the town of Laon, where he was magnificently and joyfully received by
the clergy, burghers and inhabitants of that town. Shortly after his
arrival, Philip count de Nevers, baron de Donsy of the royal lineage,
and brother to the duke of Burgundy, came thither under the protection
of a passport from the king, and was lodged by the royal harbingers,
in the abbey of Saint Martin des Premonstrés. He had been informed by
some of his friends, that the king intended to send into his county
of Rethel a large force to seize his person; and for this reason he
had come to Laon to surrender into the king's hand the lordships and
estates he possessed in France, and to solicit mercy and pardon for
all his offences, promising henceforward not to assist his brother,
the duke of Burgundy, openly or secretly, in this quarrel against the
king his sovereign lord. What he requested was granted; and the lord de
Lor with others of his vassals were given as hostages for the faithful
observance of these promises. He then departed, with the king's leave,
to Mezieres on the Meuse.
While the king remained at Laon, he ordered fresh proclamations to be
made throughout his realm, to obtain the aid of his knights and others
who were accustomed to bear arms for him.
On the 10th day of June he marched to Tierrache, thence to Ribermont
and to St Quentin; at which place, the countess of Hainault, sister
to the duke of Burgundy, came to him, with a noble attendance of two
hundred horsemen, to endeavour to make peace between the king and the
duke of Acquitaine and the duke of Burgundy. But when the king heard
what terms she had to propose, there was an end of the business; and,
seeing no prospect of success, she took leave of the king, and left
Saint Quentin, and went to the duke of Bourbon and Charles d'Albreth,
constable of France, the commanders of the rear division of the army.
Four of the king's knights escorted her until she met two hundred
burgundian men at arms. This body of troops was under the command of
sir Gaultier de Ruppes, the lords de Montagu and de Toulongeon, Sir
Guillaume de Champ-divers, le Veau de Bar, bailiff of Auxois[3], and
others, quartered at Marle[4], who were on their road towards Hainault.
The moment the king of France's knights perceived them, they returned
with all speed to give information that they had seen the Burgundians,
in order that they might be encountered. The duke of Bourbon, the
constable, and many others, instantly made themselves ready, to the
amount of four thousand combatants, and galloped away as fast as their
horses could carry them, through la Chapelle in Tierrache, to overtake
the Burgundians. They continued their pursuit as far as the bridge
of Verberie over the Sambre, near to Beaumont, when they came up with
the baggage, and killed or made prisoners several of the escort: among
the last was Veau de Bar, bailiff of Auxois. They still pursued the
Burgundians until they came near to Nôtre Dame de Halle, but they had
then secured themselves within the suburbs of Brussels. Finding that
all hopes of overtaking them were vain, the french knights retreated
through Hainault, plundered many of its inhabitants, who little
suspected it, and arrived at Guise in Tierrache, where they met the
king and his whole army, who had returned thither to combat his enemies.
Duke William count of Hainault was highly displeased with this
expedition, because his country had been overrun and pillaged. Soon
after, the king marched back to St Quentin, and the Burgundians,
who were before Oudenarde, went to Douay, where they met the duke
of Burgundy, who received them as cordially as if they had been his
brethren. The lady of Hainault, his sister, came thither also, who had
endeavoured, as has been said, with all her power, to conclude a peace
between the king of France and the duke of Burgundy, but hitherto she
had been unsuccessful.
The king and the princes advanced from St Quentin to Peronne,--and his
majesty was lodged in the castle. He devoutly celebrated the feast of
St Peter and St Paul, in the church of St Quentin; and on the morrow of
this feast the countess of Hainault returned, with her brother the duke
of Brabant, to renew her propositions for peace. They were royally and
magnificently entertained, after which the king inquired the cause of
their coming. On the following Sunday, the first day of July, the duke
of Guienne gave the lady and her brother a magnificent dinner, when
they were solemnly feasted.
This countess was also accompanied by some of the chief citizens of the
Quatre Mestiers, as deputies from the three estates of Flanders to the
king who graciously received them,--and, on their departure, properly
distributed among them presents, of one hundred marcs of silver in gilt
plate, which pleased them mightily.
But neither the lady nor her brother, the duke of Brabant, could at
this time obtain peace for the duke of Burgundy; on which account,
they returned to him at Douay dejected and sorrowful. The duke hearing
of their ill success, concluded bargains with his captains for their
support of him against all his enemies, excepting the persons of
the king of France and the duke of Acquitaine. After this, the duke
departed into his country of Flanders.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 3: Auxois,--a country in Burgundy, of which Semur is the
capital.]
[Footnote 4: Marle,--a town in Picardy, five leagues from Laon,
thirteen from Soissons.]
CHAP. VII.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY PLACES GARRISONS IN DIFFERENT TOWNS AND
CASTLES.--THE KING OF FRANCE MARCHES HIS ARMY FROM PERONNE TO BESIEGE
BAPAUME[5].
Such was the state of affairs on the departure of the duke of Burgundy,
with the greater part of the Burgundians under the command of sir
Gaultier de Ruppes and others, from Douay. Sir John de Luxembourg, then
a young knight, was intrusted with the government of Arras; but there
were appointed, as his advisers, the lord de Ront, sir William Bouvier,
lieutenant governor of Arras, the lord de Noyelle, surnamed Le Blanc
Chevalier, Allain de Vendosme, with a body of troops to the number of
six hundred men at arms and as many archers.
Those from Burgundy were commanded by the lord de Montagu, captain
in chief, the lord de Vienne, the borgne de Toulongeon knight, sir
William de Champ-divers, the bastard of Granson, to the amount of six
hundred men at arms. The lord de Beauford à la barbe was commander of
the commonalty; and in all the other towns were appointed able men,
according to the good pleasure of the duke of Burgundy.
These warriors made frequent excursions on the lands of such as were
attached to the Orleans party; and one day sir John de Luxembourg,
with a large detachment, advanced to the town of Hamme on the Somme,
belonging to the duke of Orleans, which was pillaged and robbed of
every thing portable that it contained; and many of the adjacent
villages shared the same fate, from the aforesaid cause. In like
manner, Hector de Saveuses, Philippe de Saveuses his brother, Louis de
Wargis, and some other captains, crossed the river Somme at Hauges,
near to Pecquigny, and thence advanced to the town of Blangy, near
Monchiaux, belonging to the count d'Eu, which was filled with much
wealth. This was soon plundered by the Burgundians, who carried away
men and all portable effects, and returned with them into Artois. Such
expeditions did the duke of Burgundy's partisans often make, to the
sore distress of the poor inhabitants.
On the 9th day of July, the king and the princes left Peronne, on a
pilgrimage to our Lady of Cuerlu, and proceeding thence, fixed their
quarters on the banks of a river, very near to Miraumont[6]. On the
Thursday following, he came before Bapaume, a town belonging to the
duke of Burgundy; and at this place the count d'Auxerre was made a
knight by the duke of Bourbon, who commanded the van division, and had
arrived before Bapaume at break of day. The king also created, with his
own hand, the count d'Alençon a knight, as well as some others. The
lords de Boissay and de Gaucourt at this time exercised the functions
of Boucicaut and de Longny, the two marshals of France. On the king's
arrival, he was lodged at a handsome nunnery without the walls, and his
army around the place, so that it was soon encompassed on all sides.
This town is on an elevated situation, without spring or running water;
and as the season was very dry, the soldiers were forced to fetch their
water from a rivulet near to Miraumont in bottles, casks, and suchlike
vessels, which they transported on cars or otherwise the best way they
could, so that they and their horses suffered more from thirst than
famine. This caused many to sink wells, and in a few days more than
fifty were opened, and the water was so abundant that a horse could be
watered for four farthings.
It happened, that on a certain day the duke of Acquitaine sent for the
chief captains in the town and castle of Bapaume, such as Ferry de
Hangest, sir John de Jumont, and Alain d'Anetus, who on their arrival,
being asked by the duke why they did not make some overtures to the
king for the surrender of the town and castle to their sovereign lord,
replied most humbly, that they guarded it for the king and for himself,
the king's eldest son, by the orders of the duke of Burgundy.
They requested the duke of Acquitaine to grant them an armistice until
the following Tuesday, that they might send to the duke of Burgundy
for his final orders respecting their conduct, as to surrendering the
town and castle. This was granted, and confirmed by the king. They
therefore sent to the duke of Burgundy, to inform him of the force
that was surrounding the town, and the small provision they had for
themselves and their horses. The duke, on hearing this, agreed to their
surrendering the place to the king and the duke of Acquitaine, on
condition that their lives and fortunes should be spared. This being
assented to, they marched out of Bapaume with all their baggage, and
were in number about five hundred helmets and three hundred archers.
They took the road toward Lille, to join their lord; but, as they were
on their departure, the varlet Caboche, who bore the duke's standard,
and two merchants of Paris were arrested; one of them was named Martin
Coulommiers; and all three beheaded. Martellet du Mesnil and Galiffre
de Jumelles were likewise arrested, for having formed part of the
garrison in Compiegne, but were afterward set at liberty.
In these days, it was proclaimed by sound of trumpet, that every one,
whatever might be his rank, merchant or otherwise, who should repair
to the king's army, should wear the upright cross as a badge, under
pain of confiscation of goods and corporal punishment. At this period,
also, ambassadors were sent to Cambray, the principal of whom were the
lord of Ivry, and the lord de Ligny, a native of Hainault, at that time
keeper of the king's privy seal, attended by many knights and others,
to the amount of two hundred helmets. On their arrival at Cambray,
they had a conference with the duke of Brabant and the countess of
Hainault, but could not agree on any terms for a peace, on which the
ambassadors returned to the king's army, and the duke of Brabant and
the lady of Hainault went back to the duke of Burgundy at Lille, to
signify to him that they had not been able to come to any terms with
the king of France.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 5: Bapaume,--a strong town in Artois, eleven leagues from
Amiens.]
[Footnote 6: Miraumont,--a village in Picardy, election of Peronne.]
CHAP. VIII.
THE INHABITANTS OF ARRAS FORTIFY THEIR TOWN VERY STRONGLY, AND BURN
AND DESTROY SEVERAL HANDSOME EDIFICES WHICH WERE AROUND IT.
The townsmen of Arras, daily expecting to be besieged by the army
of the king of France, made great preparations to defend themselves
against all adversaries. They erected bulwarks without the walls,
and formed barriers of large oak-trees placed one on the other, with
deep ditches, so that the walls could not be approached without first
having gained these outworks. They planted cannons and veuglaires
(veuglaria), with other offensive engines on the walls and towers, to
annoy the enemy; and, as I have before said, sir John de Luxembourg
was governor-general of the place, having under him many very expert
captains, whom I have mentioned, and who were always unanimous in their
opinions.
They resolved to wait for the attack of the king and the princes, and
to resist it to the best of their ability; but in the mean time sir
John de Luxembourg caused proclamation to be made by sound of trumpets
throughout the town, that all persons who had wives or families should
lose no time in having them and their effects conveyed to other strong
places or territories of the duke of Burgundy, and that whosoever had
not collected necessaries for some months must leave the place.
In consequence of these proclamations, many of the inhabitants carried
their wives, families and fortunes to the towns of Douay, Lille,
Bethune, Aire, and other places, according to their pleasure. The
governor demolished many handsome buildings and churches that were
around the town, namely, the abbey of Tieulloy, the churches of the
Cordeliers, Jacobins, and some others. He also burnt on the opposite
side of the city the suburbs of Baudemont, which were of large extent,
and contained many fine edifices, as well inns as other houses; all of
which were burnt and destroyed to the confusion of the inhabitants of
this suburb.
CHAP. IX.
CHARLES KING OF FRANCE, HAVING REDUCED BAPAUME TO HIS OBEDIENCE,
MARCHES TO LAY SIEGE TO ARRAS, AND TO SUBJECT THAT CITY TO HIS POWER.
King Charles of France having, as I have said, reduced the town of
Bapaume, to his obedience, departed thence on the 19th day of July with
his whole army, and halted at a village called Vercourt, situated on
a small brook two leagues from Arras. He had left his engines of war
at Bapaume, under the guard of sir Gasselin du Bos and a sufficient
garrison. Sir Gasselin, as governor of the town, made the mayor,
sheriffs and commonalty, take a solemn oath of fidelity to the king,
and to him as his governor.
From Vercourt, the king, passing by Arras, was lodged in the town of
Vailly[7]; at which place, and before the gates of Arras, there were
grand skirmishes between the king's army and those within the town.
They sallied out of the place in great numbers on horseback against
their enemies, of whom they that day, at different times, made sixty
or more prisoners, and carried them into the town, with a quantity of
baggage.
In company with the king were, his eldest son, Louis duke of
Acquitaine, the dukes of Orleans, of Bourbon, of Bar and of Bavaria,
the counts of Vertus, of Alençon, of Richemont, of Vendôme, of Auxerre,
of la Marche, of la Marle, of Eu, of Roussy, the archbishop of Sens,
the bishop of Laon, and the count of Armagnac. The lord Charles
d'Albreth, constable of France, was also with the king, and some other
knights and esquires of the van division, consisting of three thousand
men at arms at least, without including archers, so that the whole of
the royal army may be estimated at about two hundred thousand persons
of all sorts.
The king's quarters at Vailly were in a house which had belonged to the
Templars about a cannon-shot from the town, and the duke of Acquitaine
was lodged very near him. Soon after, the duke of Bourbon and others
of the van division made an entrance early in the morning into the
suburbs of Vaudemont, and there established themselves, in spite of the
resistance from Arras, but it was not without a severe conflict.
On another day, the duke of Bar, the count de Marle and the count
d'Armagnac, with the rear division, made good a lodgement on the
opposite side, in the suburbs of Belle-mocte, so that the city of Arras
was now so completely surrounded that scarcely a single person could
venture out without being taken, although, during the siege, there
were daily sallies made from the town, sometimes on foot, at others on
horseback.
The besieged often made sallies from two and even three gates within an
hour's time, and on these occasions, as it was afterwards known, they
gained more than they lost; for, during the siege, they brought into
the place upward of twelve score prisoners, and great numbers were in
these sallies always left dead on the field.
One particular skirmish took place near the river Scarpe, between the
suburbs of Belle-mocte and the postern of Arras, which was very fatal
to the besiegers. A party from the vanguard had crossed the river on a
plank, one at a time, to the number of six or seven score, purposing to
make an attack on the postern; but the besieged instantly sallied forth
to combat them, and drove them back to the plank,--when they, finding
they could not repass without much danger, rallied and forced their
enemies to retreat to the postern. At length by the valour of a man at
arms, called Perceval le Grand, who was the leader of the townsmen,
they were again forced to the water's edge, and so vigorously attacked
that fifty at least were killed on the spot, or made prisoners: from
fifteen to twenty were drowned in attempting to cross the river, whose
bodies, in armour, were dragged out on the following day.
About twenty of the besieged were killed or taken in their various
sallies. Among those of name made prisoners were Baugeois de la
Beauvriere, the bastard de Belle, the Bastard Dembrine, and some other
gentlemen from Burgundy; but they lost the greater part of their best
horses in these skirmishes.
The castle of Belle-mocte, situated near to Arras, remained, during
the siege, steady to the Burgundy party. The guard of it was given to
sir Fleurant d'Ancre and sir Symon de Behaignon: with them was a man
at arms called Jean Rose, who was strongly suspected of wishing to
betray the castle for money,--and on that account was made prisoner and
his effects confiscated. This fortress was well defended by the said
knights, for the duke of Burgundy, although the king's army took great
pains to conquer it.
To speak of all the different expeditions and incursions the king's
troops made during this siege into Artois, Ternois, and other parts,
would make too long a narrative; but I shall notice that which took
effect under one of the bastards of Bourbon, and other captains, with
about one thousand combatants. They went on a foraging party into the
county of St Pol, from which they gained an immense booty, in peasants,
horses, cattle, sheep, and other things: they even advanced to the
town of St Pol, in which were count Waleran, styling himself constable
of France, and the countess his wife, sister to the duke of Bar. They
treated count Waleran with much abusive language, and said that he only
pretended to be ill, to avoid serving the king, his sovereign lord; and
that he had manifested his warm affection to the duke of Burgundy by
sending his nephew sir John de Luxembourg, with the greater part of his
vassals, to assist him.
Notwithstanding the count heard all that was said, he would not suffer
any of his men to sally out against them, for fear the king and his
council should be more discontented with him, and allowed them to burn
a considerable part of the suburbs of St Pol: they then returned to the
king's army before Arras with their plunder.
On another day, about twelve hundred combatants assembled, and
advanced toward Lucheux[8], ransacking the country as far as the
town of Hesdin[9], and committing much destruction; but the garrisons
of Hesdin, and of other places in the interest of the duke of
Burgundy, pursued them with such activity and vigour, that they not
only recovered several whom they had captured, but made many of them
prisoners.
Thus at different times, were excursions made by the king's forces
on parts that held out for the duke of Burgundy, by which the poorer
people were sorely oppressed and ruined.
On the other hand, the garrisons of the duke of Burgundy, in his towns
of Douay, Lens[10], Hesdin, Maizerolles[11], and others, made continual
excursions and ambuscades against the foragers of the royal forces,
and likewise against those who brought provisions to the army from
Amiens, Corbie, and other parts, whom they generally robbed, killed,
or made prisoners. Hector de Saveuses, a very renowned man at arms,
was particularly active in his kind of warfare: he usually collected
from two to three hundred combatants under his banner, and, by secretly
leading them against the king's forces, acquired much fame, and was
greatly in the good graces of his lord, the duke of Burgundy: his
companions were usually Philippe and Louis de Wargis, Lamon de Launoy,
and other expert men at arms.
The duke of Burgundy, having resolved to relieve Arras, sent for all
his captains, and, having consulted them, ordered, that on a fixed day
they should make an attack on the king's army at Vaudemont, where the
van division was quartered, under the command of the duke of Bourbon;
and the garrison was to make a sally to support them, of which they
were to be timely informed. These captains assembled a force of about
four thousand combatants, whose commanders were the lord de Croy, the
lord de Fosseux, the lord de Jumont, the lord de Challons, sir Gautier
de Ruppes, and some others, who marched their men to within about four
leagues of Arras, and thence sent their scouts forward. The names of
these scouts were Actis, Jacques de Breumeur, brother to Louis de
Bussy, and others, whose names I have forgotten; but they were all
taken by the king's army, and carried to the head-quarters. The duke
of Burgundy's captains hearing of this, and supposing their intended
attack would be known, were much troubled, and, without doing any
thing, returned to their garrisons, to the great displeasure of the
duke.
During the time the king lay before Arras, his men took the fortress
of Avênes le Comte, belonging to the duke of Burgundy, and Villers le
Châtel from the lord de Gournay, both four leagues distant from Arras.
They were regarrisoned with a considerable force, who much harrassed
the adjacent country, and gave the army intelligence of all assemblies
of the enemy. All this time the town of Arras was constantly attacked
by the cannons, veuglaires, bricolles, and other engines, to the great
annoyance of its inhabitants, more especially on the side toward
Vaudemont, and, moreover, several mines were made under the walls. One
was particularly directed on this side, with the intent of forming a
secret entrance to the city, but it was discovered by a counter-mine
of the besieged, and a vigorous skirmish took place within it, each
party being armed with lances. The count d'Eu fought with sir John de
Meschastel, lord de Montagu, very valiantly, considering his youth: he
had been knighted on this occasion by his brother-in-law the duke of
Bourbon.
When this skirmish had lasted some time, both parties retreated to
their main army. Sir Louis Bourdon and others were quartered during
the siege in the abbey of Mount-St-Eloy, two leagues off Arras: it was
surrounded by a strong wall, and consisted of handsome buildings,--the
whole, or the greater part of which, were destroyed by them, the
gratings, iron, lead, bells, and every thing portable being carried
away. Thus at this time was the county of Artois most severely
oppressed by the army of the king of France.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 7: Vailly,--a town in Picardy, near Abbeville.]
[Footnote 8: Lucheux,--a town in Picardy, election of Peronne.]
[Footnote 9: Hesdin,--a strong town in Artois on the Canche, thirteen
leagues from Arras.]
[Footnote 10: Lens,--a town in Artois, on the confines of Flanders.]
[Footnote 11: Maizerolles,--a village in Artois.]
CHAP. X.
THE DUKE OF BRABANT AND THE COUNTESS OF HAINAULT VISIT THE KING OF
FRANCE WHEN BEFORE ARRAS, AND NEGOTIATE A PEACE FOR THEIR BROTHER THE
DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND HIS ALLIES.
On the morrow of St John the Baptist's day, the duke of Brabant, the
countess of Hainault, and some deputies from the three estates of
Flanders, came to the king, to negotiate a peace between him and the
duke of Acquitaine, and their brother and lord the duke of Burgundy.
They arrived about two o'clock in the morning, and were graciously
received by the king, the duke of Acquitaine and others. Prior to the
negotiation, an armistice was agreed on between the besiegers and
besieged, which lasted until the treaty was concluded.
This treaty of peace was publicly proclaimed, by sound of trumpet, in
front of the king's tent, at eight o'clock in the evening of Tuesday
the 4th day of September; and it was strictly ordered, that all
persons, under heavy penalties, should lay aside their badges, whether
of the party of the king or of the duke of Burgundy, who had worn a St
Andrew's cross, which was instantly done.