CHAP. XIV.
THE KING OF FRANCE MAKES A GRAND ENTRY INTO ROUEN.—HE IS SUMPTUOUSLY RECEIVED.—THE ENGLISH RESTORE TO THE KING THE CASTLE OF ARGUES, CAUDEBEC, TANCARVILLE, MONSTIERVILLE, &c.
While the negotiations were carrying on with the English, the king of France celebrated the feasts of All-saints in St Catherine's with the utmost joy on seeing his enemies fall before him,—and he returned thanks to God for the good fortune that was daily pouring in upon him. The count de Dunois having restored good government in the town of Rouen, the king prepared to make his solemn entry into it.
He set out from St Catherine's on this same Monday, about one o'clock after midday, attended by the king of Sicily, and several great princes, as well of his blood as otherwise, with his army drawn out in handsome array. First marched his archers, the leaders of whom were dressed in striped jackets of red, white and green, covered with embroidery. After these came the archers of the king of Sicily, of the count du Maine, and of other great lords, to the number of six hundred, well mounted, and all armed with plate armour, under jackets of various colours, having greaves, swords, daggers and helmets, richly ornamented with silver. The king appointed the lords de Preuilly and de Cléré, sir Theaulde de Valperge, and a few more, to command them, who had their horses covered with satin housings of different forms and colours.
After the archers came the heralds of the king of France, the king of Sicily, and the other princes in company with the king, all dressed in their tabards of arms,—and with them were some pursuivants. Then came the trumpeters and clarions, who sounded so loudly that it was very melodious, and gave much delight to hear them: the king's trumpeters were clothed in crimson, having their sleeves covered with embroidery.
Next came sir William Juvenal des Ursins, knight, lord of Trainel and chancellor of France, dressed in his robes of ceremony, namely, a robe, mantle and hood of scarlet, trimmed with minever, and on each of his shoulders were golden ribbands, interlaced with strips of fur. Before him walked two footmen, leading by the bridle a white hackney, covered with a housing of blue velvet, besprinkled with flowers de luce and gold tissue. On this housing was placed a small coffer, covered also with blue velvet and flowers de luce in silversmith's work, in which were the seals of the king. After him rode an equerry of the stables, called Pierre Fonteville[58], fully armed, and mounted on a charger covered with housings of azure velvet, having great clasps of silver gilt: he had on his head a pointed hat, with the point trimmed with crimson-velvet and ermine. He bore before him, in a scarf, the royal mantle of scarlet, ornamented with purple fringes and ermine. Next came, without any interval between him and the king, the lord de Saintrailles, grand equerry of the royal stables, and bailiff of Berry. He was in complete armour, mounted on a charger with similar housings and clasps as the said Fonteville, and bore in a scarf the royal sword of state, whose handle, cross and sheath, were covered with blue velvet, besprinkled with flowers de luce of gold.
Then came the king, in complete armour, on a stately charger with housings, reaching to the ground, of blue velvet, covered with flowers de luce in embroidery. On his head was a beaver hat lined with crimson velvet, having on the crown a tuft of gold thread. He was followed by his pages dressed in crimson,—their sleeves covered with silver plates, the armour of their horses' heads was of fine gold, variously ornamented, and with plumes of ostrich feathers of divers colours. On the right of the king rode the king of Sicily, and on the left his brother the count of Maine, both in full armour, their horses richly ornamented, with similar housings, having white crosses, and their devices intermixed with tufts of gold thread. Their pages' horses had the like housings,—but their head-armour was of fine gold with their devices.
After them came the counts de Nevers, de St Pol, and de Clermont. The first was mounted, fully armed, on a charger covered with green velvet embroidered with gold, and followed by three pages dressed in violet and black: he was also accompanied by twelve gentlemen completely armed, mounted on horses covered with violet-coloured satin: each housing bore a white cross, except one whose housing was of green satin. The count de St Pol was likewise in full armour, mounted on a charger having a housing of black satin covered with silversmith's work and embroidery. His five pages were clothed in black satin, slashed below, which slashes were covered with silversmith's work: the housings of their horses were the same. One of them bore a lance covered with crimson-velvet, another a lance covered with figured gold tissue, and the third bore on his head an helmet of fine gold richly ornamented; and behind these pages was his groom handsomely dressed, with the housings of his horse similar to the others, leading a handsome charger in hand. The count de Clermont was also completely armed, mounted on his charger covered with housings of his livery, as were his pages.
The lord de Culant, grand master of the king's household, (having the command of a battalion of six hundred lances, each having a pennoncel of crimson satin with a golden sun in the center,) followed the pages of the king, in complete armour, a hat on his head, and mounted on a charger covered with a housing of blue and red velvet in stripes, each stripe having a large golden or silver leaf: the armour of his horse was similarly ornamented. He wore round his neck a baldrick of pure gold, that hung down below the crupper of his horse. With the lord de Culant was an esquire called Rogerin Blosset, equerry of the stables to the king, who bore the royal standard of crimson satin, having the figure of St Michael in the center, and besprinkled with leaves of gold.
Jean de Scaenville was also in the rear of the king: he was surnamed Havart, bailiff of Dreux and esquire-carver to the king, and bore the royal pennon, which was of azure velvet, with three flowers de luce embroidered thereon in gold, and the border of this pennon was of large pearls.