THE LORD DE L'ISLE-ADAM, MARSHAL OF FRANCE, IS SENT TO GARRISON JOIGNY.—THE SURRENDER OF THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF MELUN.
We will now return to the siege of Melun, at which were present, as you have heard, the kings of France and of England, and the duke of Burgundy. The lord de l'Isle-Adam, though marshal of France, was sent by king Charles with a large force to garrison Joigny, and make head against the Dauphinois, who were committing great depredations in those parts.
When he had remained there some time, and had properly posted his men, he returned to the siege of Melun. He had caused to be made a surcoat of light grey, in which he waited on the king of England relative to some affairs touching his office. When he had made the proper salutations, and had said a few words respecting his business, king Henry, by way of joke, said, 'What, l'Isle-Adam, is this a dress for a marshal of France?' to which he replied, looking the king in the face, 'Sire, I have had it thus made to cross the Seine in the boats.' The king added, 'How dare you thus look a prince full in the face, when you are speaking to him?' 'Sire,' answered l'Isle-Adam, 'such is the custom of us Frenchmen; and if any one addresses another, whatever may be his rank, and looks on the ground, he is thought to have evil designs, and cannot be an honest man, since he dare not look in the face of him to whom he is speaking.' The king replied, 'Such is not our custom.'
After these, and some few more words, the lord de l'Isle-Adam took leave of the king, and departed from his presence,—but he plainly perceived that he was not in his good graces. He was, shortly after, deprived of his office of marshal of France, and another worse event befel him, for he was also detained prisoner by king Henry, as you will see hereafter.
During this siege of Melun, a severe epidemical distemper afflicted the english army, and caused a very great mortality. On the other hand, the prince of Orange, and many others, quitted the army of the duke of Burgundy, which weakened him so much, that he sent in haste orders to sir John de Luxembourg, who commanded for the king in Picardy, to assemble as many men at arms, and archers, as he could, and bring them to the siege of Melun.
Sir John instantly obeyed this order, and, marching his men through Peronne, and over the bridge of St Maixence, advanced toward Melun. The besieged, seeing this body marching in battle array, concluded it was succour coming to their aid, and began to ring all the bells in the town, and to cry from their walls to the besiegers, that they must now hasten to saddle their horses, for they would speedily be forced to decamp. They were soon undeceived, and, with grief, descended from the ramparts, having no longer hopes of assistance from the dauphin, or from any other quarter. Sir John de Luxembourg and his men were quartered at the town of Brie Comte Robert, where they remained until after the surrender of Melun.
In the mean time, the king of France dispatched letters to many of the principal towns of the kingdom, commanding them to send commissioners to meet him at Paris on the fourth of January, to confer with the nobility and clergy on the state of affairs.
The garrison in Melun were aware how dangerously they were now situated, without hope of succour; for they had frequently made the dauphin acquainted with their situation, and how they had for a long time, from famine, been forced to live on dogs, cats, horses, and other food unbecoming Christians, requiring him, at the same time, to perform his promises of sending them assistance, and to relieve them from the danger they had incurred in his support. At length, the ministers of the dauphin sent them word, that they had not sufficient forces to oppose the king of England and the duke of Burgundy, and advised them to conclude the best treaty they could with them.
On receiving this answer, they opened a parley with the king of England, who sent as his commissioners the earl of Warwick and sir John Cornwall; and, after eighteen weeks siege, they concluded a treaty on these terms:
First, the besieged were faithfully to surrender to the kings of France and of England the town and castle of Melun; and all the men at arms and inhabitants within the said town were to submit themselves to the will of the two kings.