CHAP. XIV.
THE KING OF FRANCE MAKES A GRAND ENTRY INTO ROUEN.—HE IS SUMPTUOUSLY RECEIVED.—THE ENGLISH RESTORE TO THE KING THE CASTLE OF ARGUES, CAUDEBEC, TANCARVILLE, MONSTIERVILLE, &c.
While the negotiations were carrying on with the English, the king of France celebrated the feasts of All-saints in St Catherine's with the utmost joy on seeing his enemies fall before him,—and he returned thanks to God for the good fortune that was daily pouring in upon him. The count de Dunois having restored good government in the town of Rouen, the king prepared to make his solemn entry into it.
He set out from St Catherine's on this same Monday, about one o'clock after midday, attended by the king of Sicily, and several great princes, as well of his blood as otherwise, with his army drawn out in handsome array. First marched his archers, the leaders of whom were dressed in striped jackets of red, white and green, covered with embroidery. After these came the archers of the king of Sicily, of the count du Maine, and of other great lords, to the number of six hundred, well mounted, and all armed with plate armour, under jackets of various colours, having greaves, swords, daggers and helmets, richly ornamented with silver. The king appointed the lords de Preuilly and de Cléré, sir Theaulde de Valperge, and a few more, to command them, who had their horses covered with satin housings of different forms and colours.
After the archers came the heralds of the king of France, the king of Sicily, and the other princes in company with the king, all dressed in their tabards of arms,—and with them were some pursuivants. Then came the trumpeters and clarions, who sounded so loudly that it was very melodious, and gave much delight to hear them: the king's trumpeters were clothed in crimson, having their sleeves covered with embroidery.
Next came sir William Juvenal des Ursins, knight, lord of Trainel and chancellor of France, dressed in his robes of ceremony, namely, a robe, mantle and hood of scarlet, trimmed with minever, and on each of his shoulders were golden ribbands, interlaced with strips of fur. Before him walked two footmen, leading by the bridle a white hackney, covered with a housing of blue velvet, besprinkled with flowers de luce and gold tissue. On this housing was placed a small coffer, covered also with blue velvet and flowers de luce in silversmith's work, in which were the seals of the king. After him rode an equerry of the stables, called Pierre Fonteville[58], fully armed, and mounted on a charger covered with housings of azure velvet, having great clasps of silver gilt: he had on his head a pointed hat, with the point trimmed with crimson-velvet and ermine. He bore before him, in a scarf, the royal mantle of scarlet, ornamented with purple fringes and ermine. Next came, without any interval between him and the king, the lord de Saintrailles, grand equerry of the royal stables, and bailiff of Berry. He was in complete armour, mounted on a charger with similar housings and clasps as the said Fonteville, and bore in a scarf the royal sword of state, whose handle, cross and sheath, were covered with blue velvet, besprinkled with flowers de luce of gold.
Then came the king, in complete armour, on a stately charger with housings, reaching to the ground, of blue velvet, covered with flowers de luce in embroidery. On his head was a beaver hat lined with crimson velvet, having on the crown a tuft of gold thread. He was followed by his pages dressed in crimson,—their sleeves covered with silver plates, the armour of their horses' heads was of fine gold, variously ornamented, and with plumes of ostrich feathers of divers colours. On the right of the king rode the king of Sicily, and on the left his brother the count of Maine, both in full armour, their horses richly ornamented, with similar housings, having white crosses, and their devices intermixed with tufts of gold thread. Their pages' horses had the like housings,—but their head-armour was of fine gold with their devices.
After them came the counts de Nevers, de St Pol, and de Clermont. The first was mounted, fully armed, on a charger covered with green velvet embroidered with gold, and followed by three pages dressed in violet and black: he was also accompanied by twelve gentlemen completely armed, mounted on horses covered with violet-coloured satin: each housing bore a white cross, except one whose housing was of green satin. The count de St Pol was likewise in full armour, mounted on a charger having a housing of black satin covered with silversmith's work and embroidery. His five pages were clothed in black satin, slashed below, which slashes were covered with silversmith's work: the housings of their horses were the same. One of them bore a lance covered with crimson-velvet, another a lance covered with figured gold tissue, and the third bore on his head an helmet of fine gold richly ornamented; and behind these pages was his groom handsomely dressed, with the housings of his horse similar to the others, leading a handsome charger in hand. The count de Clermont was also completely armed, mounted on his charger covered with housings of his livery, as were his pages.
The lord de Culant, grand master of the king's household, (having the command of a battalion of six hundred lances, each having a pennoncel of crimson satin with a golden sun in the center,) followed the pages of the king, in complete armour, a hat on his head, and mounted on a charger covered with a housing of blue and red velvet in stripes, each stripe having a large golden or silver leaf: the armour of his horse was similarly ornamented. He wore round his neck a baldrick of pure gold, that hung down below the crupper of his horse. With the lord de Culant was an esquire called Rogerin Blosset, equerry of the stables to the king, who bore the royal standard of crimson satin, having the figure of St Michael in the center, and besprinkled with leaves of gold.
Jean de Scaenville was also in the rear of the king: he was surnamed Havart, bailiff of Dreux and esquire-carver to the king, and bore the royal pennon, which was of azure velvet, with three flowers de luce embroidered thereon in gold, and the border of this pennon was of large pearls.
In their attendance on the king were numbers of great lords, such as the viscount de Lomagne, the count de Castres, Ferry lord of Lorraine, sir John his brother, the lord d'Orval, the count de Tancarville, the lord de Montgascon, son to the count de Boulogne and Auvergne, the lord de Jalognes marshal of France, the lord de Beauveau, and more than I can remember, all clad in complete armour, and their horses covered with housings of velvet or satin, having on each a white cross.
Thus did the king advance until he came within bow-shot of the beauvoisine gate, near to the carthusian convent, where the count de Dunois, his lieutenant-general, came out to meet him, mounted on a charger covered with crimson velvet, and himself dressed in a crimson-velvet jacket trimmed with sables: he was girt with a magnificent sword, whose pummel was set with diamonds, pearls and rubies, to the Value of fifteen thousand crowns. The seneschal of Poitou, and Jacques Coeur, master of the king's wardrobe, attended him mounted on chargers covered and clad like to the lieutenant-general. The bailiff of Evreux and sir William Cousinot were also there,—the first mounted on a charger covered with crimson velvet, and himself clad in the same stuff. Sir William Cousinot had lately been nominated bailiff of Rouen, and was dressed in blue velvet with rich clasps of silver gilt: his horse had housings of the same.
The lieutenant-general had brought from the town, to do reverence to the king, the archbishop of Rouen, the bishops of Lisieux, Bayeux, and Coutances, and the principal inhabitants. When these prelates had done their obeisance, they returned into the town, leaving the citizens, who were very numerous, clad in blue with red hoods, with the lieutenant, who presented them to the king. After paying their humble reverence, they delivered the keys of their town into the hands of the king, as their sovereign lord; and after many fine speeches from them, which he heard with kindness, he gave the keys to the before-mentioned seneschal, appointing him governor of the place.
The king then began his entrance into the city in the same order as I have described; but the moment he began to move a procession of prelates and churchmen, in their pontifical habits, regulars and seculars, bearing jewels and relics, and accompanied by the four mendicant orders, came out to meet him, singing 'Te Deum laudamus,' for the joyful arrival of the king of France, their sovereign lord. They placed themselves before the chancellor of France, the lord de la Fayette marshal of France, the lord de Gaucourt first chamberlain to the king, the lord de Presseigny, and Jacques Coeur, who all had their horses covered with velvet and satin, and had jackets of the same with white crosses. The count de Dunois placed himself directly before the king, near to the equerry of the stables.
It is certain, that in the memory of man, never was king seen with such a handsome body of chivalry, so finely dressed, nor so great a number of men at arms as the king of France had with him on his regaining his good city of Rouen. At the entrance of the gates, a youth, aged about twelve or thirteen years, and son to the lord de Presseigny, was knighted by the seneschal of Poitou. At the gate of the bulwark were four of the most distinguished of the citizens with an exceedingly rich canopy, which they held over the head of the king until he came to the church of our Lady in Rouen. All round this gate, and on the bulwark, were immense crowds of people, who, on the king's entrance in the midst of his men at arms, sang carols for joy at the happy event. In all the squares were different pageants: in one was a fountain ornamented with the arms of the town, namely, a lamb, who spouted out liquors from his horns. Elsewhere was a tyger with its young ones, who were admiring themselves in looking glasses; and near to the church of our Lady was a flying stag, sumptuously made, having on his neck a crown,—and he kneeled down, by way of reverence to the king as he passed on his way to the church.
At this place were the count de Dunois with lord Talbot and the english hostages at a window to see the pageant: the last were very pensive, and hurt at heart, on witnessing a sight so disagreeable to their interests. The king dismounted on his arrival before the church, where he was received by the archbishop and his clergy, richly dressed in their copes. Having entered the church, he continued some time in prayer, and thence went to the palace of the archbishop, where he was lodged.
Every one now returned to their homes,—and the populace made great bonfires in all the streets, to testify their joy on the occasion. The archbishop, on the morrow, led several solemn processions,—and the day was kept sacred from all labour and work, the same as if it had been Sunday. On the Wednesday and Thursday, the rejoicings were continued, and tables were spread in the street, covered with meats and wines for all comers, at the expense of the inhabitants. They also made rich presents to the king, his officers, his heralds and pursuivants, then present. While the king remained at the archbishop's palace, the churchmen, citizens and inhabitants, required an audience of him, touching certain requests they had to make. On its being granted, they entered the great hall, where the king was seated on his throne richly adorned, and himself dressed in cloth of gold, surrounded by his ministers. They proposed various measures to him, and, in the number, most humbly supplicated that he would be graciously pleased to pursue his ancient enemies the English; for by means of the towns they yet possessed in Normandy they were still enabled to do great mischiefs to the country. To assist him in this measure, they offered their lives and fortunes.
The king was well pleased with their proposal, more particularly with their offers of service and of money, and made, by means of the chancellor, a satisfactory answer to all they had proposed. They then took their leave, and retired to their homes. The king staid some time in Rouen to remodel the government of it; during which the English surrendered all the places they had given hostages for namely, the castle of Arques, Tancarville, Lillebonne, Monstierville[59] and Caudebec. But although they had engaged to restore Honfleur, it was not done, because the governor refused to obey, in this point, the orders of the duke of Somerset, and, consequently, the lord Talbot with the other hostages remained prisoners to the king of France. Sir Pierre de Brézé, seneschal of Poitou, was appointed governor of Rouen.