On this Day in History ... 16 August

Chronicle of Gregory 1403-1419. 16 Aug 1415. and the xvj day of the same monythe he londyd at Kytkawys, and the Satyrday he leyde sege unto the towne of Arflewe, and that was the Satyrday nexte aftyr of the Assompsyon of oure Lady; and the sege contynuyd unto the Sonday nexte be fore the feste of Synt Mychelle, on the whiche Sonday the towne of Arflewe was delyveryd uppe to the kyng, that was xxij day of Septembre. But hit ys to wyte that the Tewysday before, that ys to saye the xvj day of the same monythe, at xij of the clocke whytheynne nyght, the lordys that were the capytaynys and governowrys of the towne, that ys to wete the Lorde Gawcorte¹⁴, the Lorde Tutvyle, and moo othyr lordys, sende owte herodys of armys unto the Duke of Clarens (age 26), prayng hym at the reverens of God that he wolde of hys hyghe lordeschippe that he wolde graunte them lyve and leve for to trete whythe what personys that the kyng wolde a-sygne unto hem; and the kyng at the reverens of God and at hyre requeste he assygnyde the Duke of Exceter [Note. Unclear as to who this is? Possibly Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter (age 38) who was created Duke the following year?], the Lorde Fehewe, and Syr Thomas Erpyngham (age 60), to hyre whatt they wolde say and desyre. And they desyryd that the kyng wolde nought warre on them fro that oure of mydnyght unto the Sonday nexte aftyr the feste of Synt Mychell, and but hyt were rescwyd by batayle by that day by the Frenysche kyng or by the Dolfynne, ellys at that daye to delyver the towne unto the kynge, and they to have hyr lyvys and hyr goodys. Ande the kyng sende hem worde yf that they wolde delivery the towne on the morne aftyr, be the oure of mydnyght a bove sayde, with owte any condyscyon, he wolde accepte hyt, and in non othyr wyse he bade hem for to trete. Ande yette the Fraynysche lordys prayde our lordys that they wolde fochesave to be-seche the kynge at the reverens of God and of oure Lady that he wolde graunte them respyte fro the same Twysday at nyght unto the Sonday nexte aftyr tylle one owre aftyr none; and in the mayne tyme the lordys that were captaynys of the towne to come to the kynge whithe xxiiij knyghtys and squyers with hem, of the moste suffycyent men whithe in the towne, and they to be sworne on Goddys body opynly before alle the pepylle. But yf¹⁵ hit soo were that the Fraynysche kynge or the Dolfynne rescwyde hem by that Sonday by the owre of none, othyr ellys a-non aftyr none, they for to delyvery the towne to the kyng and alle hyr bodys and goodys to don whythe hem what so hem evyr lyste, whythe¹⁶ any condiscyon. Whythe that the kynge sufferde hem to sende unto Frauns viij personys owte of the towne lettyng hym wytte in what plytte that they stode yn, and the kyng grauntyd hem; and uppe the Wanysday by [th]e mone the lordys come owte, and xxij knyghtys and squyers whythe hem; and thenne come the prosessyon solempny and stately, whithe xxiiij copys of clothe of golde by-fore Goddys body, whythe many worschipfulle lordys, knyhtis, and squyers, and othyr multytude of pepylle from [th]e kyngys tente, solempny and stately as evyr was done suche a thyng be-for tyme. But the kyng was nott here present. And the Franysche lordys made thare hyr othys a-pon the sacrament; and, the othys done, the Fraynysche lordys were brought unto the kyngys tente, and there they dynyd in the kyngys halle, but in alle thys tyme they sawe nought the kynge. And whanne that they hadde etyn they departyd and delyveryd to sartayne for to kepe yn ostage tylle the Sonday on none, as hyt was a cordyment i-made before tyme whenne that they toke hyr othys. And the Sonday at the same owre a-signyd the kyng hadde a tente phyght a-pone a hylle be-fore the towne, and there he sate in his estate, ryally, and alle hys lordys aboute hym. And thenne come the Fraynysche lordys, with lxiiij whythe hem of the moste suffycyentt men that were whythe yn the towne, to the kyngys owne propyr person, and delyveryd uppe the keyes of the towne and hyr boodys and hyr goodys to the kynges grace, whithe owte any condyscyon. And thys was the xxij day of Septembre, the yere of our Lorde Ml cccc xv.

Note 14. Sawcortein our MS. by a misreading; Gawcourte in Vit.

Note 15. But if, i. e. unless.

Note 16. whythe. withoute, Vit.

Pepy's Diary. 16 Aug 1666. This day Sir W. Batten (age 65) did show us at the table a letter from Sir T. Allen (age 54), which says that we have taken ten or twelve' ships (since the late great expedition of burning their ships and towne), laden with hempe, flax, tarr, deales, &c. This was good newes; but by and by comes in Sir G. Carteret (age 56), and he asked us with full mouth what we would give for good newes. Says Sir W. Batten (age 65), "I have better than you, for a wager". They laid sixpence, and we that were by were to give sixpence to him that told the best newes. So Sir W. Batten (age 65) told his of the ten or twelve ships Sir G. Carteret (age 56) did then tell us that upon the newes of the burning of the ships and towne the common people a Amsterdam did besiege De Witt's house, and he was force to flee to the Prince of Orange (age 15), who is gone to Cleve to the marriage of his sister (age 23) [Notee. his aunt]. This we concluded all the best newest and my Lord Bruncker (age 46) and myself did give Sir G. Carteret (age 56) our sixpence a-piece, which he did give Mr. Smith to give the poor. Thus we made ourselves mighty merry.