During the time of the war in Flanders, the king of France was with a large army in the Bordelois, which the English had lately reconquered. The commander of the English was a most valiant knight and long renowned in arms, called sir John Talbot earl of Shrewsbury, who had made war on France upward of twenty-four years. He had been the king's prisoner when he regained Rouen; and out of his generosity, and respect for such valour, the king had remitted his ransom. The king also made him very rich presents in gold, silver, and horses, when he learnt that Talbot intended visiting Rome in the jubilee year, namely, 1450.
Nevertheless, on his return from Rome to England, he again engaged in war, and found means to recover from the king of France the city of Bordeaux, which had shown him such honour, and the country round. It was indeed commonly reported at the time, that the inhabitants of the Bordelois most willingly surrendered to the English from their disgust at king Charles, who, since his conquest, had imposed upon them heavier taxes, and that his officers had treated them with more harshness than they had been accustomed to when under the government of the English.
CHAP. LII.
POPE NICHOLAS NOTIFIES TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY A CRUSADE AGAINST THE TURKS.—THE DUKE VOWS TO UNDERTAKE AN EXPEDITION TO TURKEY, ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
On the eve of Martinmas-day in this year, a knight sent by pope Nicholas arrived at Lille, with letters addressed to the duke, containing intelligence that the grand Turk, with a numerous army of Saracens, had invaded Christendom; that he had already conquered the noble city of Constantinople, and almost all Greece; that he had captured the emperor of Greece, had caused him to be inhumanly beheaded, had violated the empress, and had dragged through the streets of Constantinople the precious body of our Lord, had burnt the magnificent church of St Sophia, and murdered men, women, and children of the Christians without number, and was daily adding to his conquests in Christendom.
For these causes the holy father required of the duke, whom he knew to be a pious and catholic prince, as well as the most puissant in Christendom, that he would make dispositions to afford succour to his distressed brethren, and to oppose the enemy of the faith. When the duke had read this letter from the pope, the knight presented him with others that the Turk had written and sent to our holy father. After the perusal of all these letters, the duke grandly feasted the knight who had brought them, at the same time giving him many rich presents, and saying that, should it please God, he would speedily afford good assistance to the Christians against the Turk. In fact, he soon afterwards dispatched four galleys well filled with men at arms, artillery and stores, as a beginning of what he intended, writing, at the same time, to the pope an answer to his letter, explanatory of his future intentions.
Shortly after the departure of the knight, the duke of Cleves came to Lille on a visit to his uncle duke Philip of Burgundy, and staid until the beginning of Lent. Many great feasts and banquets were given alternately by the different great lords, which were begun by the count d'Estampes with a very handsome one, that was marvellously well supplied with every delicacy. At the end of the banquet, a most beautiful young girl, well accompanied, entered the hall, bearing a chaplet of flowers, when, mounting the table, she gracefully placed it on the head of duke Philip, who received it with joy. This ceremony of the chaplet signified that he was to give the next entertainment, which he did most magnificently, about twelve days after, in the manner I shall now describe.
About one hour after midday, a knight, sprung from the race of the celebrated knights of the Swan, issued out of the duke's palace brilliantly armed. This was sir Adolphus of Cleves, nephew to the duke, who held a justing in the market-place of Lille, that day, against all comers, with one course of a lance. He was preceded by the figure of a swan as large as a horse, having on his neck a chain of fine gold, with which he led the knight: on each side of the swan was a savage,—and the knight was surrounded by little angels. The knight was immediately followed by the duke, so sumptuously dressed it was delightful to see him. When they had escorted the knight to the market-place, he tilted with all that chose to encounter with him, namely, Charles count de Charolois, Louis count de Saint Pol, his brother the lord de Fiennes, sir Anthony bastard of Burgundy, and many more.
After the justing, the company returned to the duke's palace, and he escorted thither himself those ladies and damsels who had been present at the tilt: the principal of whom were the lady Isabella of Portugal, the duchess, and the lady Isabella of Bourbon, niece to the duke, the lady of Ravestein, and numbers of others most richly dressed.
The banquet was quite ready on their return; and when the company were seated, three large carriages, splendidly ornamented, descended from the ceiling, full of every delicacy in meats and liquors: each carriage contained a service. In front of the upper table was a fountain playing water; and in the middle of the hall was a live lion, before whom a man was beating a little dog,—and near the lion, in an arbour, was a savage. In another part of the hall was the figure of a damsel, from whose breasts spouted hippocras in great abundance: beside the damsel was an infant that pissed rose water. There were so many other pageants it would be tiresome to mention them all. Opposite to the duke's table was a representation of a church, whence issued a friar seated on a dromedary, led by a living giant. The friar addressed his speech to the duke, remonstrating, in eloquent language, how the church was daily losing its inheritances, and Christendom trampled under foot by the enemies of the faith. He called to his remembrance the valour of deceased princes: how in their time they had, by their courage, supported and defended the church. As he was thus littering his complaints, in the name of the holy church, Golden Fleece, the duke's herald of the order, entered with a pheasant finely roasted and adorned, and presented it to the duke as an entremets, saying such a dish was appropriate to making vows. The duke replied, that he was right; and in the presence of the whole company vowed to God the Father, God the Son, and God the blessed Holy Ghost, three persons in one God, to the glorious Virgin Mary, mother of God, and the whole court of paradise, that if the king of France would engage, during his absence, to maintain his estates in tranquility, he would, himself, march his whole army into Turkey, and combat army with army, or personally, with the grand Turk, until death, at the choice of the Turk. The company before they heard this vow had been all joy, but they now began to weep and groan.