The king of France, at this period, laid siege to the city of Mans, because the king of England, on his marriage with the daughter of the king of Sicily had promised instantly to surrender that town, with all the other places he held in the county of Maine; and he had been deceived for three months by the specious promises of the english commissioners, who had not only refused to give it back but had introduced about fifteen hundred English into that town.
The king, therefore on being informed of this circumstance, ordered it to be besieged,—and sent thither a great force of men at arms and archers, to the amount of six or seven thousand combatants, under the command of the count de Dunois. The siege was pushed forward with such vigour that those in the town found resistance would be vain, as they had not sufficient forces to oppose their enemies on that side of the sea. It would have been taken by storm had not the bishop of Glocester, keeper of the privy seal, remonstrated with the king of France on the risk of the truces being broken between the two kingdoms were this to take place, and obtained a capitulation for them, by which they were to yield up the town, and march away in safety with their baggage and effects.
The king of France then resided at Lavardin, near to Vendôme, attended by some of the princes of the blood-royal, and a large company of men at arms to support, should there be occasion, the besieging army of Mans. After its surrender, the king went to celebrate his Easter in the city of Tours, and those before Mans returned to their quarters and garrisons, while, on the other hand, the English that had been in Mans retreated to Normandy.
[A.D. 1448.]
CHAP. LXXII.
THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS AMBASSADORS TO POPE NICHOLAS V.—THE TOWN OF FINAL[143] IS BESIEGED BY THE GENOESE.—IT IS REVICTUALLED BY SEA.—THE DUKE OF ORLEANS MAKES PREPARATIONS TO RAISE THIS SIEGE BY LAND.
In the year 1448, the king of France celebrated the feast of Easter in the city of Tours,—and immediately after, his ambassadors to pope Nicholas departed on their embassy. Some of them went by sea on board of vessels belonging to Jacques Coeur, master of the wardrobe to the king, and embarked at Marseilles. At the same time, a fleet of victuallers sailed from Marseilles, to the relief of the town and castle of Final, near to Genoa, then besieged by the Genoese. It was defended for the king by sir Galiot du Garet[144], lord of the place, who had made war on the Genoese, and they in return had besieged him. Notwithstanding their opposition, the town and castle were revictualled, and the vessels returned to Marseilles.
When this was done, Tanneguy and the master of the wardrobe, with three galleys, sailed for a port near Rome called Finette Vielle[145], where they arrived in safety, although pursued closely by a numerous fleet of the Genoese.
The duke of Orleans was at this time in his town of Asti, and having heard of the relief thrown into Final collected a large body of men to raise the siege: but when the Genoese learnt his intentions, they quitted their siege and marched away.