CHAP. XXXII.
AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF THE DUKE OF GLOCESTER, A WAR TAKES PLACE IN HAINAULT.—THE DUCHESS JACQUILINE WRITES TO THE DUKE OF GLOCESTER FOR ASSISTANCE.—THE CONTENTS OF HER LETTER.
NOT long after the duke of Glocester had left Hainault, the men at arms of duke John of Brabant and the Picards began an open and severe warfare against the towns in that country under obedience to the duke of Glocester, as well as on those belonging to the lords of his party, by which the inhabitants were sorely oppressed and the country ruined.
To remedy these evils, the countess dowager of Hainault had many conferences with the duke of Burgundy, her nephew, and with the ambassadors from the duke of Brabant at Douay, Lille and Oudenarde, when it was concluded that Hainault should be restored to the government of the duke of Brabant, who was to promise a general amnesty to the inhabitants. The duchess Jacquiline was also to be put under the wardship of the duke of Burgundy, who was to receive a certain sum of money for her establishment, and she was to remain under his guard until the suit pending at the court of Rome should be determined.
While this treaty was negotiating, many of the principal towns revolted from their lady, and placed themselves under the obedience of the dukes of Burgundy and of Brabant, namely, Valenciennes, Condê, Bouchain and some others, so that there remained to her scarcely more than the bare town of Mons, which was nearly blockaded by her enemies, and very small quantities of provision permitted to be carried into the town.
The inhabitants, seeing themselves in great danger, were much exasperated against their lady, and told her plainly, that if she did not make peace, they would deliver her into the hands of the duke of Brabant: at the same time, they imprisoned many of her attendants, some of whom they judicially put to death, as shall be hereafter told.
The duchess Jacquiline, greatly alarmed at this sudden change, and fearing the worst, from what she had witnessed, and from what she had heard from her lady mother, namely, that she was to be put under the wardship of the duke of Burgundy, and carried to Flanders, sent letters in haste, describing her situation, to the duke of Glocester; but these letters were intercepted, and carried to the duke of Burgundy. Their contents were as follow.
'My very dear and redoubted lord and father, in the most humble of manners in this world, I recommend myself to your kind favour. May it please you to know, my very redoubted lord and father, that I address myself to your glorious power, as the most doleful, most ruined, and most treacherously-deceived woman living; for, my very dear lord, on Sunday the 13th of this present month of June, the deputies of your town of Mons returned, and brought with them a treaty that had been agreed on between our fair cousin of Burgundy and our fair cousin of Brabant, which treaty had been made in the absence, and without the knowledge of my mother, as she herself signifies to me, and confirmed by her chaplain master Gerard le Grand.
'My mother, most redoubted lord, has written to me letters, certifying the above treaty having been made; but that, in regard to it, she knew not how to advise me, for that she was herself doubtful how to act. She desired me, however, to call an assembly of the principal burghers of Mons, and learn from them what aid and advice they were willing to give me.
'Upon this, my sweet lord and father, I went on the morrow to the town house, and remonstrated with them, that it had been at their request and earnest entreaties that you had left me under their safeguard, and on their oaths that they would be true and loyal subjects, and take especial care of me, so that they should be enabled to give you good accounts on your return,—and these oaths had been taken on the holy sacrament at the altar, and on the sacred evangelists.
'To this my harangue, my dear and honoured lord, they simply replied that they were not sufficiently strong within the town to defend and guard me; and instantaneously they rose in tumult, saying that my people wanted to murder them; and, my sweet lord, they carried matters so far that, in despite of me, they arrested one of your sergeants, called Maquart, whom they immediately beheaded, and hanged very many who were of your party, and strongly attached to your interest, such as Bardoul de la Porte, his brother Colart, Gilet de la Porte, Jean du Bois, Guillaume de Leur, Sanson your sergeant, Pierre, Baron, Sandart, Dandre and others, to the number of two hundred and fifty of your adherents.
'They also wished to seize sir Baldwin the treasurer, sir Louis de Montfort, Haulnere, Jean Fresne and Estienne d'Estre; but though they did not succeed, I know not what they intend doing,—for my very dear lord, they plainly told me, that unless I make peace, they will deliver me into the hands of the duke of Brabant, and that I shall only remain eight days longer in their town, when I shall be forced to go into Flanders, which will be to me the most painful of events; for I very much fear that unless you shall hasten to free me from the hands I am now in, I shall never see you more.
'Alas! my most dear and redoubted father, my whole hope is in your power, seeing, my sweet lord and only delight, that all my sufferings arise from my love to you. I therefore entreat, in the most humble manner possible, and for the love of God, that you would be pleased to have compassion on me and on my affairs; for you must hasten to succour your most doleful creature, if you do not wish to lose her for ever. I have hopes that you will do as I beg, for, dear father, I have never behaved ill to you in my whole life, and so long as I shall live I will never do any thing to displease you, but I am ready to die for love of you and your noble person.
'Your government pleases me much, and by my faith, my very redoubted lord and prince, my sole consolation and hope, I beg you will consider, by the love of God and of my lord St George, the melancholy situation of myself and my affairs more maturely than you have hitherto done, for you seem entirely to have forgotten me.
'Nothing more do I know at present than that I ought sooner have sent sir Louis de Montfort to you; for he cannot longer remain here, although he attended me when all the rest deserted me; and he will tell you more particularly all that has happened than I can do in a letter. I entreat, therefore, that you will be a kind lord to him, and send me your good pleasure and commands, which I will most heartily obey. This is known to the blessed Son of God, whom I pray to grant you a long and happy life, and that I may have the great joy of seeing you soon.
'Written in the false and traitorous town of Mons, with a doleful heart, the 6th day of June.' The signature below was, 'Your sorrowful and well beloved daughter, suffering great grief by your commands,—your daughter de Quienebourg.'
With the above was found another of the following tenour:
'Very dear and well-beloved cousin I commend myself to you. May it please you to know, that at this present moment, I am grieved at heart from having been wickedly and falsely betrayed, and am so overwhelmed that I cannot write particulars; but if you will have the goodness to make enquiries from our very dear and redoubted lord, he will tell you more than you may wish to hear.
'I have nothing more to say, but that you retain in hand what you are possessed of, in case my dear lord should come. With regard to what you advise for me to cross the sea, it is now too late. Hasten as fast as you can, with the greatest force you can raise, to deliver me from the hands of the Flemings, for within eight days I shall be given up into their power.
'Very dear and beloved cousin, I pray God to give you a long and happy life. Written in this false and traitorous town of Mons, the 6th day of June. Jacquiline de Quienebourg.'
It appears by the above letters, that the duchess was much afraid of going to Flanders.
When the deputies of Mons were returned from their conference with the dukes of Burgundy and of Brabant, it was known that many things had been agreed on contrary to the interest of the countess-dowager of Hainault, and of the duchess Jacquiline her daughter. And on the 13th day of June, Jacqueline, having no means of resistance, departed from the town of Mons accompanied by the prince of Orange, and other lords commissioned for this purpose by the duke of Burgundy, who conducted her to the town of Ghent, where she was lodged in, the ducal palace, and had an establishment suitable to her rank.
Duke John of Brabant, according to the treaty, took on him the government of Hainault, whence he ordered all the men at arms, and published a general amnesty for all that had passed.
Thus did the inhabitants of Mons deliver their lady and legal princess into the hands of the duke of Burgundy against her will, although they had, a short time before, promised and sworn to the duke of Glocester that they would guard and defend her against all who should attempt any way to hurt her.