Olivier IV de Clisson (1336 - 1407), one of the most important of the Breton barons, son of Olivier III de Clisson and his second wife Jeanne de Belleville. He was raised at the court of Edward III of England to which he escaped with his mother after his father was executed as a traitor to the French crown. He fought on the English side, together with Jean IV de Montfort, the future duke of Brittany, at the battle of Auray in 1364. But as he was not rewarded for his services as promised by the Black Prince, he became reconciled with the French crown in 1367 and became a 'good Frenchman’ before succeeding Bertrand du Guesclin as supreme commander of the French armies as constable of France in 1380. He became one of the most powerful men in France. He was not, however, always well-regarded by his contemporaries.
Louis I of Anjou (1339 - 1384), first count then duke of Anjou, second son of king Jean II of France and Bonne of Luxemburg. He married Marie of Blois, countess of Guise, in 1360. He was appointed duke of Anjou in 1360 and king of Sicily in 1382; died in 1384. He spent several years in the South, but did not enjoy a good reputation in the region.
Philippe, known as 'the Bold', duke of Burgundy (1342 - 1404), fourth son of Jean II of France and Bonne of Luxemburg. The duke of Burgundy was a prominent figure in the government of France during the reign of his nephew Charles VI, especially after 1392 when the king began to suffer from recurring bouts of insanity that gave the dukes of Berry and Burgundy the opportunity to seize power from Charles VI's trusted administrators, known as the Marmousets. Philippe married Margaret de Male, countess of Flanders, and this marriage eventually not only reunited the duchy of Burgundy with the 'free' counties of Burgundy and Artois, but also brought the wealthy counties of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel under the control of the duke of Burgundy. Thus this marriage alliance, and the consequent marriages of the duke of Burgundy's children, created the basis for the Grand Duchy of the West, a quasi-independent state rather than a mere fief of the French crown.
Wenceslas I, duke of Luxemburg and Brabant (d. 1383)
Wenceslas I of Luxemburg (133? - 1383), duke of Luxemburg and Brabant, as a consort to Joanna, duchess of Brabant. Son of John 'the Blind', king of Bohemia, and Beatrix of Bourbon. He became the duke of Brabant through his wife Jeanne, who inherited the duchy of Brabant after her father's death in 1355. He was one of Froissart's patrons. He contributed to Froissart's Meliador through his lyric poetry, inserted at intervals throughout this long Arthurian romance. He died in 1383.
Enguerrand VII de Coucy (1340 - 1397), lord of Coucy, only son and successor of Enguerrand VI de Coucy. Enguerrand VII was considered to be among the most skilled and experienced of French knights in the fourteenth century; he was offered twice the position of constable of France, the highest military office in France, which he refused both times. A master of diplomacy, Coucy managed to maintain both his allegiance to the king of France and to his English father-in-law Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. However, Coucy resigned all of his English honours upon the accession of Richard II on 26 August 1377.
Olivier IV de Clisson (1336 - 1407), one of the most important of the Breton barons, son of Olivier III de Clisson and his second wife Jeanne de Belleville. He was raised at the court of Edward III of England to which he escaped with his mother after his father was executed as a traitor to the French crown. He fought on the English side, together with Jean IV de Montfort, the future duke of Brittany, at the battle of Auray in 1364. But as he was not rewarded for his services as promised by the Black Prince, he became reconciled with the French crown in 1367 and became a 'good Frenchman’ before succeeding Bertrand du Guesclin as supreme commander of the French armies as constable of France in 1380. He became one of the most powerful men in France. He was not, however, always well-regarded by his contemporaries.
Guy de la Trémoille (1346 - 1397), a chamberlain of Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy; later councillor and chamberlain of king Charles VI of France. Son of Guy de la Trémoille and Radegonde de Guérand. He married Marie de Sully and gained the title of lord of Sully. She was daughter and heir of Louis I, lord of Sully, and Isabelle de Craon. John Bell Henneman has noted that Marie brought with her to this marriage such a large inheritance that it made the fortune of her husband's family.
Rheims on the river Vesle, France, administrative centre of the Marne canton, was unsuccessfully besieged by Edward III for a month at the end of 1359, as described in Book I of the Chronicles.
pardevant luy y avoit plus de XXX trompettez qui sonnoient si cler que
merveillez. Et des cendit li jovenes
Charles de France devant l’eglise Nostre Dame de Rains, ses oncles et son frere en sa compaignie. La estoient ses cousins, tous jeunes
enfans ossi, de Navarre, de Labreth, de Bar et de Harcourt, et grant fuison d’autres jeunes escuiers, enfans de haux barons du royaulme de France, lesquelz li junes roys au landemain, dimanche,
le jour de son couron nement, fist tous chevaliers. Et oyt se
samedi li roys les vespres en l’eglise Nostre Dame de
Rains et veilla en l’eglise, ensi que usaiges est, la grei gneur
partie de la nuit, et tout li enfant qui chevalier vouloient estre avecq lui. Quant ce vint le dimanche dont le jour de la Tousains avoit esté le vendredi devant,
l’eglise de Nostre Dame de Rains fut paree si
tres richement que on ne saroit mieux ordonner ne deviser. Et la fut a haulte sollempnité de la haulte messe de l’arcevesque de Rains
sacrés et beneist. D’est de saincte am pole dont monseigneur saint Remy consacra Clovis, le premier roi chretien qui fut en
France. Et fut ceste unxion envoyee de Dieu et des cieulx
par ung saint angele. Et depuis tousjours li roiss de France en ont esté consacrés et
point n’amandrist. Or regardés se c’est noble chose et digne ! A vant le consecration,
li jeunes roys fist la de vant l’autel tous les jeunes
chevaliers nouviaux. Et aprés on fist l’office de la messe tres sol lempnellement et tres
reveranment et le chanta l’archevesques de Rains. Et la seoit li jeunes roys en abit royal en une chese eslevee mont hault,
paree de draps d’or et vestus si tres riches que on les
pouoit avoir et tous les jeunes nouviaux chevalier dessoubz lui sus bas escami aux
couvers de draps d’or, a ses piés. Et si se persevera li offices en grant noblesse
et di gnité. Et la estoit li connestables nouviaux de France, messires
Oliviers de Clichon, qui avoit esté faist et creés connestables puis I petit, qui bien
faisoit son office et ce que a lui appar tenoit. La estoient li hault baron dou roy
aulme de France, vestus et parés si richement que merveilles seroit a
recorder. Et seoit li roys en majesté royal, la couronne tres riche, et
oultre mesure precieuse ou chief. Li eglise de Nostre Dame de Rains fut a celle heure de la messe et de la sollempnité, si plaine de nobles que on ne sçavoit son piet ou tour ner. Et entendi que adont ou nouvel
advent dou roy jovene, et pour resjouir le peuple parmy le royaulme de
France, toutes impositions, aides, gabelles, fouages, subsides, et
aultres choses mal prises, dont li royaulmes estoit trop blessiés, furent abatues, quittees, hostees et alienees. Et ce fut grandement a la contemplacion et plai sance dou peuple. Aprés la messe,
on vint au palais. Et pour ce que la salle dou palais estoit petite
pour recepvoir tel peuple, on a voit emmy la court dou palais, ou il y a grant place,
tendu I hault et grant tret sus hau tez estaches. Et la fut li
diners fais et ordon nés. Et sisent li jovenes rois de France et ses quatre oncle,
Angou, Berri, Bourgoingne et Bourbon, et avoecq eulx son grant oncle Braibant, a sa table, et bien en
sus de li arche vesques de Rains. Et autres prelatz seoient a sa destre. Et
servoient haulx barons : li sirez de Coucy, li sires de Clichon, messire Gui de la Tremoulle, li admiraux de France. Et ensi des autres sus haux
coursiers couvers et parés de draps d’or. Ensi continua en tou tes honneurs la journee.
Et au landemain le lundi mont de haulx barons et seigneurs prisent
congiét au roy et a ses oncles et s’en re tournerent en leurs
paÿs. Si vint li roys ce jour disner en l’abaye de Saint Tierry
a deux lieues de Rains. Car chil de leans lui doivent ce
paGap: deletedst et cil de la cité de
Rains le sacre dou roy. Ensi se departit
celle noble et haulte feste de la consecration dou jovene roy Charles de France. Et s’en vint li jovenes roys a Pa ris, la ou il fut des Parisiens derechief a son
retour et a l’entree a Paris tresgrandement pb 145 r
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