1453-1458 Wars of the Roses: First War

Paston Letters Volume 3 303. James Gresham To John Paston.^48.1

To my right worshipfull maister, John Paston, at Norwiche, be this delyvred. 28th October 1455

Please it your maistership to wete^48.2 ....

Here be many marvaylos tales of thynggs that shall falle this next moneth, as it is seyd; for it is talked that oon Doktor Grene, a preest, hath kalked [calculated ?] and reporteth, that by fore Seynt Andreu day next comyng shall be the grettest bataill that was sith the bataill of Shrewisbury,^48.3 and it shall falle bytwene the Bisshoppes Inne of Salesbury and Westminster Barres, and there shall deye vij. Lords, whereof iij. shuld be bisshoppes. Althis and meche more is talked and reported. I trust to God it shall not falle so.

Also there is gret varyance bytwene the Erll of Devenshire and the Lord Bonvyle, as hath be many day, and meche debat is like to growe therby; for on Thursday at nyght last passed, the Erll of Denshyres sone and heir come with lx. men of armes to Radford's^49.1 place in Devenshire, whiche was of counseil with my Lord Bonvyle; and they sette an hous on fyer at Radfords gate, and cryed and mad an noyse as though they had be sory for the fyer; and by that cause Radfords men set opyn the gats and yede owt to se the fyer; and for with th'erll sone forseid entred into the place and intreted Radford to come doun of his chambre to sp[e]ke with them, promyttyng hym that he shuld no bodyly harm have; up on whiche promysse he come doun, and spak with the seid Erll sone.

In the mene tyme his menye robbe his chambre, and ryfled his huches,^49.2 and trussed suyche as they coude gete to gydder, and caryed it awey on his own hors. Thanne th'erll sone seid, 'Radford, thou must come to my lord my fadir.' He seid he wold, and bad oon of his men make redy his hors to ride with hem, whiche answerd hym that alle his hors wern take awey; thanne he seid to th'erll sone, 'Sir, your men have robbed my chambre, and thei have myn hors, that I may not ride with you to my lord your fadir, wherfor, I pray you, lete me ride, for I am old, and may not go.'

It was answerid hym ageyn, that he shuld walke forth with them on his feete; and so he dede till he was a flyte^49.3 shote or more from his place, and thanne he was ..... softly, for cawse he myght not go fast. And whanne thei were thus departed, he turned .... oon; forwith come ix. men ageyn up on hym, and smot hym in the hed, and fellid .... of them kyt his throte.

This was told to my Lord Chaunceler^49.4 this fornoon .... messengers as come of purpos owt of the same cuntre. This matier is take gretly .... passed at ij. after mydnyght rod owt of London, as it is seid, more thanne .... the best wyse. Summe seyne it was to ride toward my Lord of York, and summe .... k, so meche rumor is here; what it menyth I wot not, God turne it .... at Hertford,^50.1 and summe men ar a ferd that he [King Henry VI of England and II of France [aged 33]] is seek ageyn. I pray God .... my Lords of York, Warwyk, Salesbury and other arn in purpos to conveye hym ....... &c. The seid N. Crome, berer her of, shall telle you suche tydynggs ....... in hast, at London, on Seint Simon day and Jude.Yowr poerJ. Gr.

Note 48.1. [From Fenn, i. 114.] This letter was written in 1455, at the time of the King's second attack of illness, which happened while he was under the control of the Duke of York and the Earls of Warwick and Salisbury, as mentioned at the end of the letter. In the latter part of the letter some words are lost by the decay of the original MS.

Note 48.2. Here, says Fenn, follows an account of some law business, etc.

Note 48.3. Fought in 1403 between King Henry IV. and the rebel Percies.

Note 49.1. 'Nicolas Radford,' says Fenn in a note, 'was an eminent lawyer, and resided at Poghill, near Kyrton.' In Pole's Description of Devonshire, p. 219, we find that one Nicolas Radford dwelled at Upcot in Henry VI's time, 'after whose death controversy arose betwixt John Radford of Okeford and Thomazin, sister of the said Nicholas,' who had married Roger Prous.

Note 49.2. A hutch was a coffer or chest standing on legs.

Note 49.3. A flight was 'a light arrow formed for very long and straight shots.'—Halliwell.

Note 49.4. Archbishop Bourchier.

Note 50.1. The King was at Hertford, as appears by the Privy Seals, in August and September 1455, and not improbably in October also.

Memoires Jacques du Clercq. By the counsel of the wise and valiant knight, Sir Guillaume Blanc, mighty in arms, a great multitude of Turks were driven out of the city of Belgrade, and all were slain, up to the number of 15,000, with not a single man escaping. The next day, large companies of Turks came before the city with a great army. That day, the Christians fought them so fiercely that another 100,000 Turks were killed between sunrise and sunset. There was present in person the Sultan of Persia, chief commander of all these Turks, who, seeing such a defeat among his forces, fled with a small number of men to a city called Berbe, and from there into Greece. After this, the said knight Guillaume Blanc and all his company advanced to the city of Berbe, which, continuing their good fortune and with the help of God, they captured, killing 2,000 Turks. Continuing their success, again with God's help, they captured several cities and castles: Bastillianne, Vulgara, Fascigia, Evere and another very fine city called Augusta, where 15,000 Turks were killed In that same campaign, 6,000 Christians also died. After this, the Christians captured Saint Vincent and the city of Valence with its castle, and advanced so far that all was converted to the Catholic faith. Then, seeking further gains, they marched against the castle of Flagis, which they took, along with: Gavandalo, Perons, Havengets, and Chastomem. There, 4,000 Turks were killed and the city taken, though 100 Christians also died. Soon after, the entire Christian force entered the land of Greece, where they captured a great city called Glotuasse, killing 2,000 Turks. From there, the Turks fled, abandoning all castles, villages, towns, and fortresses in those regions, retreating into the province of Galdée, near Constantinople. Thus, the Christians gained control of the land, its people, and a large part of western Greece. Further victories followed: the cities of Latheris and Glaunis were taken, along with castles and many other strongholds and villages. In this great defeat, it was counted that 200,000 Turks had been killed by the Christians, and 80 walled cities and towns, as well as four castles and other fortresses, had been captured. This conquest was recorded in France, in the church of Saint-Denis, from which this account is drawn. These events were sworn to be true upon the Holy Gospels by: Sir Jean Balate, priest, Sir Patrice Cormaille, priest, Andreu Vallate, layman. All three, from the diocese of Emblem in Dacia, declared under oath that they had personally been present in all the battles, fighting and facing great danger of death. Because of these dangers, they had vowed themselves to Saint Denis and to undertake several pilgrimages before returning to their homeland. They further stated that in the first battle, Sir Guillaume Blanc was grievously wounded by a lance and was forced to withdraw to the city of Augusta, where he later died. Likewise, the Turkish leader was severely wounded and withdrew to Constantinople, where he remained ill for some time before recovering and returning to his country.

Et par le conseil du sage et valliant chevallier, messire Guillaume Blanc, puissant en armes, par lequel feurent bouttés hors de la cité de Belgrado grande multitude de Turcs, lesquels feurent touts occis jusques au nombre de quinze mille, et n'eschappa oncques hommes, ceste entreprinse faite; le lendemain vindrent grandes compagnies de Turcs devant icelle cité en grand ost, lesquels icelluy jour feurent par les chrestiens tellement combattus qu'il y mourut derechief cent mille Turcs, entre soleil levant et soleil couchant; et la estoit en personne le soudain de Perse, principal capitaine de touts lesdits Turcs, lequel voyant telle desconfiture estre sur ses gens, s'enffuit avec ung peu de ses gens en une cité nommée Berbe, et de la en la terre de Grece. Après ce, se transporterent ledit chevallier, nommé le chevallier Blanc, et toute sa compagnie devant la cité de Berbe, laquelle en ensuivant leur bonne fortune, par l'ayde de Dicu, gagnerent et meirent a mort deux mille Turcs; après ce, en ensuivant aussy leur bonne fortune, par l'ayde de Dieu gagnerent plusieurs villes et chasteaux; c'est a sçavoir: la cité de Bastillianne, Vulgara, Fascigia, Evere et une aultre cité nommée Augusta, qui estoit moult belle cité, en laquelle moururent et feurent destruits quinze mille Turcs, et a celle journée moururent vjm chrestiens: depuis lesdits chrestiens prindrent Saint Vincent et la ville de Valence avecq le chasteau, et tellement besoignerent que tout fust converty a la foy catholique; ce fait les chrestiens, pour gagner de plus en plus, allerent devant le chasteau de Flagis, lequel ils prindrent et se prindrent Gavandalo, Perons, Havengets et Chastomem, et la feurent destruicts iiijm Turcs et la cité gagniée; mais il y morut cent chrestiens, et tautost après entra toute la compagnie d'iceulx chrestiens en la terre de Grece, et la gaignerent une grande cité nommée Glotuasse, ou ils occirent deux mille Turcs, et de la s'enffuirent et delaisserent touts les chasteaux, villaiges, villes closes et aultres fortresses estant en icelles marches, et s'en allerent en la province de Galdée qui est emprès de Constantinople, et ainsy leur demoura la terre, le peuple et grande partie du pays de Grece vers occident. Après encoires feurent prinses sur les Turcs la cité de Latheris et celle de Glaunis, et le chasteau avecq plusieurs aultres fortresses et villaiges. En la desconfiture cy devant dite des Turcs, feurent nombrés les Turcs qui y avoient esté occis par les chrestiens deux cent mille, et huict vingt cités et villes murées prinses, et iiij chasteaux et aultres fortresses, et fust ceste conqueste et chroni que de Franche en l'eglise de saint Denys, desquelles ce que dit est cy dessus touchant icelle conqueste est extraict, lesquelles choses affermerent estre vrayes sur saintes esvangiles de Dieu et sur le voeu de prestrise venerables personnes, messire Jehan Balate, prestre, messire Patrice Cormaille, prestre, et Andreu Vallate, homme lay, touts trois estant du diocese du Emblem en Dachaie; lesquels dessus nommés, par le serment que dit est, feurent interrogiés, comme ils sçavoient les dessusdites choses estre vrayes, lesquels deposerent qu'ils avoient esté et assisté personnellement en toutes les batailles en armes a combattre, et pour leurs grands perils de mort ou ils avoient esté, s'estoient voués a monsieur Saint Denys, et en plusieurs, aultres pellerinages qu'ils avoient intention d'accomplir, avant que jamais ils retournassent en leurs pays, et oultre plus affirmerent que en la premiere bataille qui fust faite, le chevallier Blanc fust grievement navré d'une lanche, et tant que necessité le constraindit de soy retraire en la cité d'Auguste ou il mourut; et en icelle menée fust pareillement fort navré le Turc, lequel se retraict Constantinople ou il fust malade une espace de temps, et lui gueri retourna en son pays. Audit an cinquante six, le duc de Savoye et sa femme vindrent devers le roy de Franche, et accoucha la femme du prince de Piemont aisné, fils du duc de Savoye, laquelle estoit fille du roy de Franche, d'un fils. En ce temps vint en ambassade d'Espaigne pour confermer l'allianche du roy de Franche et du roy d'Espaigne. En ce temps aussy, le roy de Navarre vint devers le roy de Franche demander la duchié de Nemours. En ce temps encoires retourna le cardinal d'Avignon du pays de Bretaigne, ou il avoit canonisé saint Vincent de l'ordre des Jacobins, en la cité de Vennes; et assés tost après icelluy cardinal alla devers le roy de Franche, pour avoir ung dixiesme sur les gens d'Église de son royaume, pour aller combattre les Turcs comme il disoit. Audit an feurent grande abbondance de pluyes.