The Boke of Noblesse Part 16

servage 71 sille (sell) 84 sleuth (sloth) 6 soude 33, 72; soulde 29, 40 soudeours 16, 68, 71; sowdieris 30 soudeyng 29; souding, 83 souneth (threaten) 48 synguler (personal) 7, 29, 55

{95} tailis 73, 83, 84 take in gree 79 tasques 73, 83, 84 terrein 69 tilieng (tilling) 70 tofore (before) 60 to morne (tomorrow) 84 trespa.s.seinte 11 trespa.s.s.e.m.e.nt 41, 43

umbre 3, 4, 25, 33, 41

viellars 64 vileyned 74 voulente 84 vyfnes 4

wanhope 74 well (easy), "it is well to undrestonde" 82 werreied (made war) 10 wited (considered) 55

yen (eyen _or_ eyes) 66 yoven (given) 81

NOTES

[1] Giles brother to Francis I. duke of Bretagne. Having differences with his brother respecting his apanage, he was with the duke's consent arrested by king Charles VII.; and, perhaps in consequence of the English taking his part, he was put to death in the year 1450. His fate was commemorated in the "Histoire lamentable de Gilles seigneur de Chateaubriand et de Chantoce, prince du sang de France et de Bretagne, estrangle en prison par les ministres d'un favory." See Daru's Histoire de Bretagne, 1826, vol. ii.

pp. 287 et seq.

[2] Sir Simon Morhier is one of the commissioners named for concluding a treaty with "our adversary of France," dated 28 July 1438. (Rymer, x. 709.) Monstrelet relates that at the battle of Rouvray, commonly called the battle of the Herrings, which took place during the siege of Orleans in 1428, the only man of note slain on the English side was one named Bresanteau, nephew to Simon Morhier provost of Paris.

[3] I do not find the name of this esquire in the memoirs of the Mansel family, privately printed in 1850, by William W. Mansell, esq. There were Mansels in Bretagne as well as in England.

[4] A description of the taking of Pont de l'Arche will be found in the _Histoire du roy Charles VII._, by Alain Chartier. He states that from a hundred to six score Englishmen were there either killed or taken prisoners: "Entre les autres y fut prins le sire de Faucquembergue, qui d'aventure y estoit venu la nuict." This was William Neville, lord Fauconberg, a younger son of the first earl of Westmerland, and uncle to the King-making earl of Warwick. Dugdale describes his imprisonment on the authority of letters patent (30 Hen. VI. p. 1, m. 24) whereby he was granted some compensation: "Being sent amba.s.sador into Normandy, to treat of peace and truce betwixt both realms, he was most perfidiously seized upon by the French, and kept prisoner: in respect of which sufferings he had in 30 Hen. VI. an a.s.signation of 4108l. 18s. 10d. then in arrears to him for his pay whilst he was governor of Roxburgh, to be received out of the customs of wool, cloths, skins, lead, and other commodities, arising in the ports of Boston, Kingston upon Hull, and Ipswich." In 32 Hen. VI.

(1453-4) he was still prisoner in France. (Baronage of England, i. 308, 309.)

[5] Fougeres was a strongly fortified town, and was considered one of the keys of Bretagne. It was taken by surprise, in the night of the 23-24 of March 1448, by Francois de Surienne, on the part of the English: an event which was followed by very important results, for Charles VII. made it an excuse for resuming hostilities in order to protect the duke of Bretagne as his va.s.sal and ally: the Constable of France Artur de Richemont, who was the duke's uncle, (but who had been opposed to the arrest of his nephew Giles,) recovered the captured town; the duke invaded Lower Normandy, whilst the king of France entered the upper province, and by a rapid series of successes they within fifteen months drove the English out of the country.

[6] Honore Bonnet was prior of Salon in Provence, as is shown by his own dedication of the book to Charles VI. written during the sovereignty of Louis II. of Anjou in Provence, that is, from 1384 to 1390. In some of the early editions of the book the author's name was altered to Bonnor: its t.i.tle is "Larbre des batailles. Sensuyt larbre des batailles qui traicte de plusieurs choses comme de leglise. Et aussi des faictz de la guerre. Et aussi c[=o]ment on se doyt gouuerner. Paris, 1493." folio. Also Paris, 1505, 4to. Among the Royal collection of Ma.n.u.scripts in the British Museum (20 C. VIII.) is a magnificent copy in large folio, and another, in quarto, has been recently purchased (Addit. MS. 22,768.) Respecting others at Paris see the work of M. Paulin Paris on "Les Ma.n.u.scrits Francais de la Bibliotheque du Roi," vol. v. pp. 101, 307.

On the fly-leaf of the Royal MS. is the following inscription in an old hand, the writer of which avowedly followed the note at p. 54 of the present volume:

_L'Arbre des Battailles compose par Honore Bonet Prieur de Sallon en Prouuence._

Note y^t in some Authors this Booke is termed Dame Christine of y^e tree of Battayles, not that she made yt; But bicause she was a notable Benefactour to Learned men and perchaunce to y^e autor of this Booke. And therefore diuers of them sette furthe their Bookes under her name. See y^e Booke of n.o.blesse in englishe and Chrystines Life amongste y^e autors de claris mulieribus as I rem[=e]ber.

On the t.i.tle-page are the autograph inscriptions of two of the former owners of the volume, _Sum Humfridi LLoyd_ and _Lumley_: and at the end is inscribed _Iste liber constat Joh'i Gamston' Generoso_. It seems not improbable that the entry above extracted was written by Lord Lumley.

[7] At the end of the life of Saint Louis by Geoffroi de Beaulieu, in the _Historiens de la_ _France_, tome xx. p. 26, (1840, folio,) will be found the Instructions of king Louis to his Son, in their vernacular language. A copy of them, headed "Ce sont les enseignemens que mons^r sainct Loys fist a son filz Charles roy de France," occurs in the MS. at the College of Arms which contains many things about sir John Fastolfe. (MS. Arundel XXVI. fol.

ii v.)

[8] Vegetius was a great authority with the writers of the middle ages.

Monstrelet commences the prologue to the second volume of his chronicles by citing the book of "un tresrenomme philosophe nomme Vegece, qu'il feist de la vaillance et prudence de chevalerie." The treatise of Vegetius de Re Militari had been translated into French about the year 1284, by Jean de Meun, one of the authors of the Roman de la Rose. In the fifteenth century it was one of the princ.i.p.al sources of a book ent.i.tled "Lart de cheualerie selon Vegece; lequel trait de la maniere que les princes doiuent tenir au fait de leurs guerres et batailles." This was printed at Paris by Anthoine Verard in 1488; and it was, at the command of king Henry VII. translated by Caxton, and printed by him at Westminster in the following year, as "The Fayttes of Armes and of Chyvallrye," which (he states in his colophon,) "Christian of Pise made and drew out of the book named Vegecius de Re Militari, and out of the Arbre of Battles." Now, Christina de Pisan was a poetess: and it is not likely that she had more to do with this treatise on the art of war than the "dame Christine" of our present author had with the Arbre des Batailles. Indeed it is probable that the two misappropriations are connected in their origin. On the actual productions of Christine de Pisan, which furnished other works to our first English printer, see the description by M. Paulin Paris of "Les Ma.n.u.scrits Francais de la Bibliotheque du Roi," vol. iv. 184, vol. v. 148-185, vi. 359, 399: and an "Essai sur les Ecrits Politiques de Christine de Pisan, suivi d'une Notice Litteraire et de Pieces Inedites. Par Raimond Thoma.s.sy, 1838." 8vo. pp.

200.

[9] Alain Chartier was a writer both in prose and poetry. There are separate editions of several of his works: and a collected volume of them was edited by Andrew du Chesne in 1617. An English translation of his "Curial" was printed by Caxton without date. See an account of various ma.n.u.scripts of the works of Chartier given by M. Paulin Paris in his vol.

vi. pp. 385-387, vol. vii. pp. 251-254.

[10] The personages speaking in the Quadrilogue are France, Le Peuple, Le Chevalier, and Le Clergie, to whose conversation l'Acteur, or the Author, occasionally interposes some remarks. Le Chevalier is also the Gendarmerie, and described as being identical with the Estat de n.o.blesse--an ident.i.ty which is thus maintained at the beginning of the reign of Henry the Eighth:--"in all the Chevalrie of this realme, wherein be intended all Dukes, Erles, Barons, Knightes, Esquires, and other Gentlemen by office or aucthoritie." I quote this from The Tree of Common Wealth, by Edmonde Dudley, (written in 1509 or 1510,) printed for the Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross, at Manchester, 1859, p. 18.

[11] "Magister Ala.n.u.s de Auriga. Id est compilam de libro suo." Sidenote in p. 27.

[12] This battle, from which the final loss of Normandy ensued, was fought at Formigny, between Charenton and Bayeux, on the 15th of April 1450. Sir Thomas Kyriell, who was there taken prisoner, was a veteran warrior of Agincourt, and had for some years been lieutenant of Calais. By a writ of privy seal dated the 12th August 1451, Henry VI. granted the sum of 5000 crowns and lent another 5000, out of the bonds due from the duke of Orleans, in order to provide for the ransom of sir Thomas Kyriell. (Rymer, xi. 287.) Sir Thomas was elected a Knight of the Garter at the close of the reign of Henry the Sixth, Feb. 8, 1460-1, and beheaded by the victorious Yorkists on the 18th of the same month.

[13] This pa.s.sage was an abridgment from one in _Le Quadrilogue Invectif_ of Alain Chartier: which is as follows: "Toutes anciennes escriptures sont plaines de mutations, subversions, et changemens de Royaulmes et des Princ.i.p.aultez. Car comme les enfans naissent et croissent en hommes parfaitz, et puis declinent a vieillesse et a mort; ainsi ont les Seigneuries leur commencement, et leur accroiss.e.m.e.nt, et leur declin. Ou est Ninive la grant cite, qui duroit trois journees de chemin? Qu'est devenue Babiloine, qui fut edifiee de matiere artificieuse pour plus durer aux hommes, et maintenant est habitee de serpens? Que dira l'en de Troye la riche et tres renommee? Et de Ylion le chastel sans per, dont les portes furent d'ivoire, et les colonnes d'argent; et maintenant a peine en reste le pie des fondemens, que les haulx buissons forcloent de la veue des hommes? Thebes qui fut fondee de Cadmus le fils de Agenor, et la plus peuplee de dessus la terre pour son temps: en laquelle part pourroit en trouver tant de reliques de son nom, que gens se puissent monstrer nez de sa s.e.m.e.nce? Lacedemoine, dont les loix vindrent a diverse nations, desquelles encores nous usons, ne peut oncques tant estroictement garder les loix de Licurgus le doicturier, qui furent faictes pour sa perpetuation, que sa vertu ne soit extaincte et aneantie. Athenes fontaine de sapience, et source des haultes doctrines de philosophie, n'est elle pas en subversion, et les ruisseaulx de son escole taris et a.s.seichez? Carthage la batailleresse, qui domptait les elephans a batailler, et qui jadis fut tant redoubtee aux Romains, ou a elle tourne sa grant glorie, sinon en la cendre du feu ou elle fut a.r.s.e et embrasee? Mais parlons de Romme, qui fut derreniere en souveraine majeste, et excellente en vertu. Et notons bien la parolle de Lucan, qui dit que de elle mesme par sa pesanteur elle decheut.

Car les trops pesans faiz font les plus griefues cheoistes. Par ceste maniere chascune a sa tour et en son ordre se changent, rebaissent, ou soubvertissent les eureuses fortunes, et le bruit des Royaulmes. Ainsi comme la Monarchie du monde et la dignite du Souverain Empire fut jadis translatee des a.s.siriens aux Persans, des Persans aux Grecz, des Grecz aux Rommains, et des Rommains es mains des Francois et des Germains."

[14] It was in this sense that the duke of Burgundy was called Charles le Hardi, which was equivalent to the modern _le Temeraire_, that is, not only Bold, but Rash. We find that the author of _L'Arbre des Batailles_ discusses in his third book, chapter viii., the various causes from which "est ung chevalier bien hardy:" and he a.s.serts them to be many: "Car premierement ung chevalier sera hardy pour avoir et conquerir vaine gloire et l'honneur de ce monde: pour ce seulement quil voit les hardis honnourez et le couhars dishonnourez. Ung autre chevalier sera hardy pour avoir peur de perdre honneur et proffit de son seigneur, et pour peur destre prins sil estoit couhart. La tierce par usaige; car se ung chevalier a grant temps porte le harnois il seulement qui scaurra bien l'usaige prandra ardement in ce quon ne parle contre lun sil faisoit le contraire. Aultre chevalier y a qui est hardy pour ce quil sent son harnois et armeures estre bons et de bonne espreuve. Aultre chevalier y a qui est hardy pour son cappitaine quil scet estre bien sage et bien fortune. Aultre chevalier y a qui est hardy par droicte fureur, et par droicte coulere hayreuse. Aultre chevalier y a qui est hardy par ignorance: car il est si simple quil ne scet que est vertu de force: mais faite ainsi comme il voit faire au plus avance. Aultre chevalier y a qui est hardy par couvoitise de gaigner richesses et non pour aultre chose. Or saiches maintenant comme en toutes ces hardiesses na vertu si non en cellui qui est hardy de droicte congnoissance et de droit scavoir, et ayt la voulente entendue a vertu et a justice et ferme voulente d'attendre et de soustenir toute chose deue et possible par la vertu de force. Et te souffise de ceste vertu quant a present."

[15] Jean de Villiers, seigneur de l'Isle Adam et de Villiers le Bel, having joined the party of the duke of Burgundy, was by his influence made Marechal of France in 1418. He was arrested by the duke of Exeter at Paris in 1420, and released by the duke of Bedford in 1422, at the request of Philip duke of Burgundy. By duke Charles he was highly favoured, made one of the first knights of the order of the Golden Fleece, and captain of Paris when the duke of Bedford left that city in 1430. He was killed during a popular commotion at Bruges in 1437. See his life in Anselme's Histoire Genealogique, 1723, vii. 10.

[16] The account which Monstrelet gives of this insurrection entirely corresponds with that of our author. It is as follows:

"En apres le duc d'Excestre, qui estoit capitaine de Paris, pour certaines causes qui a ce le meurent, feit prendre en icelle ville le seigneur de l'Isle Adam par aucuns de ses Anglois: pour laquelle prinse s'a.s.semblerent jusques a mille hommes ou plus du commun de Paris, pour le rescourre a ceux qui le menoient en la bastille S. Anthoine. Mais tantost ledit duc d'Excestre a tout six vingts combattans, dont il y avoit la plus grand partie archiers, alla frapper en eux et faire tirer les dessusdits archiers au travers desdites communes: pourquoy tant par la cremeur dudict traict, comme par le commandement qu'il leur feit de par le Roy, se retrahirent a.s.sez brief en leurs maisons: et ledit seigneur de l'Isle Adam fut (comme dit est) mis prisonnier, et y demoura durant la vie du roy Henry d'Angleterre, lequel l'eust faict mourir, ce n'eust este la requeste du duc de Bourgongne." (Chroniques de Monstrelet, vol. i. chap. ccx.x.xviii.)

[17] It is very remarkable how entirely these statements correspond with some pa.s.sages of Commines, (book iv. chap. xviii.) in which he describes the conduct of tyrannical princes, and the way in which France especially suffered from quartering soldiers. "To the common people they leave little or nothing, though their taxes be greater than they ought to be; nor do they take any care to restrain the licentiousness of their soldiers, who are constantly quartered throughout the country without paying anything, and commit all manner of excesses and insolencies, as everybody knows; for, not contented with the ordinary provisions with which they are supplied, they beat and abuse the poor country people, and force them to bring bread, wine, and other dainties, on purpose for their eating; and if the goodman's wife or daughter happens to be good-looking, his wisest course is to keep her out of their sight. And yet, where money is abundant, it would be no difficult matter to prevent this disorder and confusion, by paying them every two months at furthest, which would obviate the pretence of want of pay, and leave them without excuse, and cause no inconvenience to the prince, because his money is raised punctually every year. I say this in compa.s.sion to this kingdom, which certainly is more oppressed and hara.s.sed in quartering soldiers than any in all Europe."

[18] This word, or "obeissauntis," which was used in the same sense, may be taken as the original reading of the erasure in p. 73, in the place of "predecessours," which is an alteration for the worse.

[19] Chaucer says of his Franklin--

At sessions there was he lord and sire, Full often time he was Knight of the s.h.i.+re, A Sheriff had he been, and a Countour.

The countour--a term which has been involved in some doubt, was probably a commissioner of taxes, who had to return his accompt to the royal exchequer.

[20] _i.e._ take a factious or unjust part.

[21] Sir Harris Nicolas, in his memoir on the Scrope and Grosvenor Roll (ii. 347), has remarked "the slighting manner in which the profession of the law is mentioned, in comparison with that of arms," in the deposition of sir William Aton. Speaking of sir Henry Scrope, that witness stated that he was come of n.o.ble and gentle ancestry, and yet by the consent of his parents was put to the law, and became the king's justice, but nevertheless used in his halls, on his beds, in windows, and on plate the arms of _Azure, a bend or_. At a much later date (1542) sir Edmund Knightley, though a younger brother and a serjeant at law, is represented in a full suit of armour at Fawsley, co. Northampton. His epitaph commemorates both his gentilitial and his professional merits:

Natus erat claro de stemmate et ordine equestri, Qui fuit et gentis gloria magna suae; Legis erat patriae gnarus, compescere lites a.s.suetus vulgi et jurgia seva lenis.

But, whilst these pa.s.sages are certainly indicative of the prevailing chivalric sentiments, it is still to be remembered that very absurd cla.s.s-prejudices exist in all ages, and they must not always be taken in proof of the general opinions of society. It is indisputable that, from the Conquest downwards, the "younger brothers" of some of our greatest families have been bred to the law, and the inns of court were always the resort of young men of n.o.ble birth.

[22] The notices which the chroniclers Fabyan and Hall give of the first Benevolence will be found in a subsequent page.

[23] Commines gives the following somewhat satirical account of an English parliament. "The king was not able to undertake such an affair without calling his parliament, which is in the nature of our Three Estates, and, consisting for the most part of sage and religious men, is very serviceable and a great strengthening to the king. At the meeting of this parliament the king declares his intention, and desires aid of his subjects, for no money is raised in England but upon some expedition into France or Scotland, and then they supply him very liberally, especially against France. Yet the kings of England have this artifice when they want money, and have a desire to have any supplies granted,--to raise men, and pretend quarrels with Scotland or France, and, having encamped with their army for about three months, to disband it, return home, and keep the remainder of the money for their own private use; and this trade king Edward understood very well, and often practised it."

[24] At that time the parliament first granted the number of 20,000 archers, which was afterwards reduced to 13,000. Rot. Parl. v. 230, 231.

[25] Rotuli Parl. vi. 4.

[26] Ibid. p. 6.

[27] Ibid. p. 39.

[28] The parliament re-a.s.sembled accordingly on the 9th of May 1474: and during that session, on the 18th of July, the commons again granted to the king a quinsisme and a disme (a fifteenth and a tenth), and the further sum of 51,147l. 4s. 7d. in full payment of the wages of the 13,000 archers, who, notwithstanding the condition of the former grants, were still maintained in readiness for the proposed expedition. In making these votes, the commons recited, as before, the king's intention to set outward a mighty army, "as dyvers tymes by the mouth of your chancellors for the tyme beyng hath to us been declared and shewed;" and it was now ordained "that, if the said viage roiall hold not afore the feste of seynt John Baptist the year of our Lord M cccclxvj. that then aswell the graunte of the forsaid xiij M. men as of all the sommes severally graunted for the wages of the same," should be utterly void and of none effect, (Rot. Parl. vi. 111, 118.) On the re-a.s.sembling of parliament in January 1474-5 a further act was pa.s.sed to hasten the payment of the disme first voted (Ibid. p. 120); and again, on the 14th of March, immediately before the dissolution of the parliament, the commons granted another fifteenth and tenth, and three parts of a fifteenth and tenth, to provide for the before-mentioned sum of 51,147l. 4s. 7d. (Ibid. pp. 149, 153.)

[29] They are printed in Rymer's Foedera, &c. vol. xi. pp. 804 et seq.