and to make out unto our said cousin of Charolois good and authentic instruments of consent and ratification in the presence of the Estates of our said countries and territories, to last during our life and the lives of our heirs, successors, &c., for ever. In witness whereof we have affixed our seal to

these presents.

Done at Estampes, July the 24th, in the year of our Lord 1465. Signed FRANCIS, with a flourish. Upon the fold was written, "by the Duke's command," and signed MILET, with a flourish.

CHAP. VI.

The Count of Charolois and his Allies with their Army pass the Scine upon a Bridge of Boats; after which, being joined by the Forces of John, Duke of Calabria, they invest Paris.-1465.

THESE great lords, according to the resolution that had been taken in the council of war, left Estampes, where they had remained a few days, and marched to St. Mathurin de Larchant and Moret in Gastinois *, in which two villages the Duke of Berry and his Bretons were quartered but the Count of Charolois and his men encamped in a large meadow on the banks of the Seine, and had proclaimed in his army that every horseman should bring a hook with him to fasten his horse; he also caused seven or eight small boats to be brought upon carts, with several pipe-staves, in order to lay a bridge over the Seine, there being no other way of passing it. The Count of Dunois (who was unable to get on horseback by reason of the gout) attended him in his litter, and had his colours carried after him. When they came to the river, they placed the boats which they had brought together, and got over into a little island in the midst of the river, and some of our archers landed and attacked a party of horse on the other side, who were posted there to secure that pass, under the command of the Marshal Joachim and Sallezard †. They were posted in a place very disadvan

"On Thursday, the 1st of August, the Count of Charolois encamped at Saint-Mathurin de l'Archamp, where he remained till the 5th, when he transferred his quarters to Moret." Lenglet, vol. ii. p. 184.

↑ John de Salazar, a native of Spain, knight, chamberlain and coun

tageous for their horse. for it was steep and thick-set with vines; and the Burgundians had a fine train of artillery, under the command of one Monsieur Gerault, a very famous engineer, who had been previously on the king's side, but was taken prisoner at the battle of Montlhery. In short, the enemy were obliged to abandon their post, and retire to Paris. The very same night, a bridge was laid quite to the island, where the Count of Charolois immediately ordered his own tent to be pitched, in which he lay that night, under a guard of fifty men-at-arms of his household troops. At break of day, a large number of coopers were set to work to make pipe-staves of clap-boards, which had been brought over into the island; and before noon the bridge from the island to the other side of the river being finished, the count passed over it immediately, ordered his tents to be pitched (of which he had abundance), and then passing over all his army and artillery, he encamped with it on the brow of a hill towards the river, from whence his host made a fine appearance to those who still remained behind.

The passing over of the count's forces took up all that day; but the next morning, by break of day, the Dukes of Berry and Bretagne advanced with their army to the bridge, which they thought very speedily and commodiously built; and having passed over it, they encamped also upon the hill.* As soon as it grew dark, we began to perceive a number of fires at as far a distance as we could well discern. Some were of opinion that it was the king; but before midnight we were assured it was John, Duke of Calabria† (only son of René, King of Sicily) with about 900 men-atarms from the duchy and county of Burgundy. He had a good body of horse, but of foot he had few or none. Howcillor of the king, captain of a hundred lances of his own raising, and Lord of Montagne, Saint-Just, Marcilly, Laz, Lonsac, and Issodun, married Margaret de la Tremoille, Lady of Saint-Fargeau, on the 31st of October, 1441; became a widower, by her death, on the 18th of December, 1457; and died at Troyes on the 12th of November, 1479. * "The Dukes of Berry and Bretagne and most of the lords lodged at Nemours." Oliver de la Marche, vol. ii. p. 243.

† John of Anjou, Duke of Calabria, son of René, King of Sicily, and Isabella of Lorraine, was born on the 2nd of August, 1424; married Mary, daughter of Charles I., Duke of Bourbon; died at Barcelona, on Sunday, the 16th of December, 1470, and was buried in the cathedral eburch of that city.

ever, though their number was small, I never saw a finer company, or men who seemed better inured to the exercises of war. He had with him about six score men in complete armour, Italians and others, brought up in the wars in Italy, among whom were James Galiot*, the Count of Campobachet, the Lord of Baudricourt (now Governor of Burgundy), and several others. These men-at-arms were all very dexterous and ready, and, to speak impartially, the very flower of our army, at least compared with an equal number of the others. He had also, besides these troops, 400 cross-bow men (whom the Count Palatine § had furnished), all well mounted, and brave soldiers, and with them 500 Swiss infantry, the first that were ever seen in this kingdom, who behaved themselves with so much courage and bravery in all the actions they were employed in, as have gained reputation for all their countrymen that have succeeded them. The next morning this gallant army drew nearer, and passed over our bridge; so that one might venture to say, the whole power of France (except what was with the king) passed over that bridge. This I can affirm, the number of persons of quality and officers was so great, and the whole army was in such complete order, and made such a fine appearance, that I could have wished that both the friends and enemies of the kingdom had been there to

* Jacques Galiot died on the 28th of July, 1488, at the battle of SaintAubin du Cormier, according to Molinet, who calls him "a Neapolitan." Previous editors have erroneously confounded him with Jacques Ricard de Genouillac, surnamed Galiot.

† Nicolas de Montfort, Count of Campobasso, leader of Italian menof-war, as he signs himself in a document quoted by Godefroy. He was also one of the chamberlains of Charles, Duke of Burgundy; and claimed kindred with the Duke of Bretagne.

John, Lord of Baudricourt, councillor and chamberlain of Louis XI., King of France, and Marshal of France under Charles VIII., was the son of Robert, Lord of Baudricourt, and Alearde de Chambley. He sided with the Duke of Burgundy in the war of the Public Good; but the king, having gained him over to his party, made him Governor of Burgundy by letters patent, dated the 18th of March, 1480: he died on the 11th of May, 1499.

§ Frederic I., surnamed the Victorious, Governor of the Electorate during the minority of his nephew Philip, obtained from the Estates of the Palatinate permission to retain the electorate during his lifetime. He was the son of Louis III. and Matilda of Savoy. He was born on the 1st of August, 1425; and died on the 12th of December, 1476.

have seen us: for, by that means, the former would have had a just value and esteem for the kingdom, and the latter would for ever after have more dreaded its power. The chief of the Burgundian officers were the Lord of Neufchastel, Marshal of Burgundy, with his brother the Lord of Montagu, the Marquis of Rottelin, and a great number of knights and squires, some of whom had been in Bourbonnois, as I said before; and, to come to us with more security, all had joined with the Duke of Calabria, who appeared to be a brave prince, and as great a commander as any in the army, upon which account a great friendship arose between the Count of Charolois and him.

When the whole army had passed (which, in my judg ment, was little less than 100,000 horse, one with another) the princes resolved to present themselves before Paris, and joined all their vanguards together. The Burgundian van was led by the Count of St. Paul; the Duke of Berry's and the Duke of Bretagne's by Oudet de Rye*, and (as I think) the Marshal of Loheac: in this order they marched. The princes themselves were all in the main battle; the Count of Charolois and the Duke of Calabria rode up and down in full armour, and took abundance of pains to keep their battalions in order, and showed great readiness to do their duties; but the Dukes of Berry and Bretagne were at their ease, mounted on little hackneys, armed only with very light brigandines, or, as some said, with gilt nails sewn upon satin, that they might weigh the less; but I cannot positively affirm this. In this order the whole army marched to the bridge of Charenton, within two short leagues of Paris, where we attacked and routed an inconsiderable body of frank-archers that were posted on the bridge; after which the whole army marched over it, and the Count of Charolois encamped (between that bridge and

* Odet d'Aydie, Lord of Lescun, was the son of John d'Aydie, a gentleman of Gascony. He married Marie de Béarn, daughter of Mathieu de Béarn, Lord of Lescun. Louis XI., having gained him over to his side, made him his councillor and chamberlain, gave him the office of Admiral of France, and created him Count of Comminges in 1472. After the death of Louis, Odet d'Aydie joined the party of the Duke of Orleans, in consequence of which he was deprived of his admiralty. He died before the 25th of August, 1498, at more than seventy years of age

a house at Conflans*) all along the river, enclosing a large compass of ground with his waggons and train of artillery, and drawing his whole army into it; and with him the Duke of Calabria took up his quarters. The Dukes of Berry and Bretagne were posted with a strong party of their men at St. Maur-des-Fossez; the rest of the army was sent to St. Denis, also about two leagues from Paris, in which quarters the whole army lay for eleven weeks, during which time those things occurred of which I shall speak hereafter.

The next morning a little skirmishing began at the very gates of Paris; in which place were the Lord of Nantoillet, High Steward of France (who, as I have elsewhere observed, did good service to the king), and the Marshal Joachim. The people were in a great consternation, but many of the citizens seemed inclinable to admit the Burgundians and the other lords into Paris; believing (in their judgments) that their enterprise was for the benefit and advantage of the kingdom. There were others who declared openly for the X Burgundians, hoping, by advancing their interest, to arrive at some good office or preferment, which, in that city, are more coveted than in any other part of the world besides; for every man makes his employment worth as much as he can, and not as much as he ought; so that there are some offices, with no salary at all belonging to them, which are sold for 800 crowns; and others, whose wages are very small, are sold for more than the salary could amount to in fifteen years; from whence it happens that seldom any man is put out of his place, and the court of parliament maintains this privilege, and rightly; but it interferes with almost all things else. Among the counsellors there is always a great number of honest and able persons, as well as some very ill-conditioned individuals; but it is so in all conditions of society.

"On Tuesday, 20th August, he encamped at Conflans, where he remained until the end of the month of October." Lenglet, vol. ii p. 184.