By his second wife, Jolande de Dieux, Duke Arthur had one son, John, Count of Montford.Thus it happened, that when Duke John died, his half-brother, the Count of Montford, and Joan, daughter of his second brother Guy, were all that survived of the family.These were the rival claimants for the vacant dukedom.In England we have but one law of succession, which rules through the whole land.In France it is different.There the law of succession depends entirely upon the custom of the county, dukedom, or lordship, which is further affected both by the form of grant by which the territory was conveyed to its first feudal possessors and by the mode in which the province had been acquired by the kings of France.This is important, as upon these circumstances alone it depended whether the son or the granddaughter of Arthur II should inherit the dukedom.
"Joan claimed the duchy as the daughter of the elder brother.The Salic law of France, which barred females from the right of succession, and in virtue of which Philip of Valois succeeded to the throne instead of King Edward, certainly did not obtain in Brittany.Duke John regarded Joan as his heiress, and married her to Charles of Blois, nephew of the King of France, thus strengthening her in her position; and he also induced the provincial parliament of Brittany to acknowledge her husband as his successor in the dukedom.Altogether it would seem that right is upon Joan's side; but, on the other hand, the Count of Montford is the son of Jolande, a great heiress in Brittany.He is an active and energetic noble.
The Bretons love not too close a connection with France, and assuredly prefer to be ruled by a duke whom they regard as one of themselves rather than by Charles of Blois, nephew of the French king.Directly Duke John was dead the Count of Montford claimed the inheritance.Assuming the title of duke he rode to Nantes, where the citizens did him homage, and then proceeded to Limoges with a large train of men-at-arms, and there took possession of the immense treasures which the late duke had accumulated in the course of a long and tranquil reign.With these sinews of war at his command he turned to Nantes, where he had left his wife the countess, who was a sister of the Count of Flanders.He immediately invited the nobility of Brittany to a grand banquet, but only one knight of any renown presented himself at the feast, the rest all holding aloof.With the wealth of which he had possessed himself he levied large forces and took the field.He first marched against Brest, where the garrison, commanded by Walter de Clisson, refused to acknowledge him.After three days' hard fighting the place was taken.Rennes was next besieged, and presently surrendered.Other towns fell into his hands, and so far as Brittany was concerned all opposition, except in one or two fortresses, ceased.In the meanwhile Charles of Blois sought assistance from his uncle the King of France; the Count de Montford, therefore, crossed to England and besought the aid of King Edward, and did homage to him as King of France.Edward, on his part, promised to assist him.The fact that Phillip was sure to espouse the opposite side was in itself sufficient to decide him; besides which, the dukes of Brittany have always been in a special way connected with England and bear the English title of Earls of Richmond.
"Believing that his journey, which had been a secret one, was unknown to the King of France, De Montford went boldly to Paris, where he had been summoned by the king to an assembly of peers called to decide upon the succession.He found, however, that Phillip had already obtained news of his journey to England.His manner convinced De Montford that it was unsafe to remain in Paris, and he secretly made his escape.Fifteen days afterwards the peers gave judgment in favour of Charles of Blois.The Dukes of Normandy, Burgundy, and Bourbon, the Counts of Alencon, Eu, and Guisnes, and many other French nobles, prepared to lead an army into the field to support Charles, and the king added a body of 3000 Genoese mercenaries in his pay.
"Knowing the storm that was preparing to break upon him, De Montford put every town and castle in a state of defence.He himself, confiding in the affection of the inhabitants of Nantes, remained in that city, while his wife repaired to Rennes.
"The Duke of Normandy advanced from Angiers with an army of 5000men-at-arms and a numerous infantry, and after capturing the castle of Chantoceaux marched to Nantes and laid siege to the city.A sortie was made by the besieged, led by Henry de Leon, but, being attacked by the whole of the French army, they were driven back into the town, a great many of the citizens being killed.A warm altercation took place between Henry de Leon and De Montford, who attributed to him the evil result of the sortie.The result was that a large number of the citizens whose friends had been captured by the French conspired to deliver up the place to Charles of Blois, and Henry de Leon also entered into private negotiations with the Duke of Normandy.De Montford, finding that he could rely neither upon the citizens nor the soldiers, surrendered to the duke on condition that his life was spared.He was sent to Paris, where he still remains a prisoner.
Winter was coming on, and after putting Nantes in a fresh state of defence and leaving Charles of Blois there, the Duke of Normandy dismissed his forces, engaging them to reassemble in the spring.Had he pushed on at once he would have experienced no resistance, so great was the panic which the surrender of Nantes and the capture of De Montford had caused among the latter's partisans.
