Web Design and Support
Webbed by Steven Proctor
It may be easily conceived, that the king of France, and lord Charles de Blois, were exceedingly enraged, on hearing that the earl of Montfort had escaped from them. However, they waited for the expiration of the fifteen days, when the peers and barons were to give their judgment to whom belonged the duchy of Brittany. They adjudged it wholly to the lord Charles de Blois, from the earl of Montfort, for two reasons. One was, because the wife of lord Charles de Blois, as the representative of her father (who after the last duke was the next brother, both by father and mother), was a nearer relation than the earl of Montfort, who was the youngest of these brothers, by another mother; which mother had never been duchess of Brittany; so that he never could deduce any claim from her. Another was, that, supposing the earl of Montfort had any legal claim to the succession, he had forfeited it, because he had done homage for it to another lord than the king of France, to whom he owed it; and also, because he had transgressed the commands of the king of France, had broken his arrest, and had quitted Paris without leave. When the barons had publicly given their judgment in this affair, the king called to his nephew, the lord Charles of Blois, and said to him, “Good nephew, you have had adjudged to you a handsome and great heritage; make haste to take possession of it, and conquer it from him who wrongfully holds it; and entreat all your friends to aid and assist you in this undertaking. I will not fail you, but will lend you money in sufficiency, and will give orders to my son, the duke of Normandy, to take the command of the expedition.” The lord Charles made a profund reverence to the king, and returned him many thanks. He soon after requested the duke of Normandy his cousin, the count d'Alençon his uncle, the duke of Burgundy, the count de Blois his brother, the duke of Bourbon, the lord Lewis of Spain, the lord James of Bourbon, the count d’Eu, at that time constable of France, the count de Guines his son, the viscount de Rohan, and all the other princes and barons then present, to assist him to gain his right; which they all promised, and said they would cheerfully follow him, and their lord, the duke of Normandy, with all the forces they could collect together. Upon which every one set off for his own home, to make himself ready, and provide properly for the occasion.