Charles the Bold Part 27

[Footnote 5: See Oman's _Warwick_, p. 185.]

[Footnote 6: Rymer, _Faedera_, xi., 654; negotiations had been going on for about a year.]

[Footnote 7: _Ibid._, 651.]

[Footnote 8: "Quia nihil est quod ita relucet in principe sicut clemencia et maxime circa domesticos et subditos."]

[Footnote 9: Gachard, _Doc. ined._, i., 216. The editor thinks that the speech was preserved in the register of Ypres just as it was delivered, untouched by chroniclers.]

[Footnote 10: _Il sent la France_.]

[Footnote 11: Middleburg, the 3d of June, 1470. "Madame's sign manual"

on the copy is dated June 6th. (Plancher, _Histoire generale et particuliere de Bourgogne_, etc., iv., cclxxi).]

[Footnote 12: Good Friday, April 20th.]

[Footnote 13: Gachard, _Doc. ined_., i., 226.]

[Footnote 14: Comines-Lenglet., "Preuves," iii., 124. Written at Amboise, May, 12, 1470.]

[Footnote 15: Plancher, iv., cclxi., etc.]

[Footnote 16: Duke Charles to the Council of the King at Rouen, May 29th. (Plancher, iv., cclxix.)]

[Footnote 17: _Memoires_, iii., ch. iv.]

[Footnote 18: Duclos "Preuves," v., 296.]

[Footnote 19: Chastellain, v., 453. These phrases are, to be sure, those of our literary and imaginative chronicler, but the substance is that of attested words from Charles. M, Pet.i.t-Dutaillis accepts it.

(Lavisse, iv^{ii}., 363.)]

[Footnote 20: _See_ Plancher, iv., cclx.x.xix.]

[Footnote 21: Aujourd'hui avons fait le mariage de la reine d'Angleterre et de lui." Undoubtedly a half jocose way of stating the alliance of the children. The following item occurs in the King's accounts for December, 1470: "a maistre Jehan le prestre, la somme de xxvii l. x.s.t pour vingt escus d'or a lui donnee par le roy, pour le rest.i.tuer de semblable somme que, par l'ordonnance d'icellui seigneur, il avait baillee du sien au vicaire de Bayeux auquel icellui seigneur en a fait don en faveur de ce qu' il estait venu espouser le prince de Galles a la fille du Comte de Warwick." This was a betrothal, not the actual marriage. In August, Louis was still asking for a dispensation.

(Wavrin, Dupont ed., iii., 4I, note. See also _Lettres de Louis XI_., iv., 131.)]

[Footnote 22: A group of smaller seigniories was also involved, Quercy, Perigord, La Roch.e.l.le, etc. _See_ letter-patent, (Comines-Lenglet, "Preuves," iii., 97.)]

[Footnote 23: Duclos, "Preuves" v., 302.]

[Footnote 24: Comines-Lenglet, "Preuves," iii., 68; Lavisse, iv^{ii}, 364.]

[Footnote 25: _See_ Lavisse iv^{ii}, 364. He states that the king named all the deputies that the towns were to appoint.]

[Footnote 26: Duclos, "Preuves," v., 307.]

[Footnote 27: Commines, iii., ch. v.]

[Footnote 28: Commines, iii., ch. vi.]

[Footnote 29: _See_ instructions given to him for this mission, Wavrin-Dupont, iii., 271.]

[Footnote 30: Commines, iii., ch. vii.]

[Footnote 31: As soon as Edward and his English exiles sailed, Charles published a proclamation forbidding his subjects to aid him.]

[Footnote 32: _Letters_, iii., 4.]

[Footnote 33: _See_ Gachard, _etudes et Notices historiques concernant l'histoire des Pays-Bas,_ ii., 343, en approuvant et emologant toutes les choses deseurdittes et chascune d'icelles et a fin que plus grant foy soit adjoustee a tout ce que cy desus est escript, avant signe ce present instrument de nostre propre main et le fait sceller de nostre seau en signe de verite, l'an et jour desusdit. [This in French, the body in Latin.]

"CHARLES."]

CHAPTER XV

NEGOTIATIONS AND TREACHERY

1471

All work had ceased at Paris for three days by the king's command, while praise was chanted to G.o.d, to the Virgin, and to all saints male and female, for the victory won by Henry of Lancaster, in 1470, over the base usurper Edward de la Marche. From Amboise, Louis made a special pilgrimage to Notre Dame de Celles at Poitiers to breathe in pious solitude his own prayers of thanksgiving for the happy event.

The battle of Tewkesbury stemmed the course of this abundant stream of grat.i.tude, and there were other thanksgivings.[1]

In the spring of 1471, Edward IV. was dating complacent letters from Canterbury to his good friends at Bruges,[2] acknowledging their valuable a.s.sistance to his brother Charles,[3] recognising his part in restoring Britain's rightful sovereign to his throne. To his sister, the d.u.c.h.ess of Burgundy, the returned exile gave substantial proof of his grat.i.tude in the shape of privileges in wool manufacture and trade.[4]

Like one of the alternating figures in a Swiss weather vane the King of England had swung out into the open, pointing triumphantly to fair weather over his head, while Louis was forced back into solitary impotence. He seemed singularly isolated. His English friends were gone, his n.o.bles were again forming a hostile camp around Charles of France, now Duke of Guienne, who had forgotten his late protestations of fraternal devotion, and there were many indications that the Anglo-Burgundian alliance might prove as serious a peril to France as it had in times gone by but not wholly forgotten.

The two most important of the disputed towns on the Somme were, however, in Louis's possession, and Charles of Burgundy, ready to reduce Amiens by siege on March 10, 1471, consented to stay his proceedings by striking a truce which was renewed in July. This afforded a valuable respite to the king, and he busied himself in energetic efforts to detach his brother from the group of malcontents.

Various disquieting rumours about the prince's marriage projects caused his royal brother deep anxiety, and induced him to despatch a special envoy to Guienne. To that envoy Louis wrote as follows[5]:

"MONSEIGNEUR DU BOUCHAGE:

"Guiot du Chesney[6] has brought me despatches from Monsg. de Guienne and Mons. de Lescun and has, further, mentioned three points to me: First, in behalf of Mme. de Savoy,[7] ... second, in regard to M. d'Urse ... third, touching the mission of Mons. de Lescun to marry Monsg. of Guienne to the daughter of Monsg. de Foix.... The Urse matter I will leave to you, and will agree to what you determine upon. On the spot you will be a better judge of what I ought to say and what would be advantageous to me, than I can here.

"In regard to the third point, the Foix marriage, you know what a misfortune it would be to me. Use all your five senses to prevent it. I am told that my brother does not really like the idea, and it has occurred to me that Mons. de Lescun has brought him to consent in order to further the marriage of the d.u.c.h.ess,[8] so that in taking the sister, the duke will be relieved of this sum, a condition that would please him greatly because he has nothing to pay it with. I would prefer to pay both it and all the accompanying claims and then be through with it. In effect, I beg you make him agree to another [bride] before you leave, and do not be in any hurry to come to me. If this Aragon affair[9] can be arranged you will place me in Paradise.

"_Item._ I have thought that Monsg. de Foix would not approve this Aragon girl, because he himself has some hopes of the kingdom of Aragon through his wife. If Monsg. of Guienne were advised of this, I believe it would help along our case.

"_Item._ It seems to me that you have a splendid opportunity to be very frank with my brother. For he has informed me through this man that the duke [of Brittany] has paid no attention to the representations made him in my behalf, through Corguilleray, and since my brother himself confides this to me, you have an opportunity to a.s.sure him that I thank him, and that I never cherish him so highly as when he tells me the truth, and that I now recognise that he does not desire to deceive me, since he does not spare the duke [of Brittany] and that, since he sees him opposed to me, he should return the seal that you know of and refuse to take his sister [Eleanor de Foix, the sister of the d.u.c.h.ess of Brittany], or to enter into any other league.

"If he will choose a wife quite above suspicion, as long as I live I will harbour no misgiving of him and he shall be as puissant in all the realm of France as I myself, as long as I live. In short, Mons. du Bouchage my friend, if you can gain this point, you will place me in Paradise. Stay where you are until Monseigneur de Lescun has arrived, and a good piece afterwards, even if you have to play the invalid, and before you depart put our affair in surety if you can, I implore you. And may G.o.d, Monseigneur du Bouchage my friend, to whom I pray, and may Nostre Dame de Behuart aid your negotiations. The women[10] of Mme. de Burgundy have all been ill with the _mal chault,_ and it is reported that the daughter is seriously afflicted and bloated. Some say that she is already dead. I am not sure of the death but I am quite certain of the malady.

"Written at Lannoy, Aug. 18th.