Marriage of Richard II and Isabella of Valois

Life Charles VI by a Monk of St Denis [~1420]. [30th October 1396] Thus far awaited by the kings, Lady Isabelle, with a retinue of distinguished ladies adorned with golden and gem-studded garlands, also mounted on horses adorned with royal trappings, then arrived. If you had attended to their appearance, you would have undoubtedly said that it was the assembly of goddesses and a ritual long imagined renewed. To recount each detail that made the royal virgin conspicuous at that time would be long; but using brevity, it is hardly recalled in the memory of men to have seen in the annals of history any authority with such a rich flow of horses, chariots, and litters, and such a noble retinue of barons and knights soliciting the marriage of a foreign prince. Therefore, in royal attire, adorned with golden embroidered lilies and a golden diadem, while the kings, as previously mentioned, were exiting from their tents to celebrate mutual conversation near the aforementioned pallium; with trumpets and sweetly resonating musical instruments, she was led to her father's place. And no sooner had they arrived to honour her properly than the Duchess of Lancaster (age 45) and the Duchess of Gloucester (age 41) soon approached her. With them, also, the Dukes of Orléans, Bitturiae, and Burgundy were present, who, receiving her in their arms, honourably presented her to King Richard of England. When he had greeted her twice on bent knee, satisfied with this reverence, and leaving his seat, he gently embraced her with the kiss of peace in the presence of her father, who then directed a word to him: "Behold," he said, "my son, the daughter whom I had promised you; I leave her to you, asking that you henceforth love her as your own wife."

When he had willingly pledged this, having given a kiss to his father and parents with tears, he made her be led to Calais. Then, celebrating a solemn banquet for the King of France, he honoured him more courteously than usual; for he not only granted him the right-hand seat, but also had dishes brought in successively served during the meal, with counts of royal lineage being present, who, serving him honourably, offered bread and cups in royal fashion. Then the kings reclined alone; to whom, during the meal, the dukes of both parties were obedient, proceeding with all kinds of dishes. When this was completed, when the King of England had taken cups from the hand of the Duke of Lancaster (age 56), and the King of France from the hand of the Duke of Orléans, they offered each other the following gifts. A solid gold vessel, suitable for offering dishes, with a sumptuous necklace was granted by the father to the son; who, not being ungrateful to his father, presented another necklace. Following his example, the Duke of Lancaster gave one other to himself, exceeding in value what he had recently received as a gift from King John of France. When these matters were completed, when the kings had proceeded on horseback up to the pallium, and the King of England, receiving a diamond and a sapphire of immense value, had compensated for the gifts of his father with the two best right-hand men, then with mutual farewell spoken, they mixed kisses of peace, and thus each joyfully returned to their own.

Hucusque ab ipsis regibus expectata domina Ysabellis cum comitiva insignium dominarum in sertis aureis et gemmatis, equis eciam cultu regio faleratis insedencium, tunc advenit. Quarum si apparatum attendisses, olim fictum dearum contubernium et ritum dixisses procul dubio renovatum. Referre singula, que regiam virginem tunc reddiderunt conspicuam, longum esset; sed breviloquio utens, memoria hominum minime recolebat in annalibus vidisse hujus auctoritatis aliquam cum tanto divite fluxu equorum, curruum et lecticarum, tamque nobili comitiva baronum et militum extranei principis peciisse connubium. Cultu itaque regio, aureis contexto liliis, aureoque dyademate insignita, interim dum reges, modo quo superius dictum est, de tentoriis exeuntes, ad sepedictum pallum colloquium mutuum celebrarent; cum lituis et instrumentis musicis dulciter resonantibus ad locum paternum perducitur. Nec mora, ut eam honore debito prevenirent, Lencastrie et Glocestrie ducisse mox ad eam accesserunt. Cum duce eciam Aurelianensi Biturie et Burgundie duces affuerunt, qui eam in ulnis suscipientes ipsam regi Anglie Richardo honorifice obtulerunt. Quem cum bis flexis genibus salutasset, hac reverencia contentus, et sedem suam relinquens, eam cum pacis osculo dulciter amplexatus est in patris presencia, qui tunc ad eum verbum dirigens: "Ecce, inquit, filiam, fili mi, quam vobis promiseram, relinquo, rogans ut eam deinceps ut uxorem propriam diligatis."

Quod cum libenti animo spopondisset, cum patri et parentibus osculum cum lacrimis prebuisset, eam ad Calesium duci fecit. Tunc regi Francie celebrans solemne convivium, eum solito curialius honoravit; nam non solum sibi dexteram sedem concessit, sed et fercula allata successive ministrari durante prandio fecit, de genere regali adhibitis comitibus, qui sibi honorifice servientes, panem et pocula regio more offerrent. Soli tunc discubuerunt reges; quibus, durante prandio, duces utriusque partis obsequiosi fuerunt, omnia ferculorum genera precedendo. Quo peracto, cum rex Anglie de manu ducis Lencastrie, et rex Francie de manu ducis Aurelianensis pocula cum speciebus sumpsissent, hec sequencia munera sibi invicem obtulerunt. Vas quidem auri solidum, speciebus porrigendis aptum, cum sumptuoso monili pater filio concessit; qui nec ingratus existens patri monile aliud presentavit. Cujus exemplum dux Lencastrie sequutus, unum aliud sibi dedit in valore excedens quod a Johanne rege Francie dono nuper acceperat. Hiis peractis, cum reges equestres usque ad pallum processissent, et rex Anglie adamantem et saphirum ingentis valoris recipiens, et patris munera duobus dextrariis optimis compensasset, tunc cum mutuo vale dicto pacis oscula miscuerunt, et sic quisque letus ad propria remeavit.

Thomas Walsingham [~1422]. On Monday [30th October 1396] the King of France came to the tent of the King of England. At that time the Queen was brought to our King’s pavilion. The King of France gave her to our King; and our King took her by the hand and kissed her, giving thanks to her father, the King of France, for so noble and gracious a gift; declaring that he accepted her on the conditions made between them, so that through this alliance each king might live in peace and tranquility, and that they might come to a good end and conclusion of a perpetual peace to be made between the realms, and lest Christian blood be shed, the shedding of which might very likely occur if this alliance were not made at this time.

When these events had taken place, the Kings went to dine in the tent of the King of England. The King of France was seated on the right side of the hall, where he was served in regal fashion according to the custom of his country: all the dishes of the first course were brought together on a grand serving tray, and the same was done for the second course. The King of England, on the other hand, was served in the custom of his own country. After the meal, the Kings embraced and mounted their horses. The King of England accompanied the King of France on his way, and finally, holding hands, they parted from each other on horseback. The King of France rode to Ardres, while the King of England returned to Calais, where he married [on 4th November 1396] the daughter of the King of France, a young girl of seven or eight years old.

This gathering of the Kings was indeed grand and lavish in gifts and expenses; for beyond the gifts that the King of England gave to the King of France and other nobles of that kingdom, which exceeded the sum of ten thousand marks, the King is said to have spent three hundred thousand marks or more on this occasion. Soon afterward, he returned safely to England with his wife, but during the return journey, a sudden storm caused him to lose his tents and a large portion of his household furnishings.

Now, this royal undertaking was magnificent and costly in gifts and expenses; for besides the presents which the King of England gave to the King of France and to other lords of that kingdom, which exceeded the sum of ten thousand marks, the King spent, as it is said, three hundred thousand marks and more on that occasion. He therefore soon returned safely to England, and his wife likewise; but, when the weather turned against them, he lost his tents and a great part of the furnishings of his household.

Die Lunæ venit Rex Franciæ ad tentorium Regis Angliæ. Ea hora Regina fuit adducta ad tentoria Regis nostri. Rex Francæ donavit earn Regi nostro; quam Rex noster cepit per manum, et osculabatur earn, regratiando patri suo, Regi Franciæ, de dono tam honorabili et gratioso; asserens se eam sub conditionibus accipere factis inter cos, ut, per istam affinitatem possit uterque Rex vivere in pace et tranquillitate, et pervenire ad bonum finem et conclusionem pacis perpctuæ faciendæ inter regna, et ne sanguis Christianus effundatur, cujus effusio possit verisimiliter evenire, si ista affinitas inter cos non fieret ista vice.

Quibus ita gestis, Reges accesserunt ad prandium in tentorio Regis Anglorum. Rex Francie consedit in dextera parte aula; cui servitum fuit regaliter more sue patrie, id est, de omnibus cibariis primi cursus simul in magna parapside, et de secundo cursu eodem modo. Regi vero Angliz servitum fuit patriee sue more. Post prandium Reges osculati sunt pariter, et ascenderunt equos; duxitque Rex Angliz Regem Francie in viam suam, et tandem, vinetis manibus, super equos discesserunt ab invicem. Rex Francie equitavit ad Arde, Rex autem Anglie ad Calesiam se convertit, ubi filiam Regis Francie duxit uxorem, pusiolam septennem vel octennem.

Fuit autem iste Regum apparatus grandis, et sumptuosus in donariis et expeusis; nam praeter dona quaæ Rex Angliæ dedit Regi Franciæ, aliisque proceribus illius regni, quæ superaverunt summam decem millium marcarum, Rex expendit, ut dicitur, trecenta millia marcarum et amplius, ea vice. Rediit igitur cito post in Angliam salvus, et uxor sua, sed aversa tempestate perdidit tentoria sua, et magnam partem supellectilis domus suæ.

Fuit autem iste Regum apparatus grandis, et sumptuosus in donariis et expensis; nam proster dona quæ Rex Angliæ dedit Regi Franciæ, aliisque proceribus illius regni, quæ superaverunt summam decern millium marcarum, Rex expendit, ut dicitur, trecenta millia marcarum et amplius, ea vice. Rediit igitur cito post in Angliam salvus, et uxor sua, sed aversa tempestate perdidit tentoria sua, et magnam partem supellectilis domus suæ.

Life Charles VI by a Monk of St Denis [~1420]. That the King of England might not seem a contemptor of ecclesiastical observances, but desiring to strengthen what he had promised to his most beloved consort in the sight of divine majesty, on the fourth day of November [1396], he went to the church of Saint Nicholas in Calais in royal attire and with musical instruments preceding him, and having received the blessing from the Archbishop of Canterbury, he espoused his most beloved bride with the ring blessed by him. After the solemn masses were performed, he celebrated a lavish meal for the queen and the French attendants, not without gifts being made to them; and then keeping with him the Dukes of Bittory and Burgundy for many days, after having held secret councils, he maturely deliberated with them on the following matters: And first that in the kingdoms of England and France, both by sea and land, truces should be proclaimed, and they should be observed inviolably by all under the penalty of high treason. Again that for the perpetual confirmation of peace between both kingdoms, on the Sunday when the Holy Church of God would sing Letare Jerusalem, both dukes would again meet with the King of England. Furthermore, that on the fifteenth of the Purification of the Blessed Mary, both kings would send legates to either side who bore themselves for the pope, who, signifying that they would agree on the path of cession, would petition that it also be accepted, so that within the feast of Saint Michael, the unique pastor could provide for the Church. Finally, it was also concluded that both kings would amicably encourage King Wenceslaus of the Romans with messengers and letters to labor to accept the path of cession with them to extirpate the most nefarious schism.

When these things were thus properly accomplished, the aforementioned dukes, having bid farewell to the king and queen, returned to their most beloved nephew, the King of France.

Ne observanciarum ecclesiasticarum contemptor rex Anglie videretur, sed quod patri dilectissime consortis promiserat in conspectu divine majestatis cupiens corroborare, mensis novembris quarta die, Calesio ad ecclesiam sancti Nicholai in habitu regali et instrumentis precedentibus musicis accessit, perceptaque benedictione ab archiepiscopo Cantebrie, anulo ab eo benedicto dilectissimam sponsam subarravit. Peractis missarum solemniis, regine et sibi assistentibus Galicis lautum prandium celebravit, non sine muneribus eis factis; indeque secum duces Biturie et Burgundie retinens multis diebus, post habita secreta consilia, mature cum eis deliberavit que sequntur: Et primo quod in Anglie et Francie regnis tam per mare quam per terram inducie promulgarentur jurate, preciperenturque sub pena lese majestatis a cunctis inviolabiliter servari. Iterum quod pro pace amborum regnorum perpetua confirmanda, dominica qua cantaretur in Ecclesia sancta Dei Letare Jherusalem, ambo duces cum ipso rege Anglie iterum convenirent. Ulterius quod, quindena Purificacionis beate Marie exacta, ambo reges ad utrumque qui se pro papa gerebat legatos mitterent, qui significantes eos viam cessionis concorditer cetera, et elegisse ad unionem habendam, supplicarent ut eam eciam acceptantes, sic infra festum sancti Michaelis de pastore unico posset Ecclesia provideri. Finaliter eciam conclusum est, quod. ambo reges regem Romanorum Winceslaum nunciis et apicibus amicabiliter hortarentur, ut viam cessionis cum eis acceptando ad extirpandum scisma nephandissimum laboraret.

Quibus sic rite peractis, duces prefati, regi et regine vale dicto, ad regem Francie dilectissimum nepotem redierunt.

Betrayal and Death of King Richard II. [June 1397] King Richard restored the city and castle of Brest to the Duke of Brittany in the year thirteen hundred fourscore and of Brest. sixteen;¹ and when the Duke had received the said city, he turned out and dismissed all the soldiers who were therein: and upon the arrival of the garrison in England, then began the divisions between the King and his uncle the Duke of Gloucester, the Earl of Arundel, and many other lords.

Note 1. The Duke of Brittany surrendered the town and lordship of Brest to the King of England, by treaty dated 6th April, 1 Richard II, (1378,) until the termination of the war, on consideration of his receiving one hundred and twenty thousand francs of gold, and a castle in England of the value of seven hundred marcs per annum, (Rot. Parl, iii. 9. Rymer, Fœdera, vii. 100.) He was assigned the castle and lordship of Rysing in Norfolk, as well as the manor of Sevenhampton and hundred of Heleworth in the county of Wilts, to hold, inter alia, until the restoration of Brest. (Fœdera,) The restoration of Brest had been already agreed upon at the conference of Lelinghen in Oct, 1396, as has been already mentioned. (See Preface.) The order to John Drax, Sergeant-at-arms, to receive the castle, town, and outworks of Brest from John Earl of Huntingdon, and to deliver them up to the Duke of Brittany, is dated 7th April 1397, or 1396 old style; for the year 1307 did not then commence (nor until the time of Charles IX) until Easter-day, which fell, in 1397, upon the 22nd of April. Several preliminary agreements had been entered into, the previous month of March, with the Duke's ambassadors, the Bishop of Leon, and others, who were then in England, to the effect that the ransom of one hundred and twenty thousand francs of gold should be paid to William le Scrop, the Vice-chamberlain, in the city of Rennes, at Easter ; and that, three weeks after the payment had been made, Brest should be delivered up. The Duke was to make oath on the holy Gospels that he would not make war against the King, and that he would do his utmost to induce his son to do the same when he should be fourteen years of age. (Proceedings, &c. of the Privy Council, i. 64, 67.) The ransom was not paid, however, until the 16th of May. Further instructions were sent out to Drax, dated 28th May (Fœdera, vii. 852); and Brest was eventually surrendered, in exchange for the lands the Duke held in England, on the 12th June 1397. (Lobineau, Hist. de Bretagne, ii. 793.) It was therefore probably towards the end of June or the beginning of July that the garrison returned to England. —The ‘franc d'or of Charles V. was worth twenty silver sous, Sixty-two were coined from the mark, or half-pound of gold, and it was consequently of the value of nine shillings English, (Le Blanc sur les Monnaies de France.) For the relative value of the franc d'or, see Mémoires sur I'appréciution de la fortune privée au moyen age, par M. C, Leber.' 3ej8L7WCIt is to be observed that King Richard held a feast at Westminster, when he declared his intention of going to Bristol. And straightway at this feast arrived the said soldiers who had held Brest for the King, who were received at dinner in the King's hall. When the dinner was over and the King had taken wine and comfits,¹ the Duke of Gloucester said to the King 'My lord, have you not remarked at dinner our companions which are here?'

Note 1. After dinners of ceremony, it was usual to offer hypocras, wine, and comfits, (Vie privee des Frangais.) The comlfits were offered in boxes of gold or silver, Amongst others, I find confiture of aniseed, 16 sous the lb.; of nuts, 7 sous; ‘sucre rosat,' 10 sous ; ‘manucristi,' 10 sous; 'madrien,' 12 sous; 'paste du Roy,' 12 sous; sugar-plums, 10 sous; and citron, 12 sous the lb, (Original MS. of the Duke of Orleans, Bibl, du Roi.) At the conference of Charles VI, and Richard, held at Lelinghen in 1396, the wine and comfits were handed, after the dessert, to the former King by the Duke of Gloucester, to the latter by the Duke of Orleans. (Le Laboureur, Vie de Charles VI.) Upon the occasion of the Queen's dining with John of Gaunt, he placed a rich golden clasp upon the comfits handed to the Queen after dinner, which present she accepted. (See the list of Isabel's jewels, p. III.)