In these days, the lord de Crevecœur, a wise and prudent person, was sent by the duke of Burgundy to the french court, to treat on divers matters, and, among others, to negotiate a marriage between his only son, the count de Charolois, and the second daughter of the king of France. This lord was joyfully received as well by the king as by the queen; and because the princess he was come to demand in marriage was lately dead, the duke sent him orders to ask for the eldest princess, Catherine, which he did,—and his request was granted. Before the return of the lord de Crevecœur to Flanders, the dispute between the bishops of Tournay, namely, Jean de Harcourt, and master Jean de Chevrot, was settled by the king: so Chevrot remained bishop of Tournay, and Harcourt was archbishop of Narbonne. When all matters had been concluded, the lord de Crevecœur returned to the duke of Burgundy, who received him most graciously and honourably.
About this time, a knight attached to the household of the duke of Burgundy, having had the duke's licence, set out on his return to his own country of Savoy, and took the road to Guise, to visit sir John de Luxembourg, in whose good graces he was, and who feasted him nobly at his hôtel. On his departure, he was met on the road by some marauders, pretending to belong to sir John de Luxembourg, (among whom was one called Garmonset), who arrested and led him to the English at Meaux in Brie, and thence to Rouen, where he was some time confined as a prisoner. He died there from illness contracted, as was said, from vexation and anger at the treatment he had suffered.
The duke of Burgundy was much dissatisfied at this capture, and wrote sharp letters on this and other subjects to sir John de Luxembourg; but sir John clearly and frankly exculpated himself from this charge,—and it may be supposed that he was no way implicated in this capture, for he had executed several who had been concerned therein, and had also exerted himself as much as he could, through the means of his brother the cardinal of Rouen, to obtain the liberty of this knight, called sir Philibert de Savoye, from the hands of the English.
CHAP. XXII.
THE COUNT D'EU, WHO HAD BEEN PRISONER IN ENGLAND SINCE THE BATTLE OF AZINCOURT, OBTAINS HIS LIBERTY, AND RETURNS TO FRANCE.—HE RAISES LARGE ARMIES.
In this same year, the count d'Eu, who had been prisoner in England since the year 1415, returned in liberty to France. He had been taken at the battle of Azincourt, and was exchanged for the earl of Somerset, whom the duke of Bourbon brother to the count d'Eu, held prisoner, having bought him, or rather the duchess his mother having purchased him, from those who had captured him at the battle of Blangy, where the duke of Clarence was slain, as has been before fully related.
King Charles of France, the duke of Bourbon, and all the nobility, were greatly rejoiced at the return of the count d'Eu; and, shortly after his arrival, he was appointed by the king governor of Normandy, from the river Seine to Abbeville and as far as the river Somme.
He, in consequence, assembled a body of men at arms, and went to take possession of the town of Harfleur, where he was received by the lord de Rieux, marshal of France, and those of his party; but others disputed his authority, and withdrew into the towers, and fortified one of the gates, to the great displeasure of the count d'Eu, who instantly attacked them with such vigour that those in the gate surrendered to him. The others, who had taken possession of the towers, sent to Rouen for assistance from the English; but, in a short time, they made secret arrangements with the count,—so that when the English advanced to their support, conformably to their own request, they were deceived, and about thirty made prisoners: the rest, being aware of their treachery, returned back to Rouen very much vexed.