FOOTNOTES:
[28] Gavenne,—the right of protection due to the counts of Flanders, in quality of guardians, or gaveniers, of Cambresis.—Dict. du vieux Language.
[CHAP. XXVIII.]
THE KING OF FRANCE COLLECTS A GREAT BODY OF MEN AT ARMS FROM ALL PARTS OF HIS KINGDOM TO OPPOSE THE ENGLISH.—THE SUMMONS HE ISSUES ON THE OCCASION.
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; and the king of England had invaded his realm, and besieged and taken his town of Harfleur, very much to his displeasure. On this account, therefore, he earnestly solicited the aid of all his vassals and subjects, and required them to join him without delay.
He also dispatched messengers into Picardy, with sealed letters to the lords de Croy, de Waurin, de Fosseux, de Crequi, de Heuchin, de Brimeu, de Mammez, de la Viefville, de Beaufort, d'Inchy, de Noyelle, de Neufville, and to other noblemen, to order them instantly to raise their powers, under pain of his indignation, and to join the duke of Acquitaine, whom he had appointed captain-general of his kingdom.
The lords of Picardy delayed obeying, for the duke of Burgundy had sent them and all his subjects orders to hold themselves in readiness to march with him when he should summon them, and not to attend to the summons of any other lord, whatever might be his rank. This was the cause why the above-mentioned men at arms were in no haste to comply with the king's summons: fresh orders were therefore issued, the tenour of which was as follows.
'Charles, by the grace of God, king of France, to the bailiff of Amiens, or to his lieutenant, greeting.
'Whereas by our letters we have commanded you to make proclamation throughout your bailiwick, for all nobles and others accustomed to bear arms and follow the wars, instantly to join our very dear and well beloved son, the duke of Acquitaine, whom we have nominated our captain-general of the kingdom.
'It is now some time since we have marched against our adversary of England, who had, with a large army, invaded our province of Normandy, and taken our town of Harfleur, owing to the neglect and delay of you and others, in not punctually obeying our orders; for from want of succours our noble and loyal subjects within Harfleur, after having made a most vigorous defence, were forced to surrender it to the enemy.
'And as the preservation and defence of our kingdom is the concern of all, we call on our good and faithful subjects for aid, and are determined to regain those parts of which the enemy may be in possession, and to drive them out of our kingdom in disgrace and confusion, by the blessing of God, the holy Virgin Mary, and with the assistance of our kindred and loyal subjects.
'You will therefore, by these presents strictly enjoin every one within your jurisdictions, on the duty they owe us, to lose no time in arming themselves, and in hastening to join our said well beloved the duke of Acquitaine; and you will proclaim these our orders in the most public manner, and in the usual places, that no one may plead ignorance of the same; and that under pain of being reputed disobedient, and having their goods confiscated, they fail not to come to our assistance, sufficiently armed and mounted.
'Such as, from illness or old age, may be prevented coming shall send in their stead, persons well armed and accoutred, with their powers to join us, or our said son. Should any difficulties be made in obeying these our commands, you will enforce obedience by seizing on the lands of such as may refuse placing foragers within their houses, and by every other means employed on such occasions, that they may be induced to join with us in expelling the enemy from our kingdom with disgrace and confusion.
'You will likewise enjoin, in addition to the above, that all cannon, engines of war, and other offensive or defensive weapons that can be spared from the principal towns, be sent to our aid without delay, which we promise to restore at the end of the war.
'You will use every possible diligence in seeing to the execution of these our commands; and should there be any neglect on your part, which God forbid, we will punish you in such wise that you shall serve for an example to all others in like manner offending.
'We command all our officers of justice, and others our subjects, punctually to obey all your directions respecting the above; and you will send an acknowledgement of the receipt of these presents to our loyal subjects the officers of our chamber of accounts in Paris, to be used as may be thought proper.
'Given at Meulan, the 20th day of September, in the year of Grace 1415, and of our reign the 36th.' Thus signed by the king and council.
When this proclamation had been published at Paris and Amiens, and in other parts of the kingdom, the king sent ambassadors to the dukes of Burgundy and Orleans, to require that they would, without fail, instantly send him five hundred helmets each.
The duke of Orleans was at first contented to send his quota, but afterward followed with all his forces. The duke of Burgundy made answer, that he would not send, but come in person with all the chivalry of his country, to serve the king: however, from some delay or dispute that arose between them, he did not attend himself, but the greater part of his subjects armed and joined the french forces.
[CHAP. XXIX.]
THE KING OF ENGLAND MAKES HIS ENTRY INTO HARFLEUR.—THE REGULATIONS WHICH HE ORDAINED.—HE RESOLVES TO MARCH TO CALAIS.—THE DISPOSITION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE FRENCH.
The town of Harfleur surrendered to the king on the appointed day: the gates were thrown open, and his commissioners entered the place; but when the king came to the gate, he dismounted, and had his legs and feet uncovered, and thence walked barefooted to the parochial church of St Martin, where he very devoutly offered up his prayers and thanksgivings to his Creator for his success. After this, he made all the nobles and men at arms that were in the town his prisoners, and shortly after sent the greater part of them out of the place cloathed in their jackets only, taking down their names and surnames in writing, and making them swear on their faith that they would render themselves prisoners at Calais on the Martinmas-day next ensuing,—and then they departed.
In like manner were the inhabitants constituted prisoners, and forced to ransom themselves for large sums of money. In addition, they were driven out of the town, with numbers of women and children, to each of whom were given five sols and part of their cloathing. It was pitiful to see and hear the sorrow of these poor people, thus driven away from their dwellings and property. The priests and clergy were also dismissed; and in regard to the wealth found there, it was immense, and appertained to the king, who distributed it among such as he pleased. Two towers that were very strong, and situated on the side next the sea, held out for ten days after the surrender of the town; but then they surrendered also.
The king of England ordered the greater part of his army home, by way of Calais, under the command of his brother the duke of Clarence and the earl of Warwick. His prisoners and the great booty he had made were sent by sea to England, with his warlike engines. When the king had repaired the walls and ditches of the town he placed in it a garrison of five hundred men at arms and one thousand archers, under the command of the governor sir John le Blond, knight[29]: he added a very large stock of provision and of warlike stores.
After fifteen days residence in Harfleur, the king of England departed, escorted by two thousand men at arms and about thirteen thousand archers, and numbers of other men, intending to march to Calais. His first quarters were at Fauville[30] and in the adjacent places: then, traversing the country of Caux, he made for the county of Eu. Some of the english light troops came before the town of Eu, in which were several french men at arms, who sallied out to oppose them: in the number was a most valiant man at arms, called Lancelot Pierres, who, having attacked one of the English, was struck by him with a lance, which piercing the plates of his armour, mortally wounded him in the belly, and being thus wounded, he was killed by the Englishman, to the great grief of the count d'Eu and many of the French.
Thence the king of England marched through Vimeu, with the intent of crossing the river Somme at Blanchetaque, where his predecessor, king Edward, had passed when he gained the battle of Cressy against Philippe de Valois; but learning from his scouts that the French had posted a considerable force to guard that ford, he altered his route, and marched toward Arraines, burning and destroying the whole country, making numbers of prisoners and acquiring a great booty.
On Sunday, the 13th of October, he lodged at Bailleul in Vimeu,—and thence crossing the country, he sent a considerable detachment to gain the pass of the Pont de Remy[31]; but the lord de Vaucourt, with his children and a great number of men at arms, gallantly defended it against the English. This constrained king Henry to continue his march, and quarter his army at Hangest sur Somme[32] and in the neighbouring villages.
At that time, the lord d'Albreth, constable of France, the marshal Boucicaut, the count de Vendôme grand master of the household, the lord de Dampierre, calling himself admiral of France, the duke d'Alençon, the count de Richemont, with a numerous and gallant chivalry, were in Abbeville. On hearing of the line of march which the king of England was pursuing, they departed thence and went to Corbie and Peronne, with their army near at hand, but dispersed over the country to guard all the fords of the river Somme against the English. The king of England marched from Hangest to Ponthieu[33], passing by Amiens, and fixed his quarters at Boves, then at Herbonnieres, Vauville[34], Bainviller, the French marching on the opposite bank of the Somme.
At length the English crossed that river on the morrow of St Luke's day, by the ford between Betencourt and Voyenne[35], which had not been staked by those of St Quentin as they had been ordered by the king of France. The english army were quartered at Monchy la Gache[36], near the river of Miraumont; and the lords of France, with their forces, retired to Bapaume and the adjacent parts.