The historie of Philip de Commines Knight, Lord of Argenton

How the towne of Nuz was succoured by the Emperor and the Almains against the Duke of Burgundy, and of other enimies that the King procured the Duke. Chap. 2.

THe Duke of Burgundy as you haue heard, was now busied be∣fore Nuz, and found the enterprise of more difficulty than he supposed. The city of Coulon situate vpon the riuer of Rhene, fower leagues aboue Nuz, spent monethly ¹ in the wars 100000. golde gildons for feare of the Duke. And they and certaine other townes aboue them had already put fifteene or sixteene thousand footemen into the fielde, who encamped on the other side of the riuer, directly ouer against the Duke, and planted great force of artillery vpon the banke, thinking thereby to cut off his victuals that came vp the streame out of Guelderland, and to sinke the botes by canon shot. Moreouer, the Emperor and the Princes Electors of the Empire assembled togither about this busines, and con∣cluded to leuy an army: wherunto the King sent diuers messengers to sollicite them, to whom also they sent a Chanon of Coulon, of the house of Bauiere, accompanied with another ambassador, who brought him a roll of the army the Emperor was resolued to leuy, if he for his part would ioine in the enterprise. It is not to be doubted but that they receiued a good answer with promise of all they demanded: further, the King assured by letters as well the Emperor as diuers Princes and townes, that so soon as the Emperor with his army should be come to Coulon, he would send twen∣ty thousand men to ioin with him, vnder the leading of the Lord of Cran and Salle∣zarde. Thus this Dutch army prepared to march, being greater than is almost cre∣dible ² : for all the Princes of Almaine as well spirituall as temporall, all the Bishops, townes, and commonalties had men there, yea, so great numbers euery one of them, that (as I was informed) the Bishop of Munster, who is none of the richest Bi∣shops, had in this army sixe thousand footemen, fourteene hundred horsemen, and twelue hundred waggons all couered with greene: true it is that his Bishoprick lieth neere to Nuz ³ . The Emperor was seuen moneths in leuying this army: which time expired, he came and encamped within halfe a league of the Duke of Burgundy: by diuers of whose men I haue beene aduertised, that though the King of Englands ar∣my and the Dukes had beene ioined both togither, yet should they not haue beene the third part of the Emperors, neither in men nor in tents and pauilions. Besides

the Emperors force was also this other army aboue mentioned, which lay directly ouer against the Duke on the other side of the riuer, and endamaged greatly his campe, and cut off much of his victuals.

When the Emperor and the Princes of the Empire were come before Nuz, they sent to the King a Doctor of great authoritie with them called He seuare, afterward a Cardinall, who came to sollicite the King to performe his promise, and send the forces whereof he had assured the Emperor by letters, otherwise to tell him that the Almaines would conclude peace.

The King put him in good hope that he would so do, and gaue him a present of fower hundred crownes, and sent with him to the Emperor one called Iohn Tiercelin Lord of Brosse: notwithstanding the Doctor departed nothing well contented. Du∣ring this siege maruellous practises were entertained. The King trauelled to con∣clude peace with the Duke of Burgundie, at the least to prolong the truce, to the end the English men should not passe the seas. The King of England on the other side labored to the vttermost of his power to perswade the Duke to depart from Nuz, and performe his promise by aiding him to make war in Fraunce, alleaging that the sommer was far spent. And the Lord of Scalles a curteous Knight, nephew to the Constable of Fraunce, with diuers others, was twise sent ambassador to the Duke to sollicite him thereunto: but he was obstinate. Whereby it manifestly appeered, that God had troubled his wits and vnderstanding: for all his life time he had labored the English men to passe into Fraunce, and now when they were in a readines, and all things prepared for the wars as well in Britaine as elsewhere, he lay obstinately before a place impregnable. With the Emperor was a legate sent from the Pope, who rode daily betweene the two camps to treate of peace. The King of Denmarke came also thither, and trauelled to pacifie this controuersie, being lodged in a little towne hard by both the armies: so that the Duke might haue departed to the English men with honorable conditions. Notwithstanding he would not, but excused him∣selfe to the King of England vpon his honor, which he said should be stained if he leuied his siege, with diuers such like slender excuses. Heere you must note, that these were not those English men that in the time of Duke Philip his father had made war so long in this realme, but these were yoong soldiers vtterly vnacquainted with our French affaires. Wherefore the Duke proceeded very fondly if he meant to vse their helpe: for he should the first sommer haue been continually with them, leading them from place to place, and instructing them what was to be done.

While the Duke lay thus obstinately before Nuz, war arose against him on two or three sides: for the Duke of Lorraine, who hitherto had been in peace with him, sent to defie him before Nuz, by the Lord of Crans perswasion, who to further the Kings affaires allured the Duke of Lorraine thereunto, assuring him that it would turne greatly to his profit. Incontinent the said Duke of Lorraine put himselfe into the field, and spoiled all the Duchie of Luxembourg, and razed a place there called Pierre-forte, two leagues from Nancy. Further, by the Kings procurement and cer∣taine of his seruants, a league was made for ten yeeres betweene the Swissers and certaine townes vpon the riuer of Rhene ⁴ (namely, Basill, Strasbourg, and others) which before had beene their enimies. Peace was also concluded betweene Duke Sigismond of Austrich and the said Swissers, the conditions whereof were, that Duke Sigismond should take againe the countie of Ferrette ⁵ , which he had engaged to the Duke of Burgundie for a 100000. florens. But this one article remained yet in variance betweene Duke Sigismond and them: namely, that the Swissers required passage through fower townes of the countie of Ferrette ⁶ at their pleasure: which

controuersie was referred to the Kings arbitrament, who pronounced sentence for the Swissers. Heereby you may perceiue what enimies the King stirred vp couertly against the Duke of Burgundie.

As the matter was concluded, so also was it executed: for in a faire moone shine night Peter Archambaut ⁷ gouernor of the countie of Ferrette for the Duke of Bur∣gundie, was taken prisoner, accompanied with eight hundred soldiers, who were all dismissed safe and sound saue himselfe alone, whom they led to Basill ⁸ , and there en∣dited of diuers extortions and outrages committed in the said countie of Ferrette, and in the end strake off his head. Immediately after his death all the countie of Ferrette yeelded to Duke Sigismond, and the Swissers began to make war in Bur∣gundie, and tooke Blasmond a towne being the Marshals of Burgundie, who was of the house of Neuf-chastell, and besieged the castell of Hericourt, belonging also to the said house of Neuf-chastel, whither the Burgundians went to leuie the siege, but were discomfited ⁹ , and a great number slaine. The said Swissers maruellously enda∣maged the countrie, and then returned home for that time.

The Notes.

1 The citie of Coulon tooke part with the Chapter against the D. of Burgundies Bishop.

2 The Emperor had in pay in this armie 80000. men.

3 But his Bishoprick is on the other side the riuer of Rhene.

4 These townes were Strasbourg, Slecstat, Basill, Colmar, &c.

5 Ferrette in Dutch Pfirt.

6 The townes the Swissers desired passage through were Reinfeld, Loufenberg, Neu∣stat, and Brissac.

7 Others call him Peter Hagenbach, but the variance ariseth bicause one nameth him by his surname, the other by his seigniorie: for he was called Peter Archambaut of Ha∣genbach.

8 Others write that he was beheadded at Brisac a towne neere to Basill.

9 The Lord of Blasmond led this armie, and in this battell the Burgundians lost 2000. men. Annal. Burgund.