CHAPTER XII.
The Duke of Burgundy instigates his Nephew King Charles to make War on Ghent and its Allies, as well in Revenge for the burnt Villages as to assist in the Recovery of Flanders for the Earl, who was his Vassal.
The Duke of Burgundy was not forgetful of the engagements he had entered into with his lord and father the Earl of Flanders. He set out from Bapaume attended by Sir Guy de la Trémouille and Sir John de Vienne, Admiral of France, who were very desirous the earl should be assisted. These two were the principal persons of his council. They continued their journey until they arrived at Senlis, where the king was with his two uncles of Berry and Bourbon. When he found an opportunity, he drew his brother the Duke of Berry aside, and explained to him how the Ghent men, in the insolence of their pride, were endeavoring to be masters everywhere, and to destroy all gentlemen; that they had already burnt and pillaged part of the kingdom of France, which was much to the prejudice and dishonor of the realm, and ought not to be patiently borne.
The king entered the apartments where his uncles were, with a falcon on his wrist: he was struck with the duke’s last words, and said with much good-humor, “What were you speaking of, my fair uncles, at this moment, with so much earnestness? I should like to hear it, if it be proper for me to know.”—“Yes, my lord,” answered the Duke of Berry; “for what we were discussing personally concerns you. Your uncle, my brother of Burgundy, has just been complaining to me of the Flemings. Those villains of Flanders have driven the earl their lord out of his country, and all the gentlemen. They are now, to the amount of a hundred thousand men, besieging Oudenarde, under a captain called Philip von Artaveld, an Englishman for courage, who has sworn he will never break up the siege until he has had his will on those of the town, unless you shall force him to it. This reservation he has made. Now, what do you say to this? will you assist your cousin of Flanders to regain his inheritance, of which peasants, in their pride and cruelty, have deprived him?”—“By my faith, my dear uncles,” replied the king, “I have a very great inclination so to do, and in God’s name let us march thither. I wish for nothing more than to try my strength in arms, for never hitherto have I had armor on. It is necessary, therefore, if I wish to reign with honor and glory, that I learn the art of war.” The two dukes were well pleased at hearing the king thus speak out. The Duke of Bourbon now came, having been sent for by them; and they related to him all you have heard, and how eager the king was to march to Flanders, with which he was much pleased.
CHAPTER XIII.
Charles the Sixth, King of France, from a Dream, chooses a flying Hart for his Device.
IT happened that during the residence of the young king Charles at Senlis, as he was sleeping in his bed a vision appeared to him. He thought he was in the city of Arras, where until then he had never been, attended by all the flower of knighthood of his kingdom; that the Earl of Flanders came there to him, and placed on his wrist a most beautiful and elegant pilgrim-falcon, saying, “My lord, in God’s name I give this falcon to you for the best that was ever seen, the most indefatigable hunter, and the most excellent striker of birds.” The king was much pleased with the present, and said, “Fair cousin, I give you my thanks.” He then thought he turned to the Constable of France, who was near him, and said, “Sir Oliver, let you and I go to the plains, and try this elegant falcon which my cousin of Flanders has given me;” when the constable answered, “Well, let us go.” Then each mounted their horses, and went into the fields, taking the falcon with them, where they found plenty of herons to fly him at. The king said, “Constable, cast off the falcon, and we shall see how he will hunt.” The constable let him fly, and the falcon mounted so high in the air they could scarcely see him: he took the direction toward Flanders. “Let us ride after my bird,” said the king to the constable; “for I will not lose him.” The constable assented; and they rode on, as it appeared to the king, through a large marsh, when they came to a wood, on which the king cried out, “Dismount, dismount! we cannot pass this wood on horseback.” They then dismounted, when some servants came and took their horses. The king and the constable entered the wood with much difficulty, and walked on until they came to an extensive heath, where they saw a falcon chasing herons, and striking them down; but they resisted, and there was a battle between them. It seemed to the king that his falcon performed gallantly, and drove the birds before him so far that he lost sight of him. This much vexed the king, as well as the impossibility of following him; and he said to the constable, “I shall lose my falcon, which I shall very much regret; for I have neither lure nor any thing else to call him back.” While the king was in this anxiety he thought a beautiful hart, with two wings, appeared to issue out of the wood, and come to this heath, and bend himself down before the king, who said to the constable as he regarded this wonder with delight, “Constable, do you remain here; and I will mount this hart that offers himself to me, and follow my bird.” The constable agreed to it; and the young king joyfully mounted the hart, and went seeking the falcon. The hart, like one well tutored to obey the king’s pleasure, carried him over the tops of the highest trees, when he saw his falcon striking down such numbers of birds that he marvelled how he could do it. It seemed to the king that, when the falcon had sufficiently flown and struck down enough of the herons, he called him back; and instantly, as if well taught, he perched on the king’s wrist, when it seemed to him that after he had taken the falcon by its lure, and given him his reward, the hart flew back again over the wood, and replaced the king on the same heath whence he had carried him, and where the constable was waiting, who was much rejoiced at his return. On his arrival he dismounted: the hart returned to the wood, and was no more seen. The king then, as he imagined, related to the constable how well the hart had carried him, and that he had never rode so easy before in his life; and also the goodness of his falcon, who had struck down such numbers of birds: to all which the constable willingly listened. The servants then seemed to come after them with their horses, which, having mounted, they followed a magnificent road that brought them back to Arras. The king at this part awakened, much astonished at the vision he had seen, which was so imprinted on his memory that he told it to some of his attendants who were waiting in his chamber. The figure of this hart was so agreeable to him, that he could not put it out of his imagination; and this was the cause why, on this expedition to Flanders against the Flemings, he took a flying hart for his device.
CHAPTER XIV.
King Charles, at the Instigation of the Earl of Flanders, who was present, assembles his Army in Artois against the Flemings.—Philip von Artaveld guards the Passes into Flanders.
The King of France, like one who was desirous of marching to Flanders to abase the pride of the Flemings, as his predecessors had formerly done, set his secretaries at work, and sent his letters and summons by messengers to all parts of his kingdom, ordering every one to hasten to Arras without delay, accoutred each according to his rank in the best manner he was able; for, if it were God’s pleasure, he was determined to fight the Flemings in their own country.
No lord of his realm disobeyed; but all sent orders to their vassals, and marched from the most distant countries, such as Auvergne, Rouergue, Toulousain, Gascony, Poitou, Limousin, Saintonge, and Brittany: others came from the Bourbonois, Forêts, Burgundy, Dauphiné, Savoy, Bar, and Lorrain, and from all parts of France and its dependencies, to Arras. The assemblage of such numbers of men at arms was a wonderful, beautiful sight. The Earl of Flanders resided at Hêdin, and heard daily, from the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy, of the great levies which were making, and in consequence issued a proclamation throughout Artois forbidding any one, under pain of losing his life and fortune, to withdraw any thing whatever from house, fortress, or town; for he was desirous that the men at arms who were marching to Artois should have the advantage of being served with whatever was in the Low Countries.