Volume 1

The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet / containing an account of the cruel civil wars between the houses of Orleans and Burgundy; of the possession of Paris and Normandy by the English; their expulsion thence; and of other memorable events that happened in the kingdom of France, as well as in other countries ... Beginning at the year MCCCC, where that of Sir John Froissart finishes, and ending at the year MCCCCLXVII, and continued by others [J. du Clercq? and P. Desrey] to the year MDXVI. Translated by Thomas Johnes.

  • Enguerrand de Monstrelet
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet / containing an account of the cruel civil wars between the houses of Orleans and Burgundy; of the possession of Paris and Normandy by the English; their expulsion thence; and of other memorable events that happened in the kingdom of France, as well as in other countries ... Beginning at the year MCCCC, where that of Sir John Froissart finishes, and ending at the year MCCCCLXVII, and continued by others [J. du Clercq? and P. Desrey] to the year MDXVI. Translated by Thomas Johnes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    lord de Graville had been wounded. The English, finding that fortune was against them, began to retreat toward the quarters of the earl of Warwick ; but crossing a bridge in haste, and too many at once, it broke down with their weight, and great numbers lost their lives. Add to this, that the garrison made a well-timed sally to assist their friends, and killed great numbers and made many prisoners. In the mean time, the earl of Warwick assembled his men around him as speedily as he could ; but when he perceived the greatness of his loss, for from one thousand to fifteen hundred had been slain, drowned, or taken, he formed his men in order of battle, and thus retreated to a small eminence, covered with vineyards, above his quarters. The French, who had fought hard and were fatigued, entered Montargis. When night came on, the English collected their men together, the greater part of whom were now on foot, and retreated to castle Landonin Nemours, and to other places under their dominion. The French remained in Montargis, making good and hearty cheer, being rejoiced that with the aid of God they had accomplished the purpose they had been sent on. They afterward returned to king Charles of France, who received them most graciously. In this year, duke John of Brabant, after a very severe illness, departed this life in his castle of Leneure*, repeating most devoutly, “ Miserere mei, Deus,” &c. He was buried in the chapel of this castle, near to the body of his father. On his decease, his brother Philip count de Ligny and de St. Pol took possession of all his territories. Thus was the duchess Jacqueline deprived of her two husbands,—for, as I have before said, the duke of Gloucester had married another woman, and the duke of Brabant was dead. During the life of the duke of Brabant, a person named John Chevalier had engaged, at the request as it was said of the countess-dowager of Hainault, to put an iron collar round the duke’s neck, for which this chevalier was arrested at Brussels and beheaded. At the same time, the fortress of Escandeur, near to Cambray, was put into the hands of sir John de Luxembourg, with the consent of the duke of Burgundy, and was the cause wdiy sir Louis, bastard brother to the duchess Jacqueline, to whom it had belonged, carried war and tribulation through that country in fighting the battles of his sister, but he lost his inheritance for so doing. In these days a terrible combat took place near to Mont St. Michel, between the English who had possession of Mont de Hellemt on the one side, and the French and Bretons on the other; but in the end the French were victorious, having killed or put to flight the English and consequently gained the castle. CHAPTER XLII. THE CASTLE OF MALMAISON, BELONGING TO THE BISHOP OF CAMBRAY, IS TAKEN BY SIR JOHN BLONDEL. OTHER EVENTS. [a.d. 1427.7 In the beginning of this year, the fortress of Malmaison, situated two leagues from the castle of Cambresis, belonging to Jean de Lens, lord of Lieequerque and bishop of Camhray, in right of his bishopric, was surprised by sir John Blondel of king Charles’s party, accompanied by a few men. The governor for the bishop was a fair esquire, called Walter de Baillon, whom they caught in bed. Sir John Blondel, having traversed the ditches, though full of water, scaled the walls by means of ladders, and entering the lower court, seized the guard, and his troops posted themselves in ambuscade near the bridge of the dungeon. In the morning, when the porter lowered the drawbridge, they rushed upon him with drawn swords, and put him to death; after which, they entered without further opposition, although it was the strongest of all the forts in that country. The adjacent parts were greatly alarmed at this conquest, even those within the castle of Cambresis ; and the bishop of Cambray, being then there, was much surprised how and by * Leneure. The annotations at the beginning of the volume, French edition, suppose it to be Geneppe or Gueneppe, a summer residence of the dukes of Brabant, whither Louis XI. when dauphin, fled to, and resided at during his stay in Brabant. [Buchon, in his recent edi- tion, substitutes Genappe for Leneure, hut without any comment.—Ed.] T Mont de Hellem must be Tombelaine (probably a corruption of Tombe d'Helene), a small rock near to Mont St. Michel.