The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Vol. 09 [of 13]

by Enguerrand de Monstrelet

[A.D. 1452.]

CHAP. XXVIII.

JACQUES COEUR IS ARRESTED AND CONFINED.—THE REASONS OF IT.—THE KING OF FRANCE DECLARES WAR AGAINST THE DUKE OF SAVOY,—BUT PEACE IS MADE, BY THE MEDIATION OF THE CARDINAL DE TOUTEVILLE.—LORD SHREWSBURY REGAINS BORDEAUX FROM THE FRENCH.

In the year 1452, Jacques Coeur was arrested by the king's orders, and confined close prisoner. He was charged with various acts contrary to the catholic faith, with high treason, and with having sent armour and all sorts of military stores to the Saracens, enemies to the Christian faith,—and likewise with providing them with workmen to teach them the art of fabricating arms, to the prejudice of all Christendom. He was confined for having, by the instigations of the enemy of mankind, through avarice or other irregular passions, sent back by force a Christian prisoner who had escaped from the hands of the Saracens, (with whom he had long suffered martyrdom for the love of Jesus Christ), in contempt of the faith of our Redeemer. He was likewise charged with very many extortions in different parts of the realm, and of having pillaged immense sums from the king's finances, of which he had the management. The said extortions had caused several of the inhabitants of those parts to quit the country, to the great loss of the king and the realm.

The damsel de Mortaigne was at the same time imprisoned for certain offences against the king, and for having charged Jacques Coeur and others, through malice, with crimes of which they were innocent. She was therefore confined for thus lying, to receive the punishment that those whom she had accused would have suffered, had they been found guilty, unless pardoned by the king's mercy.

In the month of May of this year, the king of France left Tours, and went to the castle of Tuché[133], to celebrate the feast of Whitsunside, where he staid until July following, and thence went to Mehun sur Yevre[134]. He there declared war against the duke of Savoy, for certain acts done by him to the prejudice of his crown and kingdom. In the month of August, the king departed from Mehun with a large army, and a noble company of knights and men at arms, until he came to the country of Forez[135], intending to invade Savoy; but the cardinal de Touteville, hearing of this on his road to Rome, moved by charity, returned to the duke of Savoy,—and, having learnt the cause of offence, he thence went to the king, and managed the matter so well that the duke waited on the king, and promised to make every amends for what had given offence, according to the king's good pleasure. Peace being restored, the french army retreated to Feurs[136] in Forez, and the cardinal continued his road to Rome[137].

In the beginning of September, the lord de l'Esparre and others of the inhabitants of Bordeaux, by the advice of the lord de Montferrant, the lord de Rosem, the lord de Lane, and the lord d'Anglades, found means to embark secretly for England. On their arrival, they had several conferences with king Henry's ministers, and offered to return to their obedience if they would send a sufficient force to support them. The king assembled his parliament, and summoned to it his peers and captains, when it was determined to send the earl of Shrewsbury to the country of Bordelois in the ensuing month of October. On this being settled, the lord de l'Esparre and his companions, who might be compared to Judas, returned to Bordeaux; for they had sworn, on the holy evangelists, to be true and loyal subjects to the king and crown of France, and had conspired this wicked treason in direct violation of their oaths.

In consequence of the arrangements made between them and the English, the earl of Shrewsbury set sail from England with four or five thousand men, whom he landed in Medoc, and conquered some small places to serve them as quarters. He thence made inroads over that part of the country, and subdued it,—which was not difficult, for the king's army was withdrawn, and few remained in the garrisons. When their arrival was known in Bordeaux, the townsmen held several meetings to consider of the manner of their surrender to the English,—and the majority were desirous that the French within the town should be allowed to depart in safety with their effects. At this time, the lord de Coictivy, seneschal of Guienne, was the governor for the king of France, the lord du Pin mayor, and Jean du Foue, knight, his deputy.

While they were debating on this matter, some of the inhabitants opened one of the gates to the English, who entered the town on the 23d of October, and made the greater part of the French, soldiers or not, prisoners. This news grieved much the king of France; and he hastily dispatched the marshals of France, the lord d'Orval, Joachim Rohault, and other experienced captains, with six hundred lances and archers, to guard the places round Bordeaux, as the lord de Clermont, his lieutenant-general in those parts, should see expedient, until he could, at a proper season, send a greater force.

However, before this army could arrive, the earl of Shrewsbury and the barons of the Bordelois had subjected most of the places near Bordeaux to the government of the English. The town and castle of Châtillon, in Perigord, then occupied by the French, were surrendered by the garrison, on having their lives and fortunes spared, notwithstanding the count de Clermont did all in his power to resist the English before his reinforcement arrived.

The lord Camus, the bastard of Somerset, the lord Lisle, son to the earl of Shrewsbury, the lord Molins, now arrived from England, to reinforce the earl of Shrewsbury with four thousand combatants, and eighty transports, great and small, laden with flour and bacon to victual the city of Bordeaux.