The Boke of Noblesse Part 9

[Sidenote: Dux Bedfordiae.]

[Sidenote: Nota bene.]

[Sidenote: Exhortacio.]

[Sidenote: Nota bene.]

[Sidenote: Exhortacio ad observandum ordinacionem principis in bello.]

[Sidenote: Verba m'ri Alani de Auriga.]

And the same dame Cristen in the .xiiij. chapiter seiethe that a n.o.ble good cheveteyn, whiche wolbe a leder of a felows.h.i.+p in werre, he must use justice to G.o.ddis pleasure; and that he may stand in the grace and favoure of the worlde, and of his retenu and {31} of other peple undre hym, that the said chieftein must pay his men of soude so justly and truly, bethout any defalking [or] abbregging of here wagis, that they have no nede to lyve by pillage, extorcion, and rapyn uppon the countreis of here frendis that be yolden undre obeisaunce of here prince. And be this way the ost may never faut, for then the ost shalbe furnished of alle costis coostis[124]

commyng withe vitailes inoughe; so that it be provided that marchauntes and vitailers may surely pa.s.se and come, and that a payne resonable be made, that uppon forfeiting that payne no man take vitaile beforce without payment made in hande, as the proclamacions made by Henry the .v^{the}., that victorious prince, in his host. [And also the statutes made by Johan regent of Fraunce, duc of Bedford, by a parlement at Cane, yn the .ij^{de}.

yeere of [blessed[125]] Henry .vj^{te}., named kyng, uppon the conduyt of the werre, that I delyvered to your hyghenes enseled, the day before your departyng out of London, that remayned yn the kepyng of ser Johan Fastolfe for grate autoritee, a. iij.[126]] And that no damage or offence be done to the marchauntes. It is fulle gret jupardie and perille to an oost where as covetise of pillage and rappyne reignithe among men of armes more than theire entencion is to kepe and meinteine the right of theire prince's partie. And the wors.h.i.+p of chevalrie and knighthode ys that they shulde peine hem to wynne. And suche as ben of that inordynat condicion of covetise and rappyne oughte rather be clepid pilleris, robberis, extorcioneris, than men of armes chevalerous. In example the said dame Cristen putt.i.the that the men of armes of the countre of Gaule, whiche now is Fraunce, that had in a tyme a discomfiture and the overhande uppon the Romains, being a.s.sembled withe a grete oost embatailed upon the river of Rosne in Burgoyne; and the men of Gaule had wonne gret praies and good, as horse harneis, vesselle of golde and of silver gret plente; but as to the worldly goodes they set no count ne prise of it, but cast it into the river. And in semblable wise it was saide of Johan duke of Bedforde, then regent, that the day he had the victorie at the {32} bataile of Vernaile, he exhorted, making an oration to his peple, that they attende not to covetise, for no sight of juelx and riches of cheynes of golde or nouches [or] ringis cast before hem or left in the feelde, to take them up, whiche might be the losse of the feeld, tille G.o.d had shewed his power and fortune; but onely to wors.h.i.+p and to doo that that they come for. And so be the jugement of G.o.d had the victorie withe gret wors.h.i.+p and riches, be the raunsonyng of prisoneris, and be rewardis of the said regent in londis and goodis to every man for theire welle doing that day, rewarded in lifelode of londes and tenementis yoven in the counte of Mayne to the yerely valeu of .x.M^l. marcs yerely, whiche was .lx.M^l.li. Turneis, as it is of record to shew; the whiche was don aftyr the Romayns' condicion, seeing that thei set so litille by goodis dispising but onely by wors.h.i.+p, the whiche the saide Romains were gretly astonied and dred her power, for thei saw it never done before. And wolde Jhesus for his highe grace that every prince, chieftein, or captein wolde be of so n.o.ble condicions as is before made mencion of! I have be credibly enfourmed by tho as were present in bateile withe the fulle n.o.ble and victorius prince of renomme king Henry the .v^{te}. youre cousin and antecessour, used the saide counceile among his ostes. And also at the bateile of Agincourt be the exortacion of that forseyd n.o.ble prince Henry the .v^{the}. counceiled to set not be no tresure, praies, ne juelx and vesselle of golde and of silver, aswelle of tho that were his there lost, ne of the juelx that he wonne, but only to his right and to wonne wors.h.i.+p. And that also fulle n.o.ble prince youre cousin Johan duke of Bedforde, another victorius prince, folowed his steppis tho daies that he was regent of the roiaume of Fraunce, and whan his chariottes of his tresoure and vesselle at the bataile of Vernelle in Perche was bereved frome hym by Lombardis and other sowdieris holding youre adverse partie, he comaunded the oost embatailed not forto breke ne remeve [theyr aray[127]] for wynnyng or kepyng worldly goodis, but only to wynne wors.h.i.+p in the right of Englonde that day, whiche he hadde the victorie to his grettist renomme.

{33} But yet it most be suffred paciently the fortune that is gevyn to youre ennemies at this tyme, and late the case be taken for a new lerning, and to the sharping of goode corages, to the refourmyng and amendement of theire wittis. For the saide Ovide the lawreat poet saiethe that it happithe often times that mysaventures lernithe tho that bene conquerid to be wise. And so at other times in actis and dedis of armes that for lak of providence or mysfortune were overthrow, enforcethe hem to be conquerours [another seson.[128]] Here is yet noone so gret inconvenient of aventure ne mysfortune falle at this tyme, but that it hathe be seene fallen er now [yn kyng Johan dayes and in kyng Edward iij^d day, as yn hys gret age put owt of Normandye and off many castells and townes yn Gyen by kyng Charlys the .v^{te}.[128]]

[Sidenote: Defectus pecuniae ad solvendum soldarios fuit causa una prodicionis ducatus Normanniae.]

How the duchie of Normandie for lak of a sufficient arme waged in due time, that king Johan [of England[128]] had not sufficiently wherof to wage [his peple,[128]] he lost the duchie of Normandie.

[Sidenote: Infinita mala ex sensualitate corporis.]

[Sidenote: .1203.]

For a like mysfortune and overthrow fille unto us for defaute of providence and helpe in dew tyme, and sensualite of l.u.s.tis of the bodie idely mispendid, and for lak of finaunce and goode[gh] to soude and wage goode mennys bodies over into Normandie and other contrees, ande thoroughe the umbre of trewes, the hole privacion of your duchie of Normandie, and of Angew, Mayne, and Torayne, and a gret part of Gascoigne and Guyen, was in king Johan daies by king Philip dieudonne of Fraunce, the yere of Crist .M^l.ij^c.iij^o. in the monithe of Maij began.

{34}

[Sidenote: Treugae pluries infractae.]

How many divers times trewes that were taken betwene king Richarde the first, king Johan, and king Edward the thrid at the finalle peas generalle betwene tho kinges and the Frenshe kinges, were afterwarde be the Frenshe partie first broken.

[Sidenote: Nota fallacias Francorum in rupcione treugarum; vide et attende bene.]

[Sidenote: Treuga pessima a^{o} Xp'i 1259.]

[Sidenote: De infinitis dampnis ex ilia treuga sine pace.]

[Sidenote: De pluribus treugis sine effectu durationis.]

[Sidenote: Edward ij^{d}.]

[Sidenote: Nota pro t.i.tulo regis.]

[Sidenote: Effectus maritagii Isabellae reginae heredis regni Franciae.]

[Sidenote: Edwardus ij^{us} duxit Isabellam filiam et heredem Karoli regis Franciae a^{o}. X^{l}. M^{l}.ccc.xxv^{t}i.]

And thus undre the coloure of trewes at divers times taken atwixt youre n.o.ble progenitoures king Henry the seconde, and also divers treties taken betwene the said king Johan and king Philip, and also sondry tymes trewes taken betwene king Richarde the first and the Frenshe king Philip dieudonne. And notwithestanding so oft tymes trewes and alliaunces taken and made betwene the forsaide kinges of Englonde and of Fraunce, alle waye whan the Frenshe partie coude have and fynde any avauntage or coloure to breke here trewes they did make new werre ayenst this lande. Also there was another trewes made at Paris the monithe of Octobre the yere of Crist M^l.cclix. betwene king Henry the thrid and Lowes king of Fraunce, the whiche king Lowes haveng grete conscience that he heelde bethout t.i.tle of right the duchie of Normandie, the counte of Angew, Mayne, and Toureyne, out of the handis of the kinges of Englonde, therfore toke a trewis withe king Henry the thridde; and the saide king Lowes graunted and confirmed to the saide king Henry and to his heires for ever all the right that he hadd or myght have in the duchie of Gascoigne, withe thre eveschies clepid diocesis and citees in the saide duchie, that is to witt, Limogensis, Caourcensis, and Pieregourt. Also at[129] Agenois and Peito. And a peas to be made atwix bothe kinges undre the condicion that the saide king Henry thrid shuld relese unto king Lowes alle his right in Normandie and in the countre of Anjou, of Mayne, and Toreyne, your verray auncient enheritaunce tailed, whiche albeit if the said king Henry thrid had alone made any suche relese it was of none strenght ne effect, for it was never graunted be the auctorite of the parlement of thre astatis of his roiaume. For it is to be undrestande that be no law imperialle ne by no dew reason can be founded {35} that a prince may not gyve away his d.u.c.h.ees or countees ne his demaynes that is his propre enheritaunces to a straunge parsone, of what astate or degre he is, bethout the agrement and consenting of a parlement of his lordis spirituelle and temporelle, and of his comyns a.s.sembled, and a sufficient nombre of every of hem, as it hathe bene accustumed; so in conclusion the relese of king Henry thrid to king Lowes was and is voide.

And if any relese of king Lowes to the said king Henry in the said duchie of Gascoine had be made it standithe of fulle litille effect, becaus it was the said king Henry propre enheritaunce by his aiel king Henry the second that weddid dame Alienor d.u.c.h.esse and heriter of Guien, as is before expressid. And so the said king Lowes relese was a confirmacion of the said duchie of Guien into king Henry thrid is possession and a disclayme frome the kinges of Fraunce for ever. Also ther was another trux and pease made the yere of Crist M^l.cclxxix., at Amyens, betwen king Edwarde first and king Philip of Fraunce, that the said king Edwarde shulde holde peasibly all the saide landes in Gascoigne. Another trewes and peas made at Paris the yere of Crist M^l.ij^c.lx.x.xvj. betwene the said king Edwarde first and king Philip of Fraunce for the saide duchie of Guien. Another trews made at Paris, the yere of Crist M^l.iij^c.iij^o., the monithe of Maij, betwene king Edwarde first and king Philip of Fraunce, that marchauntes and alle maner men might pa.s.se to bothe roiaumes of Englond and Fraunce bethout empeshement, and heelde not long. Another trux made in the yere of Crist M^l.cc.xiij., in a towne clept in Latyn p.i.s.saicus, betwene king Edwarde second and king Phelip king of Fraunce for the said duchie of Guien. And in the yere of Crist M^l.iij^c.xxiiij. king Charles of Fraunce and of Navarre seased certein townes and forteresses in Guien for defaut of homage of the king Edwarde second for the said duchie of Guien, whiche townes and forteresses after was delivered ayen to the king Edwarde by the moyen of Edmonde erle of Kent, his lieftenaunt. Also another pease made in the yere of Crist M^l.iij^c.xxv. betwene king Edwarde second and king Charles de Valoys of Fraunce, be reason and meane that {36} the saide king Edwarde weddid dam Isabel king Charles of Fraunce daughter, [soule[130]] enheriter of Fraunce; and at that tyme king Edward made Edmond his brother erle of Kent his lieftenaunt for the duchie of Guyen, whiche fulle n.o.bly governed and kept that contre.

[Sidenote: a^{o}. X^{l}. M^{l}.ccc.xxv^{t}i.]

[Sidenote: Bellum Scluse.]

Also in semblable wise in the yere of Crist M^l.iij^c.xl. the .xiij. yere of king Edwarde the thrid, after the saide king had wonne the gret bataile of Scluse ayenst Philip de Valois his adversarie, and besieged Tourenay in Picardie, whan the saide Philip de Valois and the [kyngis[130]] Frenshe lordis were gretly rebuked and put abak, they desired a trux of king Edwarde frome the monithe of Septembre tille the feest of saint John next sueng, to the gret damage of the king Edwarde conquest. And the Bretons making under that colour mortalle werre to this land, but they were kept in subgeccion, and a gret bataile of descomfiture ayenst them had by the erle of Northampton, then the kingis lieutenaunt in that parties.

Also the yere of Crist M^l.iij^c.xliij^o., the .xix. day of Januarii, another gret trux for the yere take withe Philip de Valois calling hym king, youre saide adversarie, and his allies, and the saide trux broken be the seide Philip bethin thre yeris after, comaunding the Bretons to make werre ayenst youre progenitours.

[Sidenote: Obcidio Cane.]

[Sidenote: Bellum Cressye.]

And the n.o.ble king Edwarde the thrid, seeing that, in the monithe of Julie, the yere of Crist M^l.ccc.xlvij^o., the .xx. yere of his reigne, disposed hym ayen to werre ayen withe the saide Philip, and wanne upon hym the strong towne of Cane, [and had[130]] the sore fought bataile of Cressy, the castelle of Calix by a harde siege bethin few daies after leide and (_unfinished_.)

[Sidenote: De pace finali quamvis non sortiebatur diu effectum.]

[Sidenote: .1363.]

[Sidenote: Chaundos chevalier.]

[Sidenote: De magnificencia Joh'is Chundos.]

[Sidenote: Princeps Edwardus.]

[Sidenote: De pluribus comitatibus in Vasconia sub obediencia regis Angliae.]

[Sidenote: 1364.]

How notwithestonding a finalle peas was made solempnely be the fulle a.s.sent of king Johan of Fraunce prisoner, as it is the chief auctorite, and comprehendid in many articles most sufficiauntly grounded by auctorite of the Pope, confermed that, for alle that it helde not pa.s.se .vij. or .viij.

yere after. And so contynued by .xiij. {37} yeris fro the saide tyme mortal werre continued tille a final generalle peas was made after by agrement of king Johan of Fraunce that was take betwene the said n.o.ble king Edwarde the thrid and the saide king Johan the monithe of Maij the yere of Crist M^l.iij^c.lx., at Bretigny, the Pope a.s.sentyng, and be mediacion of cardinales, archebishoppis, bisshoppis, abbotis, dukes, erles, barons, and lordis, and by the a.s.sent of bothe parties of Englande as of Fraunce, and confermed by the saide Pope and the sacramentis of both cristen kinges, made bothe by hemselfe and by here commissaries in suche solempne wise that alle cristen princes wolde have thought it shulde stande ferme and have bene stable for ever, ande whiche finalle peas dured not scant .viij^{the}.

yere after, but that it was broke fraudulentlie be feyned causes and colourable quarellis of the Frenshe partie, as of the erle of Armenak and other lordis of Guien. And after king Charles the .v^{the}, of Fraunce, son to king Johan, under colour of the seide trux and fynal peas made be his father, put king Edwarde the thrid and his sonnes and other his lieutenauntes out of alle his conquest, aswelle of alle the londis that king Edwarde conquerid in Fraunce, Normandie, Burgoyne, and Flaundres, and out of many other countee[gh], baronies, and lords.h.i.+ppes, and of a gret part of the duchie of Guien, whiche countee[gh] and lords.h.i.+ppes in Gascoigne and Guien were given utterly and plenerlie to doo none homage, ne sovereinte to holde but of the saide n.o.ble king Edwarde, and of alle his enheriteris, never to resort ayen in homage ne feute to youre adversaries of Fraunce, as it is expresly enacted and recorded in the registres of alle the homagieris of Guien and Gascoigne, that was made by the erle of Armenak, the lorde de la Brette, vicecountes, barons, chevalers, and escuiers, and alle other n.o.bles of the saide duchies, made to the saide king Edwarde and to prince Edwarde the duke of Guien the kingis lieutenaunt; that is to wete, in the cathedralle chirche of saint Andrieu chirche at Burdeux, the .xix. day of Juilly, the yere of Crist M^l.iij^c.lxiij., present there ser Thomas Beauchampe erle of Warewik, that aventurous and most fortunat knighte in his daies, and ser John Chaundos of Herfords.h.i.+re {38} vicount de Saint Saveoure [in Normandye,[131]] whiche had bene in many batailes, and had the governaunce of M^l. speris, and was comissarie for king Edwarde, withe a fulle grete ost of mult.i.tude of peple well defensid in Guien. And so, after that prince Edwarde had received alle the homages aboute Bourdeux, Bordelois, and Ba.s.sedois, within the seneschalcie of Gascoigne, than he and the said comissaries went to alle the countees foloweng and received theire homages and feutees bothe in the name of King Edwarde .iij^d., and than in like fourme did homage to the prince as Duc of Guien. And was no differens betwene the bothe homages doing to the King and to the Duc of Guien, except that homager at his othe making to the saide duke he reserved the sovereinte and the ressort dew to his highe soverein seigneur king Edwarde. [So he] toke the homages of alle the va.s.sallis and subgettis in the seneschalcie of Agenois, after in the seneschalcie of Landis, after in the counte of Bigorre, then in the seneschalcie of Pierregort, in the seneschalcie of Caoursyn and Roergev'

and Lymosyn, also in the counte of Engwillom, also in the seneschalcie of Xantonge, than in the counte of Poitou and Poytiers. By whiche it may be considerid be the said countees and countrees before specified, it was of a wide s.p.a.ce and many a thousand peple that were at that tyme and yet ought be under youre obeisaunce. And the saide prince Edwarde and the kinges commissaries made here journeis by .viij. monithes day as tille the .iiij^{the}. day of Aprille the yere of Crist M^l.iij^c.lxiiij., or thei coude receive alle the saide homagiers; whiche now in the yere of Crist M^l.iiij^c.li., after that hole Normaundie was lost, and also Gascoigne and Guien yoven up in defaute of socoure [of an armee made[131]] in season, many of youre saide trew liege peple be overcome by youre adversaries of Fraunce, and many a thousand peple of n.o.bles and others coherted and be force ayenst theire hertis wille and entent to become homagiers to youre saide adversarie by the hole privacion of the saide duchie of Guien, as of Normandie, whiche withe the helpe of almightie G.o.d and {39} saint George, chief defendoure and protectoure of these youre londis, withe the comfort of youre true subgectis, shalnot abide long in theire possession ne governaunce.

[Sidenote: De pace finali.]

[Sidenote: .1420.]

[Sidenote: Pro t.i.tulo regis nota.]

And now of late tyme a peas finalle was made and take withe king Charlis the s.e.xt, and the whiche finalle peas made solempnelie at Trois in Champayne, the .xxj. day of Maij the yere of Crist M^l.cccc.xx., and registred in the court of parlement, confermed that alle divisions and debates betwene the roiaume of Englande and the roiaume of Fraunce shulde for ever cease; and the saide finalle peas heelde not fullie .ij. yeris, but brake sone after the decese of that victorioux prince king Harry the .v^{the}., upon his mariage withe quene Katerin.

[Sidenote: De infractione treugarum nota hoc.]

And now last of alle the gret trewes taken and made at Towris betwene Henry the s.e.xt, the innocent[132] prince, and Charlis the .vij^{the}., youre adversarie of Fraunce, in the said .xxiiij. yere of his reigne, solempnely sworne and sealed, and sone after broken be the Frenshe partie.

[Sidenote: De continuacione hereditatis ducatus Normandiae. Rollo dux vocatus Robertus filius magnifici d'ni in regno Daciae vocati Byercoteferre.]