Page 91. line 7. Long preserve it!] From this expression it should appear that the writer of this chronicle committed every event to writing as soon as he was informed of it and never afterwards revised his annals with a reference to subsequent affairs.
Page 96. last line. Viscount of Villars. Q. if not Thouars.] Louis d'Amboise viscount of Thouars dying without issue male, his daughter brought the titles Thouars and Talmont into the family of Tremoille by marriage with Louis I. count of Guînes, &c. who died in 1483.
Page 106. line 6. Behind.] This sudden revolution seems to have been effected solely by the over-powering influence of the Nevils. The marquis of Montacute, who had been lately forced to resign the earldom of Northumberland on the reconciliation between Edward and the house of Percy, and who was too fond of actual power to think the title of marquis a compensation for one of the greatest earldoms of England, was easily persuaded to join the party of his brother, and on his defection, Edward was seized with a panic, and leaving his army at Nottingham fled beyond seas. Stowe, 1470.
Page 113. line 4. Combrodes.] Combrodes, Qu. Comborn? John I. viscount of Comborn, counsellor and chamberlain to Charles the seventh, married Jane of Rochechouart and died about 1482. Who was count or lord of Charente I cannot tell. But qu. does this mean James de Bourbon lord of Charency? He married into the family of la Tour d'Auvergne, which renders it the more probable.
Page 116. line 5. King.] It is evident that these events are related in a very confused and hurried manner. Edward landed in the Humber during the winter of 1470. On the 14th of April, being Easter-day, 1471, was fought the battle of Barnet in which Warwick fell, and with him Bouchier lord Cromwell, sir John Lisle, and others. Montacute also was killed by his brother's men, being detected in a treacherous manœuvre to join king Edward's party. Holland, duke of Exeter, was left for dead on the field; but he found means to escape and got over to Burgundy where he was seen by Philip de Commines following in the train of duke Charles from place to place, a barefooted mendicant. On the 4th of May following queen Margaret having landed with a considerable force in Devonshire and thence marched up the country, was met by king Edward at Tewkesbury when the decisive battle was fought, which as is well known, terminated with the utter overthrow of all the hopes of the Lancastrian party. Besides prince Edward (who is said to have been murdered in cold blood after the engagement was over) there fell Courtney earl of Devonshire, lord John Somerset, (a brother of the duke's) lord Wenlock, and many knights and gentlemen of name. The duke of Somerset (with several others) was treacherously made to quit sanctuary under promise of pardon and afterwards beheaded; but he at least deserved his fate for having fled from the prince of Wales's side during the battle and left him to be made a prisoner. Stowe.
Page 116. line 12. Died.] By this must be meant Amadeus IX. count of Savoy, who succeeded his father Louis in 1465 and died this year. He was succeeded by his son Philibert I. who died 1476 without issue by Blanche of Milan his wife. Philibert was succeeded by his brother Charles I. who died in 1488 leaving issue by Blanche of Montferrat one son, Charles II, who died without issue in 1495, upon which Philip count of Bresse the brother of Amadeus the ninth, (mentioned before, vol. x. p. 158) succeeded to the dukedom, and died shortly after. See p. 35.
Page 117. line 8 from the bottom. Count d'Eu.] Charles count d'Eu, the last prince of the blood of the line of Artois. His character is thus given by Du Clos. "Il avoit toutes les vertus solides, sans en affecter l'éclat; peu touché d'une fausse gloire, il pensoit que celle d'un prince qui n'est pas né sur le trone, est d'en être l'appui et trouva sa véritable gloire dans sa fidelité pour son roi, et ses services pour l'etat." It is a strange mistake to call the count de Nevers his brother, in which case there could have been no pretence for the king's giving away his honours and estates. The count de Nevers was his nephew, being the son of Bona of Artois and Philip count of Nevers her husband.
Page 120. line 16. Years.] He died of a stroke of apoplexy brought on, as Platina says, by good living, suddenly in his chamber. This historian, (who, however, suffered from some persecution under his authority) is not very favourable to his memory. His luxury and pride he represents to have been inordinate. Among other stories told of him, it is said that he prided himself excessively on his comeliness of person and wished at his accession to have assumed the name of Formosus, but was deterred by some of his cardinals who, being more conversant in history than himself, reminded him of the miserable fate of the only pontiff who had borne that name. He then chose that of Paul, but could never afterwards esteem himself completely happy, from his wish in that important particular having been frustrated. It was reported of him that he used to paint his face like the ladies, whenever he appeared in public. He wished, at another time, to issue a papal bull ordaining that all cardinal's hats for the future should be made of silk: but in this also he was over-ruled by the common sense of those about him. He was at least as great an enemy to learning and learned men as his predecessor had been a promoter and encourager of both; but here again it is the learned Platina who speaks. He was notorious for having one living witness at least of his amours, which became the subject of an epigram somewhat more pointed than is usual on such occasions.
Pontificis Pauli testes ne Roma requiras.
Filia quam genuit, sat docet, esse marem.
Sanctum non possum, patrem te dicere possum,
Cum video natam, Paule secunde, tuam.
Page 126. line 18. Lord de Malicorne.] Guy de Sourches, lord of Malicorne.