Life of Charles VI by a Monk of St Denis. Returning now to the hostile raids of the English, which until now have been passed over in silence because of what has already been said, it seems fitting that our account should begin with the departure of the dukes from the duchy of Aquitaine. For after this the English, serving under the banners of Lord Thomas1, the son of the king of England, became bolder in doing harm when they heard of their departure. From the month of September until now they had ridden out from Aquitaine through Touraine and from Marmoutier through Anjou2, carrying out hostile incursions, violently driving off flocks and herds from every place and plundering the peasants of all their goods; nor did they cease to burn the suburbs until they had reached Brittany. They were indeed not unaware that the barons3 were working vigorously to bring the duke of Brittany [aged 41]4 into reconciliation with the king of France. But since they knew that he had not yet accepted the treaties of peace nor dissolved the longstanding bond of friendship recently contracted with them, they decided to spend the harshness of the winter in the duchy, not as enemies but as friendly allies. Although the barons had long refused this, at last, overcome by the duke's earnest pleas, they allowed it, though not without difficulty, on the condition that the English should be completely excluded from entering fortresses and towns. Instead, moving openly through the countryside and the suburbs, they were permitted to engage in trade according to the common law of commerce, and necessary goods were to be sold to them in fair measure and at a just price.
Ad discursiones hostiles Anglicorum, hucusque propter prescripta sub silencio sepultas, rediens stilus noster, racionabile videtur ut a recessu dominorum ducum de Acquitanie ducatu sumat exordium. Nam inde Anglici sub signis domini Thome, filii regis Anglie, militantes de eorum recessu audaciores effecti ad nocendum, et a mense septembri et hucusque de Acquitania per Turoniam et de Majori Monasterio per Andegaviam. discurrentes hostiliter, greges et armenta undique violenter abducentes, omnimoda supellectili spoliatis colonis, suburhia non desisterunt succendere, donec Britaniam attigissent. Equidem non ignorabant quin barones efficaciter laborarent ut dux Francie reconsiliaretur regi. Sed scientes eum non adhuc federa pacis. acceptasse, nec amoris inveteratum vinculum cum ipsis nuper contractum dissolvisse, in ducatu, non ut hostes, sed ut amicabiles consodales, hyemis transigere inclemenciam statuerunt. Quod cum diu barones denegassent, tandem victi vallidis precibus ducis, non sine difficultate permiserunt ut exclusi penitus ab ingressu municionum et urbium, palam patriam et suburbia perlustrando, commerciorum legem obtinerent communem, sibique equa mensura et justo precio necessaria venderentur.
Note 1. Thomas of Woodstock, Earl of Buckingham, later Duke of Gloucester, seventh son of Edward III.
1. Thomas de Woodstock, comte de Buckingham, puis duc de Glocester, septième filsd Édouard III.
Note 2. According to Froissart, after landing at Calais, the English crossed Artois, Vermandois, and Champagne, passed the Seine near Troyes, entered Burgundy, penetrated into the Gâtinais as far as Vendôme, and arrived in Brittany, Maine, and Anjou.
2. Suivant Froissart, les Anglais, après avoir débarqué à Calais, traversèrent l’Artois, le Vermandois, la Champagne, passèrent la Seine près de Troyes, entrèrent en Bourgogne, pénétrèrent dans le Gâtinais jusqu’à Vendôme, et arrivèrent en Bretagne etMaine et l’Anjou.
Note 3. According to Froissart, the chief among these barons were the Constable de Clisson, the Lord of Dinan, the Lord of Laval, the Viscount of Rohan, and the Lord of Rochefort. The last four were those whom the Duke of Brittany chose, some time afterwards, to negotiate peace with King Charles VI.
3. Suivant Froissart, les principaux d'entre ces barons étaient le connétable de Clisson, le sire de Dinan, le sire de Laval, le vicomte de Rohan et le sire de Rochefort. Ces quatre derniers furent ceux que le duc de Bretagne choisit, quelque temps après, pour négocier la paix avec le roi Charles VI.
Note 4. John IV de Montfort, 1339-1399, son of Joanna of Flanders, 1295-1374, celebrated for the siege she sustained at Hennebont in 1342.
4. Jean IV de Montfort, fils de Jeanne de Flandre, célèbre par le siége qu’elle soutint dans Hennebon en 1342.
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