THE WAR IS RENEWED BETWEEN THE DUKES OF BAR AND LORRAINE.—MARRIAGES CONCLUDED AT COMPIÈGNE.—AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE DUKES OF ORLEANS AND BURGUNDY.
This year, the quarrels were renewed between the dukes of Bar and Lorraine, because the duke of Lorraine had straitly besieged, with a considerable force, a castle belonging to the duke of Bar, which was partly in France, and had on this account been surrendered by the marquis du Pont, son to the duke of Bar, to the king of France. However, in spite of this, the duke of Lorraine took it; and as this conduct was highly displeasing to the king, a large army was assembled in that part of France.
Sir Clugnet de Brabant, admiral of France, was ordered to march this army into Lorraine against the duke; but negotiations were entered into, so that the army was dismissed, and all those preparations ended in nothing.
About this time, the queen of France came to the town of Compiègne, accompanied by some of her children, namely, John duke of Touraine, and Isabella, who had been queen of England. The dukes of Orleans and Burgundy came thither also, as did the duchess of Holland, wife to duke William count of Hainault, with her daughter Jaqueline de Baviere, count Charles d’Angoulême, eldest son to the duke of Orleans, and many other great lords, by whom the above were attended in great state. The legate of the holy see at Rome, with many bishops, doctors and churchmen, were likewise there,—when marriages were concluded between the duke of Touraine, second son to the king of France, and Jaqueline de Baviere, and between Charles d’Orleans and Isabella, late queen of England.
Isabella was cousin-german to Charles, who had been her godfather at her baptism; but notwithstanding this difficulty, the marriage was accomplished by means of an apostolical dispensation; and very great feasts took place at Compiègne in consequence, consisting of dinners, dancings, justs and other jollities.
A few days after, when every thing had been concluded, the duchess of Holland and her brother-in-law John of Bavaria, with the consent of the queen, the dukes before named, and the royal council, took with them the new-married couple, John de Touraine and his bride, to Quesnoy le Conte in Hainault, where duke William then resided, who received them most kindly, and entertained them magnificently.
When these matters had been finished, and the dukes of Orleans and Burgundy had mutually promised love and friendship during their lives, the duke of Orleans departed, and carried his daughter-in-law, Isabella, with his son to Château-Thierry, which the king, at the solicitation of the duke, had given him.
The queen and council returned to Paris to the king, who had lately recovered from his illness; and the duke of Burgundy, with his attendants, went to Artois and Flanders. He ordered about six hundred combatants from Burgundy to guard the frontiers of the Boulonois, and make war on the English. They greatly destroyed the country round Bethune, because the count of Namur would not suffer his subjects to pay the duke of Burgundy a tax which the king had lately allowed him to raise on the whole of Artois, for the payment of these soldiers who were to guard the frontiers.
The vassals of the count de Namur, however, seeing that their refusal of payment was attended with greater loss, consented to pay the whole without delay,—and then the men at arms quitted their country.
About this time, the earl of Northumberland and lord Percy came to Paris, and waited on the king, the princes of the blood, and the lords of the council, stating their melancholy situation, and entreating to have assistance and men at arms to make war on Henry king of England. In making this request, they engaged to give up some of their friends as hostages, that they would serve him loyally and faithfully against the king of England; but in a short time they received a negative to their demand, and returned home without any aid from the king of France.