a Victory.' But the Duke of Brittany's Underftanding was fo impaired, that he was incapable of judging of an Affair of fuch Confequence; fo, fuffering himfelf to be governed by the Counfels of the Duke of Orleans, and the Prince of Orange, his Nephew, he refolved to march to the Relief of Fongeres; on his Approach, he found the Town had already capitulated, he therefore determined to relieve St. Aubin du Cormier ; but the Governor, for want of Provifion and Ammunition, had furrendered a few Days before the Duke's Arrival.

Battle of St.

Aubin, 28th

July.

These two important Places being carried by the French, all their Forces joined in one Body, when Lewis de Trimoville took upon himself the Command of them: And in a few Days the two Armies were so near one another, that it was not probable they fhould part without a Battle. Whilft they were preparing on both Sides, a Rumour being spread among the Bretons, that the Duke of Orleans and the Prince of Orange were going to betray them, they were upon the Point of dif banding But the two Princes removed their Fears, by going amongst them to charge on Foot. On the 28th of July both Armies came to a general Engagement, which proved fatal to the Duke of Brittany; though the Breton Infantry performed well, yet the Horfe abandoned them upon the first Charge, which determined the Victory on the Side of the French; five thousand five hundred Bretons fell upon the Place, and on the French Part one thoufand five hundred. But what compleated the Victory, was the taking the Duke of Orleans and the Prince of Orange Prifoners. The King commanded the first to be confined in the Tower of Bourges, where we shall for the prefent leave him; but the latter he fet at Liberty. The four hundred English, brought over by the Lord Woodville, were almost all kill'd, with their Leader, in the Field of Battle. As the English were then diftinguished by a red Crofs, one thoufand two

hundred

hundred Bretons were joined to them with the fame Badges, to make the French believe, that fresh Succours were arrived from England; but that would not do.

The Taking of the Duke of Orleans was Matter of extreme Joy to Madam de Beaujeu, (having now no Competitor in the Government) who foon after became Dutchefs of Bourbon, the Duke of Bourbon, Conftable of France, dying about this Time without lawful Iffue, the Lord de Beaujeu, his Brother, took the Title of that Dutchy, and became Head of the House of Bourbon.

After the Battle of St. Aubin, the French General fent an Herald to Rennes, to require that City to furrender at Difcretion; and the Anfwer returned was, That they would fooner be nothing, than be unfaithful

to their Prince.

Henry, hearing of the Battle of St. Aubin, again fent Ambassadors to King Charles, under Pretence of prevailing with him to conclude a Peace with the Duke of Brittany, but, unfortunate for England, we find he seemed little to heed the Duke's Interest, which may be gathered from his being fatisfied with the Answer his Ambaffadors had before received from the French Court, That, his Majefty would gladly have fettled Matters with the Duke in an amicable Way, but that he had refused it.'

Whilft thefe Ambaffadors were in France, the People of England were very uneafy at the King's not affifting Brittany, as he had promifed; and, in order to palliate their Difcontent, he caufed it to be blazed abroad, that, in cafe his Ambaffadors did not pevail with the Court of France, to conclude a Peace with Brittany the enfuing Winter, he would, the next Spring, affift the Duke with a confiderable Body of Forces, in order to drive the French out of Brittany.

This Declaration was very acceptable to the People, which made them inclinable to forget what was paft, and doubted not but Henry was in earnest. Notwith

Notwithstanding Henry's fair Speeches, by the Lois of the Battle of St. Aubin, the Duke of Brittany was reduced to a State worthy of Pity, and, as he could no longer fupport himself, he thought it advifeable to fue for Peace, and not to rely on any Affiftance from England; to effect which, he sent the Earl of Dunois with a Letter to the French King, fubmitting in a Manner not usual for the Dukes of Brittany: Charles received the Earl very kindly; and confented to a Peace with the Duke on certain Conditions, particularly ⚫ that he should not marry his Daughters without his • Confent; that the Duke fhould renounce all foreign Leagues and Alliances, and fhould let Charles keep thofe Places he had conquered in his Country.' The Treaty was agreed to in the Caftle of Vergy in Anjou, where it was figned by the King, and by the Duke at Coirin.

6

Soon after the Duke, being grown very old, and overwhelmed with Sorrow, to fee his Country in fo mangled a Condition, and, having received a Hurt by a Fall from his Horfe, died of Grief at Nantz, the 9th of December, having reigned 32 Years. By his Will he appointed the Marshal de Rieux Guardian to his two Daughters, Ann and Ifabel, and named Frances de Dinan, Lady of Chateaubriant, for their Governefs. For the prefent they both retired to the City of Guerand; but the youngest died in two Years after her Father. Thus terminated the unhappy Reign of Francis the laft Duke of Brittany.

Affairs of

During these different Tranfactions in Flanders and Brittany, upon the Death of Mary of Germany.1485. Burgundy, Maximilian was for a time fully employed in Flanders, thro' a Difference that had arifen between him and the States, relating to the Guardianship of his Son Philip; who on the one fide infifted they had a Right to it, which Maximilian oppofed From Words

they

they came to Blows, and a War enfued, that was carried on for fome time, with various Succefs, which Quarrels were as much to the Prejudice of the Country in general, as they were to the Advantage of Charles of France, for it thereby rendered him the better able to execute his Designs, both on Burgundy and Brittany. After a two Years War, Means was found out to put an End to those Broils, by the States confenting to let Maximilian have the Guardianship and Care of his Son Philip.

1486.

Maximilian,

elected King

of the Romans. 1487.

This Point being fettled, Maximilian fet out for Germany, where he was foon after elected King of the Romans. On the 9th of April he was crown'd by the Archbishop of Cologn, and then he returned into Flanders, and was foon followed by the Emperor Frederick, attended by a large Body of Forces, who behaved fo ill, that nothing was heard for a time fave Complaints and Murmurs.

At last the Disorders were got to that height 1488. in many Parts of Flanders, that the Inhabitants took up Arms, particularly at Bruges; where they, on the 2d of February, not only made King Maximilian a Prifoner, but cut off the Heads of feveral of his Creatures. This fo incenfed the Emperor, that he threatned to bring a fresh Body of Troops out of Germany, to his Son's Affiftance; and withal procured an Excommunication from the Pope against the Mutineers; they, on the other hand, applied to the King of France for Protection, who was pleas'd to grant their Request.

On this the People of Bruges declared, that they were neither to be terrified with the Threats, nor the Forces of Frederick. On the contrary, whatever the Emperor could fay or do, they were not to be prevailed with to give up his Son; refolving, as they were fupported by France, to deliver him to the

French

French King, who had demanded him. When they were just on the Point of fo doing, Frederick had recourfe even to Tears and Intreaties in Behalf of his Son.

This Way of Proceeding at last fubdued the Fury of the Burgois; so that they fet him at Liberty, but not before they had entered into a formal Treaty with him. When Maximilian was out of their Hands, he retired into Germany to his Father, and left the Government of his Son Philip to Albert Duke of Saxony. Upon his Arrival in that Country, he dignified Auftria with the Title of Arch-dutchy, which it has borne ever fince.

King Maximilian had not been long in Germany before the Emperor and himself publickly declared, that the late Behaviour of the People of Bruges was fo very unnatural, that they did not look upon themselves obliged to obferve a ferced Treaty; and both Father and Son ftrictly forbid any one to mention it, whereby the War was again renewed, in which the Flemings were affifted by the French.

The Emperor and his Son foon raised a gallant Army (in which were 2500 English) paffed into Flanders, and attacked Ghent; after fix Weeks Siege, the Emperor's Affairs called him into Germany, and the Command of the Forces was conferred on Albert, Duke of Saxony. The Event did not anfwer Expectation, for the City stood out all their Affaults, and obliged them at laft to quit the Siege. Yet the War continued till the Year 1490, when the Flemings fued for Peace, which was granted upon Terms much to the Advantage of Maximilian, and his Son Philip.

Affairs of England and Brittany. 1489.

Henry, King of England, upon receiving the News of the Death of Francis the IId, Duke of Brittany, declared, that he confider'd the Intereft of the young Orphan Dutchefs as his own, and

feemed