DUNOIS, dn'nwii'. JEAN. Count of (1403-68). A brilliant French soldier, known as 'the Bastard of Orleans.' He was the natural son of Louis. Duke of Orleans, brother of Charles VI., and of Marietta d'Engbien, the wife of Althea Flamene, Lord of Canny. He was brought up in the house of his father, who was murdered in 1407. .At tached to the Armagnae faction, Dennis was taken prisoner by the Burginulians when they captured Paris in 1418, and was not released un til two years later. His friends then advised him to enter the Church. hut his own tastes led him to a military life and he attached himself to the party of the dauphin Charles. His first battle was that of Haug(', in 1421. He was en dowed with the seigniory of Vanberna is in Dauphin& and married in 1422 Marie Lon-et. the daughter of the dauphin's favorite adviser. The same year Charles became King, and made Dimois a councilor and grand chamberlain. In 1424 he was present at the battle of Verneuil, hut the retirement of his father-in-law Louvet, through the intrigues of the Constable de Eklie meat, led Dunois to withdraw for a time from the service of Charles. In 1427. however, he was again prominent and in the relief of Mon targis. besieged by the English, in September of that year, laid the foundation of his mili tary renown. lie next undertook the defense of Orleans, which he bravely sustained until the arrival of .loan of Are with aid. Joining their forces for the reconquest of France, Dunois and the 'Alaid of Orleans entered upon an almost un broken succession of victories which freed France from the English. The capture of Joan of Are before Compii•gne was a sore blow to Dunois, nor could he save her from being burned at Rouen. though lie gallantly attempted a diversion in Normandy. the campaign. Dunois took Chartres, in 1432, and forcing Bedford from in front of Lag,ny, he laid the way open to Paris. His operations with Riehemont in Lower Normandy and around Paris hastened the con clusion of the Treaty of Arras (1435), by which Philip of Burgundy abandoned the cause of England and went over to Charles VII. Dunois
refused to sign the treaty because it did not stipulate for the release of his brother. the Duke of Orleans. He was instrumental in expelling the English from Paris and held a place of honor in the royal entry, November. 1437. After pro curing the liberation of the princes of Orleans. in 1439, Dennis was more or less involved. for their sake, in the political intrigues of the great nobles against the King, known as the Praguerie. Many new honors and titles were, however, con ferred upon him, and between 1446 and 1448 he was employed by Charles VI. on diplomatic mis sions to England, Burgundy, Savoy, and Borne. The war with England having begun again. in .1449, Dunois was named Lieutenant-General of Normandy. and in a campaign lasting only a year and six days he took all the important strongholds of the English and expelled them from Normandy. Charles V11. designated such a conquest as miraculous. and employed Dunois to do the same in Guienne in 1451, where his triumph was equally complete. It has been maintained that as a reward Dunois was de deela red legitimate, hut this is not proved. Dur ing the wars between Charles VII. and the dauphin Louis Dunois held Normandy in the name of the King. and was present at the battle of Castillon in 1453. The last years of the great soldier were spent in State affairs. His services and abilities were at first recognized by Louis NI., who employed him in negotiations with the Duke of Brittany in 1462. hut as he did not enjoy the eonfidenee of the King. Dunois, in 1465, placed himself at the head of the League of the Publie Weal and was active in negotiating the Treaty of Saint Maur. Ile died at the ChAtean of Hay, November 24, 1468, and was buried in the ('lurch of Notre Dame de Clery, Louis XI. being present at the funeral. Con quit the contemporary chronicles by \lonstrelet Basin and Berry; also Aimi-Champollion, Louis cf l'harks d'Orlin ( Paris, 1544) ; Deaucourt, Ili.ctoire (I, Charles Ill. vols., Paris, 18S5 91) ; 1allet de Viriville. Il istoire de Charles (Paris. 1862). Dunois appears in Scott's Ilurward.