[98] Château Regnault,—a town in Touraine, near Tours.
[A.D. 1481.]
CHAP. XXX.
THE KING OF FRANCE FORMS A CAMP BETWEEN PONT DE L'ARCHE AND PONT DE ST PIERRE.—ARMOUR WHICH THE DUKE OF BRITTANY HAD ORDERED FROM MILAN IS INTERCEPTED.—THE KING TAKEN ILL AT TOURS.—DURING CERTAIN PILGRIMAGES HE MAKES, HE VISITS THE DAUPHIN AT AMBOISE, AND GOES THENCE TO ST CLAUDE.—A GREAT FAMINE THIS YEAR.
Early in this year the king ordered an inclosed camp, which he had caused to be made of wood, to be erected on a large plain near Pont de l'Arche, to be ready when he should take the field against his enemies, and went thither to see it. Within were posted a numerous body of men armed with pikes and halberds, according to his new regulations. The command of these troops was given to sir Philip de Crevecoeur, lord des Cordes, and to master William Picard, bailiff of Rouen. The king ordered the men to remain in this camp the space of a month, to see how it would answer, and what sorts of provision would be the most suitable to them.
This camp was ordered to be ready on the 15th of June; and the king on his way thither, celebrated the feast of Whitsuntide at the church of our Lady in Chartres. Thence he came to Pont de l'Arche, and to this large inclosure, which was formed between Pont de l'Arche and Pont de Saint Pierre. One side of the inclosure had a ditch on the outside,—and within were pitched tents and pavilions, with the artillery and all requisite stores. The king judged from its proportions what quantity of provision would be necessary were the space completely filled with all he intended to send. When he had visited and fully examined it, he departed, very well satisfied for Chartres, Selome, Vendôme, and Tours, having ordered the troops that had been encamped to march back to their former quarters.
The duke of Brittany had sent, in the course of this year, to purchase armour at Milan; such as cuirasses, salades, &c. which were packed up with cotton to prevent their rattling, and like bales of silks. These packages were put on mules, and arrived in safety until they came to the mountains of Auvergne, when the officers of John Doyac[99] seized them and sent instant information thereof to the king, who, by way of recompense, gave the armour to John Doyac and his servants.
The vines almost universally failed this year throughout France,—and the wines of the preceding year, though of little worth, were sold, in consequence, at an extravagant price: what at the beginning of the year was sold for four deniers the bottle at taverns now rose to twelve. Some merchants of Paris, who had preserved their wines at Champigny sur Marne and other places, sold it by retail very dear, viz. at not less than two sols parisis the bottle, which was at the rate of thirty-six livres the hogshead. The scarcity was so great that the wine-merchants were obliged to fetch wine from the farther parts of Spain, which was brought to Paris.
The garrisons on the frontiers of Picardy and Flanders, regardless of the truce, made constant inroads on each other, carrying on a deadly warfare; for whatever prisoners were made, they were unmercifully hanged by both parties, without ever accepting of ransoms.
The king, when recovering from his late illness, set out from Tours for Thouars, where he had a relapse, and was in great danger of dying. To obtain better health, he sent great offerings, and large sums of money, to divers churches, and made many religious foundations. Among others, he founded in the holy chapel at Paris, a perpetual mass, to be daily chaunted at seven o'clock in the morning, in honour of St John, by eight choiristers from Provence, who had belonged to the chapel of the late Réné king of Sicily, and on his decease had been taken into the service of the king of France. He established one thousand livres parisis as the fund for this mass, to be received annually from the receipt of taxes on all sea-fish sold in the markets at Paris.