‘The order was now on the highest pinnacle of prosperity and honour, exceeding great kings and potentates of Europe in extent of dominions, power and riches, when Ulricus à Jungingen was chosen great master; but he being of a boisterous, fiery temper, soon broke the peace concluded between Poland with his brother Conradus à Jungingen, whereupon king Uladislaus Jagellon joining forces with his father Witoldas of Lithuania, formed an army of 150,000 fighting men and marched into Prussia. To stop the progress of this formidable army, the great master drew up as many forces as he could, and, after the Livonians had joined him, found his army consisted, in a general muster, of 83,000 well armed stout combatants; and thus, with an undaunted spirit, he marched forth to meet his enemy. Such a battle as this was never heard of before in these parts, and was given the 15th day of July 1410 in Prussia, near the town Gilgenbourg, between the two villages Tannenberg and Grunwald, on a large plain, with such obstinacy that, according to an exact computation, there were actually killed, on both sides, 100,000 on the spot. The Poles got the victory, but lost 60,000 men. The order lost 40,000,—but among them almost all their generals and commanders. The great master himself, and the chief of the order, with 600 noble german marian knights, were there slain. There is still kept every year a day of devotion upon that plain, in a chapel built to the remembrance of this battle, marked with the date of the year it happened, and this inscription, Centum mille occisi. The king of Poland was so weakened by this dear-bought victory that he very readily agreed to a peace. This memorable battle is called The Battle of Tannenberg.’
[63] Moreri says, that the good duke Louis died at Monbucan on the 19th of August 1410. By his wife Anne, dauphiness of Auvergne and countess of Forez, he left John count of Clermont, his son and successor: his other children, Louis and two daughters, died without issue and unmarried. He left also a natural son, named Hector, who was killed at the siege of Soissons in 1414.
[64] Boulogne, the property of the duke of Berry, by marriage with Jane, heiress of Auvergne and Boulogne.
The county of Estampes belonged to the duke of Berry,
Valois, I believe, to the count d’Alençon,
Beaumont to the duke of Orleans,—and
Clermont to the duke of Bourbon.
[65] Vinchestre, or rather Winchester,—now called Bicêtre, was a palace built by a bishop of Winchester 1290. For further particulars, see ‘Sauval Antiquitès de Paris’, vol. ii. book vii.
[66] I hardly know whether this can be the celebrated archbishop of Rheims, and historian of the reign of Charles VI. who was one of the most learned men of his time, and died at an advanced age, in 1474. He had two brothers older than himself, William des Ursins, baron of Treynel, chancellor of France in 1445, and again in 1464,—and James Juvenal des Ursins, who was archbishop of Rheims before him. The history written by Juvenal des Ursins occupies the space from 1380 to 1422, and throws great light, by comparison, on Froissart and Monstrelet.
[67] Q. De Nesle?
Guy III. de Nesle, lord of Offemont and Mello, was grand master of the household to queen Isabella, and was killed at Agincourt. His two sons, John III. and Guy IV. followed him in succession. He had a third son, who died with him at Agincourt.
[68] Monstrelet apparently mistakes. According to Moreri, Robert duke of Bar died this year, leaving issue by his wife Mary (daughter to John king of France),
1. Henry lord d’Ossy, who died in Hungary, 1396, leaving by his wife Mary de Coucy, countess of Soissons, one son, Robert count of Marle and Soissons, killed at Agincourt.