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Revue de la Cote d'Or Volume 1 is in Revue de la Cote d'Or.
Account of the battle that took place in England on the 22nd day of May in the year 1455.
Bataille de Saint-Alban.
Relation de la bataille qui a esté en Angleterre le XXII jour de may l'an mil CCCC LV.
Note. This account was written on the 27th May 1455 - see last paragraph
Note. This 'Dijon Relation' was published by Boudot from the manuscript in the Archives de la Côte d'Or at Dijon. The Dijon manuscript, written in an official French hand of the time on a single sheet of paper, is not the original. Near the beginning some words are missing, 'and as no space was left in which they could be added later, 'they were evidently overlooked by a scribe in the process of copying. The passage in question runs as follows:— "et firent hastivement [viz. Somerset and his friends] ledit iiie jour . . jusques a la some de iii? v? personnes". To make sense of the sentence it is necessary in the first place to supply a verb such as 'assembler' before the word 'jusques'. Secondly, there is no previous reference to 'ledit iiie jour', which ought therefore to be related to a day of the week or month or else to some feast or particular event. It is suggested (infra, page 17) that the original ran thus: the said third day after the feast of the Ascension. But this is merely conjecture on grounds of probability.
The manuscript belongs to the state papers of the dukes of Burgundy and was indubitably copied and preserved for the political value of its contents. The narrative was finished on 27 May 1455 most probably in England, for the notice that the earl of Wiltshire was still then in hiding would scarcely have been included otherwise. 'There is nothing to show for or by whom the relation was made; but the rendering of Sir Richard Harrington's name proves that the author was not English. He may have been connected with a foreign business firm having a depot in Burgundian territory. The Dijon Relation' is free from the violent language against Somerset and his friends that is found in some degree in most English sources, and unlike the Stow, Phillipps and Fastolf relations it does not trace the development of events from the Yorkist side. However, the account can hardly be declared impartial, despite an apparent attempt to state facts objectively, until more is known about the sources from which the author drew his information.
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When the Duke of Somerset and those of his party, who were then in the city of London, heard that the Duke of York and several other lords in his company were coming against them with a force of five thousand men, and when he considered what he had done against the said Duke of York and how he was also in very poor favour with the people of London, he decided that he would not await them in the city of London, for fear that the people would rise against him, as would have likely happened.
Quant le duc de Sombrecet et ceulx qu'ils estoient de son party, estans lors en la ville de Londres entendirent que le duc d'Yorc et plusieurs autres seigneurs en sa com paignie s'en venoient a l'encontre d'eux a puissance de V mille hommes et qu'il consideroit ce qu'il avait fait a l'encontre dudit duc d'Yorc et qu'il estoit aussi en très male grace du peuple de Londres, il print conclusion qu'il ne les actendroit point en la ville de Londres pour double que le peuple ne lui courust sus, ainsy qu'il feust advenu.
For this reason, he acted in such a way with the King that the latter agreed to ride out to meet the said Duke of York and their other adversaries. They swiftly assembled up to a total of three thousand five hundred men, and on the morning of the twenty-first of May, they left London and went to lodge twenty miles away in a small village where there is an abbey, called St Albans. Near this village, less than half a day's journey away, their enemies were encamped.
Pour laquelle chose il fit tant devers le Roy, qu'il fut content de chevaulchicoier a l'encontre dudit duc d'Yorc, et les autres leurs adversaires, et firent hastivement ledit IIIe jour jus ques a la somme de III mille VC personnes et la XXIe jour de may, sur le matin yssirent hors de Londres et allèrent logier a XX mille loing de là, a ung petit villaige ou il y a une abbaye que l'on appelle Saint Alban près duquel villaige a moins de demye journée estoient logiez leurs ennemis.
When they learned of the king's arrival, they immediately moved closer to him. And also, on the 22nd day of the said month, early in the morning, the king sent a herald to the Duke of York to inquire about the reason for his presence there with so many men, as it seemed very strange to him that he should rise up in such a manner against him.
The response he gave was that he had not come against the king at all but was always ready to serve him obediently. However, he was determined, by all means, to seize the traitors who were acting against him so that they could be punished. And in the event that he could not obtain them through goodwill and amicable means, he was fully intent on taking them by force.
The response from the king's side to the Duke of York was that he did not have any traitors with him—except for the Duke of York himself, who had risen up against his crown.
Lesquels quant ils sceurent la venue du roy, incontinent ils sapprochèrent de lui et aussi le XXIIe jour dudit mois, bien tempré, le roy envoya ung herault au duc d'Yorc pour savoir la cause pourquoy il estoit la venu avec tant de gens, et qu'il lui sembloit bien nouvel qu'il se deust levec aiusy contre lui .
Responce qu'il fit, fut que point il ne venoit contre lui, ains estoit toujours prest de lui faire obbeissance; mais bien entendoit en toutes manières avoir les traytres qu'ils estoient envers lui affin qu'ils fussent pugnis et que ou cas qu'il ne les pourroit avoir de bonne amour et de bonne voulenté, il entendoit en toutes manières de les avoir par force .
La response que du cousté du roy fut faite audit duc d'Yorc fut qu'il n'entendoit point avoir aulcuns traytres emprès lui, se n'estoit le duc d'Yorc, mêsmes, qui contre sa couronne cestoit levée;
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Meanwhile, before this response even reached the Duke of York, skirmishing had already begun on both sides in front of the village. Thus, when the Duke of York received the aforementioned reply, the battle intensified, and they began to fight openly with banners unfurled. First, the Duke of York's men immediately advanced towards the village, securing all the surrounding passageways with strong guards. They entered on foot with such great force that they swiftly took control of the marketplace of the village and barricaded it. In that marketplace, part of their forces found themselves in the midst of the conflict, and in this way, the battle began in full force between the two sides.
... et tandis devant que icelle responce vint au duc d'Yorc estoit ja commencee l'escarmouche devant le villaige d'un cousté et d'autre, et par ainsi quant le duc d'Yorc eust la responce dessus dite, la bataille renforca, et de tout en tout a bannières desployées se commencerent a combattre et premièrement les gens du duc d'Yorc, s'approchèrent incontinant au villaige et mirent bonnes gardes a tous les passaiges alentour, et entrèrent pedans par si grant vigueur que incontinent ils prirent et barrèrent le marchié dudit villaige; ou quel marchié et partie de ses gens se trouvèrent ou millieu et en ceste manière se commencèrent a combattre l'une partie contre l'autre .
The battle began at around ten o'clock in the morning, but because the space was small, few combatants could effectively fight there. The situation became so dire that four of the king's bodyguards were killed by arrows in his presence, and the king himself was struck in the shoulder by an arrow, though it only grazed his flesh slightly.
At last, after they had fought for three hours, the king's forces, seeing that they were losing, broke ranks on one side and began to flee. The Duke of Somerset withdrew into a house to save and hide himself. Seeing this, the Duke of York's men immediately surrounded the house. At that moment, the Duke of York ordered that the king be taken out of the fighting and brought to safety in the abbey, and so it was done. The Duke of Buckingham, who was seriously wounded by three arrows, also retreated to the abbey with him. Immediately after this, they began to fight against Somerset and his men, who were inside the house. Those inside defended themselves valiantly.
La bataille commenca sur le point de X heures du matin mais pour ce que la place estoit petite, peu de combatans y povoient labourer; et alèrent les choses en si grant extremité, que quatre de ceux qu'ils estoient de la garde du corps du roy en sa présence furent mors de trait et le roy mesme fut feru en l'espaule d'un trait, mais il ne lui toucha que ung peu la char .
Enfin quant ils eurent combatus l'espace de trois heures, la partie du roy se voyant avoir le pire se rompirent d'un des coustés et commencèrent a fouyr, et le duc de Sombrecet se retrait dans ung hostel pour soy sauver et celler; laquelle chose veue par ceux dudit d'Yorc, incontinent assiegèrent ladite maison tout a l'entour et là le duc d'Yore fit commandement que le roy feust prins et tyré hors de la presse et mis en l'abbaye a sauveté et ainsi fut fait et en celle abbaye se retrait aussi avec lui le duc de Bouquingan, le quel estoit tresfort féru de trois fleches et incontinant ceci fait commencèrent a combatre Sombrecet et les siens qu'ils en ce lieu estoient dedans l'ostel; les quels se deffendirent vaillament .
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In the end, after the doors of the house were broken down, and seeing that there was no other escape, the Duke of Somerset decided, along with his men, to come outside. As soon as they did so, they were immediately surrounded by the Duke of York's men. After some of them were struck, and after the Duke of Somerset himself had reportedly killed four men with his own hands, he was finally brought down by a halberd. He was then struck in multiple places so severely that he met his end there.
Et en la fin après ce que les portes de la maison furent rompues, voyant le duc de Sombrecet qu'il n'y avait autre remede, il délibéra avec ques les sciens de venir dehors, et ainsi fit il, dont incontinent fut lui et toutes ses gens environnés des gens du duc d'Yorc, et après ce qu'il y en eust d'aucuns ferus, et que le duc de Sombrecet en eust tué quatre de sa propre main, ainsi que on dit, il fut atterez d'une haiche et incontinent en plusieurs lieux fut tellement feru qu'il finit là sa vye .
Meanwhile, as the said Somerset was defending himself both inside and outside the house, the rest of his party who had remained outside continued to fight against York's men. In the course of the battle, three lords from Somerset's side were killed—namely, the Earl of Northumberland, Lord Clifford (whose death was a great loss, as he was a valiant man), and Sir Richard A. Rinten, also a noble and courageous knight. Many other gentlemen and squires from both sides also perished, so that in total, around two hundred people died.
Et en tandis que le dit Sombrecet faisoit ceste deffènse tant en l'hostel que dehors, les autres de sa partie qu'ils estoient dehors demourés toujours se combattoient contre ceux d'Yorc, en manière que trois seigneurs y morurent du cousté de Sombrecet, c'est assavoir le Comte de Notonberlant, le seigneur de Cliffort du quel est grant dommaige, car il estoit vaillant homme et mesire Richart . A Rinten aussi noble chevalier et vaillant homme et plusieurs autres gentils hommes et escuiers, tant d'une partie que d'autre, en manière que en tout ils moururent II cent personnes ou environ .
The battle lasted until two-thirty in the afternoon. After this, the Duke of York's men went to the abbey to kill the Duke of Buckingham and the treasurer, known as the Earl of Wiltshire, who had taken refuge there with the king. However, the Duke of York did not allow it. Instead, he sent his herald to the king to inform him that he had to choose: either to surrender the two lords as prisoners into his hands or to see them killed before him and thereby put himself in further danger.
La bataille dura jusques a deux heures et demie après midi . Et ce fait les gens du duc d'Yore s'en allèrent en l'abbaye pour tuer le duc de Bouquingan et le tresorier que on appelle le Comte de Willesire qu'ils cestorent là retrait avec le roy mais le dit duc d'Yorc ne le voult souffrir mais envoia son herault devers le roy pour luy notiffier qu'il deust eslire lequel il avait plus cher, ou de delivrer prisonniers les dits deux seigneurs en ses mains ou qu'ils feussent tuées devant lui, et soy mectre en second peril .
Thus, the king willingly agreed to hand over the two lords, and so he did, especially the Duke of Buckingham. However, the treasurer could not be found, as he had already fled disguised as a monk, and as of today, the 27th of May, no one knows where he has gone. When all these matters were settled, the Duke of York entered the abbey and went before the king. There, he knelt before him, begging for mercy in whatever way he could, acknowledging the danger in which he had placed both himself and many others. He spoke many good and humble words, assuring the king that he had not acted against him, but only against the traitors of the crown. In the end, before the Duke of York departed from that place, the king forgave him entirely and restored him to his good favor. That same day, the king, the Duke of York, and all the other lords traveled to London, where they were received with great joy and a solemn procession. The Duke of York was now confirmed without dispute as the first in rank after the king and was granted control over all governance.
May God grant him grace and good fortune, and may He have mercy on the souls of the deceased. Amen.
This account, currently held in the departmental archives, was sent from England to the Duke of Burgundy, who deposited it in the archives of his Chamber of Accounts in Dijon.
BOUDOT
Pourquoy le roy accorda de bonne voulonté de lui donner arresté les dits deux seigneurs, et ainsi fit il en especial, le duc de Bourquingen, le tresorier ne se poust trouver, car desia s'en estoit il fouy en habit de moynne et encoires jusques aujourd'huy XXVIIe jour de may ne scet en point ou il est aler et quant toutes ces choses furent faictes, le duc d'Yorc entra dedans l'abbaye et s'enala devant la personne du roy et la se mist a genoux luy cryant mercy en quelque manière qu'il povoit avoir ostensé et du peril en quoy il avait mis sa personne et beaucoup d'autres bonnes et humbles paroles, lui remoingtrant qu'il n'estoit point alé contre lui mais contre les traytres de sa coronne, et en la fin avant que le duc d'Yorc si partit d'illec, le roy lui pardonna tout et demoura en sa bonne grâce, ét ce jour le roy le duc d'Yorc et tous autres seigneurs sen sont venus a Londres ou ils ont estéreceurs a grant joye et solempnelle procession et le dit duc d'Yorc sera maintenu sans contredit le premier après le roy et aura le gouvernement de tout.
Dieu lui doint grâce et bien besoingne et ait pitié des ames des trespassés: Amen .
Cette relation, actuellement aux Archives du départe- ment, fut envoyée d'Angleterre, au duc de Bourgogne, qui la déposa dans les archives de sa Chambre des Comptes de Dijon .
BOUDOT
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