minions. The marechal was fo incenfed against A. C. 1489. this rival, that he had not only refused to admit the dutchefs into Nantz, but even threatened to besiege her in Rennes the place of her ordinary refidence. No wonder then that Montauban, who Argentré was at the head of the adminiftration, concluded fuch a treaty with the king of England, the arrival of whofe fuccours would fo ftrongly fortify his intereft.

tween

the dutchefs

The English troops being landed in Brittany in Treaty bethe month of March, the French king began to Charles of think that Henry intended to act with vigour in France and defence of the dutchefs; and from the embaffies of Bretagne. to so many different powers, he no longer doubted that his aim was to form a powerful confederacy against France. By the mediation of the German princes, affembled at Franckfort, a treaty was brought upon the anvil, for a pacification between him and Maximilian, as well as between Maximilian and the Flemings. He had in his power Margaret daughter of the king of the Romans, whom by treaty he was obliged to marry, as foon as the fhould be of age; and he was intirely ignorant of the private contract between the late duke of Bretagne and Maximilian, touching the marriage of the duke's daughter. He therefore did not doubt, that his future father-in-law would be favourable to his intereft; and in this opinion proposed to the dutchefs Anne, that their difference fhould be left to the arbitration of Maximilian. Her miniftry joyfully embraced this proposal, in full confidence that she would be favoured by a prince destined to be her husband'; and the king of the Romans was very well pleased with this opportunity of acting as umpie, in an affair that fo nearly concerned his own intereft. The envoys of the two parties affembling at Franckfort, foon concluded, under Maximilian's arbitration, a provifional treaty, im

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porting,

A. C. 1489 porting, That Charles fhould restore all the places he had conquered in Brittany, except Dinan, St. Aubin, Fougeres, and St. Malo, which fhould be depofited in the hands of Maximilian and the duke of Bourbon; and that the French troops fhould evacuate all the other parts of the dutchy: That Anne should fend back the English troops : That in April of the fucceeding year, a congrefs fhould be held at Tournay, where all differences fhould be determined; and, in the mean time the parties fhould fend their reasons to Avignon to be examined and difcuffed by civilians, that their opinions might serve as inftructions to their mediators. Though the articles of this treaty were agreeable to both parties, it proved ineffectual, The places which Anne had delivered by way of fecurity to Henry, were garrifoned by five hundred English troops; and though the other auxiliaries of that nation returned to their own country after the treaty with France, these five hundred would not quit Brittany until the king of England fhould be reimbursed; a condition which the dutchefs could not fulfil.. There the affair refted, and neither party sent reafons to Avignon, or ambassadors to Tournay.

Mezerai.

Maximilian

dutchess of

proxy.

Mean while the marriage between Maximilian marries the and the young dutchefs was negotiated with all Bretagne by poffible fecrecy; and at length folemnized in the month of November, the prince of Naffau acting as proxy for the king of the Romans, and putting his naked leg in bed with the dutchefs, as a proof of confummation; but this affair was tranfacted with fuch privacy, that neither Charles of France nor Henry of England had the leaft intimation of it for a whole year after the ceremony was performed. Anne, foreseeing that the war would be renewed as foon as her marriage fhould be divulged, fent the chancellor of Montauban and other envoys,

to

to demand fuccours of Henry; and engage in her A. C. 1490" name, that she would never marry without his knowledge and confent. They were likewife inftructed to inform him of her formal proteft against the contract which had been made by her father, touching her marriage with the lord of Albret and to infinuate that, as the marechal de Rieux efpoused the interest of that nobleman, her dutchy was in as great danger from her own fubjects as from the French monarch. This remonstrance Rymeta had no effect upon Henry, who, inftead of accommodating the dutchefs with new fuccours, fent another embaffy into France, to treat with king Charles about the termination of all the differences fubfifting between him and Anne of Brittany. He was perfuaded that Charles dreaded his junction with the dutchefs fo much, that he would not only be glad to embrace equitable propofals of peace, but even to purchase it at any price he fhould think proper to impofe in this opinion he ordered his ambaffadors to demand the arrears of the penfion which Lewis XI. had agreed to pay to Edward IV. by the treaty of Pequigny. In the mean time, he appointed commiffioners to treat with the envoys from Brittany; and the whole refult of the negotiation was a further fecurity for the money he had already difburfed. With refpect to the fuccours the demanded, there was no article in the treaty. He confined himself to verbal promises, that he would never abandon the dutchefs. Imagining that Charles was fincerely defirous of peace, he thought fuch fuccours were altogether unneceffary: but having ftill an eye to the reimbursement of his money, he demanded that the town of Nantz fhould be put into his power, on pretence that it was in danger of falling into the hands of the French; and he promised faithfully to reftore it on the first requifi tion. Before he could gain this point, however, No. 46.

T

the

A. C. 1490. the lord of Albret, having refigned all hope of ef poufing the dutchefs, furprised that rich city, and embraced the French party. Mean while Charles amufed the English ambassadors with evasive profeffions, in order to gain time, that he might be able to terminate the war to his own advantage, without referring the difpute to Henry, whofe arbitration he had no mind to adopt.

Henry affifts Maximilian, and intimidates Charles.

Bacon.

During these negotiations, the duke of Saxony, who commanded in the Low Countries in the name of Maximilian, published an edict touching the coin, to which the inhabitants of Bruges refused to fubmit; and those of Ghent joined in their revolt.. The king of France, whofe conftant aim was to foment domeftic troubles in the dominions of his neighbours, fent fuccours to the rebels, under the command of the marechal Defquerdes governor of Picardy; and, on the other hand, Maximilian fent ambassadors to Henry to form a league against Charles. The king of England, piqued at the indifference with which his ambaffadors were treated in France, and unwilling to fee the archduke oppreffed by his own fubjects, fent a reinforcement of a thousand men to Calais; and ordered the lord Daubigney, governor of that fortrefs, to march to the relief of Dixmuyd, which the Flemings, with the affistance of the French, had invested, after having taken Ypres and Sluys. Daubigney no fooner received this order, than he marched at the head of two thousand men, and threw himself into Dixmuyd in the night, without oppofition. At day-break, he made a fally at the oppofite gate, and falling upon the camp of the confederates, routed them entirely. This affair produced great coldness between the kings of France and England; but Charles durft not complain, because Henry had as good a right to fupport the fovereign as he had to aflift the rebellious fubjects The English mo narch,

Harch, finding Charles ftill more and more averfe A. C. 1499 to an accommodation with the dutchefs of Bretagne, thought proper to take fuch public meafures as would intimidate that prince into more pacific refolutions. In the beginning of the year he had renewed the treaties of alliance with Portugal and Denmark. In September, he concluded with Maximilian and his fon Philip a league against France, for their mutual defence and that of the dutchess of Brittany. At the fame time he publifhed a treaty concluded with Ferdinand and Ifabella fovereigns of Spain, by which the two parties engaged to maintain a war against France, until Charles fhould have restored Rouffillon to Ferdinand, and Guienne and Normandy to Henry. They likewife agreed that Arthur prince of Wales fhould wed. Catherine infanta of Spain, as foon as the par ties should be marriageable. The league with the Rymer, king of the Romans referred to this treaty; and those three princes engaged to invade France at one time, each at the head of a feparate army, to act for the intereft of the alliance, and the defence of the dutchess of Bretagne. This league, however, was no more than a bugbear, raifed to terrify Charles into pacific measures. It was with the fame view, that Henry concluded a treaty of alliance with John Galeazo duke of Milan. Nor was

this artifice altogether unfuccessful. The French king began to be afraid of a league, which would not only interrupt him in the conqueft of Bretagne, but also baffle thofe defigns which he had for fome time meditated upon the kingdom of Naples. This apprehenfion hindered him from recommencing hoftilities in Bretagne, though he had a strong army in the heart of that province, and the dutchefs was in no condition to check his progrefs.

Perplexed by these fuggeftions he refolved to fend an embaffy into England, on pretence of endeavouring

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