Page 98. line 1. from the bottom. Daughter.] Monstrelet is remarkably tender of the reputation of the "fair Agnes." She had, as all other historians allow, not one only, but three daughters by the king. Margaret, married to Olivier de Coetivy, seneschal of Guyenne; Charlotte, married to James de Brezè, seneschal of Normandy, and Jane, to Antony de Bueil, count de Sancerre. Of these, Charlotte unfortunately followed the example of her mother's incontinence without the excuse of an illustrious lover. Her tragical history will be found recorded in the next volume.
By a species of retributive justice, Louis the son of this James de Brezè, submitted voluntarily to the same disgrace which his father thought that blood only could remove. His wife was the famous Diana of Poîtiers. In these days, nobody of consequence could die in his bed without the suspicion of poison. The death of Agnes was attributed to that cause, and the dauphin is charged with having been the perpetrator. Of this accusation all that Du Clos says is what follows:
"Le peu d'union qu'il y avoit entre Charles sept et le Dauphin, fut cause que celui-ci fut soupconné d'avoir fait empoisonner Agnés Sorel qui mourut, regrettée du Roi, de la Cour, et des Peuples. Elle n'abusa jamais de sa faveur, et réunit les rares qualitès d'Amante tendre, d'Amie sure, et de bonne Citoyenne." He adds, "I can't tell why Alain Chartier (the court poet) is so strenuous in defending her chastity, seeing that she died in child-bed." The dauphin was not the only person charged with this imaginary crime. Jacques Coeur, superintendant of the finances, was also accused of it; but his innocence was established by public trial. See note to page 196. vol. ix.
Page 113. line 7. from the bottom. Godfrey de Boulogne.] Lord of Montgascon.
Page 113. line 4. from the bottom. Lord de St Severe.] John de Brosse, lord of St Severe, afterwards count of Penthievre, &c., son of the marshal de Boussac. See before page 2.
Page 113. line 3. from the bottom. Lord de Chalençon.] Louis Armand de Chalençon, viscount of Polignac, married Isabel, second daughter of Bertrand III. lord of la Tour and his wife Mary countess of Auvergne and Boulogne.
Page 121. line 7. Lord de Laval.] Guy XIV., lord, and in 1429 count of Laval, son of John de Montford lord of Kergolay, who by his marriage with the sister and heir of Guy XII, became lord of Laval, assumed the name of Guy XIII, and died in his passage from the holy land in 1415. Guy XIV. married first, Isabel daughter of John VI. duke of Brittany, and secondly Frances the widow of the lord Giles, of whom see page 136. vol. ix.
Page 121. line 9. Lord de Touteville.] Qu. Estouteville. Louis, grand butler of France.
Page 133. line 4 from the bottom. Maine.] Charles of Anjou, count of Maine and Provence, mentioned before.
Page 128. line 10. from the bottom. Duke of Somerset.] Edmund Beaufort, younger brother of John duke of Somerset, (who died in 1444, leaving no male issue) was in 1431 made earl of Mortaigne (under which title he is named in some preceding parts of this history) earl of Dorset in 1442, marquis of Dorset the year following, and duke of Somerset in 1448. He was the great support of the Lancastrian party, and was beheaded after the fatal battle of Hexham in 1463.