OF THE KING'S PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.--THE FLEMINGS ARE ADMITTED INTO
CAMBRAY.--SEVERAL TOWNS IN BURGUNDY REDUCED TO THE KING'S OBEDIENCE,
WHO OFTEN VISITS CHAMPAGNE IN CONSEQUENCE.--AMBASSADORS ARRIVE FROM
SPAIN.--THE DUKE OF ALBANY COMES TO PARIS.--THE DUKE OF AUSTRIA
DEFEATED NEAR THEROUENNE, AND THE SON OF THE KING OF POULAINE TAKEN
PRISONER.--THE KING'S TROOPS ARE AGAIN SUCCESSFUL, AND GAIN SEVENTEEN
TOWNS.--FOUR SCORE FLEMISH VESSELS ARE CAPTURED, BY COULON AND OTHER
ADVENTURERS FROM THE COASTS OF NORMANDY, IN THE COURSE OF THE ABOVE
YEAR.
The king of France, immediately after Easter, made preparations
for a renewal of the war, as the truce with Maximilian was nearly
expired, and as no ambassadors had arrived from Austria to propose a
prolongation of the truce, or to conclude a definitive peace, as had
been hinted during the last conference.
In the month of May following, although the truce was not expired,
the inhabitants of Cambray admitted into their town Flemings,
Picards, and other enemies to the king, of the party of the duke of
Austria, who drove out the royalist garrisons of the town and castle,
notwithstanding the king had given the guard of it to the lord de
Fiennes. Soon after, three or four hundred lances, Flemings, and
Picards, appeared before Bouchain, in which were only sixteen lances
as garrison for the king. They instantly retired into the castle,
observing that the townsmen were determined to admit their enemies
as soon as they should appear. The Flemings had no sooner gained
possession of the town than they attacked the king's lances, whom they
took, and put all to death, except one, who escaped by hiding himself
in a chamber, and then dropping down, through one of the privies, into
the ditch. The king was very indignant at this conduct, and not without
reason, for the truce had been violated without the smallest blame
attaching to him or his subjects.
He lost no time in sending large trains of artillery to the duchy and
franche comté of Burgundy, and great reinforcements of men at arms
and franc-archers to the governor of Champagne, whose appointment
of lieutenant-general he had renewed. The governor exerted himself
diligently, and took by storm the castle of Rochefort, killing all
within it, and plundering it of its effects. He thence proceeded to
Dole[90], which, after battering it some time, he also won by storm,
when many of the chief merchants were slain, and the town was razed to
the ground.
In the month of June, sir Robert d'Estouteville, lord of Beyne,
departed this life, at Paris, having been provost of the same for
forty-three years. He was succeeded in this office by Jacques
d'Estouteville, son to the deceased, in recompense, as the king said,
for his loyal services at the battle of Montlehery, and in other
affairs. While the king was at Montargis, he was much rejoiced at the
good news that was there brought him from sir Charles d'Amboise, and
set out for the abbey of Nôtre Dame des Victoires, near Senlis, and
make his offerings and thanksgivings. He thence came to the castle of
Vincennes, where he only staid a night, and set out for Provins, on his
road to Champagne, Langres and other places.
In the mean time, great stores of artillery, powder, saltpetre, and
particularly sixteen very large bombards, were embarked on the Seine,
to be transported to Châlons, Champagne and Bar le Duc, to attempt the
conquest of Luxembourg,--but that expedition did not take place.
Saturday the 3d of July, a handsome embassy from Spain arrived at
Paris, under the care of the bishop of Lombez and the abbot of St
Denis, by orders from the king. The provost of marchands, and the
sheriffs went out of the town to meet them, accompanied by different
ranks of people. Having made their entrance into Paris, they went to
St Denis, where they were grandly feasted by the abbot, having been
entertained on their passage through Paris by certain of the king's
officers.
In this year, the duke of Albany came to Paris, having been driven out
of Scotland by the king his brother, to seek a refuge with the king
of France[91]. Great honours were paid him; and the lord de Gaucourt,
as king's lieutenant, with all the professions of Paris, went out to
meet him, and accompany him on his entry into Paris, by the gate of St
Anthony, on the road leading to Vincennes. He was lodged in the rue
St Martin, although he had not more than ten or twelve horse in his
company: and the king ordered that Monipenny and Concressault, two
Scotsmen of rank in the french service, should attend upon him[92].
In the month of August, the Flemings, who were quartered in the
frontier towns of Flanders, took the field with the intent to combat
the king's forces, and advanced toward Therouenne. They battered the
town much with their artillery; but it was gallantly defended by the
lord de St André, lieutenant of a hundred lances under the duke of
Bourbon, and other lords and captains of the king's army. While this
was passing, the different royal garrisons in Picardy, collected
together for the relief of Therouenne; and having taken the field, they
came in sight of the flemish army within one league of Therouenne.
This army was very numerous, and was said to have consisted of sixty
thousand combatants, under the command of the duke of Austria, the
count de Romont, and others of that party. A sally was made from
Therouenne by the garrison the moment their friends were near, by
several companies of lancemen, under the command of the lord des Cordes
and other captains; and their attack was so rapid and vigorous that the
vanguard of the duke of Austria was defeated, with great slaughter and
loss of baggage.
While the van of the enemy were pursued, some of the king's
franc-archers too busily employed themselves in plundering their
baggage; and the count de Romont who had from fourteen to fifteen
thousand infantry under his command, fell on them, and slew the greater
part. It was said that the loss on both sides, that day, amounted to
nearly fifteen thousand men, of which from eleven to twelve thousand
were Burgundians. The French likewise made nine hundred or a thousand
prisoners; and in the number was the son of the king of Poulaine, and
another youth said to be the favourite of the duke of Austria, with
many others of good family and large fortunes[93].
On the king's side, the captain Beavoisien, and Vaast de Mompedon,
bailiff of Rouen, were killed, and about three hundred of the
franc-archers. After this defeat, the duke of Austria, the count
de Romont, and others of their captains, having rallied their men,
marched to a place, called Malaunoy, in which was a gascon captain,
called le Cadet Remonnet, having with him seven or eight score gascon
cross-bows. The Burgundians attacked the place, which was for some time
well defended by the Gascons; but at length it was stormed and the
greater part of the garrison put to death: the rest saved themselves by
leaping into the ditches. With regard to Remonnet he was made prisoner,
and, on assurance of his life, carried to the duke of Austria, who,
regardless of the assurance that had been given, had him hanged, three
days afterward, in cold blood. The king of France was so enraged at
this that he ordered fifty of the principal prisoners that had been
taken to be hanged by the provost marshal, by way of revenge. Seven of
the chief prisoners were hanged on the spot where Remonnet had been
executed,--ten before Douay, ten before St Omer, ten before Arras,
and ten before Lille. The provost was escorted, to perform these
executions, by eight hundred lances and six thousand franc-archers,
who afterwards advanced into the country of Guines and Flanders, where
they took seventeen towns or strong holds, burning and destroying
the country, and carrying off cattle, sheep, horses, and every thing
portable, to their different garrisons.
At this time, Coulon and other adventurers at sea from the coasts of
Normandy captured four score flemish vessels, which were on their
voyage to fetch rye from Prussia, to victual their country, and the
produce of the herring fishery for that year. It was the greatest loss
that had befallen the Flemings at sea for upwards of an hundred years,
and they suffered much from it.