On the morrow, which was the 6th day of the month, the garrison of Bayonne destroyed the suburbs of St Léon, on the side opposite to the count de Foix, which were very strongly fortified with ditches and mounds of earth; but the continued fire from the batteries of French made them abandon them,—not, however, before they had set fire to the houses and churches, especially when they saw that the besiegers were advancing to attack them. The French gained this suburb, and pursued them so closely that had there been one hundred men with scaling ladders, the town would have been won, as they would have entered the gates with the enemy; but the ditches were deep, and they could not mount the walls from want of ladders.
The besiegers took possession of this suburb, having extinguished the fires. The count de Foix fixed his quarters in the convent of the Augustins, for it had been little burnt. Six days afterward, the count d'Albreth and the viscount de Tartas, his son, came from Bordeaux, and quartered themselves at St Esprit[130], at the end of the wooden bridge, which was broken down the following night by the men of the lord d'Albreth, who had in his company two hundred lances, and three thousand archers and cross-bows. The next day the besieged made a sally by a bulwark on the sea-side, intending to fall on the enemy unawares. At this same moment, sir Bernard de Béarn led his men to skirmish almost within the town; but when returning he was struck by a ball from a culverin, which pierced his shield, and entered his leg between the two bones: it was extracted, and, by the care of the surgeons, he was soon out of danger.
The next morning, a church was won that was strongly fortified with ditches and palisadoes, by this same sir Bernard. When those within found they could not hold out, they retreated to the town, with the loss of five or six in killed and wounded: a garrison was posted in this church,—and the town was blockaded on all sides.
The count de Dunois pushed forward his approaches with vigour, to bring his batteries to bear on the walls, without waiting for the heavy artillery: had he waited for its arrival, the place must have been won by storm, considering the numbers and eagerness of the besieging army. The garrison, understanding that the battering train was near at hand, proposed a parley which took effect on the 26th day of August. The counts de Foix and de Dunois, with some of the king's counsellors, met the deputation from the city; and after several adjournments, the following articles were agreed to,—namely, that the governor, don John de Beaumont, brother to the constable of Navarre, of the order of St John of Jerusalem, should be delivered up to the king, and remain his prisoner, together with all the men at arms, so long as it might please him, and that the inhabitants should submit themselves to the king's will; and for their disobedience in not complying with his former summons, they should pay forty thousand golden crowns. The same day, they gave up their governor, who, in the presence of all the commissioners and many of the inhabitants, took the oaths of allegiance in the hands of the grand master of the king's household.
Thus was a treaty concluded with the city of Bayonne. While the siege lasted, the king's army was amply supplied with all sorts of provision from Biscay, for the king had written to the inhabitants for this purpose. Some provisions came from Béarn and Navarre,—but it was with difficulty, from the numbers of robbers that infested those parts. The army, however, was never in any want for man or horse. The Biscayners equipped a fleet of twelve vessels, called pinnaces, and a large ship manned with six hundred combatants, which they stationed half a league from Bayonne, to cut off the escape of the garrison by sea.
On Friday the 20th day of August[131] (a little before sunrise, the sky bright and clear), a white cross was seen in the heavens by the king's army, and even by the English in Bayonne, for half an hour. Those in the town, who were desirous of returning to the French, took the red crosses from their banners and pennons, saying, that since it pleased God they should become Frenchmen, they would all wear white crosses. This cross in the heavens was seen on a Friday, the day our Lord and Saviour was crucified. On the same day, at ten o'clock, the lord de la Bessiere entered the town, accompanied by the bishop, to take possession of the town and castle. The king's banners were hoisted on the citadel by his heralds, to the great joy of the people; and the fleet of Biscayners at the same time entered the harbour of Bayonne, which was a fine spectacle.
On Saturday, the 21st of August, the lieutenants-general made their public entry into Bayonne accompanied by the grand master of the household, the count de Lautrec, brother to the count de Foix, the lord de Noailles, the lord de la Bessiere, and others, in the following procession: first, a thousand archers, who had manned the pinnaces from Biscay; then two heralds, followed by others bearing their coats of arms; sir Bertrand de l'Espagne, seneschal of Foix, in full armour, bearing the king's banner, mounted on a horse covered with crimson-velvet housings. The count de Foix came next, completely armed, and mounted on a horse very richly caparisoned: he had near him his seneschal of Béarn, as splendidly dressed and mounted: the head-piece of his horse was steel, ornamented with gold and precious stones, estimated at fifteen thousand crowns. A number of attendants followed,—and then six hundred lances on foot closed the march.
The count de Dunois entered from another quarter, preceded by twelve hundred archers,—then two of the king's heralds, and others, bearing different banners of arms. After them came sir Jeannet de Saveuses, mounted on a courser bearing one of the king's banners. At this entry, the count de Dunois created the said Jeannet a knight, together with the lord de Mont-Guyon, Jean de Montmorin, and the lord de Boussey. After the royal banner came the count de Dunois in complete armour, and his horse covered with crimson velvet; then the lord de Lohéac marshal of France, the lord d'Orval, and many more great lords: the whole procession closed by six hundred lances.
Both parties met at the great portal of the church, where the bishop and his clergy, dressed in their pontificals and copes, were waiting to receive them. The lords dismounted; and having kissed the holy relics, which the clergy had brought for that purpose, they offered up their prayers at the great altar, and thence returned to their lodgings. The count de Foix sent the trappings of his horse, which were of golden tissue, and valued at four hundred golden crowns, to the church of our Lady in Bayonne, to make copes of for the priests.
On the morrow, which was Sunday, these lords, accompanied by the lord d'Albreth, who had entered the town on Saturday evening, heard mass in the same church, and afterwards received the oaths of the inhabitants. Sir John le Boursier, general of France, was appointed the mayor, and sir Martin Gracien captain, who remained in Bayonne for its government and defence. On the ensuing day, the troops were dismissed to the countries assigned them for cantonments; and the barons, knights, and principal burghers of the three estates, as well from Bordeaux, the Bordelois, Bayonne, Bazadois, and the countries round, went to the king at Taillebourg, to receive the ratification of the articles of the treaties that had been agreed on by his commissioners, and to do homage to the king for their lordships.