege continued the space almost of seuen moneths, or (as Thomas Walsingham saith) fouretéene wéekes, and foure daies, with skirmishing, scaling assaulting, and defending, to the losse (no doubt) of both parts. Capteine of this towne was one monsieur de Barbason, a Gascoine of such experience and approoued valiancie in wars, that his renowme and fame was spred through the world.

[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius._]

At the first laieng of the siege, he called all the soldiers there in garrison, and likewise the townesmen afore him, and warned them all on paine of death, that none of them should be so hardie, as to treat, or once to motion anie word of surrendring the towne, or of comming to anie composition or agréement with the two kings; except they made him being their capteine priuie thereto, before they attempted anie such thing. ¶ In the meane season, the French quéene, the quéene of England, and the duches of Burgognie, lieng at Corbeill, came diuers times to visit their husbands, and to sée their fréends; whome the king of England highlie feasted and louinglie interteined, that euerie creature reported great honour of him. This towne of Melun séemed verie strong, both by reason of the riuer of Seine, which compassed part thereof, and also by strong walles, turrets, ditches, and bulworks made about it.

[Sidenote: 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; but by the valiant prowesse and manlie courage of the Englishmen, the enimies were easilie beaten backe and constreined to retire into the towne againe with their losse. Héere is to be remembred, that during this siege before Melun, there came to the king the duke of Bauiere, the kings brother in law (but the kings sister that had béene married to him, was not then liuing) and brought with him seauen hundred well appointed horssemen, which were reteined to serue the king, and right worthilie they bare themselues, and therefore most liberallie recompensed at the kings hand, for the time they continued in his seruice.

[Sidenote: The tr[=a]slator of _Tit. Liuius._]

[Sidenote: K. Henrie and m[=o]sieur Barbason fight hand to hand.]

The king inforced this siege by all waies and meanes possible, to bring the towne into subiection, as well by mines as otherwise, but they within the towne so valiantlie behaued themselues, as well by countermines (whereby at length they entered into the kings mines) as by other waies of resistance, that by force of assaults it was not thought anie easie matter to win the same. It fortuned on a daie, that whilest there rose a contention betwixt two lords of the kings host, who should haue the honor to go first into the mine, to incounter with the Frenchmen, that now had brought their mine through into the English mines, and made barriers betwixt, that they might safelie come and fight with the Englishmen: the king (to auoid the strife) entered the mine himselfe first of all other, and by chance came to fight hand to hand with the lord Barbason, who was likewise entered the mine before all other of them within the towne.

[Sidenote: It was surrendred about Alhalontide, as Thom.]

[Sidenote: _Wal._ noteth.]

[Sidenote: Melun yéelded vp to king Henrie.]

After they had fought a good season togither, at length they agréed to discouer either to other their names; so as the lord Barbason, first declaring what he was; the king likewise told him, that he was the king of England. Wherevpon, Barbason perceiuing with whome he had fought, caused the barriers foorthwith to be closed, and withdrew into the citie, and the king returned backe to his campe. At length, vittels within the towne began to faile, and the pestilence began to wax hot, so that the lord Barbason began to treat; and in conclusion, about the middest of Nouember (as Fabian saith) the towne was yéelded vpon certeine conditions, whereof one was, that all that were consenting to the death of the duke of Burgognie, should be deliuered to the king of England, of whome the lord Barbason was suspected to be one. The king sent them vnder the conduct of his brother the duke of Clarence, to the citie of Paris, whereof the French king made him capteine, and so at his comming thither, he tooke possession of the Bastill of S. Anthonie, the Loure, the house of Néelle, and the place of Bois de Vincennes.

[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius._]

Monsieur de Barbason was accused by the duke of Burgognie, and his sisters as guiltie to their fathers death; but he in open court defended himselfe as not guiltie of that crime, granting indéed and confessing, that he was one of the familiar seruants to the Dolphin, but that he was priuie or consenting to the death of the duke of Burgognie, he vtterlie denied. Wherevpon he was not condemned, neither yet acquited, by reason of such presumptions and coniectures as were alledged and brought against him, so that he remained in prison at Paris and else-where, the space of nine yeares, till at length, being brought vnto castell Galliard, it chanced that the same castell was woone by those of the Dolphins part, and he being as then prisoner there, escaped out of danger, and so by that means was set at libertie, as after shall appeare.

[Sidenote: Note this appeale.]

[Sidenote: A note in law of armes.]

[Sidenote: _W. P._]

Some write, that he had béene put to death, if he had not appealed from king Henries sentence, vnto the Judgement of the officers at armes; alledging, that by the lawe of armes, no man hauing his brother in armes within his danger, afterwards ought to put him to death for any cause or quarell. And that he was the kings brother in armes he prooued it, for that he had fought with him hand to hand within the mines (as before yée haue heard) which combat was thought of equall force by the heralds, as if he had fought with the king bodie to bodie, within solemne lists. The credit of this matter we leaue to the consideration of the readers. The earle of Huntington was made capteine of Melum. In defense of this towne and castell, the French had gotten vnto them manie Scots. At the siege héere the king kept with him yoong Iames of Scotland, who sent to those Scots, that they should come put and yéeld them vnto him, and not to stand in armes against their liege lord and king; but they gaue word backe againe, they could not take him for king, that was in the power of another, and so kept them in hold and in their armor still. King Henrie vpon winning of these forts, for their rebellion against their prince, which they would haue to be counted constancie, and for their contemptuous answer vnto him, twentie of the proudest, in example of the rest, caused he there to be hanged at once.

[Sidenote: King Henrie is receiued in at Paris.]

From thence the king departed with his armie vnto Corbeill, where the French king and the two quéenes then soiourned; and after, both the kings, accompanied with the dukes of Bedford, Burgognie, Glocester, and Excester, and the earls of Warwike and Salisburie, with a great number of noble men and knights, set foorth towards Paris, whome the citizens in good order met without the gates, and the cleargie also with solemne procession. All the stréets were hanged with rich clothes, the two kings rode togither (the king of England giuing the vpper hand to his father in lawe) though the great citie of Paris, to our ladie church, where after they had said their deuotions, they departed vnto their lodgings; the French king to the house of S. Paule, and the king of England to the castell of Louer.

[Sidenote: The duchess of Burgognie hir appeale.]

The next daie, the two quéenes made their entrie and were receiued with like solemnities, as their husbands were the day before. During all the season that these two kings laie in Paris, there was a great assemblie called, as well of the spiritualtie, as of the nobles of the temporaltie, in the which, the kings set as iudges, before whom the duches of Burgognie by hir proctor, appealed the Dolphin, and seauen other, for the murther of duke Iohn hir husband. To the which appeale, the counsell of the other part made diuerse offers of amends, as well of foundations of chantries for préests, to praie for the soule, as recompense of monie to the widow and children; for the finall determination whereof, the kings, to take further aduise and counsell therein, appointed another daie.

[Sidenote: The oth of the thrée estates of Fr[=a]ce.]

At this same time, the thrée estates of the realme of France assembled at Paris, and there euerie person seuerallie sware vpon the holie euangelists, to kéepe, support, mainteine and defend the treatie and finall accord, which was concluded betwéene the two kings and thereto euerie noble man, spirituall gouernour and temporall ruler, set to their seales, which instruments were sent to the kings treasurie of his eschecker at Westminster safelie to be kept, where they yet remaine. The French king at the same time being in good and perfect state of health, openlie there in parlement declared, that peace was concluded, accorded, and made by his frée assent, and with the aduise of all the councell of France, and that he would for his owne part and that his successors ought for their parts, obserue and kéepe the same, with all the articles therein conteined. And likewise, that all his subiects were bound for euer, to obserue and kéepe the same, without breaking or dooing anie thing preiudiciall therevnto.

[Sidenote: King Henrie taketh vpon him the office of regent of France.]

[Sidenote: The coine salute.]

During the time that the two kings thus soiourned in Paris, the French king kept a small port, verie few, and those of the meaner sort resorting vnto his court; but the king of England kept such a solemne state, with so plentifull an house, and shewed himselfe so bountifull in gifts, and setting foorth of warlike shewes and princelie pastimes, that all the noble men and other resorted to his palace to sée his estate, and to doo him honor. He tooke vpon him as regent of France, to redresse causes, remooue officers, reforme things that were amisse, and caused a new come to be made, called a salute, wherein were the armes of France, and the armes of England and France quarterlie stamped. Also, to set all things in quiet, he constituted sir Gilbert Umfreuile capteine of Melun, with a good number of valiant soldiers, to remaine there in garrison, and the earle of Huntington (coosine germane to the king) was deputed capteine at Bois de Vincenes; and the duke of Excester, with fiue hundred men of warre, was assigned to kéepe Paris. Thus had king Henrie (when he was constituted gouernour of the land) the disposing of prouinces, townes, and castels at his pleasure; and the making of lawes and ordinances, standing with the drift of his policie to kéepe both people in due obedience; as Anglorum prælia bréefelie noteth; saieng:

Rectorem patriæ postquam rex Gallus & omnes Vnanimes proceres Henricum constituerunt; Plantageneta dabat princeps iam iura duabus Gentibus, effrænes ductis cohibebat habenis.

[Sidenote: The duke of Bauier & his troope with the kings fauor departeth.]

The duke of Bauier about the same time, with the kings licence, departed into his countrie, both he and his retinue, receiuing large gifts or the kings great liberalitie, and amongst other things, the king gaue him a cup of gold, garnished and set with pretious stones of great price and value. Moreouer, he had a pension giuen him of a thousand markes by yeare, vnder the kings letters patents, to be had and receiued of the kings frée and liberall grant, during the life of the said duke. 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.

[Sidenote: 1421]

[Sidenote: Sentence against the Dolphin.]

When the king had thus ordered his businesse, he with the quéene his wife, the princes, & nobles of the realme departed from Paris, the sixt of Ianuarie, and came to Rone, but first before his departing, he caused processe to be made and awarded foorth against Charles the Dolphin, commanding him to appéere at the marble table at Paris; where for lacke of appearance, he was with all solemnitie in such case requisite, denounced guiltie of the murther and homicide of Iohn duke of Burgognie, and by the sentence of parlement banished the realme; but the Dolphin withdrew into Languedoc, and after to Poictiers, getting to him such fréends as he could; and namelie, he found the earle of Arminacke verie faithfull to him, not onelie aiding him with men, but also with his owne person he continuallie serued him against all his aduersaries.

[Sidenote: These counties they inioied of the kings gift.]

[Sidenote: He landed at Douer vpon Candlemasse ieue saith _Tho. Walsingham._]

The king of England comming to Rone, soiourned there a certeine time, and receiued the homage of all the nobles of Normandie, amongst whome, the earle of Stafford did homage for the countie of Perch, and Arthur of Britaine likewise for the countie of Yurie. He also ordeined his lieutenant generall, both of France and Normandie, his brother Thomas duke of Clarence; and his deputie in Normandie was the earle of Salisburie. When the feast of Christmasse was passed, he departed from Rone, with the quéene his wife, and by Amiens came to Calis, where he tooke ship the morow after Candlemasse daie, and landed at Douer, and came to Canturburie and from thence to Eltham, and so through London to Westminster. I passe ouer to write what ioy and triumph was shewed by the citizens of London, and of all other his subiects in euerie place where he came.

[Sidenote: King Henrie returneth into England with his new wife.]

[Sidenote: _Thomas Walsingham_ saith, she was crowned the first in Lent which that yere, fell vpon the ninth of Februarie.]

[Sidenote: The coronation of quéene Katharine.]

The king himselfe, to render vnto God his most humble & hartie thanks, caused solemne processions to be obserued and kept fiue daies togither in euerie citie and towne. After that doone, he made great purueiance for the coronation of his quéene & spouse, the faire ladie Katharine: which was doone the daie of S. Matthew, being the twentie fourth of Februarie, with all such ceremonies and princelie solemnitie as appertained. Which because it was full of roialtie and honour (the qualitie of the principall personages requiring no lesse) and recorded by writers of former ages, it séemeth necessarie and conuenient in this place to report it, in such sort as it is found at large in some, though others glansinglie passe by it, as a matter of no great obseruation. But it is worth the noting, to consider and take a view of the goodlie order and reuerend dutifulnesse exhibited on all sides to the new quéene; of whome Anglorum prælia saith,

More coronatur maiorum regia coniux, Ingeminans rex ô viuat, regináque vulgus, Altisonis suprema ferit clamoribus astra.

[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._ out of _Fabian_ pag. 402, 409.]

[Sidenote: A roiall banket.]