CHAP. LXXX.
THE DAUPHIN LAYS SIEGE TO CÔNE-SUR-LOIRE.—THE EXPEDITION OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY FOR ITS RELIEF.—THE DEATH OF THE KING OF ENGLAND.
We must now speak of the duke of Touraine dauphin, who had assembled from divers parts an army of twenty thousand men, the greater number of which he had marched to Sancerre, where he had fixed his residence. During his stay there, he had won the town of La Charité-sur-Loire, which he regarrisoned, and had so closely besieged Cône-sur-Loire, that the garrison were constrained to capitulate with the commissaries of the dauphin for its surrender on the 6th day of August, unless the duke of Burgundy should come or send a force sufficient to combat his enemies; and for the due performance of this they gave sufficient hostages. The two dukes, of Touraine and Burgundy, mutually promised each other, by their heralds, to meet on the appointed day in battle-array for the combat.
The duke of Burgundy had before made his arrangements to return to Artois; but, in consequence of the above, he resolved to stay in Burgundy, and sent messengers to summon assistance from Flanders, Picardy and elsewhere. He sent also to the king of England, earnestly to request the aid of a certain number of his men at arms and archers, with some of his princes and chief captains. The king gave for answer, to the duke's messengers, that he would not only comply with the request they made, but would come to the duke's aid in person, and with his whole army.
Sir Hugh de Launoy, master of the cross-bows of France, was not idle in raising men in Flanders, and in the neighbourhood of Lille, and assembled great numbers. In like manner did sir John de Luxembourg, the lord de Croy, and many other captains in Picardy, who toward the end of July advanced by different roads round Paris, and marched thence through Troyes in Champagne.
On the other hand, the king of England, though in a very bad state of health at Senlis, ordered the army that was in and about Paris to march toward Burgundy, under the command of his brother the duke of Bedford, the earl of Warwick, and other princes and captains. He himself, notwithstanding his illness, took leave of his brother the king of France, of the queen, and of his own consort, whom he never after saw, and departed from Senlis to Melun, where he had himself placed in a litter, intending to join his army on the day appointed for the battle between the dauphin and the duke of Burgundy. But he daily grew so much weaker, that he was forced to return to the castle of Vincennes, where he took to his death-bed.
In the mean time, the English army, under the duke of Bedford, advanced near to Burgundy,—as did the lords of Picardy by another route. They at length came to the town of Veselay, where they found the duke of Burgundy waiting for them with a considerable army collected from all quarters. The duke received them with great joy, and feasted them grandly, more especially the duke of Bedford and the English lords, whom he gratefully thanked for the powerful succour they had brought him in his time of need.
When the junction of all these reinforcements was completed, the whole advanced toward Cône-sur-Loire, having van, centre and rear battalions, in which were intermixed English, Burgundians and Picards, so that no jealousies might arise among them, and that none of the three parties might claim any particular honour on the day of battle.
In this order they came before Cône, and there took up their quarters for the night, ready for the combat on the morrow, according to the promises of the dauphin. But the dauphin and his advisers, having heard of the immense force of the duke of Burgundy and the princes his allies, withdrew with his army to Bourges in Berry, and no person appeared for him on the appointed day.
Thus the town of Cône remained in possession of the duke of Burgundy, who marched back toward Troyes. The army suffered much from want of provision, especially bread; but when they were arrived near Troyes, they spread themselves over the low countries, which were very much oppressed by them on their going and returning.