This high and ioious feast passed not without some spot of displeasure among the English nobilitie: for the cardinall of Winchester, which at this time would haue no man be equall with him, commanded the duke of Bedford to leaue off the name of regent, during the time that the king was in France, affirming the chéefe ruler being in presence, the authoritie of the substitute to be cléerlie derogate, according to the common saieng; In the presence of the higher power, the smaller giueth place. The duke of Bedford tooke such a secret displeasure with this dooing, that he neuer after fauoured the cardinall, but stood against him in all things that he would haue forward. This was the root (as some haue thought) of that diuision amongst the English nobilitie, where through their glorie within the realme of France began first to decline.
Montargis recouered by the English.
The next daie after the solemne feast of the kings coronation, were kept triumphant iusts and torneis, in the which the earle of Arundell, and the bastard of S. Paule, by the iudgement of the ladies woone the price. The king kept open hall the space of fiue daies to all commers, and after (bicause the aire of Paris séemed contrarie to his pure complexion) by the aduise of his councell, he remooued to Rone, where he kept his Christmasse. But before his departure from Paris, the noble men as well of France and Normandie did to him homage, and the common people sware to him fealtie. In this meane time, sir Francis called the Aragoignois, a noble capteine of the English part in Normandie, tooke by force and policie the towne of Montargis, with a great preie of treasure and prisoners, and put therein a garrison, leauing it well furnished with vittels and munition.
The lord Talbot ransomed by exchange.
The holie shéepheard.
About the same time, the earle of Arundell, being truelie informed that the lord Bousac, marshall of France, was come to Beauuois, intending to doo some feat in Normandie, assembled the number of thrée and twentie hundred men, and comming néere to the said towne of Beauuois, sent a great number of light horssemen to run before the towne, to traine out the Frenchmen within; the which issuing out and following the English horssemen vnto their stale, were so inclosed and fought with, that in maner all the number of them, saue a few which fled backe into the towne with the marshall, were slaine or taken. Amongst other of the chéefest prisoners, that valiant capteine Pouton de Santrails was one, who without delaie was exchanged for the lord Talbot, before taken prisoner at the battell of Pataie. There was also taken one called the shéepheard, a simple man, and a sillie soule; but yet of such reputation for his supposed holinesse amongst the Frenchmen, that if he touched the wall of any of their aduersaries townes, they beléeued verelie it would incontinentlie fall downe.
Vaudemont besieged.
This chance succéeded not fortunatlie alone vnto the English nation, for Richard Beauchampe earle of Warwike had a great skirmish before the towne of Gournie, where he discomfited and repelled his enimies: and beside those that were slaine, he tooke fortie horssemen, all being gentlemen of name and armes. Like chance happened to the fréends of king Charles, towards the marches of Loraine, where Reigner duke of Bar besieged the towne of Vaudemont perteining to the earle thereof named Anthonie, coosine to the same duke Reigner. This earle, before the dukes approching, left a conuenient crue within the towne to defend it, and with all spéed rode to the dukes of Bedford and Burgognie, being then at the foresaid great triumph at Paris, where he purchased such fauour at their hands, bicause he had euer taken their parts, that not onelie sir Iohn Fastolfe was appointed to go with him, hauing in his companie six hundred archers, but also the duke of Burgognies marshall named sir Anthonie Toulongon, accompanied with fiftéene hundred other men of warre.
When the duke of Bar heard that his enimies were thus comming towards him, like a hardie capteine he raised his siege, and met face to face with the earle and his companie, betwéene whome was a cruell and mortall battell. The horssemen of the French side endured long, but in conclusion the English archers so galled their horsses, and so wounded the men, that the Barrois, Almains, and other of duke Reigners side were compelled to flée. In the chase was taken the duke of Bar, the bishop of Metz, the lord of Roquedemaque, sir Euerard of Salseburgh, the vicont Darcie, and two hundred other, beside thrée thousand which were slaine.
Saint Seuerine besieged.