Some days afterward, several councils were held in the presence of the king, queen and duke of Burgundy, to consider on establishing a final peace, and on the alliance which the king of England was desirous of forming with the king of France, and had sent his ambassadors with full powers to confirm the peace.
At length, after many conferences with these ambassadors, it was concluded, by favour of the duke of Burgundy and his party, that Charles king of France should give to Henry king of England his youngest daughter Catherine in marriage, and, in consequence of this alliance, should make him and his heirs successors to the crown of France after his decease,—thus disinheriting his own son and heir Charles duke of Touraine and dauphin, and annulling that principle of the constitution which had been, with great deliberation, resolved on by former kings and peers of France, namely, that the noble kingdom of France should never be governed or inherited by a female, or by any one descended from the female line.
The king of France also agreed, that should king Henry have no issue by this marriage, he and his heirs were to remain successors to the crown of France, to the prejudice of the branches of the whole royal line of France.
All this was granted by king Charles; but to say the truth, he had not for some time past been in his right senses, and was governed by those about his person as they pleased, and consented to what they advised, whether to his prejudice or not.
When the treaty had been signed, the ambassadors returned with a copy thereof to the king of England, avoiding all the ambuscades of the Dauphinois as well as they could. King Henry was well pleased with their success, as he foresaw he should now gain the greater part of his objects. He arranged his affairs in Normandy speedily, and caused preparations to be made for marching to Troyes, to complete the articles of the treaty. Sir Louis de Robesart had remained, by king Henry's orders, at Troyes, to attend on the lady Catherine of France, who was shortly to become queen of England.
CHAP. XXXVI.
SIR JOHN DE LUXEMBOURG MAKES AN EXCURSION WITH HIS WHOLE FORCE TOWARD ALIBAUDIERES AND THE EVENT THEREOF.
About ten days before Easter, sir John de Luxembourg was sent with five hundred combatants to attack a fortress called Alibaudieres, adjoining the Vermandois, six leagues from Troyes, in which was a garrison of the Dauphinois, that much harrassed Champagne. When sir John was arrived near to the place, he left the greater part of his men in ambuscade, and advanced with the rest to skirmish at the barriers.
The garrison gallantly sallied out on foot to meet him, and a sharp skirmish began, during which sir John fell from his horse, by reason of the girth breaking, but was soon raised up again by his men, and instantly most courageously, and in a violent passion, attacked the Dauphinois lance in hand: they were fewer in number than the assailants, and therefore retreated in disorder, and closed their bulwark.
Sir John, on this, sent for the remainder of his force, whom he had placed in ambush, and they made so grand an attack on the bulwark, that it was taken by storm, and set on fire,—but in this action many were killed and wounded. Sir John then returned with his men to duke Philip of Burgundy in Troyes, at which place great preparations were making for the reception of king Henry of England, who was shortly expected there to confirm the articles of the peace, and solemnise his marriage with the lady Catherine of France.