The 10th of this month, the lady Charlotte of Savoy, daughter to the duke of Savoy, and married to the dauphin, was conducted to him in the town of Namur by the lord de Montagu, whom he had sent to escort her; and then the marriage was perfectly consummated,—for although they had been married five years, it was said that they had never lain together. Duke Philip was not then at Namur, but in Picardy, whither he had gone to learn the intentions of the towns on the Somme, namely, St Quentin, Corbie, Amiens, and Abbeville; for it had been rumoured that the king of France had raised a large army, but no one knew how he intended to employ it,—and it was also reported that the king was much displeased with the duke of Burgundy, for detaining his son (as he thought) against his will, and out of contempt to him. The duke had therefore gone to these towns, which belonged to him by the treaty of Arras, to put them on their guard, and to entreat them not to admit any men of arms that the king might send to their towns. But should the king come in person, they were to admit him with every honour, as their supreme lord. These requests the several towns willingly complied with.
About the end of this month of July, upward of two thousand houses were destroyed by fire in the town of Dordrecht in Holland: many persons were also burnt to death, which was a most melancholy case.
The latter end of August, a large body of French sailed from Normandy, giving out that they were going to aid the Scots against the English; but they made a descent near to Sandwich, which they took by storm, before the country could be raised to oppose them. They, however, only staid there one tide; for had they remained longer, they would not have returned, from the great numbers of English that were hastening thither from all quarters. The commander in chief of the French was the lord de Varennes, seneschal of Normandy; and new knights were made, to the number of twenty gentlemen,—among whom were Flocquet, Charlot de Mares, Porrus de Liques, and others. At this attack, three hundred English were killed, and about thirty French. They sailed back to Normandy with their plunder, which was very considerable.
Some short time before this, a party of Bretons had invaded the English coast, and burnt and pillaged some villages: they made no long stay, for the English assembled in force to destroy them, had they not departed.
In the month of September, of this year, the king of France sent the bishop of Constance and a few others, as his ambassadors to the duke of Burgundy at Brussels, to remonstrate with the duke on several matters, especially on the dauphin's remaining so long with him, to the great displeasure of the king.
CHAP. LXXI.
A COOLNESS BETWEEN THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND THE COUNT OF ST POL.—OTHER MATTERS.
In the preceding year, the duke of Burgundy, as earl of Hainault, had taken possession of the lands of Enghien, belonging to the count de Saint Pol, and situated in the country of Hainault, although he had not touched any other lands of the count, situated in France or in the other territories of the duke. The count de St Pol was much displeased at this conduct; but, wishing to avoid an open rupture with the duke, he sent to require, if it were his good pleasure, that he might appear in his presence to hear what he had been guilty of, and to make such answers and defence as became him,—and for this purpose he demanded a passport from the duke. The duke replied, that he had no occasion to require a passport, unless he reputed himself his enemy. The count, in answer, said, that so far from reputing himself his enemy, he was his true and loyal subject, but that he had demanded a passport for the security of his person, to avoid the effects of the anger of his prince; for that he was surrounded by counsellors who loved him little, and who were seeking to create trouble between the duke and him,—and he had, therefore, been advised not to appear before him without first having a passport. The passport was at length sent him.
It was reported that the count de St Pol considered the lord de Croy, first chamberlain and principal minister to the duke, as his chief enemy, although, a long time before, a marriage had been agreed to between the eldest son of the lord de Croy and the daughter of the count de St Pol; and the lady of Croy had received the damsel, and had educated her as her own child, because she was too young for marriage. I know not whether the count repented of this match, but he wanted to have his daughter again, probably to match her more nobly,—and he sent secretly one of his sons to the place where she was, to bring his sister back; but the lord de Croy, having had intimation of this, managed matters so dexterously that the young couple were married and bedded before the count de Saint Pol could provide a remedy. This was the cause of their hatred.
The count, having received his passport from the duke, came to Brussels grandly attended by noble men, and by more than two hundred horse. The next day, which was about the middle of September, he had an audience of the duke, and was accused of having slain, or caused to be slain, certain persons, and of having taken, or caused to be taken, effects wrongfully and contrary to justice. It was on these grounds the duke had laid hands on the lands of Enghien; and he was told that he made but a sorry return for the numerous acts of kindness that had been done to him and to his family by the duke and his predecessors.