THE RANSOM PAID TO BAJAZET FOR THE COUNT DE NEVERS, &c.
As related in the description of Plate XIV., the Hungarians, with the body of French, German, and English volunteers, invaded Turkey, and, after many successes of no serious consequence or advantage, laid siege to the city of Nicopolis. But Bajazet had in the mean time not been idle or afraid to attack them, as they supposed, but had been diligently occupied in raising a great army, and was now secretly advancing upon them, ordering a small body of eight thousand men to move forward in advance, as if they were the whole army; but, whenever they met the enemy, to fall back to the main body, which was then to extend as much as possible, enclosing the Christians, and crushing them by numbers.
On the Monday preceding Michaelmas-day, in the year 1396, the small body was perceived by the scouts of the French and Hungarians. The French lords received the information as they sat at dinner, and, somewhat heated with wine, hastened at once to the attack. The King of Hungary sent his marshal, Steulemschalle, to countermand an immediate attack, as he had received information which caused him to suspect the truth, and that the Turks wore in much greater numbers than appeared. But the impetuous Frenchmen were not to be restrained. They rushed upon the enemy with this small band of volunteers, in all not exceeding 700, it is said, and, after performing prodigies of valour, were all either cut to pieces or taken prisoners. The Hungarian army, seeing the French enclosed on all sides and destroyed, were seized with panic, and fled; great numbers being slain by the Turks in pursuit: in short, the rout was most complete, and the King and the Grand Master of Rhodes barely escaped.
Among the few survivors, now prisoners to Bajazet, were the Count de Nevers, the Counts d’Eu and de la Marche, the Lord Henri de Bar, the Lord de Coucy,[Pg 88] and Sir Guy de la Tremouille; these had been set aside by Bajazet, on account of the richness of their dresses, as apparently men of note, who would pay large ransoms; all the other prisoners were put to death in their presence, being brought forth in their shirts and cut to pieces without mercy: “upwards of three hundred gentlemen of different nations,” says Froissart, “were thus pitilessly murdered.” The Lord Boucicaut, Marshal of France, was led forth naked like the others, but spared on the intercession of the Count de Nevers, who threw himself at the feet of the Sultan, and succeeded in that instance in softening his anger, which was great in consequence of the severe loss he had sustained in the battle, full thirty of his own men having fallen for every Christian. The Count de Nevers and his remaining companions were eventually ransomed, but the Lord de Couci and the Count d’Eu both sunk under their misfortunes and died in Turkey, and the Lord Henry de Bar died on his journey back; so that few indeed returned from this disastrous campaign.
The illumination represents the payment of the ransom, and is remarkable, as well as some others relating to the same portion of the history, for the care with which the illuminator has adhered to the general features of Turkish costume in the dresses of the persons who are receiving and registering the money; this is the more singular, as in the apartment and other accessories there is no attempt at an Eastern character; but at that time, it may be supposed, that the turban and flowing robe were as much conventional and traditional appendages of a Turk, as the meagre legs, sharp features, and lace ruffles were of a Frenchman in the time of Hogarth.[Pg 90][Pg 89]
The arrest of the Duke of Gloucester.