inhabitants of Bordeaux, by the advice of the lord de Montferrant,
the lord de Rosem, the lord de Lane, and the lord d'Anglades, found
means to embark secretly for England. On their arrival, they had
several conferences with king Henry's ministers, and offered to return
to their obedience if they would send a sufficient force to support
them. The king assembled his parliament, and summoned to it his peers
and captains, when it was determined to send the earl of Shrewsbury
to the country of Bordelois in the ensuing month of October. On this
being settled, the lord de l'Esparre and his companions, who might be
compared to Judas, returned to Bordeaux; for they had sworn, on the
holy evangelists, to be true and loyal subjects to the king and crown
of France, and had conspired this wicked treason in direct violation of
their oaths.
In consequence of the arrangements made between them and the English,
the earl of Shrewsbury set sail from England with four or five thousand
men, whom he landed in Medoc, and conquered some small places to serve
them as quarters. He thence made inroads over that part of the country,
and subdued it,--which was not difficult, for the king's army was
withdrawn, and few remained in the garrisons. When their arrival was
known in Bordeaux, the townsmen held several meetings to consider of
the manner of their surrender to the English,--and the majority were
desirous that the French within the town should be allowed to depart
in safety with their effects. At this time, the lord de Coictivy,
seneschal of Guienne, was the governor for the king of France, the lord
du Pin mayor, and Jean du Foue, knight, his deputy.
While they were debating on this matter, some of the inhabitants
opened one of the gates to the English, who entered the town on the
23d of October, and made the greater part of the French, soldiers or
not, prisoners. This news grieved much the king of France; and he
hastily dispatched the marshals of France, the lord d'Orval, Joachim
Rohault, and other experienced captains, with six hundred lances and
archers, to guard the places round Bordeaux, as the lord de Clermont,
his lieutenant-general in those parts, should see expedient, until he
could, at a proper season, send a greater force.
However, before this army could arrive, the earl of Shrewsbury and the
barons of the Bordelois had subjected most of the places near Bordeaux
to the government of the English. The town and castle of Châtillon,
in Perigord, then occupied by the French, were surrendered by the
garrison, on having their lives and fortunes spared, notwithstanding
the count de Clermont did all in his power to resist the English before
his reinforcement arrived.
The lord Camus, the bastard of Somerset, the lord Lisle, son to the
earl of Shrewsbury, the lord Molins, now arrived from England, to
reinforce the earl of Shrewsbury with four thousand combatants, and
eighty transports, great and small, laden with flour and bacon to
victual the city of Bordeaux.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 133: Tuché. MS. Du Cange, Chiré.]
[Footnote 134: Mehun sur Yevre,--two leagues from Beaugency, four from
Orleans.]
[Footnote 135: Forez,--a small fertile province, bounded on the east by
the Lyonnois, on the south by Languedoc.]
[Footnote 136: Feurs,--a town in Forez, four leagues from Boen, 16 from
Lyon.]
[Footnote 137: Charles VII. was discontented with the duke of Savoy
for having married his daughter Charlotte to the dauphin without his
consent, but on his submissions was appeased.]
CHAP. XXIX.
THE MEN OF GHENT BESIEGE OUDENARDE.--THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS AN
ARMY AGAINST THEM.--THE PICARDS CONQUER THE PONT D'ESPIERES FROM THE
GHENT MEN, AND KILL MANY OF THEM.
On the 14th day of April, after Easter, the ghent men took the
field in great numbers, followed by a large train of artillery and
provision-carts, to lay siege to Oudenarde, which was but five leagues
from Ghent. On their appearance, sir Simon de Lalain issued out, and
a skirmish took place; but he was forced to return to the town by
reason of the very great numbers of ghent men, who attacked him on all
sides,--and in his retreat, he burnt the suburbs on that quarter. The
ghent army blockaded the place so closely that nothing could enter it
by land, or by the river Scheld that ran through it.
The noble duke of Burgundy, when told of this siege, was greatly vexed,
considering that the ghent men had so lately sent to solicit pardon for
their offences. He consequently issued a special summons throughout
Picardy and Hainault,--and in obedience thereto, John count d'Estampes,
his cousin-german and at that time governor of Picardy, assembled the
gentlemen of that country, and with a numerous body, marched toward
Oudenarde by the road of the Pont d'Espieres. Near to this bridge was
a small castle, called Helchin, occupied by the ghent men under a
captain, a peasant called Beuterman, which means one who sells butter.
They having fortified the bridge, the Picards declined attempting to
pass it, on account of the numbers of the enemy; but a company of
Picards found means to cross the river at a place named Waterbos, and
fell on the rear of those who guarded the bridge, at the same time that
the other body of Picards made an attack on the bridge. The ghent
men, finding themselves attacked in front and rear, retreated into a
church hard by. The Picards crossed the bridge, and pursued them to the
church,--when the ghent men, in their defence, killed three archers,
and wounded several more. This so enraged the count d'Estampes that he
set fire to the church, and forced the ghent men to sally forth,--but
they were all put to death: none escaped save their captain, Beuterman,
who had fled, by another road, to Ghent. Ninety remained dead on the
spot for three days before they were buried!
While this was passing, the duke of Burgundy advanced toward Ghent, and
fixed his quarters at Grammont, a small town five leagues distant. He
was there joined by the count de St Pol, his two brothers Thibaut and
James, Adolphus of Cleves, nephew to the duke Cornille, the bastard of
Burgundy and sir John de Croy, all grandly attended, and with a very
numerous body of men at arms and archers.
CHAP. XXX.
THE COUNT D'ESTAMPES, WITH THE AID OF THE PICARDS ALONE, RAISES THE
SIEGE OF OUDENARDE, AND DEFEATS THE GHENT MEN, WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE
OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.
The count d'Estampes accompanied by the lords of Picardy and their
vassals, halted at Waterbos and Launoy after their conquest of the
Pont d'Espieres, and there resolved to attempt to raise the siege of
Oudenarde before the duke of Burgundy should know any thing of the
matter.
To accomplish their plan, it was necessary that the governor, sir Simon
de Lalain, should be informed of it; and on the 25th day of April,
three of their men offered to carry thither letters, on paying them
fifty crowns each. These letters were to inform him of the hour on
which they intended to make the attempt, that he might co-operate with
them. The messengers, on approaching Oudenarde, found it so closely
blockaded that they had no chance of gaining admittance on the land
side; they therefore stripped themselves naked and plunged into the
Scheld, which is there wide and deep, swam into the town, and delivered
their letters.
Sir Simon was much pleased with the intelligence. In the mean time,
the count advanced with his Picards in three battalions: the van under
the command of Anthony bastard of Burgundy, the lord de Saveuses, and
others: the center under the count himself, grandly accompanied,--and
in the rear division were very many valiant men at arms and archers.
When they were nearly approached to the enemy, the lord de Saveuses
knighted, with his own hand, the lord d'Estampes, who had not before
received that honour; and then the count instantly made fifty-two more
knights, the first of whom was Anthony bastard of Burgundy.
When arrived within a quarter of a league from Oudenarde, they fell in
with a body of four or five hundred ghent men, posted there to defend
a narrow pass. The Picards advanced to attack them, but came to a
hollow way, of difficult descent, which forced them to make a circuit.
Their leaders were sir James de Lalain, the lords de Bauf-segnies, de
Crevecœur, de Bosqueaux, and du Bos,--and one called le Bourgognon was
with them. Having passed the hollow way, they pushed through the ghent
men, who were drawn up; and wheeling round, sir James de Lalain charged
them sword in hand. He was instantly surrounded by the enemy,--and had
it not been for the timely succour of the Bourgognon, who extricated
him from this danger, he must have been killed.
When the ghent men perceived that the main body of the Picards had
passed the hollow way, they fled for a church near Oudenarde, where
they were almost all put to death. This done, the count d'Estampes
ordered the archers to dismount,--but the blockade was so complete
that no sally was attempted from the town. However, the ghent men on
the other side of the Scheld were cut off, for want of a bridge, from
succouring the division on this side, which, as it afterward turned
out, proved their destruction.
The ghent men, on seeing the Picards, advanced from their
intrenchments in handsome array, well furnished with pikes and cannons,
to give them battle; but they no sooner felt the arrows of the Picards,
which, by reason of their being badly armed, pierced their bellies and
backs, than they instantly gave way and fled. The Picards pursued them,
and slaughtered so many that few escaped. It was commonly reported that
upwards of three thousand were killed, while the count d'Estampes lost
only one man, called Jean d'Athies, a man at arms, and a native of
Arras, who was slain through his own breach of duty.
During this time, the noble duke of Burgundy had left Grammont grandly
accompanied, as I have said, to raise the siege of Oudenarde. He had
learnt that the ghent men had, on the opposite side of the river, been
forced to raise the siege, and that the division on this, through fear,
were on their march back to Ghent. In consequence of this intelligence,
he pushed forward, and soon overtook them,--and the pursuit lasted to
the gates of Ghent, killing and wounding all that came in his way,
until the night forced him to give it over. The duke lay on the field
this night, and on the morrow, early, entered Oudenarde, where great
rejoicings and feasts took place between the duke, the count, and their
companions. The artillery the men of Ghent had left behind them was
secured in the town of Oudenarde, and their baggage plundered. Among
those who escaped to Ghent were their three Hoguemans[138],--but they
had scarcely entered the town when the populace seized them, beheaded
them without mercy, and elected five new ones.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 138: Hogueman--should be, according to du Cange's glossary,
Hocquemant, Hoga, captain, governor.]
CHAP. XXXI.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY ESTABLISHES GARRISONS ROUND GHENT.--HE MAKES
SEVERAL INROADS INTO THE COUNTRY OF WAES[139].
The siege of Oudenarde being raised, the duke of Burgundy, nobly
attended, went to Dendermonde,--the count d'Estampes remained in
Oudenarde,--the count de St Pol was sent to Alost, and the marshal of
Burgundy, with some picardy gentlemen, to Courtray. Shortly after, the
count d'Estampes sallied out of Oudenarde, with the intent of advancing
to Ghent; and passing by the castle of Gave, he attacked it, but was
forced to retire, as it was too strong, and the garrison outnumbered
his force. He then continued his march toward Ghent, where a sharp
skirmish took effect, but without much loss on either side--the ghent
men re-entered the town--except, indeed, that sir John de Miraumont
was struck so severely with a cross-bow bolt that he died of it soon
after: the Picards marched back to Oudenarde.
The count de St Pol, on another day, advanced from Alost to before the
walls of Ghent, and gallantly repulsed those who sallied out against
him; and this he did repeatedly. The count d'Estampes returned thither
also, and not only repulsed them back into Ghent but slew upwards of
forty: he lost, however, seven of his archers.
Between Ghent and Antwerp lies a fertile country, called the country
of Waes: it is very strong from its bogs and ditches, and has several
rich towns and villages dependant on Ghent, and would not own any other
superior lord than the municipality of Ghent. During the different wars
that had taken place, this country had never been overrun or pillaged,
and therefore was plentifully supplied with all things. The ghent men
had likewise strongly fortified it with ditches and bulwarks, so that
it was of difficult entrance, more especially as those of Ghent were
very assiduous in guarding it.
The duke, being anxious to possess this country, had a strong bridge
thrown over the Scheld, before Dendermonde; and when it was finished,
a valiant knight called sir James de Lalain, with leave of the duke,
was the first who passed over, accompanied by the archers of the duke's
body-guard and a few men at arms. This was on the 18th day of May; and
he had not advanced far when he was met by a large body of ghent men,
who instantly attacked and surrounded him on all sides. He behaved
himself most valorously: no knight could have done better: but sir John
bastard of Renty, captain of these archers, did not do the same,--for
he let fall the duke's banner which he bore, and saved himself as fast
as his horse could carry him. In this encounter, seven or eight archers
were slain, three of whom were of the duke's guard. The horse of a
gallant young knight, sir Philip de Lalain, was killed under him in a
bog, while he defended himself like a wild boar at bay: had it not been
for the exertions of his brother sir James, who dashed into the midst
of those that held him in such peril, he could not have escaped alive;
but sir James, by his valour, remounted his brother in spite of them,
and having collected around him the few men he had, he marched off,
himself closing their rear, to withstand all attempts of the enemy to
hurt them. The archers who had remained with him, throwing off their
jackets, made such excellent use of their bows that they forced the
ghent men to retreat to a respectable distance,--and sir James carried
his men and archers safely back to Dendermonde.
In another quarter, the count de St Pol, accompanied by his two
brothers, Adolphus of Cleves, the bastard de Cornille, and many men at
arms and archers, with those from Dendermonde, under the command of
John de Croy, set off to enter the country of Waes. They gained two
bulwarks which the ghent men occupied at Overmeer, a large village in
that country, after a sharp attack, when the ghent men fled, as many
as could save themselves, to Ghent. The duke's army then advanced to
Lokeren, another large village, in which were three thousand men, who
had promised assistance to those at Overmeer, and were preparing to
march thither when it was too late.
The ghent men, seeing their enemies coming, advanced boldly to meet
them; but before they were approached near enough for battle, the count
de St Pol, who led the van, made some new knights, namely, Adolphus
of Cleves, Thibault lord de Fiennes, brother to the count, Cornille
bastard of Burgundy, at that time governor of Luxembourg, a prudent
and valiant youth, universally beloved by all who knew him, and a few
more. The count marched the van on the flank of the ghent men, while
they continued to advance in front against the body under the command
of sir John de Croy, who pushed forward to meet them: they were so
roughly attacked on two sides that they were almost all slain or made
prisoners. In this engagement, four or five of the duke's body-archers
did wonders in arms, more especially Hoste le Sur and le Martre. This
army now returned to their quarters.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 139: Waes,--a district in Flanders, on the Scheld, between
Ghent and Ysendic.]
CHAP. XXXII.
THE GHENT MEN FORTIFY NIENEVE.--THE COUNT D'ESTAMPES DEFEATS THEM
THERE.--THE MEN OF GHENT ATTEMPT TO DESTROY A DYKE, TO DROWN THE
COUNTRY OF WAES, BUT ARE AGAIN DEFEATED BY THE COUNT DE ST POL.
Between Ghent and Oudenarde is a large village called Nieneve, which
the ghent men had strongly fortified with intrenchments and bulwarks,
and had posted there a numerous garrison to harrass the Picards in
Oudenarde. The count d'Estampes, having summoned the garrison of
Courtray to join him, advanced to gain this village, and on the 25th
of May he won by storm the outworks and the village, putting the ghent
men to the rout without much difficulty. The count then took the field,
and, while a party of his men were pursuing the runaways, others
had dismounted in the village to refresh themselves. They had not
been there long, before a large body of ghent men, who had assembled
unobserved, suddenly entered the village, and immediately put to death
all they could find, for they were far from suspecting such an attempt.
Among the slain were the lord de Herin, knight, Ciboy Boucly, Jennequin
le Prevost, Jean Dinde, and some others, to the amount of thirteen, all
valiant men at arms of the count's household, and full fifty archers.
The whole would have perished, had not the lord de Saveuses hastened
to their succour and behaved with great valour. The count instantly
returned with the army, and a dreadful slaughter ensued: the men of
Ghent were a second time defeated, and twelve hundred killed on the
spot: the rest saved themselves in the woods and hedges. After this
defeat, the count caused those of his men who had been slain to be
carried to a house hard by, and then set fire to the village,--after
which he returned to Oudenarde.
The duke of Burgundy, during his residence at Dendermonde, was very
desirous of marching a great force to conquer the country of Waes,
and had sent to Picardy for reinforcements of archers and cross-bows,
which the towns had readily complied with. He ordered the garrisons
of Courtray, Oudenarde, and Alost to join him, and sent thither the
reinforcements from Picardy to supply the place of these garrisons
during the time he should be in the country of Waes. When the ghent
men heard of this great force being assembled, they ordered a strong
detachment to break down a sea dyke, which, being done, would drown the
whole of that country; but the duke, having timely notice of this, sent
thither the count de St Pol with a large body, who made such diligence
that he came up with the enemy before they could effect their purpose,
and discomfited them, with the loss of more than five hundred men: the
rest saved themselves by flight: and what damage had been done to the
dyke was repaired.
The count marched back to the duke, and found that the duke's nephew,
John duke of Cleves, had arrived during his absence with a handsome
body of german men at arms and cross-bows, at which the duke was
exceedingly well pleased. Charles count de Charolois, legitimate son to
the duke, had also arrived when he was absent on the last expedition.
CHAP. XXXIII.
THE BATTLE OF RUPELMONDE, WHERE THE GHENT MEN ARE DEFEATED BY THE DUKE
OF BURGUNDY.
On the 6th day of June, in this same year 1452, the duke of Burgundy
marched from Dendermonde with his whole army, to invade the country of
Waes. He formed his army into three divisions: the van he gave to the
count de St Pol, who was accompanied by his two brothers, sir Cornille
the bastard, the lord de Saveuses, sir James de Lalain, and others.
The duke commanded the center, having with him his son, the knights
and esquires of his household, and a part of the Picards: the count
d'Estampes and the duke of Cleves, his son-in-law, had the command of
the rear division.
This arrangement being made, he marched toward Rupelmonde, which the
ghent men had strongly fortified, and were there waiting his coming
with plenty of artillery and warlike stores, to defend a bulwark they
had cast up in front of the place.
When the duke was near to Rupelmonde, he was fearful that if the
ghent men should discover his whole strength they would not issue out
of their intrenchments; and to deceive them as to his numbers, he
detached a considerable body to observe the countenance of the enemy,
to skirmish with them, and to draw them out into the plain. In the
mean time, he advanced his whole army in three divisions, but in close
order, for greater security, so that the ghent men could not see more
than the first division, or at least what appeared to be such.
The ghent men observing the detachment, and the van of the army, which
was not far behind, not imagining there were any more, insolently
issued forth from their intrenchments to attack them; but, in pursuance
of the duke's orders, his men immediately wheeled round and fled. The
ghent men pursued until they fell in with the duke's army, drawn up
in battle-array, and the archers dismounted. The battle now raged, and
the ghent men made good use of their culverins; but they could not
withstand the arrows of the Picards, and, turning about, fled. The men
at arms followed, and the slaughter was dreadful. It happened in the
pursuit, that sir Cornille, the bastard, was attacked by a Fleming,
who thrust his pike into his throat, which unluckily was unguarded,
and killed him on the spot: it was a great loss, from the promising
expectations he had given of his future worth.
The ghent men were defeated, and two thousand five hundred were left
dead on the field: the rest retreated to a large village called Acre,
which they had strongly fortified with trenches and ramparts. The duke,
having collected his men together, began his march back, but not before
he had his son, the bastard, raised from the ground, and sent off, with
many honours to Brussels, where he was interred in the church of St
Goule.
CHAP. XXXIV.
THE GHENT MEN WHO HAD FLED TO ACRE ABANDON THE PLACE: IT IS BURNT BY
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS AMBASSADORS TO THE
DUKE IN FLANDERS, TO RESTORE PEACE TO THAT COUNTRY.
On the morrow of the battle of Rupelmonde, the lord de la Vere, a
Hollander, and knight-companion of the Golden Fleece, and the lord de
Launoy, then governor of Holland, came to offer their services to the
duke of Burgundy, bringing with them three thousand combatants, mostly
cross-bowmen. The duke was well pleased with them; but remembering the
death of his son the bastard, whom he greatly lamented, he commanded
all the villages in the country of Waes to be set on fire, and, in
consequence, very many villages were burnt; but as several of them
contained only poor people, the inhabitants came in great numbers to
beseech their lord's mercy, barefooted, and in all humility. The good
duke had pity on them, and ordered the fires to cease.
The duke then marched to Acre, where the ghent men were in great force;
but they were afraid to wait his coming, and abandoned the place, on
which the duke had it burnt to the ground.
While these things were going forward, the king of France sent an
embassy to the duke, and appointed the count de St Pol, then with the
duke, as the head of it, who went to meet the other members at Tournay,
where they were grandly feasted. The count returned to the duke, to
know when and where it would be agreeable for him to see them: he
appointed Dendermonde, whither he went for the purpose, leaving his
army in the country of Waes.
The ambassadors remonstrated with the duke on his present conduct,--and
added, that the king was astonished that he could thus destroy
Flanders, which was a dependance on his crown, for that the ghent men
out of revenge, and through pride, might ally themselves with the
English, and admit them into Ghent, to the great prejudice of his
kingdom. They exhorted him to make peace with Ghent, if possible, and
ordered him, in the king's name, to put an end to the war.
The duke made answer, in person, that he was no way afraid of the
English being admitted into Ghent,--and that for no man living would
he make peace with his rebellious subjects until they had submitted
themselves to his will; for, by the aid of God and of his good friends,
he would force them to submission, if they would not submit by fair
means. The ambassadors, on hearing this answer, did not make any reply
for the present; but they obtained from the duke, at their entreaties,
and out of respect to the king, that he would consent to a truce for
three days, and give passports to such of the ghent men as might choose
to come to him and treat of a peace.