The historie of Philip de Commines Knight, Lord of Argenton

The Notes.

1 It is requisite that I should here set downe the particular quarrell that euery one of these princes had to the King, some are mentioned by our author, and others in other au∣thors. The D. of Berries quarell was for a larger partage. The Earle of Charaloys deman∣ded the restitution of the territories vpon the riuer of Somme. The D. of Britaine had cause to be offended and afearde, because the King had picked a quarell to him by deman∣ding of him three things, neuer before demanded of any D. of Britaine: The first, that he should no more write in his stile Dei gratia Britanniae Dux: The second, that he should pay to the King a yeerly tribute: The third, that all the spirituall liuings in Britaine should be left to the Kings disposing. For these causes the D. of Britaine ioyned with the princes: the D. of Calabria had cause of offence, because being entred into Italy to reco∣uer the Realme of Naples, and the King hauing promised him aide: after the said D. of Calabria was ouerthrowne at Troia in Apulia: the King refused to send him the aide promised, so that he was forced vtterly to abandon his enterprise. The D. of Bourbon had maried the Kings sister, and could not get hir mariage monie: the Duke of Nemours, Earles of Dunois, Dalebret, and the rest of the noble men and gentlemen were against the King, some bicause they were put out of pension and office, many bicause the King sought to depriue them of the roialties they had in their seniories touching Hunting and Haw∣king, and sought to draw all to himselfe, but all in generall were offended because he contemned his nobility, and entertained none but men of base estate about him. Thus much I have set downe bicause it might otherwise seeme strange, that all these Princes should thus conspire against the King for zeale of the common wealth, if other particular greifes had not more mooued them than the misgouernment of the estate.

2 To the ende the reader finde it not strange that Rene is here called King of Sicily, sith the house of Arragon possessed the same Realme at that time: it is to be vnderstood that the race of the Normans (who about the yeere 1060. subdued Sicily, Calabria and Apulia: and about the yeere 1102. tooke vpon them the title of Kings of Sicily,) being extinct in Roger the last King of Sicily of that race about the yeere 1195. the said Realme fell to the issue of the Emperor Fridericus Barbarossa by the marriage of Constantia daughter to Roger the first King of Sicill, and aunt to Roger the last King of Sicill of this race, with Henry the said Barbarossas sonne, in which race it continuedtily Manfridus bastard sonne to Fridericus the Emperor, sonne to the aboue named Henry obteined the crowne of Sicill & Naples by dispossessing Conradinus his nephew the true heir therof. Against this Manfridus Pope Vrbanus the 4. called into Italie Charles of Amon bro∣ther to S. Lewis King of Fraunce who slew Manfridus in battell, and afterward execu∣ted also Conradinus the true heire of the crowne, being taken in battell, comming with

an armie to conquer the said realmes of Naples and Sicily as his true inheritance: and thus obteined this Charles of Aniou the crowne both of Naples and Sicily, till not long after by the comming of Peter king of Arragon, who had married Constantia daughter and heire to Manfridus: the Sicilians arose suddenly against the French, slew them all in one euening, and yeelded the Realme of Sicily to the saide Peter, whose posteritie euer sithens euen till this day haue continued in possession thereof. Notwithstanding the posteritie of Charles of Aniou held still the Realme of Naples with the title of the Realme of Sicily, till the time that the later Iane Queene of Naples, to fortifie hir selfe against Pope Vrbanus Sextus adopted Alfonse of Arragon, sonne to Ferrande King of Arragon, which Ferrandes mother named Elenor was daughter to King Peter: but af∣ter the saide Iane for displeasure conceiued against the saide Alfonse adopted secondari∣lie Lewis D. of Aniou, brother to Charles the 5. King of Fraunce, descended of the race of the first Charles King of Sicily, against whom and his sonne Lewis Alfonse long war∣red, and in the end after Queene Ianes death chased them both out of Italy, and left the Realmes of Arragon and Sicily to Iohn his brother: but the Realme of Naples to Fer∣rande his base sonne, with whom Rene heere mentioned (brother to Lewis the 2. of that name D. of Aniou and king of Sicily, and by him with Ianes consent adopted) long vvar∣red, but preuailed not: so that Rene had onely the title of Sicily and Naples by the adopti∣on aforesaid, but no possession thereof: for Sicily the kings of Arragon held euer since the conquest of Peter, and the realme of Naples Ferrande the bastard held of his fathers gift, from vvhose posterity hovv in the end after many alterations it fell to the house of Arragon that novv possesseth it, shall be set dovvne at large in the vvars of Naples made by King Charles the 8. vvho had the house of Anious title, vvhereof our author treateth in the 7. and 8. booke of this historie.

3 This force led by the Marshall of Burgundie vvas of 4000. men. Meyer.

4 This Oudet is he that acquainted the Duke of Berry vvith this confederacie, and conueighed him into Britaine. Meyer. La Marche.

5 Franck archers were these: King Charles the 7. in the yeere 1449. being destitute of footemen, appointed that euery threescore houses in his realme should arme a man, vvho in time of vvar receiued paie of the King, and vvere exempt from all subsidies and pay∣ments: for the which cause they vvere all called franck, that is free, but King Lewis the 11. anno 1480. abolished these franck archers and waged Switzers in their place.