CHAP. XXVII.
THE CITY OF BAYONNE IS BESIEGED BY THE COUNTS DE FOIX AND DE DUNOIS, LIEUTENANTS-GENERAL TO THE KING.—IT SURRENDERS.—THE REGULATIONS MADE IN CONSEQUENCE.—POPE NICHOLAS MARRIES THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY TO THE DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF PORTUGAL.—THE EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN ENGLAND.
At this period, the king determined in council to lay siege to Bayonne, which was still held by the English, and for this purpose issued his orders from the castle of Taillebourg[129] to his lieutenants-general, the counts de Foix and de Dunois, to march thither with a large body of lances, archers and guisarmes. Of these, four hundred lances were supplied by the king, and four hundred were attached to the count de Foix and his vassals: it was a fine sight to see their handsome equipment in horses, armour, and splendid helmets. The count had also with him two thousand cross-bows and targeteers from his own country.
When the count de Foix had commenced the siege, he created several knights; such as the son to the master of the king's household, the lord de Tessac, brother to the lord de Noailles, Bertrand de l'Espagne, seneschal of Foix, Roger de l'Espagne, the lord de Benac, and others, to the number of fifteen. About the middle of this day, the count de Dunois and de Longueville arrived, and posted his men on the side toward Béarn, between the rivers Adour and Nive, which are so wide that the two divisions could not succour each other. The count de Dunois had under him six hundred lances, archers, and guisarmes, who commenced the siege gallantly.
On the morrow, which was the 6th day of the month, the garrison of Bayonne destroyed the suburbs of St Léon, on the side opposite to the count de Foix, which were very strongly fortified with ditches and mounds of earth; but the continued fire from the batteries of French made them abandon them,—not, however, before they had set fire to the houses and churches, especially when they saw that the besiegers were advancing to attack them. The French gained this suburb, and pursued them so closely that had there been one hundred men with scaling ladders, the town would have been won, as they would have entered the gates with the enemy; but the ditches were deep, and they could not mount the walls from want of ladders.
The besiegers took possession of this suburb, having extinguished the fires. The count de Foix fixed his quarters in the convent of the Augustins, for it had been little burnt. Six days afterward, the count d'Albreth and the viscount de Tartas, his son, came from Bordeaux, and quartered themselves at St Esprit[130], at the end of the wooden bridge, which was broken down the following night by the men of the lord d'Albreth, who had in his company two hundred lances, and three thousand archers and cross-bows. The next day the besieged made a sally by a bulwark on the sea-side, intending to fall on the enemy unawares. At this same moment, sir Bernard de Béarn led his men to skirmish almost within the town; but when returning he was struck by a ball from a culverin, which pierced his shield, and entered his leg between the two bones: it was extracted, and, by the care of the surgeons, he was soon out of danger.
The next morning, a church was won that was strongly fortified with ditches and palisadoes, by this same sir Bernard. When those within found they could not hold out, they retreated to the town, with the loss of five or six in killed and wounded: a garrison was posted in this church,—and the town was blockaded on all sides.
The count de Dunois pushed forward his approaches with vigour, to bring his batteries to bear on the walls, without waiting for the heavy artillery: had he waited for its arrival, the place must have been won by storm, considering the numbers and eagerness of the besieging army. The garrison, understanding that the battering train was near at hand, proposed a parley which took effect on the 26th day of August. The counts de Foix and de Dunois, with some of the king's counsellors, met the deputation from the city; and after several adjournments, the following articles were agreed to,—namely, that the governor, don John de Beaumont, brother to the constable of Navarre, of the order of St John of Jerusalem, should be delivered up to the king, and remain his prisoner, together with all the men at arms, so long as it might please him, and that the inhabitants should submit themselves to the king's will; and for their disobedience in not complying with his former summons, they should pay forty thousand golden crowns. The same day, they gave up their governor, who, in the presence of all the commissioners and many of the inhabitants, took the oaths of allegiance in the hands of the grand master of the king's household.
Thus was a treaty concluded with the city of Bayonne. While the siege lasted, the king's army was amply supplied with all sorts of provision from Biscay, for the king had written to the inhabitants for this purpose. Some provisions came from Béarn and Navarre,—but it was with difficulty, from the numbers of robbers that infested those parts. The army, however, was never in any want for man or horse. The Biscayners equipped a fleet of twelve vessels, called pinnaces, and a large ship manned with six hundred combatants, which they stationed half a league from Bayonne, to cut off the escape of the garrison by sea.
On Friday the 20th day of August[131] (a little before sunrise, the sky bright and clear), a white cross was seen in the heavens by the king's army, and even by the English in Bayonne, for half an hour. Those in the town, who were desirous of returning to the French, took the red crosses from their banners and pennons, saying, that since it pleased God they should become Frenchmen, they would all wear white crosses. This cross in the heavens was seen on a Friday, the day our Lord and Saviour was crucified. On the same day, at ten o'clock, the lord de la Bessiere entered the town, accompanied by the bishop, to take possession of the town and castle. The king's banners were hoisted on the citadel by his heralds, to the great joy of the people; and the fleet of Biscayners at the same time entered the harbour of Bayonne, which was a fine spectacle.
On Saturday, the 21st of August, the lieutenants-general made their public entry into Bayonne accompanied by the grand master of the household, the count de Lautrec, brother to the count de Foix, the lord de Noailles, the lord de la Bessiere, and others, in the following procession: first, a thousand archers, who had manned the pinnaces from Biscay; then two heralds, followed by others bearing their coats of arms; sir Bertrand de l'Espagne, seneschal of Foix, in full armour, bearing the king's banner, mounted on a horse covered with crimson-velvet housings. The count de Foix came next, completely armed, and mounted on a horse very richly caparisoned: he had near him his seneschal of Béarn, as splendidly dressed and mounted: the head-piece of his horse was steel, ornamented with gold and precious stones, estimated at fifteen thousand crowns. A number of attendants followed,—and then six hundred lances on foot closed the march.
The count de Dunois entered from another quarter, preceded by twelve hundred archers,—then two of the king's heralds, and others, bearing different banners of arms. After them came sir Jeannet de Saveuses, mounted on a courser bearing one of the king's banners. At this entry, the count de Dunois created the said Jeannet a knight, together with the lord de Mont-Guyon, Jean de Montmorin, and the lord de Boussey. After the royal banner came the count de Dunois in complete armour, and his horse covered with crimson velvet; then the lord de Lohéac marshal of France, the lord d'Orval, and many more great lords: the whole procession closed by six hundred lances.
Both parties met at the great portal of the church, where the bishop and his clergy, dressed in their pontificals and copes, were waiting to receive them. The lords dismounted; and having kissed the holy relics, which the clergy had brought for that purpose, they offered up their prayers at the great altar, and thence returned to their lodgings. The count de Foix sent the trappings of his horse, which were of golden tissue, and valued at four hundred golden crowns, to the church of our Lady in Bayonne, to make copes of for the priests.
On the morrow, which was Sunday, these lords, accompanied by the lord d'Albreth, who had entered the town on Saturday evening, heard mass in the same church, and afterwards received the oaths of the inhabitants. Sir John le Boursier, general of France, was appointed the mayor, and sir Martin Gracien captain, who remained in Bayonne for its government and defence. On the ensuing day, the troops were dismissed to the countries assigned them for cantonments; and the barons, knights, and principal burghers of the three estates, as well from Bordeaux, the Bordelois, Bayonne, Bazadois, and the countries round, went to the king at Taillebourg, to receive the ratification of the articles of the treaties that had been agreed on by his commissioners, and to do homage to the king for their lordships.
The king, at the request of those from Bayonne, remitted one half of their fine of forty thousand crowns, on which they returned very well pleased with the king and his ministers. The king was attended at Taillebourg by the counts of Maine, of Nevers, of Clermont, of Vendôme, of Castres, of Tancarville, and very many other lords. Thither came also the counts of Foix and of Dunois, the lord d'Albreth, the lord of Lohéac, and other barons, who shortly after returned to their winter-quarters, and the king went to pass his winter in Touraine.
Thus, by the grace of God, was the whole of Guienne and Normandy reduced to the obedience of the king of France, and all the possessions the English had in that realm, excepting the town of Calais, which still remains in their hands; but God grant that it may soon share a similar fate, and then will the saying be accomplished, 'Melior est obedientia quam sacrificium.'
In this same year, the emperor Frederick, duke of Austria, was crowned, and married at Rome, by pope Nicholas, to the daughter of the king of Portugal,—and the feasts and entertainments were suitable to the rank of the parties. Shortly after, the emperor returned to Germany with his empress, where they were most honourably received, according to the customs of that country.
In this year also, there were great discords in England between the dukes of York and Somerset, for the government of the kingdom. The king supported the latter, who raised a large army, and took the field in handsome array. The duke of York did the same, and a general engagement was expected; but the prelates and great lords, dreading the consequences, interfered and brought about an accommodation,—when the duke of York promised never to arm again or collect forces in opposition to his king,[132]—and each army separated to the places they had come from.
In this same year, the cardinal de Touteville was sent by pope Nicholas to the king of France, as his legate, and to require that he would make peace with England,—for the continuation of the war was of great prejudice to the catholic faith. The legate pressed as speedy a conclusion as possible between the two kingdoms, for the infidels were daily making conquests from the Christians.
When the cardinal had explained the object of his mission, the king replied, that he was as desirous as ever to prevent further effusion of blood, and to promote the general welfare of Christendom: that he was ready to listen to any reasonable proposals, and had frequently made offers to that effect in vain: that he was willing to agree to any proper terms, and to employ his arms and finances, as much as should be in his power, to repulse the Saracens.
While the legate was employed on this business in France, the pope, having the matter much at heart, sent the archbishop of Ravenna, of the Ursini-family at Rome, to England, to make similar remonstrances with king Henry, and to press him earnestly to conclude a peace with France, for the reasons stated by the legate,—and that a further prolongation of the war would probably entail contempt on Christendom, as the infidels had already made great conquests in Hungary and Germany. The king's ministers made answer to the archbishop, that when they should have reconquered from the king of France what he had won from them, it would be time enough to talk of these matters. This answer was a bad precedent; and the cardinal and archbishop returned to pope Nicholas without having done any thing, in regard to the mission he had sent them on.
According to the chronicles of Arras, the inhabitants of Ghent, at this season, finding their lord was indignant against them for the opposition which their deputies had made to his laying a tax on salt, began to murmur,—and, puffed up with pride, they rose in rebellion against his authority, and seized many of the duke's officers, whom they beheaded without mercy. They chose from among themselves three leaders, called in their language Hoguemens, whom they appointed to the government. The principal was called Lieuvin Seve, a poor mason, and the other two were of low degree.
When news of this was brought to the duke, he instantly issued his summons, throughout Picardy and Hainault, for the assembling a body of men at arms; and sent a valiant knight, a gentleman born in Hainault, called sir Simon de Lalain, as governor of Oudenarde, and with him another knight, named the lord des Cornets. In the holy week of this same year, three of the states of Flanders, namely, Brussels, Ypres, and the Franc, sent a deputation to the duke of Burgundy at Brussels, accompanied by a Carthusian of the convent at Ghent. They were admitted to an audience on Good Friday, and, by the mouth of the Carthusian, entreated him, on their knees, and with the utmost humility, to pardon the people of Ghent for their ill conduct,—and to have pity on his country of Flanders for the love of God, and in respect to the sacred day on which they made their petition. They offered, on the part of the men of Ghent, that if he would pardon them, they would make whatever reparation his ministers should think expedient.
The good prince replied, that from his reverence to God and respect to the day, he would grant their request, provided the men of Ghent would abide by the decision of his ministers as to the reparation they were to make for their bad conduct.
It happened, in the mean time, that some of the peasantry and farmers had placed their effects in the town of Oudenarde, as a security against the war which they thought was about to commence; and they assembled, in number about twelve hundred, and came to the gates of Oudenarde, to demand back their effects; but when sir Simon de Lalain was informed of their numbers, he refused them admittance, or to restore their goods, until he should have informed their prince. The peasants, dissatisfied with this answer, went to make their complaints at Ghent, and to supplicate their assistance in the recovery of their goods from Oudenarde,—when, without considering the consequences, the Hoguemens instantly displayed their banners, and marched fifteen thousand men of all sorts out of the town.