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in haste his uncle the duke of Exeter, with four thousand combatants, to gain possession of the suburbs of Meaux, that the inhabitants might not set them on fire.

When king Henry had completed his machines in the town of Lagny, he marched his army thence, consisting of twenty thousand combatants at the least, and on the 6th day of October encamped before Meaux. A few days after, he had his camp surrounded with strong hedges and ditches, to prevent any surprise from the enemy, and at the same time had his engines pointed to batter the walls and gates, which they continued to do with great activity. The defence of the town of Meaux was intrusted by the dauphin to the bastard de Vaurus, captain-general of the place, Denys de Vaurus his brother, Pierron de Luppel, Guichard de Sisay, sir Philip Mallet, sir Louis Gast, the borgne de Caucun, John d'Aunay, Tromagon, Bernard de Meureville, Philip de Gamaches, and others, to the amount of one thousand picked combatants, tried in arms, without including the burghers and commonalty. They made an obstinate defence against the attacks of the king of England, and continued it for a long time, as you shall hear.

In these days it was enacted by the royal council at Paris, that the florettes, which were current for four deniers, should be reduced to two deniers; and that the gold crowns, current for nineteen sols, should now pass for eighteen only. These continued lowerings of the coin gave great cause of discontent among all ranks, seeing that their money-property was diminished an eighth part in value. To keep up a supply of coin, saluts* of gold were issued, which were current for twenty-five sols tournois the piece: two crown-pieces were also coined, one of France and the other of England. In regard to smaller money, doubles were coined that were current for two deniers tournois: these last were in the vulgar tongue called Nicquets, but were not current for more than three years.

CHAPTER CCL.-THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY ENTERS INTO A TREATY WITH HIS PRISONERS

FOR THE SURRENDER OF ST. RIQUIER, TO WHICH THE Lord d'offemonT, GOVERNOR
OF THE PLACE, AGREES.

THE duke of Burgundy was very desirous to get rid of the Dauphinois from the town of St. Riquier, as they committed much mischief on the country round about; and during the month of November, he had frequent conversations on this subject with the principal prisoners whom he had made at the affair of Mons in Vimeu. At length, a treaty was concluded between the duke, on the one part, and the lord d'Offemont, governor of St. Riquier, and the leaders of his garrison, on the other, by which it was agreed, that the duke should set at liberty all prisoners whom he or his army had taken since he had first come before St. Riquier, free of ransoms; and in return sir Hemon de Bomber, sir John de Blondel, Ferry de Mailly, John de Beaurevoir, John de Crevecoeur and some others, were to be delivered from their confinement, and also the town and castle of St. Riquier were to be put in possession of the duke.

Not long after the conclusion of this treaty, sir Hemon de Bomber died in St. Riquier of a lingering disorder, which so angered the duke that he would have violated the treaty, if his counsellors had not persuaded him to the contrary. At last, he sent his prisoners under an escort from Lille to Hesdin, and thence with passports they were conducted to the lord d'Offemont, who delivered up the prisoners he had promised, and the town and castle of St. Riquier, into the hands of the lords de Roubaix and de Croy, who had been commissioned for that purpose by the duke.

The lord d'Offemont, on his departure from St. Riquier, crossed the Somme at Blanchetaque and returned through Vimeu to Pierrefons, Crespy in the Valois, and to other places under his obedience. The lords de Roubaix and de Croy, after examining the town and castle, and receiving the oaths of allegiance from the inhabitants, nominated governors thereof le borgne de Fosseaux knight, master Nicholas Mailly, and his brother Ferry de Mailly, Nycaise de Boufflers, John Doncuerre, with others, and their men, to keep the field against sir James de Harcourt.

* Saluts, an old French crown, of the value of five shillings sterling.-Cotgrave.

CHAPTER CCLI.-THE BURGUNDIAN LORDS ASSEMBLE IN ARMS TO CONDUCT THITHER THEIR DUKE FROM PICARDY.-OTHER MATTERS.

ABOUT this time, in consequence of summonses from the duke and duchess dowager of Burgundy, the nobles of that duchy assembled in arms, and went to the duke in Picardy, to escort him thither, where his presence was much desired by the duchess, to consult on public affairs that were very pressing. They amounted to six thousand horse, and began their march under the command of the prince of Orange, the lords de St. George and de Château Vilain, Sir John de Colquebrune marshal of Burgundy, and other lords and captains, through Champagne, to near Lille in Flanders. The principal lords left their men in the adjacent villages, and waited on the duke in Lille, who received them with joy.

As the duke was not quite ready to set out, they were requested by sir John de Luxembourg to join him and make an attack on the lords de Moy and de Chin, who were Dauphinois, and had greatly destroyed his own estates, as well as those of his daughter-inlaw the countess of Marle. They agreed to his proposal; and, as he had assembled about eight hundred combatants, they advanced to St. Quentin, where they lay the first night, and then continued their march. When they approached the castle of Moy, the usual residence of the lord of that name, they were told that he was absent, but had left it well provided with men, stores and provisions: he had also burnt the lower court, and several houses of the town that joined the castle. The Burgundians, foreseeing that the castle could not be won without a long siege, and great loss of men, concluded among themselves, notwithstanding the entreaties of sir John de Luxembourg, to return to Douay and Lille. They did great mischiefs to all the countries they passed through, as well going as returning, and during their stay, of which heavy complaints were made to the duke by churchmen and others, more particularly from Picardy: to all these clamours he replied, that he would very shortly deliver them from their oppressors, by remanding them to Burgundy. Sir John de Luxembourg, vexed and cast down by the Burgundian lords leaving him, disbanded his own forces, and retired to his castle of Beaurevoir.

On the 16th day of December, the duke and duchess of Burgundy arrived at Arras with count Philip de St. Pol and a grand suite of chivalry. Soon after, sir John de Luxembourg came thither, and the Burgundian lords; and on the third after his arrival the duke went to visit his aunt the countess of Hainault at Douay, and conducted her and her household to Arras, where she was honourably received by the duchess and the lords and ladies of her court. She remained there three or four days, during which many grand entertainments were made for her. Having held some conferences with her nephew, she returned to Quesnoy le Comte in Hainault, where she generally resided.

CHAPTER CCLII.-SIR JAMES DE HARCOURT MEETS A PARTY OF ENGLISH, AND IS DEFEATED WITH LOSS.-A HEAVY TAX LAID FOR A COINAGE TO SUPPLY THE TOWNS WITH CURRENT CASH.

ABOUT this period, sir James de Harcourt, making an excursion with six or seven hundred combatants, was met by a party of English, who had accidentally assembled from Harques, Neuf-châtel, and the adjoining parts, to seek adventures on their enemies the Dauphinois. An obstinate battle ensued; but in the end the English gained the victory, and sir James lost from two to three hundred men in killed and prisoners: he himself and the greater part of the knights and esquires saved themselves by the fleetness of their horses. Among the prisoners was the lord de Verduisant, at that time one of the governors of St. Valery for the dauphin. The English were joyful at their success, and returned to the places they had come from with their prisoners.

At this time there was imposed through many parts of the kingdom, and rigorously exacted, especially in the bailiwick of Amiens, a heavy tax, which had been granted by the three estates, at the request of the kings of France and of England. The object of this tax

was to gather as much silver as possible, that a new coinage might be issued, to afford currency to the great towns; and it was collected from persons of all ranks, churchmen, knights, esquires, ladies, damsels, burghers, and from every one who were supposed to have wherewithal, according to the discretion and pleasure of the collectors, and whether they would or not. This gained them great hatred from every one whom they forced to pay. Among others, the bailiff of Amiens was much hated in his bailiwick, from a suspicion which had gone abroad that he was the author of this heavy impost.

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CHAPTER CCLIII.-THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND THE COUNT DE ST. POL DEPART FROM ARRAS, AND WAIT ON THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND OF ENGLAND.-OTHER MATTERS.

WHEN the duke and duchess of Burgundy had solemnly celebrated the feast of the Nativity at Arras, they separated from each other a few days after, but not without much grief at heart and many tears, especially on the part of the duchess; and they never saw each other again, as you shall hear.

The duke went to the castle of the count de St. Pol at Luchen, where he lay one night, and on the morrow went to Amiens, and was lodged at the house of the bailiff. He had sent his men-at-arms forward to wait for him between Amiens and Beauvais. He lay one night at Amiens, and thence departed with displayed banner and a large body of men-atarms in noble array, having a van and rear-guard. He was quartered that night at Francchâtel, and thence, taking the road to Beauvais and through Beaumont, arrived at Paris.

His lady-duchess, on quitting Arras, went with her household to Lille, and thence to Ghent. The duke entered Paris, attended by the count de St. Pol and all his chivalry, and was most respectfully received by the Parisians. The king and queen of France were at that time at Vincennes, whither the duke went to visit them. Having remained some days at Paris, he went to Lagny-sur-Marne, to wait on the king of England, who was employed in the siege of Meaux. He was most honourably received by the king, and they held many councils on the affairs of the realm.

The prince of Orange, and a considerable number of the Burgundian lords and gentlemen, quitted the duke just before he left Paris; and the reason commonly given for this was, that they were unwilling to accompany him to Lagny, lest king Henry should require of them oaths of allegiance, as he had demanded from the lord de St. George, who, a short time before, had waited on him, humbly to solicit the deliverance of his nephew, the lord de Château-vilain, who by command of king Henry had been long detained prisoner in Paris, but was soon after delivered, in consequence of the application of the lord de St. George.* The duke returned in a few days to Paris, and thence, passing through Troyes, went to wait on his mother, the duchess-dowager, and his sisters, in Burgundy, who received him with the utmost joy. The usual oaths from his Burgundian vassals were made him ; and having finished his business, he went to see his uncle in Savoy, who was much rejoiced, and, to do him the more honour, had jousts and other entertainments for his amusement. When these were over, he returned to his duchy of Burgundy, where he remained a considerable time.

CHAPTER CCLIV.-SIR JOHN DE LUXEMBOURG WAITS ON KING HENRY, TO SOLICIT THE LIBERTY OF THE COUNT DE CONVERSAN, HIS BROTHER,—AND OTHER EVENTS.

ABOUT this time, sir John de Luxembourg, attended by a few persons, came to king Henry, at the siege of Meaux, to treat for the deliverance of his brother, the count de Conversan, who had been long a prisoner, and was confined in that town by Pierron de Luppel. By the assistance of the English king, he obtained his brother's liberty on consenting to pay Pierron de Luppel a large sum of money by instalments at certain periods. lord here mentioned, whose son, William, lord of Bussy, and afterwards of St. George, succeeded him in 147 4.

William III., lord of St. George," (of the house of Vienne,) admiral of France, married Jane, daughter of the lord of Château-vilain. His son, William IV., is the

agreed on between them. On regaining his liberty, the count de Conversan remained in the service of king Henry during the siege of Meaux; and sir John de Luxembourg returned to Picardy, of which he was governor-general. He was accompanied by sir Hugh de Lannoy, who had been lately appointed grand master of the cross-bows of France by the two kings of France and of England.

This year, Catherine, queen of England, was brought to bed of a son and heir to the kingdom, who, by orders from his father, was baptised Henry: his sponsors were Jacqueline duchess of Bavaria, at that time in England, and others nominated for that purpose *. King Henry felt the utmost pleasure at this event, and there were greater rejoicings throughout England than had been ever seen before on the birth of any prince. During this time, the Dauphinois took the town of Avranches by storm, and killed or made prisoners from two to three hundred English, to the great vexation of their king. On receiving this intelligence, he sent off from the siege of Meaux a strong detachment to the earl of Salisbury, governor of Normandy, who made such good use of his reinforcement that he retook Avranches, and put to death or made prisoners many of the Dauphinois.

At this same time, Arthur count de Richemont was delivered by a certain treaty from his imprisonment in England, and came to the siege of Meaux with a large body of men-at-arms to serve king Henry, in whose service he remained during the life of that king.

CHAPTER CCLV.-THE LORD D'OFFEMONT, ATTEMPTING TO ENTER MEAUX, IS MADE

PRISONER BY THE ENGLISH.-THE BESIEGERS TAKE THE TOWN BY STORM.

THE lord d'Offemont assembled about forty combatants, the most expert and determined he could find, and led them near to the town of Meaux, which the king of England was besieging in person, with the intent to enter it secretly, as the inhabitants had sent him frequent messages to come and be their governor, and knowing of his arrival were prepared to receive him. They had placed a ladder on the outside of the wall, by which the lord d'Offemont and his people were to gain admittance; and on the appointed day, when the lord d'Offemont approached to accomplish his enterprise, he met a party of the English guard, whom he soon put to death. He then led his men to the bank of the ditch, and they began to ascend the ladder; but he himself, who had staid to see his men mount before him, stepping on an old plank that had been thrown over the ditch, it broke under him, and he fell, fully armed, into it, whence he could not be raised, although they gave him two spears, which remained in his hands. In the mean time, the besiegers, hearing a noise, came in numbers to the spot, and made them prisoners. The lord d'Offemont was cruelly wounded in the face, and his men were also wounded; and thus were they carried to the king of England, who was well pleased at the capture which his men had made. Having questioned the lord d'Offemont on many subjects, he put him under a good guard, to whom he gave strict orders to be careful of his person.

On the morrow, the besieged, sorrowful at heart for their disappointment in the loss of their looked-for governor, and thinking the town could not hold out much longer, began to carry their most valuable articles into the market-place. This was observed by the men of John de Guigny, a Savoyard, who was at the siege, and he instantly made an attack on that side of the town. The onset likewise commenced on the opposite quarter, and was continued with such vigour that the place was won with little loss to the besiegers. The garrison then retreated into the market-place, not however without some being slain or taken, but in no great numbers. The king and very many of his men were lodged in the town, and soon after they gained a small island, on which they planted some bombards that terribly annoyed the buildings. Those who had retired into the market-place were sorely oppressed, for king Henry had caused several bulwarks to be erected against the walls, and they were hourly expecting to be stormed; for all hopes of succour had fled, since the time appointed by the dauphin to send them aid was passed. The English, pushing matters forward, increased their distress by the capture of the corn-mill of the market-place, so that no corn could be ground without infinite danger.

*See for them in Rymer, &c.

CHAPTER CCLVI.—SIR JOHN DE LUXEMBOURG CONQUERS, THIS CAMPAIGN, THE FORTRESSES OF QUESNOY, LOUVROY, AND HERICOURT.-OTHER MATTERS.

WE must now speak of what sir John de Luxembourg, with some of the Picard lords, did this year, by orders from the kings of France and England. Sir Hugh de Lannoy, the newly-appointed grand master of the cross-bows, the vidame of Amiens, the lord de Longueval, the lord de Saveuses, the lord de Humbercourt, and a great number of knights and esquires, mustered their forces, in the month of March, in the town of Eure. When this was done, few people knew whither sir John intended to lead them: at length he directed their march toward Amiens, to a miserable castle called le Quesnoy, belonging to John d'Arly, in which about forty pillagers of the dauphin's party had quartered themselves, and, in conjunction with those in D'Airaines, had greatly harassed the whole country of Vimeu, and down the river Somme from Amiens to Abbeville. The vidame of Amiens and the lord de Saveuses had advanced their men thither the preceding day to prevent their escape. On sir John de Luxembourg's arrival, having arranged his quarters, he caused his artillery to be pointed against the walls, which shortly made large breaches in them, and in such numbers, that the besieged finding all resistance vain offered to capitulate.

The following terms were soon agreed on between them and the lord de Saveuses, who had been commissioned for that purpose by sir John de Luxembourg, namely, that they should surrender the castle and everything within it to sir John de Luxembourg; and the greater number of these pillagers were to be given up to his will. Waleran de St. Germain, their leader, in fact betrayed them, giving them to understand that their lives would be spared,— but he only bargained for himself to depart freely, with sufficient passports.

On the conclusion of this treaty, the castle gates were thrown open, and those within carried to a house in the town, when part of them were shortly after hanged, and the others sent to the bailiff of Amiens, who had them gibbeted: in the latter number was a gentleman, named Lienard de Picquigny, who said he was distantly related to the vidame of Amiens. This castle was razed to the ground after the wood-work had been burnt. Sir John then marched his forces toward Gamaches, where he was joined by three hundred English combatants under the command of sir Raoul le Bouteiller; and he subjected to the obedience of the kings of France and of England certain fortresses in Vimeu, as Louvroy*, Hericourt, and others. In the mean time, the men of the lord de Gamaches, who were posted at Compiègne, took by storm the castle of Mortemer, near Mondidier, belonging to Conherrard de Brimeu, then absent with the army of sir John de Luxembourg in Vimeu. They placed a strong garrison within it, which much oppressed the country round. In another part, a company of Dauphinois, quartered at Marcoussy, to the amount of two hundred combatants, with their captain, secretly marched by night to the bridge of Meulan, to which they did great mischief. Their plan was to establish a garrison there to defend it; but the king of England sent thither the count de Conversan, with a number of men-at-arms, who having besieged them, they soon surrendered on having their lives and fortunes spared.

CHAPTER CCLVII.-THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY RAISES THIS YEAR AN ARMY AGAINST THE HERETICS OF PRAGUE.SIMILAR HERESIES ARE DISCOVERED NEAR TO DOUAY.—THE SIEGE OF D'AIRAINES.

In this year the emperor of Germany assembled a large body of men-at-arms from all parts of Christendom, to combat and oppose the false and stinking heretics that had arisen within the city of Prague, and in the adjoining country from two to three days' journey around it. This armament was composed of many princes, prelates, knights, esquires, and others, as well on foot as on horseback, from parts of Germany, Liege, Holland, Zealand, Hainault, and elsewhere. Their numbers were so great they could scarcely be counted; but the heretics defended themselves so courageously in Prague that they could not do much harm to them,

* Louvroy. In du Cange's MS, notes it is called Hornox.

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