consisting of John de Batute, the Count's chief counsellor, and nineteen other persons; and on the 20th of that month Sir Robert Roos, Knight, Thomas Beck marino; Anthony de Caylario, Lord Daubays; Oddo de Lomanha, lord of Funarch and of Corrensam; Berand de Fendoams, lord of Barbazan; Bernard de Ripparia, lord de Labatut, seneschal of Armagnac; Guillaume de Begis, lord of Montalto; Gerald de Ripparia, lord of Reberia; Rigald de Cayraco, alias de Thensaco; Bertrand de la Barca, abbot of Simon; the lords John Berry and Bertrand de Bulhea, licentiate, judges in the law, with fifty persons in their suite, all of whom we take into our secure and safe custody, in coming into our kingdom of England, through the dominions, territories, districts, jurisdictions, and other places in our allegiance, together or apart, on horse or on foot, armed or unarmed, by land sea, and water, [i. e. river] with horses, harness, gold, silver, jewels, vessels, furniture, bedding, budgets, baggages, parcels, and all other articles and goods whatsoever lawfully theirs; also in staying, lodging, and thence lawfully, peaceably, and quietly returning to their own country without any hindrance, disturbance, or arrest, or opening of their beds, budgets, baggages, parcels, and harness of whatever kind. 37 And we therefore command you, &c.; not doing, &c.; and if any, &c. Provided always that the aforesaid John, Hugh, Bego, John, Poncet, Berengar, John, John, John, Piers, Anthony, Oddo, Berand, Bernard Guillaume, Gerald, Rigalt, Bertrand, John and Bertrand, and other persons aforesaid, and every of them, conduct themselves in a proper and becoming manner towards us and our people; and attempt not, nor cause in any wise to be attempted, any thing in contempt of us, or to the prejudice or injury of our said people; and that neither they, nor any of them, in any wise enter any of our cities, castles, fortified towns, or fortresses, without first showing our present letters of safe conduct to the mayors, captains, governors, or wardens of the same. Whereof, &c. given for one year. the 13th day of May.-BY THE KING." Witness the king at Westminster, "the Count not only promised 1 Hall says, that with his daughter silver hills and golden mountains, but also would be bound to deliver into the King of England's hands all such castles and towns as he or his ancestors detained from him within the whole duchy of Acquitain or Guienne, either by conquest of his progenitors, or by gift or delivery of any ington, the King's secretary, and Edward Hull, Esq. were appointed to treat with the Count; when instructions, of which the following is a translation, were given to them 66 BY THE KING. "The King, to all the faithful in Christ, to whom these shall come, greeting. "The God and Creator of all things, who hath made man superior to the fowls of heaven, the fishes of the sea, and all living creatures on the earth, hath declared solitude not to be good for him. On this account in first instituting the sacred ordinance of marriage, he made one like to him for a helper, that by the union of the two, under the bond of so sacred an engagement, a legitimate origin might be given to posterity, and a continuance of the species by their offspring, to the great increase of virtue in all future times. Instructed, therefore, by the example of this divine institution, and pondering, not only on the inconveniences of solitude, but also on the great advantages, besides the blessing of offspring which would result to the common weal of our kingdoms by our marriage; as the extinction of wars, and the strengthening of friendship among loving princes, for by such means tranquillity is often produced among discordant minds, We have conceived a strong desire, under the divine favour, to add to the prosperity of the common weal of the faithful, and especially our own, French king; offering farther to aid the same king with money for the recovery of other cities, within the said duchy from him and his ancestors by the French king's progenitors the Lord de Albreth, and other Lords of Gascoyn, unjustly kept and wrongfully withdrawn."-Ed. 1809, pp. 202-3. by living under the laws of so holy a sacrament; and whereas it is testified not only by common report, but also by persons of the highest credit, that the daughters (to us most dear and beloved) of our dearest cousin, the Count of Armagnac, are pre-eminent in splendid virtues, in comeliness of manners, as well as in the perfect gifts of nature, and nobility of birth, we desire one of them to be chosen in our name to the praise of God, and to be joined to us in marriage, in hope of obtaining the blessings above-mentioned. "To this end, in full reliance on the fidelity, legal knowledge, prudence, and circumspection of our faithful and heartily beloved servants, Robert Roos, Knight, Master Thomas Bekyngton, our Secretary, and Edward Hull, Esquire, and each of them, to discharge the following commission, viz. to choose, in our name, one of the said daughters, and to contract espousals with her, by profession for the future, or marriage, by profession for the present, in whatever manner it may most conveniently and orderly be done; and to agree in our name on the spousal gifts to be made, if she be a spouse, or of the marriage ones, if she be a wife; and to receive and accept from her the nuptial profession of espousal, or of marriage, for the present, and of consent to our suit, which she will render in return. "Moreover to treat with the proxies, parents, and friends of the [lady] elect, upon the dower, dowery, nuptial gifts, and the weds to be given and agreed upon in this case, and the quality and quantity of each of them; also of the terms, places, and mode of the payment and fulfilment of the same; and also to covenant and agree what time she ought to be sustained at the expense of her parents and friends, and to what place and when, and at whose expense, and in what manner the aforesaid [lady] elect ought to be sent by her parents and friends; and in our name to confirm whatever shall thus be settled, covenanted, and agreed upon, so far as pertains to us, with all provisions for security that are honest and lawful; and in our name to ask, stipulate, and receive like security; and to swear on our soul that we will not revoke the contract, or the present delegation of our power; nor will do or procure any thing to be done, by which this contract or its due consummation shall be hindered, provided it shall be entered into in a lawful manner by the said proxies, or any of them; and also to seek due and efficient security from the parents and friends of the said [lady] elect, that she will in no wise deviate from such contract; and to do, perform, and expedite all other matters which shall be needful and opportune touching the said business, or which its aspect or nature may require, and which we shall do, or could do if we were personally present, even though they might require a special mandate. "[To these ends] We do make, ordain, create, and constitute by these presents, the aforesaid Robert, Thomas, and Edward, and each of them singly and collectively, our true, legitimate, and undoubted proxies, negotiators, and special envoys, and the organ of our voice in the afore-mentioned matters, and each of them; promising, on our royal word, that we will at all times hold as approved and ratified, whatever shall be acted, done, or procured by our aforesaid proxies, or any of them, in the afore-mentioned matters, and each of them; and we do expressly relieve by these presents those our proxies and envoys, and each of them, from all burthen of giving securities. "In testimony, and fuller faith of all and several of which things we have given these our letters patent, and confirmed them with our great seal appendant, Given at Westminster, the 28th day of May." These documents, and a very slight and erroneous notice of the transaction by Historians, and in various chronicles, are all which has been hitherto known on the subject; hence the Journal kept by one of Beckington's secretaries, which presents us not only with the whole correspondence, but with much information on the state of Guienne, and of every thing which occurred there from June 1442 to January 1443, becomes a valuable addition to the history both of this country and of France. At the period in question Jean the Fourth was Count of Armagnac: he married first in June 1407, Blanch, daughter of Jean V. Duke of Brittany; and secondly, about 1419, Isabel, daughter of Charles the Third, King of Navarre. By his second wife he had Jean, Viscount of Lomagne, who is often mentioned in the Journal; Charles, Viscount of Fezenzac; and three daughters, Mary, Eleanor, and Isabel, neither of whom, in 1442, could have been above twenty-two years of age. 1 Fœdera, tome xi. p. 7. 2 L'Art de Verifier les Dates, vol. ii. p. 277. |