assembly of men at arms than he had ever before made, to be at Namur on
the 28th day of July. But notwithstanding the summons was so pressing,
the men at arms delayed as much as possible to equip and prepare
themselves; nor did they offer to assist in mounting their poorer
brethren, being doubtful of the expense, and remembering, that in the
preceding campaign, they had been badly paid. The duke was told of
this backwardness while at table, the beginning of July, and was so
much vexed that in his passion he kicked the table from him, saying,
that he saw clearly how much he was governed, and that he was no longer
the master; for that he had paid last year for the army upwards of two
hundred thousand crowns from his treasury, and he knew not how they had
been spent. The more he spoke, the more angry he grew, insomuch that,
at last, he dropped to the ground, from rage and apoplexy. It was,
for three days, thought that he could never recover, but it happened
otherwise.
He then issued another summons, commanding all to obey it instantly,
on pain of death. While this was passing, the count de Charolois was
at Peronne, and had renewed the tax on salt, which he had abolished on
his march to France, to the great joy of the people; but this renewal
changed their joy to grief, and caused great discontents, because the
count had ordered the arrears of this tax, during the year it had been
abolished, to be collected.
The duke of Burgundy was busily employed in his preparations to
march the army against Liege, and had ordered copies of the sentence
of excommunication which the pope had given against those of Dinant
to be stuck against the doors of all the churches throughout his
dominions.--This excommunication had been issued against those of
Dinant, their allies and accomplices, as a punishment for the numerous
evils they were daily committing, contrary to the treaty of peace, and
for their disobedience to the holy apostolical see.
By this sentence, the pope gave permission to the duke of Burgundy and
his allies to punish them and force their obedience,--for the doing of
which, they would obtain a full pardon for their sins, as ministers of
the church. In this sentence, the pope had forbidden divine service to
be performed in the churches of Dinant.
Nevertheless, those in Dinant, obstinate in their wills and opinions,
and disobedient to the commands of the head of the church, constrained
their priests to perform divine service, and to chaunt the mass as
before; but, as some priests would not act contrary to the positive
interdict of the pope, they drowned them.
Just as the duke's army was ready to march to Dinant, the bastard de St
Pol, lord de Hautbourdin, who, like the others, was fully prepared for
this march, was suddenly taken ill,--and the disorder became so serious
that he died of it, which was a great pity and loss, for he was valiant
and prudent, and one of the best warriors the duke had in his army,
handsome above all others, and a knight of the Golden Fleece.
Toward the beginning of August, the duke of Burgundy's army was ready
to march to Namur, according to the orders he had issued for all who
loved him to follow him thither. This was the largest army that had
been seen, for it was more than as numerous again as that which had
marched to France: indeed, common report said, they were upwards of
thirty thousand who received pay.
The principal nobles in it were the count de Charolois, the count de
St Pol constable of France, the lord de Ravenstein, the three sons of
the count de St Pol, the two bastards of Burgundy, the count de Nassau,
and so many barons, lords, knights and gentlemen, that it would be
tiresome to name them all. The marshal of Burgundy was also there, but
in his private capacity, for the army of Burgundy had remained at home.
The duke of Burgundy would likewise be present, and went from Brussels
to Namur on the 14th day of August.
The army soon marched from Namur toward Dinant, where a skirmish
ensued in the suburbs of that town, between about three hundred of the
Burgundians, commanded by the count de Charolois and the marshal of
Burgundy, and the townsmen, who sallied out to the attack. This was
renewed twice or thrice, but the townsmen were always repulsed. It was
horrible to see the engines that were used in the town, although they
killed none, and three or four of the townsmen were slain.
The count de St Pol, sir James his brother, with numbers of other
lords, advanced on the other side of the Meuse in all diligence,--while
the lord de Saveuses was posted at Bovines, a tolerably good town in
the county of Namur, about half a league from Dinant.
News was brought to the army, that the Liegeois had mustered their
forces, which amounted to full forty thousand combatants, of whom they
had sent four thousand to Dinant, and had boasted in Liege, that if
Dinant were besieged, they would raise the siege or die in the attempt.
On the 18th of August, the whole of the burgundian army moved toward
Dinant, having their baggage in the center. The lord de Cohen bore the
standard of the bastard of Burgundy, who commanded the van, the count
de Charolois having the main body under his orders,--and the count de
Marie, grandly attended, had charge of the rear battalion. On its near
approach to Dinant, the garrison briskly played off their artillery,
while a detachment made a sally, and set fire to a large farm-house
above an abbey; but they were roughly treated on their return: they
hastened to the town as quickly as they could, and abandoned their
suburbs, so that the duke's men were near entering the town with them.
In this manner were the suburbs of Dinant won, although inclosed by a
ditch and good walls as strong as those of a town. In these suburbs was
a handsome church of the Franciscans, a nunnery, a parish church, and
beyond them an abbey of white monks.
In gaining this advantage, the count de Charolois lost not more than
five or six men. When these suburbs had been won on the side toward
Bovines, those in the town lost no time to set fire to those on the
opposite side, before the count de St Pol could advance thither, and
made it impracticable for any lodgement to be made there. On the
following night, the count de Charolois fixed his quarters in the abbey
of white monks, and had a bombard pointed against the gate of the
town; and within the inclosures of the Franciscans a large detachment
was posted, who kept up a good guard during the night. This bombard
battered the gate so well that it broke it down,--but the inhabitants
lost no time in walling of it up with stones and bags of earth. In
another quarter, the constable, who was quartered on the river side,
below the mountain, battered down with his artillery a corner tower
that terminated that side of the wall.
CHAP. LII.
DINANT IS FORCED TO SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF THE DUKE OF
BURGUNDY.--THE TREATMENT IT RECEIVES, FOR A PERPETUAL EXAMPLE TO OTHER
TOWNS IN A LIKE SITUATION.
On the ensuing Tuesday, all the walls of the abbey of the Franciscans,
and the other inclosures, were thrown down, to erect a battery against
the town; and the artillery was briskly played on both sides. Four of
the count de Charolois' men were killed by arrows from the walls, and
among others the master-cannonier of the bombard, as he was picking
up a rod from the ground. The burgundian army now advanced nearer the
walls, and the count de Charolois posted himself at the Cordeliers,
only a stone's cast from the gate,--and this day the duke his father
came from Namur to Bovines.
Provision was now so dear in the army that a twopenny loaf sold for
twelve pence, and other food in proportion,--and they were forced to go
three or four leagues to seek forage for their horses.
The batteries having been completed, the town was summoned to surrender
to the duke of Burgundy; but they within replied, that they had no such
intention, continuing their abusive language against the duke and his
son even more than before. Speaking of the duke, they said, 'What has
put it in the head of that old dotard, your duke, to come hither to
die? Has he lived long enough to come and die here miserably! and your
count, little Charley, what! he is come to lay his bones here also? Let
him return to Montlehery and combat the king of France, who will come
to our succour: do not think that he will fail, in the promise he has
made us.--Charley is come hither in an unlucky hour: he has too yellow
a beak; and the Liegeois will soon make him dislodge with shame.'
With such villainous language did the Dinanters address the duke and
his son,--and they made use of many other expressions tiresome to
relate, and which they incessantly continued, proceeding from bad to
worse. Those of Bovines, as good neighbours, sent letters to Dinant
before the siege commenced, to advise them to surrender to the duke,
before a siege took place; but, out of spite, they had the messengers
who brought these letters publicly beheaded.
Notwithstanding this outrage, those of Bovines, desirous to save them,
sent an innocent child with other letters to the magistrates, by which
they again admonished them to make their peace with the duke before he
approached nearer, to avoid the evil consequences that would inevitably
follow their obstinacy. The wicked people, instead of listening to such
friendly counsel, put the innocent child to death, from spite to the
duke and the townsmen of Bovines. Some say, that, in their rage, they
tore the poor child limb from limb.
Other outrages and insults they had committed before they were
besieged; but when they knew that a siege would commence, once,
in particular, they went in a large body to Bovines, and over the
town-ditch, which was stinking, and full of all kind of filth and
venomous creatures, they threw a plank, on which they seated an effigy
of the duke of Burgundy, clothed in his arms, bawling out to those in
Bovines, 'See! here is the seat of that great toad your duke!' Of this
and many other villainous insults on the father and son, they were duly
informed, which only served to irritate them the more, and to make them
the more eager to take vengeance on such wicked people.
When the batteries began to play on the town, which they did in a most
terrible manner, for three or four hours together, neither man nor
woman therein knew where to shelter themselves. The smoke was so thick,
and the fire so terrible, that it resembled a hell, and very many were
killed by the balls. In the mean time, the duke had constructed, at
Bovines, two bridges of wood, to throw over the Meuse, to surround and
attack them on all sides.
On Friday, the walls and towers were so greatly damaged that eight of
the principal inhabitants came, under passports, to the army, hoping
to negotiate a peace,--but they could not succeed. On the Saturday, it
was ordered, that every man should be prepared to storm the town on
the morrow, and provide himself with a faggot to fill the ditches. But
when the day arrived, the duke would not have it then stormed, but
ordered the batteries to continue their fire. This was so severe that
the garrison now despaired of their lives, and fled. The inhabitants
would now have surrendered, on having their lives spared, but the duke
would not grant it! At this moment happened an unfortunate accident, by
a spark falling into a barrel of powder, which had been left uncovered.
The explosion killed twenty or thirty of the count's men, and burnt or
wounded many more; but they afterward recovered.
The bishop of Liege, then resident at Huy,[53] sent information to the
duke his uncle, that thirty or forty thousand men had left Liege, with
the intent to raise the siege of Dinant, and advised him to be on his
guard. The duke, on this, called a council of war,--and he was advised
to storm the town before the Liegeois could come to its relief; and
orders were given to this effect, although it was about five o'clock in
the afternoon.
The townsmen, however, fearful, from the demolition of their walls and
towers, that they could not make any defence, if stormed, and that, if
they were taken, they would be all put to death, surrendered to the
duke, bringing the keys to the bastard of Burgundy, who sent them to
the count de Charolois,--but he would not receive them until he had had
the consent of his father.
This same night, the bastard of Burgundy took possession of the castle
of Dinant, which was delivered up to him. The marshal of Burgundy and
other lords took possession of the different gates, and, with their
men, entered the town, which they guarded that night. The count de
Charolois would have entered the place on the morrow, at mid-day; but
he wished first to know the intentions of his father concerning it, and
would have waited on him for that purpose; but he was advised to the
contrary, as he was told the duke had resolved to destroy it!
The count, on hearing this, abandoned the town to plunder, when a
scene of the greatest confusion ensued; for each wanted to save the
pillage to himself, and to guard it in his respective quarters; but
the strongest had the advantage, and murder and every sort of misery
were now exhibited throughout the place. Each made his host prisoner,
although he had been robbed before of his whole fortune,--and immensely
rich was the plunder made, for Dinant was one of the most wealthy and
strongest towns in all those parts; and this enormous wealth was the
cause of its ruin, for it had filled the inhabitants with pride and
insolence, so that they feared not God, nor the church, nor any prince
on earth,--and this may be supposed to be the cause why God suffered
them to be thus punished.
The Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday were wholly employed in plundering
the town,--and boat-loads of effects were on the river,--and the
streets were crowded with waggons full of goods,--and every man was
carrying off on his back all that he could bear. Many of the men at
arms gained riches enough to support them for three or four years.
Inquiry was then made after those in the town who had been the most
forward in their insulting language to the duke and his son. Some were
discovered, who were tied back to back, and thrown into the Meuse,
where they perished. The count ordered the chief cannonier of the town
to be arrested, and hung on the mountain above the church, and those
who had been most culpable in renewing the war to be drowned in the
river.
From the moment the town had been given up to pillage, the count de
Charolois had it proclaimed, that whoever should violate a woman should
be instantly punished with death; but, notwithstanding this, three were
arrested, and found guilty of this crime. The count ordered them to be
marched thrice along the ranks, that every one might take warning from
them,--and then they were hanged on a gibbet. He swore, at the same
time, that should any others be guilty of the like crime, whether noble
or not, they should suffer a similar punishment, which prevented any
woman, in future, being forced against her will.
The count ordered all the women and children out of the town, and had
them escorted as far as the city of Liege; but it was most melancholy
to hear and see their pitiful lamentations, on being driven from their
town, and there was no heart so hardened but had compassion on them.
On Friday, the 28th day of August, when the town was quite emptied of
its wealth, and the houses and churches unroofed, and the lead carried
away, a fire burst out at the lodgings of the lord de Ravenstein, near
to the church of our Lady, about an hour after midnight; but it was not
known whether it had happened accidentally or had been done on purpose,
to force the men at arms out of the place, or to burn such as remained.
The count, however, ordered it to be extinguished by all who could
assist, and great exertions were made to accomplish it; but, in the
mean time, it spread to the town-house, in which was a magazine full
of powder, that caught fire, and exploded with such force as to break
through the roof of the church of our Lady; but, as this was arched
with stone, the fire did not extend rapidly,--and some relics, and
the ornaments of the church, were saved: all of them that came to the
count's knowledge he had carried to Bovines,--for many had been stolen
and taken away before he came thither. Great numbers were burnt by
this fire, and their plunder, that had remained packed in the street,
was destroyed. Those plunderers who attempted to save effects from the
fire were miserably burnt,--and the flames followed them so closely
that it seemed as if Divine vengeance was resolved to punish the pride
and insolence of this town by totally destroying it.
While Dinant was in flames, a large embassy came from Liege to the duke
of Burgundy at Bovines, to negotiate a treaty of peace,--and the sight
of the destruction of Dinant made a serious impression on them. The
count de Charolois, observing that all attempts to put out the fire
were ineffectual, determined that the whole should be destroyed, and
caused such parts, in the town and suburbs, as had hitherto escaped to
be set on fire, so that all was burnt. He then sent for great numbers
of peasants from the neighbourhood, to demolish the walls, towers and
fortifications, to each of whom he gave three patars[54] a-day, with
every thing they might find in the ruins.
They laboured so diligently that, within four days after the fire had
ceased, a stranger might have said, 'Here was Dinant!' for there now
neither remained gate nor wall, nor church, nor house, for all had been
burnt and razed to the ground. It unfortunately happened, that when the
great church caught fire, many prisoners of note that had been therein
confined were burnt, and such as had retreated to different towers and
forts also perished. Thus was destroyed the town of Dinant by reason of
its presumption and folly!
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 53: Huy,--on the Meuse, 12 miles from Liege.]
[Footnote 54: Patars,--a low-country coin: five are equal to sixpence
sterling.--_Cotgrave._]
CHAP. LIII.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF DINANT, MAKES
DISPOSITIONS TO MARCH HIS ARMY INTO THE TERRITORIES OF LIEGE.--SEVERAL
TOWNS SURRENDER TO HIM.--A PEACE IS CONCLUDED BETWEEN THEM.
After the destruction of this proud city of Dinant, the duke of
Burgundy departed from Bovines, on the first day of September, and
returned by the river to Namur, attended by the embassy from Liege, who
were pressing for a peace. The whole army passed through Namur, and the
bastard of Burgundy quartered his division in the country of Hasbain,
two leagues distant from St Tron. The count de Charolois was posted
between Tillemont and St Tron. Soon after, the count de St Pol received
the surrender of the town of Thuin[55], which had been given him by the
duke as a recompence for his not having been at the plunder of Dinant;
and this town was saved from pillage by means of a sum of money which
the inhabitants had given to the count de St Pol,--and as this place
and St Tron had demolished their walls and gates, they both escaped
being plundered.
The count de Charolois next advanced to lay siege to Tongres; but as
he was told that the inhabitants had all fled, he ordered the army to
march for Liege, while his father, the duke, remained at Namur. The
count advanced as far as Montenac, four leagues from Liege,--his army
and artillery always in order of battle. There, having heard that the
Liegeois had issued out, in great numbers, to give him battle, he made
preparations to receive them, by forming his army into two wings and a
center, and thus waited their coming upwards of three hours. They did
come, but sent to demand a truce until ten o'clock the next day, when
they promised to comply with whatever he should demand. This satisfied
the count, and he consented to a truce for the day, which was the 6th
of September.
When this had been settled, the count de St Pol, constable of France,
and the bastard of Burgundy advanced, with their men, to observe the
situation of the Liegeois, who had come out of their city. They found
them posted on the river Gerre,--and intelligence was brought them,
that those who had escorted the embassy from Liege were skirmishing
with the count's foragers; on which they detached a party of their men,
who forced the Liegeois to retreat to their army. Toward evening, the
count's army were within sight of the Liegeois, and drew up in order of
battle within less than a quarter of a league from them. The constable
crossed the river Gerre, to surround them, and ordered a part of his
men to dismount; and although it was five o'clock in the evening, they
would willingly have attacked the Liegeois,--but the count would not
permit it, on account of the truce which he had granted. The whole
army was much displeased at his refusal, for they would easily have
conquered the enemy without one being able to escape; for they were
so surrounded that they could not fly, and they amounted to full two
thousand horse, and more than ten thousand foot, as numbers were in an
adjoining village, and could not be counted.
A division of the count's army was also posted in the large village of
Varennes; and as they would not quit it to join their companions, the
count ordered it to be set on fire, which forced them to issue forth,
and join their main army, but not without losing their baggage by the
fire.
The count's army remained drawn up in order of battle until ten o'clock
at night, when each retired to his quarters. On Sunday, the 7th of
September, the count formed his army in battle-array at the earliest
dawn, and thus remained, without crossing the Gerre, until ten o'clock,
when the ambassadors returned, and assured the count that the city of
Liege and its dependances were ready to perform every thing the duke
his father and himself had demanded.--They required, therefore, peace
at his hands; and offered, for the due execution of the treaty, to
deliver up to him fifty persons as hostages, whom it should please
the duke to select,--namely, thirty-two men for the city of Liege,
six for the town of Tongres, six for St Tron, and six for the town of
Hessel.[56] This same day, part of the hostages were delivered to the
count, who sent them to Judenge[57] to the duke, who had come thither
from Namur to combat the Liegeois with his son. Peace was, therefore,
again made between the duke and his son and the Liegeois.
By the treaty, they promised to pay six hundred thousand florins of the
Rhine in the course of six years,--one hundred thousand annually,--and
they delivered the fifty hostages, such as the duke demanded, who
were to return home on the first annual payment being made, and were
then to be replaced by fifty others. The duke of Burgundy as duke of
Brabant, and his successors, the dukes of Brabant, were to be perpetual
mainbrugs of Liege, and governors of the whole country, without whose
advice and consent the Liegeois were not henceforward to undertake any
measures of importance.
The Liegeois, in this treaty, made many other engagements, which I omit
to note down, for within a very short time they broke every promise
they had made.
At this time, provision was so scarce in the count's army that it was
with the greatest difficulty that any could be procured.
On the 8th of September, the day this treaty was signed, the burgundian
army arrived to reinforce the count de Charolois, consisting of about
four hundred lances, under the command of the lord de Montagu and the
marquis de Rothelin. There came also a body of Swiss, of about sixty
men; and the city of Antwerp sent three hundred men to assist the duke
in his war against the Liegeois.
On the ensuing day, a deputation from the city of Liege waited on the
count, and delivered to him the treaty, sealed with the seals of Liege,
Tongres, St Tron, Hessel, and the other towns under their jurisdiction.
It was then discussed, and settled, that should any of the hostages
die within the year, the Liegeois were to replace them with others;
and in regard to the interest due to the duke from the sums that were
to have been paid, according to the preceding treaty, they offered to
pay whatever the duke should be pleased to demand. On the very day of
signing this treaty, it was proclaimed throughout the army, that no one
should forage or do any mischief to the territories of Liege.
When these things were completed, the count de Charolois issued orders
for the return of his army. He came, on the Sunday, before a large
village called Chasteler, belonging to the chapter of Liege, whither
the inhabitants of Thuin came to solicit pardon, and begged for mercy
humbly on their knees. One hundred men were ordered thither to demolish
the gates and walls of their town, at the expense of its inhabitants.