Page:Medieval Military Architecture in England (volume 1).djvu/522

 476 Mediceval Military Architecture, THE CASTLE OF COUCY, NEAR LAON. COUCY-LE-CHATEAU, town and castle, are built upon and completely occupy the somewhat irregularly-shaped but level summit of a promontory of chalk, the eastern part or root of which is connected with the high land of the upper forest of Coucy, while towards the north and west the termination of the platform stands out boldly and abruptly, from 150 feet to 200 feet above the fertile valleys on either hand, whence spring the tributary waters of the Lette, a stream which flows down from the ancient city of Laon to reach the Oise at Manicamp. The valleys immediately below and commanded by the castle bear marks of high and early cultivation, and no doubt contributed largely to its support. More distant, chiefly on the eastern and northern sides, are the immense woodland tracts of the high and low forests of Coucy, St. Gobain, and Monceau, while to the south are those of Pinon and Mostier. Occupying fertile spots amidst these forests were the abbeys of Nogent, St. Nicholas, Barizy, and Premontre, where was the burial-place of the De Coucys, and the remains of which religious houses are interspersed with those of the castles of St. Gobain, Folembray, Anizy, La Fere, Pinon, and many others, showing the value attached to this tract of country by the jealousy displayed in its defence. The etymology of Coucy has not been explained. The district in which it stands was known as Le Mege in the sixth century, and Coucy was probably included in that part of it granted by Clovis to St. Remi for the archiepiscopal see of Reims, a.d. 500. In 909 it was in the hands of Archbishop Herve, who, moved by the rising power of the Norman, here first built the castle known henceforward as Coucy. Whatever may have been the particulars of this fortress, its area must have been identical with that of the latter work, governed by the configuration of the ground ; and, whatever may have been its construction, its position could not but endow it with strength and importance. It became at once a place of note. Here, Herve, Count of Vermandois, imprisoned Charles the Simple, whom he sold to his rival king for the county of Laon. Nevertheless, in 930, Herve was forced to give up Coucy to Boson, brother to Raoul, king of France. Boson was slain before St. Quentin in 931, and, after a century of vicissitudes, the domain, held by a mere quit-rent of the Church, was in 1037 the signory of Alberic, the founder of the baronial name of Coucy. It is uncertain whether Alberic was of the family of Eudo de Chartres or that of the Counts of Verman- dois. By marriage he added Amiens and its adjacent castle of Boves to Coucy, and is thought to have founded the abbey of Nogent-sous- Coucy.