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From Chronicles of England, France and Spain and the Surrounding Countries, by Sir John Froissart, Translated from the French Editions with Variations and Additions from Many Celebrated MSS, by Thomas Johnes, Esq; London: William Smith, 1848. pp. 61-74.
THE inhabitants of the town of Aubenton were much afraid of the earl of Hainault and his uncle, and had expressed their alarms to the high bailiff of Vermandois, who sent to their aid the vidame of Chalons, the lord of Beaumont, the lord de la Bone, the lord John of Loire, and many others. These knights, with their companions, marched into Aubenton, to the amount of full three hundred men at arms. The town was enclosed only by a palisade, which in many places was lately repaired. They had made every preparation to wait for the Hainaulters and defend the town, which was large, rich, and full of draperies.
The Hainaulters, came on a Friday evening, and took up their quarters near Aubenton, whence they considered on what side the town was most easily to be taken. The next day they marched to attack it in three battalions, their banners well arranged in front, with their cross-bow men. The earl of Hainault led the first battalion, having under him a multitude of knights and esquires of his own country. His uncle commanded the second, where there were many men at arms. The third was under the lord of Fauquemont, and composed of Germans. Each lord was with his own people, and under his proper banner. The battle began immediately on their advancing, and very sharp it was. The cross-bow men shot from within and without, by which many men were wounded. The earl and his battalion came to the gate, where there was a severe assault and much skirmishing. The vidame of Chalons, who was there, performed wonders; and on the spot he made three of his sons knights, who did many feats of arms worthy of their new honours: but the earl pressed them so closely, that he gained the barriers, and obliged his opponents to retire within the gate, where the 62 assault continued very fierce. Sir John de la Bone* and sir John of Beaumont were posted at the gate leading to Chimay, which was gallantly attacked. The French were forced to retire within the gate, for they had lost their barriers, which the Hainaulters had carried, as well as the bridge. The combat was here renewed with double vigour, for those who had entered, mounting upon the gate, flung down upon their assailants logs of wood, pots full of lime, and plenty of stones, by which those who had not very strong shields were much hurt. Baldwin of Beaufort, an esquire of Hainault, received there so violent a blow from a large stone that his shield was split by it, and his arm broken, which forced him to retire to his quarters; and owing to this accident, for a long time he could not give any assistance. The attack was pushed on with vigour, and the town defended by the garrison with much valour; which was indeed necessary, as their assailants were many; and, had it not been for the gentlemen who had entered Aubenton, it would have soon yielded. However, at length the town was taken by force; the palisades, which were only of wood, were broken down. Sir John of Hainault and his banner first entered the town, with great shoutings and noise of men at arms. Then the vidame of Chalons retired towards the church with some knights and esquires, where they formed themselves, with displayed banners and pennons, to the intent of combating as long as their honour demanded: but the lord of Bresne and his banner withdrew in a disorderly manner; for he knew well how much sir John of Hainault was enraged against him, and, if he had him in his power, would not admit of any ransom; so he mounted his steed, and galloped off.
When sir John of Hainault found that he who had done so much damage to his lands at Chimay was gone off towards Vervins, he pursued him with part of his company; but the lord of Bresne made greater haste, and finding the gate of the town open, rushed in and saved himself. Sir John had followed him so far sword in hand; but when he found that he had escaped, he returned speedily by the great road to Aubenton: however, his people meeting those who were following the lord of Bresne, attacked them, and killed a great many. The combat continued obstinate before the cathedral, and many were killed and wounded. Among the first were the vidame and two of his sons: nor did any knight or esquire escape death or being made prisoner, but those who had followed the lord of Bresne. Upwards of two thousand men were taken in the town, which was pillaged of all the riches it contained; many waggons and carts were laden with it and sent to Chimay. The town was afterwards burnt to the ground; and the Hainaulters took up their quarters on the river side.
After the destruction of Aubenton, they marched toward Maubert-Fontaine, which they took on their arrival, for it was defenceless, and then pillaged and burnt it. They did the same to Aubencheul aux Bois, to Signy l’Abbaye, Signy le Petit, and all the villages thereabouts, amounting to upwards of forty. The earl of Hainault, after this, retired towards Mons, where he dismissed all his bands, after returning them thanks in so gracious a manner for their assistance, that they all left him well pleased. He then formed the design of passing over to England to amuse himself, and at the same time form a strict alliance with the king, his brother-in-law, in order to strengthen himself; as he naturally imagined, that what he had done would not be taken quietly, but that the king of France, his uncle, would make some incursions into his country: for which reason he was anxious to have the support of the English, the Flemings, and the Brabanters, and summoned his council at Mons, to whom he declared his intentions. He nominated and appointed his uncle, during his absence, sir John of Hainault, governor of the three countries of Hainault, Holland and Zealand, and set out with a small company for Dordrecht, where he embarked, and sailed over to England.
We shall now leave the earl, and relate what happened to his country during his absence. Sir John of Hainault, as you have heard, remained master and governor of the three provinces, by order of the earl, and he was obeyed as if he had been their true lord. He took up his quarters at Mons, which he provisioned and strengthened, as well as all the forts in its neighbourhood, especially those on the frontiers of France, with a sufficient number of men at arms. He sent four knights, the lord of Antoing, the lord of Waartang, the lord of 63 Gommegines, and sir Henry Husphalize, to Valenciennes, as counsellors and advisers to the citizens and inhabitants. To Maubeuge, he sent the seneschal of Hainault, sir Gerard de Werthin, with a hundred good lances and men at arms. To Quesnoy, the marshal of Hainault, for Thierry de Walcourt; and to Landrecy the lord of Potrelles. He placed in Bouchain three German knights, who were brothers, of the name of Conrad. Sir Gerard de Sassegnes was sent to Escaudavore, and the lord of Fauquemont to Avesnes: all the other fortresses bordering upon France were properly strengthened. He begged and entreated each captain to be attentive to his own honour, and careful of what was intrusted to him, which when they had all promised, they set out for their different stations. We will now return to the king of France, and speak of the expedition he was forming to invade and destroy Hainault, of which he made his son, the duke of Normandy, commander.
* D. Sauvage’s edition reads Boue; but Lord Berners, in this place, has Bone. — ED.
WHEN the king of France had been informed, that the Hainaulters had burnt the country of Tierache, had killed his knights, and destroyed his town of Aubenton, he ordered his son, the duke of Normandy, to collect a number of forces, make an incursion into Hainault, and destroy that country in such a manner, that it might never recover from it. The duke replied, he would cheerfully undertake this. The king then ordered the count de Lisle, a Gascon, who was at that time near his person at Paris, and whom he much loved, to collect forces, and march towards Gascony, as lieutenant for the king of France, with the intent of making some severe reprisals upon Bordeaux, in the Bourdelois, and upon all the places which held or belonged to the king of England. The count obeyed the king’s orders, and left Paris for Toulouse, where he made his preparations to fulfil his commission, as you will see in its proper time and place. The king of France sent large reinforcements to the armament he had at sea, and ordered his captains to watch the coast of Flanders attentively, and upon no account to suffer the king of England to pass over or land in Flanders; for, if he did so by their fault, he would certainly punish them with death.
When king Philip heard that the Flemings had done homage to the king of England, he sent to them a prelate, as from the pope, to say, that if they would acknowledge him as king of France, and abandon the king of England, who had enchanted them, he would forgive them all their misdoings, release them from the large sum of florins which, by an old obligation, was due to him; and moreover grant them, under his seal, many profitable franchises in France. The Flemings returned for answer, that they held themselves quit and absolved from every thing which they owed the king of France. Upon this, the king made heavy complaints to the pope, Clement VI., who issued so tremendous an excommunication against them, that no priest was daring enough to celebrate divine service there. The Flemings made remonstrances on this to the king of England; who, to appease them, said, that the first time he should cross the sea, he would bring with him priests from his own country, who should say mass for them, whether the pope would or not, as he had a power of so doing, and this satisfied them.
When the king of France saw that he could not make the Flemings retract their opinions, he commanded those in garrison in Tournay, Lisle, Douay, and the neighbouring castles, to make war upon them, and overrun their country. Upon which sir John de Roye, at that time in Tournay, and sir Matthew de Trie, marshal of France, together with sir Godemar du Fay and many other knights, collected a thousand men, strongly armed and well mounted, with three hundred cross-bowmen, as well from Tournay as from Lisle and Douay: they set out from Tournay one evening after supper, and marched so expeditiously, that they came before Courtray about day-break, and before sunrise had collected all the cattle thereabouts. Some of their light-horse advanced to the gates of the town, and killed and wounded many in the suburbs: they then retreated without loss, and placed the river Lys, on their return, between them and the booty, which they had carried off that day. They brought into Tournay more than ten thousand sheep, and of swine, beeves, and kine, as many more.
The Flemings were sore vexed at this; and Jacob von Artaveld, who was at that time at 64 Ghent, swore that this expedition should be revenged on Tournay and its neighbourhood. He gave immediate orders for the different towns in Flanders to collect forces, and to send them to him at a fixed day before Tournay; he also wrote to the earls of Salisbury and Suffolk, who were at Ypres, to beg that they would draw towards that quarter to meet him. He then set out from Ghent, accompanied by great numbers, and came to a place called the Geertsberg, between Oudenarde and Tournay, where he halted, to wait for the two earls, and for those of the Franc and Bruges.
When the two earls received the letters, they would not for their honour’s sake make any delay, but sent to inform Von Artaveld, that they would be with him at the appointed time and place. They soon set out from Ypres with about fifty lances and forty cross-bowmen, and took the road where he was waiting for them. They continued their route; but, as they were forced to pass near the outskirts of Lisle, it was soon known in that town: accordingly, fifteen hundred horse and foot were secretly armed, and sent out in three divisions to lie in wait, so that these lords might not escape from them. The earls and their company followed the guidance of sir Vauflart de la Croix, who had long made war upon the people of Lisle, and still continued so to do whenever he had an opportunity: — it was for this purpose that he was come to Ypres. He thought himself quite certain of conducting the earls in safety, as he was well acquainted with all the roads in those parts; and he would have succeeded now, if those of Lisle had not thrown up a great trench near their town, which was not there before.
When sir Vauflart came to this trench, and saw that their road was cut off, he was quite astonished, and said to the earls “My lords, we cannot go further this way, without putting ourselves in the power of those of Lisle; on which account my advice it, that we turn about and seek another road.” But the lords replied “Nay, sir Vauflart, God forbid that we should go out of our way for those of Lisle! Ride on, therefore, for we have promised Jacob von Artaveld, that we would be with him some time this day.” The English rode on without care. Sir Vauflart said to them “It is true, my lords, that you have taken me for your guide in this expedition, and I have remained with you all this winter at Ypres, and have many thanks to give you and all your attendants; but if it should happen, that those of Lisle make a sally upon us, do not fancy that I shall wait for them, for I shall save myself as fast as I can. If by any accident I should be taken, my head would pay for it, which is much dearer to me than your company.” The lords laughed heartily, and told him they would excuse him, if he should do so. And as he imagined, so it fell out; for, by not taking more precaution, they were surprised by one of the parties from Lisle, who cried out “Stop! stop! you cannot pass here without our leave:” and immediately the lance-men and cross-bowmen fell on the English.
As soon as sir Vauflart saw what was going on, he took care not to advance farther; but turning about as quickly as possible, galloped out of danger. The two earls fell into the hands of their enemies, and were taken as if in a net; for the ambuscade was placed between hedges and ditches in a very narrow road, so that they could neither advance nor retreat to gain the open country; however, when they saw their mischance, they dismounted, and defended themselves as well as they could, killing and wounding a great many of their opponents; but it was all in vain, for fresh forces from Lisle were continually pouring upon them. They were therefore taken prisoners; and a young brisk esquire of Limousin, of the name of Raymond, nephew to pope Clement, was killed for the sake of his beautiful armour, after he had surrendered himself, which made many good men angry. The two earls were kept prisoners in the market-place at Lisle, and afterwards sent to the king of France, who promised, that those of Lisle should be well rewarded for the good service they had done him*. When Jacob von Artaveld received this information at Geertsberg, he was much enraged, and giving up all thoughts of his expedition, disbanded his Flemings, and himself returned to Ghent.
* This is a mistake. It was not the earl of Suffolk who was made prisoner, but his son, Robert de Ufford le Fitz, as he was called. — Dugdale, vol. ii.
THE duke of Normandy, eldest son of the king of France, issued a special summons of his intention to be at St. Quentin about Easter, in the year 1340. When he came thither he was attended by the duke of Athens, the earl of Flanders, the earl of Auxerre, the earl Raoul of Eu, constable of France, the earl of Sancerre, the earl of Porcien, the earl of Roussi, the earl of Bresne, the earl of Grandpré, the lord of Coucy, the lord of Graon, and a multitude of other nobles from Normandy and the Low Countries. On their being all assembled at St. Quentin and its environs, the constable and the two marshals of France, sir Robert Bertrand and sir Matthew de Trie, numbered them, and found there were six thousand men at arms, and eight thousand others armed with brigandines, besides followers of the army; which were fully sufficient, they said, to combat the earl of Hainault, or any force he could bring against them. They began their march, and took the road to Château-Cambresis, and took up their quarters at the town of Montay upon the river Selle.
Sir Richard Verchin, séneschal of Hainault, was informed by his spies, that the duke had halted at Montay. He asked those knights and esquires, who were with him, if they were willing to follow him; to which they consented. Accordingly, he set off from his hotel at Verchin about sunset, accompanied by about forty lances, and pushed on till he came to Foretz, at the extremity of Hainault, a small league from Montay, when it was dark night. He made his company halt in a field to tighten their armour and regirth their horses. He then told them, he should like to give the duke an alert; at which they all rejoiced, and said they would stick by him till death; for which he gave them many thanks. At that time there were with him, sir James du Sart, sir Henry de Phalise, sir Oulphart de Guistelles, sir John and sir Bertrand de Chatelet. Of esquires, there were, Giles and Thierre de Somain, Baldwin de Beaufort, Colebrier de Brule, Moreau de l’Escuyer, Sandrat de Stramen, John de Rebersat, Bridoul de Thiaux, and many others. They set forward in silence, and came to the town of Montay, which they entered, for the French had neglected to place guards there. The seneschal and his companions dismounted at a great hotel, where they thought the duke was; but he was lodged in another part of the town. In that hotel were two great lords of Normandy, the lords of Bailleul and of Beauté. The door was soon forced; and when these two knights saw themselves thus surprised, and heard the cry of Hainault from the seneschal, they were quite confounded: they, however, defended themselves in the best manner they could; but the lord of Bailleul was killed, and the lord of Beauté taken prisoner by the seneschal, to whom he pledged his faith to surrender himself to him within three days at Valenciennes.
The French then began to be in motion, and to issue from their quarters: they lighted great fires and torches, awakened every one, even the duke himself, whom they armed as quickly as they could, and displayed his banner before his hotel, to which people of all sorts repaired. The Hainaulters wisely retreated to their horses, which they mounted, and, when they were all collected together, they carried off ten or twelve good prisoners, and returned without the smallest loss or damage, for it was so dark they were not pursued. About day-break they reached Quesnoy, where they reposed and refreshed themselves, and then went to Valenciennes.
The next morning the duke of Normandy gave orders for his army to dislodge and enter Hainault, and burn and destroy every thing without exception. The baggage therefore began to move, and the lords of the advanced guard to proceed forward: they might amount to two hundred lances, and were commanded by Sir Theobald de Marneil, sir Gallois de la Baume, the lord of Mirepoix, the lord of Raivenal, the lord of Sempy, lord John of Landas, the lord of Hangest, and the lord of Tramelles. The two marshals followed with full five hundred lances; then the duke of Normandy, attended by a crowd of earls, barons, and other lords. The advanced troops entered Hainault, and set fire to Fores, Bertrand, Vertigrieulx, Escarmain, Vendegyses-aux-Bois, Vendegyses upon the river Cinel. The next day they advanced further into the country, and burnt Avesnes-le-sec, Villiers-en-Cauchie, 66 Gomegnies, Marchepois, Potel, Ansenoy, Perseaux, le Frasnoit, Andegay, the good town of Bavay, and all the country as far as the river Honneau. This second day a sharp attack was made on the castle of Verchin, and some skirmishing, by the division commanded by the marshals, but without success, as it was very well defended. The duke took up his quarters for that night upon the Selle, between Hausy and Sausoy.
Sir Valerian, lord of Fauquemont, commanded in Maubeuge, and with him were full one hundred lances of Germans and Hainaulters. As soon as he was informed of this incursion of the French, and how they were burning the country, and had heard the poor people lament and bewail their losses, he put on his armour, and ordered his people to get themselves in readiness. He gave up the command of the town to the lords of Beaurevoir and Montigny, and told his companions that he had a great desire to meet the French. He was on horseback all that day, and rode along the borders of the forest of Morinaulx. Towards evening he heard, that the duke of Normandy and all his host were lodged on the banks of the river Selle; upon which he said he would awaken them, and rode on that evening, and about midnight he and his company forded the river. When they had all passed, they regirthed their horses, and set themselves to rights, and advanced in silence to the quarters of the duke. When they were near, they spurred on their horses, and at one rush drove into the middle of the duke’s host, crying out “Fauquemont!” They laid well about them, cutting down tents and pavilions, and killing or wounding all whom they met. The army then, being roused, armed as quickly as they could, and drew near to where the bustle was; but the lord of Fauquemont, seeing that it was time, collected his people, and retreated most handsomely. Of the French, there was killed, the lord of Requigny from Picardy. The viscount de Quesnes, and Rouvroy with one eye, were made prisoners; and sir Anthony de Coudun was severely wounded. When the lord of Fauquemont saw that nothing more could be done, he set off with all his people, and crossed the Selle without hindrance, for he was not pursued. They rode easily forward, and came to Quesnoy about sunrise, when the quartermaster-general, sir Thierry de Walcourt, opened the gates to them.
The duke of Normandy ordered his trumpets to sound the next morning at day-break, for his army to prepare themselves, and to cross the Selle, and advance further into Hainault. The marshal of Mirepoix, the lord of Noysieres, sir Gallois de la Baume, and sir Thibault de Marneil, advanced first with four hundred lances, besides those armed with brigandines, and came before Quesnoy, even up to the barriers: they made a feint as if they intended to attack it; but it was so well provided with men at arms and heavy artillery, they would only have lost their pains. Nevertheless they skirmished a little before the barriers; but they were soon forced to retire, for those of Quesnoy let them hear their cannons* and bombards, which flung large iron bolts in such a manner, as made the French afraid for their horses — so they retreated and burnt Grand Wargny and Petit Wargny, Frelaines, Famars, Martre, Semery, and Artre, Sariten, Turgies, Estinen; and the Hainaulters fled from these towns to Valenciennes. The French afterwards encamped their battalions upon the hill of Castres near Valenciennes, where they lived in a rich and splendid manner. During their stay there, about two hundred lances, commanded by the lord of Craon, the lord of Maulevrier, the lord of Mathefelon, the lord of Avoir, and some others, went towards Main, and attacked a large square tower, which for a long time had belonged to John Vernier of Valenciennes, but of late to John de Neufville. The assault was sharp and severe, and lasted the whole day; nor could they make the French retire before night, although five or six were killed. Those within defended themselves right valiantly, and did not suffer any loss.
A greater number of the French marched to Trie, intending, on their arrival, to pass over the Scheld; but those of the town had destroyed the bridge, and defended that passage: nor could the French ever have conquered it, if some among them had not been acquainted with the fords of the river and the country, who conducted upwards of two hundred men to the foot-bridge at Prouvy. When these had crossed over, they came and fell upon the men 67 of Trie, who, being few in number in comparison to them, were not able to resist; so they took to their heels, and many of them were killed and wounded.
The seneschal of Hainault left Valenciennes that day, accompanied, at the utmost, with one hundred men at arms, by the gate of Douzaing, to succour the inhabitants of Trie, who he thought would have enough to do. It happened that, a little beyond St. Waast, he met about twenty-five light horse of the French, commanded by three knights from Poitou — the lord Boucicault, who was afterwards a marshal of France, the lord of Surgeres, and sir William Blondel: they had passed over the bridge very near to Valenciennes, which is called the bridge of La Tourelle, and is over the Vincel. When the seneschal perceived them, he stuck spurs into his horse, and with his lance overthrew the lord Boucicault, made him his prisoner, and sent him to Valenciennes. The lord of Surgeres saved himself by flight; but sir William Blondel surrendered himself to sir Henry d’Usphalise; and almost all the others were either killed or taken prisoners. This done, the seneschal hastened towards Trie; but he was too late, for the French had already conquered it before he came, and were busily employed in pulling down the mills, and destroying a small castle that was there. As soon as the seneschal arrived, they had not much leisure for such things, for they were driven back, killed, and cut down. Some were forced to leap into the river Scheld, and many were drowned. Thus was the town of Trie liberated. The seneschal afterwards crossed the Scheld at a place called Denaing, and rode on with all his company to the castle of Verchin, which he entered in order to defend it, should there be any occasion.
The duke of Normandy still remained upon the hill of Castres, his army drawn out, the greater part of the day; for he thought that those of Valenciennes would come and give him battle. This they would willingly have done, if sir Henry d’Antoing, who commanded in the town, had not prevented them. He posted himself at the gate that leads to Cambray, and had much pain and trouble to hinder them from going out. John de Vassey, provost of the town, who was there with him, appeased them as well as he could, and gave them such good reasons for their remaining quiet, that at last they were satisfied. When the duke of Normandy has staid for a considerable time on this hill, and saw that no one made any attempt to come out of Valenciennes to fight with him, he sent the duke of Athens, the marshals of France, the earl of Auxerre, and the lord of Chastillon, with about three hundred lances, well mounted, to skirmish close to the town. They advanced in good order, and came to that side of it opposite the Tourelle at Gogueb, and even to the very barriers; but they did not stay long, as they were afraid of the shot hurting their horses. The lord of Chastillon, however, advanced so forward, that his horse was hit, fell under him, and he was obliged to mount another. This detachment then changed its course, and went towards the marshes, where they burnt and destroyed all the mills upon the river Vincel: they then made a circuit behind the Carthusian convent, and returned to their army. Some stragglers, however, had remained behind at Les Marles, to forage more at their ease. When those who were guarding a neighbouring town, which belonged to the heirs of Hainault, (though formerly to sir Robert de Namur, by the lady Isabella his wife,) perceived them, and that the main body had retreated, they issued out of the town, attacked them, killed one half, took all their forage, and re-entered it without any loss.
The army remained in battle array upon the mount of Castres until the afternoon, when the scouts returned from all sides. There was then a great council held: the chiefs said, that, every thing considered, they were not in sufficient force to attack so large a town as Valenciennes; and it was at last finally determined, that they should retire to Cambray. They set out, therefore, and came to Main and Fontenelles, where they took up their quarters for that night, and kept a strong watch. The next day they marched away; but burnt Main and Fontenelles, and also the convent which belonged to madame de Valois, sister-german to the king of France. The duke was much vexed at this, and had those who set it on fire hanged. In their retreat, they completed the burning of the town of Trie and its castle; the mills were also destroyed. Prouvy, Rommency, Thyan, Moncheau, and all the flat country between Cambray and Valenciennes, suffered in the same manner. The duke this day came before Escaudoure, a strong and good castle, belonging to the earl of Hainault, situate upon the Scheld, which had been of great annoyance to Cambray. When 68 the duke had been only six days before it, the governor, sir Gerard de Sassegines, who before this had never been reproached for any thing, nor can I say by what means he was bewildered to do so, surrendered it undamaged, to the great surprise of all the country, who strongly suspected both the governor and his esquire, named Robert Marinaux, of treason. They were taken, inculpated, and both died afterwards in a miserable manner at Mons, in Hainault. The inhabitants of Cambray demolished this castle of Escaudoure, and carried the stone into their town, to repair their own dwellings and fortifications.
* It has generally been supposed, that cannons were first used at the battle of Crecy, four years later; but as the same words are expressed in all my copies of Froissart, whether printed or in manuscript, I cannot but believe they were employed when he mentions it. It is most probable, that artillery was first used in the defence of towns; and Edward, seeing the advantage that could be derived from cannons, employed them at the battle of Crecy.
AFTER the destruction of the castle of Escaudoure, duke John of Normandy retired to Cambray, dismissed the greater part of his army, and sent the rest to the castle of Douay, and to the other fortresses in the neighbourhood. This week the garrison of Douay, in conjunction with hose of Lisle, made a sally, in number about three hundred lances: they were commanded by sir Lewis of Savoy, the earl of Geneva, the earl of Villars, sir Gallois de la Baume, the lord of Waurain, and the lord of Vasiers: they burnt in Hainault all that fine country of Ostrevant; so that nothing remained but the fortresses. — When those of Bouchain saw all this fire and smoke round about them, they were in a violent rage; the more so, as they were unable to prevent it: but they sent messengers to Valenciennes, to let them know what was going forwards, and to inform them, that if in the night-time they would sally out with five or six hundred lances, they might attack the French to great advantage, who were lying at their ease in the flat country. But those of Valenciennes were not of the same opinion, and would not leave their town; so the French made a great booty, and burnt the town of Anich, one half of Escoux, Escaudaing, Erin, Montigny, Santain, Varlain, Vargny, Ambreticourt, Laurche, Sauch, Roelt, Neufville, Lieu St. Amand, and all the villages which were in that country. They carried off with them immense wealth. When this detachment had retreated to Douay, those of Bouchain marched out, and burnt the other half of Escoux, which belonged to the French, and the French villages, even to the gates of Douay, and the town of Esquerchin.
I have before mentioned, that all the towns on the frontiers were well garrisoned; so that there were frequent skirmishings between the two parties, and many gallant deeds performed. It chanced, about this time, that there were some German soldiers, whom the bishop of Cambray had stationed at Male-maison, two leagues distant from Château-Cambresis, and bordering on the other side of Landrecy, where the lord of Potrelles, a Hainaulter, commanded; for the earl of Blois, although lord of it, had surrendered it to the earl of Hainault at the time he was attached to the French interest, and the earl had kept possession of it. There were frequent quarrels between the Germans at Male-maison and those of Landrecy, who often came well mounted and armed up to the walls of the town. One day, as they sallied forth to make an excursion and collect pillage, news of it was brought to the lord of Potrelles, in Landrecy, who immediately armed himself and his companions, and mounted his horse to recapture the booty. The lord of Potrelles was followed by his men as fast as they could. He fixed his spear in the rest, and cried out to the French to turn about, as it was a disgrace to them to run away. Among them was a gallant esquire, named Albert of Cologne, who, being ashamed of this flight, instantly turned back, and couching his lance, spurred his horse violently against the lord of Potrelles, who struck him such a blow on his shield, that his lance was shivered to pieces: but the German esquire hit him so strongly with a firm spear, which broke not, but pierced through the plates of his shield, and even his armour, passing straight to his heart, that he knocked him off his horse, wounded to death; which when his brother Hainaulters, the lord of Bansiers, sir Gerard, and sir John Mastin, saw, and the rest who had come out of Landrecy with him, they attacked the French so roughly, in revenge for the loss of their captain, that they discomfited them. Few escaped death, or being made prisoners. The pillage was recovered and brought back with the prisoners to Landrecy, as was the dead body of the lord of Potrelles. 69
After the death of the lord of Potrelles, the lord of Floron commanded in Landrecy and its dependencies for a long time. He made frequent excursions upon those of Male-maison, Château-Cambresis, and other places on the frontiers. The Hainaulters did so one day, and the French returned the compliment the next; of course many mortal combats happened. The country of Cambresis was in great tribulation, for one half of it was burnt or destroyed: the duke of Normandy was still on the frontiers, and it was not known what his next intentions were; nor had they any news of the earl of Hainault. True it is that he had been in England, where he was most honourably entertained by the king and barons, and had made a strong alliance with the king. He had left England, and gone into Germany, to the emperor Lewis of Bavaria, which was the reason of his long absence. On the other hand, the lord John of Hainault was in Brabant and Flanders, and had remonstrated with the duke and Jacob von Artaveld, upon the desolation of Hainault, and entreated them, on the part of his countrymen, that they would give them aid and advice. They replied, that the absence of the earl could not be much longer; and the moment he returned, they would be ready equipped to follow him, wherever he should choose to lead them.
DURING the time the duke of Normandy lay in Cambray, the bishop and the inhabitants of that place informed him, that the Hainaulters had taken by assault the strong castle of Thin; and they entreated him, out of love and honour, and by his regard to the country, that he would use his endeavours to regain it, as the garrison was a great annoyance to all the neighbourhood. The duke then sent a fresh summons to his army, and got together a number of lords and men at arms, who were in Artois and Vermandois, and who had been with him in his former excursion. He set out from Cambray with all his host, and took up his quarters before Thin upon the river Scheld, in those fine meadows nearly opposite to Ostrevant, ordering many large engines to be brought from Cambray and Douay. Among these were six of an immense size, which the duke had pointed against the fortress, and which flung huge stones into it day and night, beating down the roofs and the tops of the towers; so that it was not safe to remain in the chambers, and the people were obliged to take refuge in the vaults.
This attack was severely felt by those within, and none ever suffered more for their honour than this garrison. The captains, upon whom fell all the weight and trouble, were sir Richard Limousin, an Englishman, and two esquires of Hainault, John and Thierry, brothers to sir Walter Manny*. They encouraged their companions, by saying “Gallant gentlemen, the earl of Hainault will surely come in a few days, and attack the French, to deliver us honourably out of our danger, and will give us his warmest thanks for having so boldly defended ourselves.” The besiegers by their engines flung dead horses and other carrion into the castle, to poison the garrison by their smell; and this distressed it more than any thing else, for the air was as hot as in the middle of summer: they therefore having considered their situation, and that they could not long hold out, from the horrible stench, proposed a treaty for a truce to last fifteen days, during which time they would let sir John of Hainault, who was regent and governor of the country, be informed of their distress, and, if they were not then relieved, they would surrender the place. This treaty was accepted, which gave great comfort to those within the castle. The garrison sent off an esquire, named Estralart de Sommain, according to the terms of the treaty, who came to Mons, in Hainault, where he found the lord of Beaumont, who had had intelligence from his nephew, the earl of Hainault, that he was returning to his own country, after having been in Germany, where he had made alliances with the emperor and other lords of the empire, who were friendly to the king of England.
The lord of Beaumont assured the esquire Estralart de Sommain, that the garrison of Thin should very shortly be relieved, but that his nephew must first return. Before this truce 70 expired, the earl arrived in Hainault, which caused great joy to the inhabitants, as he had been impatiently wished for. The lord of Beaumont related to him all that had passed since his departure, and with what a powerful army the duke of Normandy had invaded his territories, burning and destroying all his villages and lands, as far as Valenciennes, except the fortresses. The earl answered, that he would have ample amends, and the kingdom of France was sufficiently extensive, to make him full satisfaction for all these ill deeds; but, first of all, he was anxious to go towards Thin-l’Evêque, to the relief of those good men, who had so loyally and so honourably defended it; he issued therefore his commissions, and sent letters of entreaty to his good friend Jacob von Artaveld, in Flanders, to the dukes of Gueldres and Juliers, and others in Germany, and went himself to Valenciennes with a large body of men at arms, knights, and esquires of his own country. His forces increased every day; and he set off with a grand array of tents, pavilions, and other ordinances and provisions, and encamped at Nans, upon the fine meadows and plains along the banks of the Scheld.
Of the lords of Hainault, there were, sir John of Hainault, the lord d’Anghien, the lord of Verchin, the seneschal of Hainault, the lord of Antoing, the lord of Barbenson, the lord of Lens, sir William de Bailleul, the lord of Havereth, governor of Mons, the lord of Montegny, the lord of Barbais, sir Thierry de Walcourt, marshal of Hainault, the lords of Almede and of Gommegines, the lord of Briseul, the lord of Roisin, the lord of Trasegmes, the lord of Lalain, the lords of Mastin, Sars, Vargny, Beaurieu, and many others, who encamped themselves near to the earl, their lord. Soon after the earl of Namur arrived, handsomely attended by two hundred lances, and posted himself upon the river Scheld, adjoining the army of the earl. The duke of Brabant came next with six hundred lances; and then the duke of Gueldres, the earl of Mons, the lord of Fauquemont, sir Arnold of Bacqueghen, and many other lords and men at arms from Germany and Westphalia, who encamped themselves upon the river Scheld near each other, and opposite to the French. They were plentifully supplied with provision from Hainault, and from the adjacent countries.
When these lords had thus encamped themselves upon the Scheld between Nans and Illois, as we have just related, the duke of Normandy, who was on the opposite bank, and with him a great number of other gallant men at arms, sent to inform the king of France, his father, that the army of the earl was increasing every day. The king, who was at that time at Peronne, in the Vermandois, where he had been for six weeks with a great many nobles, issued out his special orders for raising a large body of men, and sent upwards of twelve hundred good lances to the army of his son, and soon after followed himself as a simple soldier, for he could not enter the empire with the command of an army without breaking his oath, which made him act thus. The duke was appointed chief of this enterprise; nevertheless nothing was done without the approbation of the king. When the garrison of Thin-l’Evêque saw the earl of Hainault arrive with so powerful an army, they were, as may be thought, mightily rejoiced. The fourth day after they had been there, those of Valenciennes came with a handsome body of men, led by John Boissy, who at that time was provost of the town. They were immediately ordered out to skirmish with the French upon the Scheld, to examine their forces, and to show themselves to the garrison. Many different skirmishes passed between each army, in which numbers were killed and wounded. Sir Richard Limosin and his companions in Thin-l’Evêque, perceiving them warmly engaged, quitted the castle, and embarked on the Scheld in boats, which had been prepared for them, and passed over to the opposite shore; they were carried to the earl of Hainault, who received them most joyfully and honourably, for the good services they had done him; and for their sufferings in the castle. Whilst these two armies were thus encamped upon the Scheld, the French on the side of France, and the Hainaulters near their own country, the foragers of each side scoured the country; but they never met, for the river was between them: the French, however, burnt all that part of Ostrevant which had escaped before, as did those of Hainault that of Cambray.
Jacob von Artaveld came to the assistance of the earl of Hainault, according to his request, with upwards of sixty thousand Flemings, all well armed, and posted himself strongly 71 opposite to the French. Immediately after their arrival, the earl sent his heralds to his cousin the duke of Normandy, to say he was ready for battle, and that it would be a very great shame, if such fine armies should separate without an engagement. The duke gave the herald for answer, that he would summon his council, and consider of it. This council lasted so long, that the herald returned without any answer. Three days afterwards the earl sent again to the duke, to know positively what his intentions and those of his army were. The duke replied that he had not yet finally determined upon fighting, and could not therefore fix a day, adding, moreover, that the earl was too hasty. When this was told to the earl, he looked upon it only as an excuse for delay; he therefore sent for all the commanders of his army, explained to them his intentions and wishes, and also the answers he had received, and desired to have their opinions upon the subject. They looked at each other: at last the duke of Brabant, who was the principal commander, spoke for all, and said, that he objected to throwing a bridge over the Scheld and fighting the French; for, to his certain knowledge, the king of England would very soon pass the sea, in order to besiege Tournay; and that he had promised him, upon his faith and love, to give him every aid and assistance in that enterprise. “Now,” added he “if we fight the French, and should be unfortunate, he cannot have that succour he expects from us; and, should it be otherwise, he will not give us much thanks; it is therefore my opinion that, as he is the chief of the war, we should never engage with the forces of France, but when the king of England is present. Now when we shall be before Tournay, and he there with us, it would give me much uneasiness, that the French king and his army should depart without a battle; I therefore advise, dear son, that you decamp from this place, where you stay at a very heavy expense, and that all should return homewards, for within these ten days we shall hear from the king of England.”
The greater part of the lords agreed to this opinion. But the earl of Hainault was much dissatisfied, and thought his honour would suffer, should the French retire without an action. He begged and entreated of them, and of all the barons in general, that they would not leave him, but consent to his wishes. After this the council broke up, and each returned to his quarters. Those from Brussels and Louvain would very cheerfully have returned home, for they were so worn down with fatigue, they could scarce support themselves; and they frequently complained to their captains, that they remained at a great expense and did nothing. When the earl found that the council differed in opinion, and were not unanimous to cross the Scheld and fight the French, he called his uncle to him, and said “Dear uncle, will you take a ride along the river side, and call to you some man of honour from the French army, and tell him from me, that I will throw a bridge over the river; that I am willing and eager to fight at all events; but I ask a truce for three days to build it.”
The lord of Beaumont, seeing the eagerness of his nephew, complied with his request, went home to prepare himself, and rode along the banks of the Scheld, accompanied with two other knights, the lord of Fagnoelez and sir Florens de Beaurieu, with his pennon alone borne before him. Perceiving on the opposite bank a knight from Normandy, whom he knew by his arms; he called to him — “My lord of Maubuisson, my lord of Maubuisson, I wish to speak to you.” The knight, who knew him, stopped his horse, and asked what were his commands. “I shall beg of you,” said the lord of Beaumont, “to have the kindness to go to the king of France and to his council, and say, that the earl of Hainault has sent me to ask a truce for the time necessary to throw a bridge over this river, in order that our armies may pass. You will bring me here the answer, and I will wait for you.” “By my faith, that I will cheerfully do,” said the knight: when, sticking spurs into his horse, he galloped up to the king’s tent, where the duke of Normandy and a great many of the nobility were. He related his message, and had shortly this answer: — “My lord of Maubuisson, you will tell him who has sent you hither, that it is our intention to keep the earl of Hainault in the same state in which he is at present; and we will make him mortgage his lands; for he shall be attacked on all sides, and, whenever we please, we will enter so far into his country, that we will burn the whole of it.” The lord of Maubuisson brought back this answer, word for word, to the lord of Beaumont, who was waiting for him on the bank. He thanked him for the trouble he had given him, and returned to the earl of 72 Hainault, whom he found playing at chess with the earl of Namur. As soon as he saw his uncle, he rose up, and asked what news he had brought him. “Sir,” said sir John “from what I see, the king of France takes much pleasure in making you keep up such forces at so great an expense, and declares he will make you expend and mortgage all your lands; and whenever it shall be his pleasure, and not yours, he will fight with you.” The earl was much angered at this, and swore it should be otherwise.
* “Bretherne to therle of Namur.” — Lord Berners and D. Sauvage; but see Chapter 44, where they are spoken of as brothers to sir Giles Manny. — ED.
WE will now leave the duke of Normandy and the earl of Hainault, and speak of the king of England, who had embarked for Flanders, in order to go to Hainault to assist his brother-in-law in his war against France. He and his whole navy sailed from the Thames the day before the eve of St. John the Baptist, 1340, and made straight for Sluys. Sir Hugh Quiriel, sir Peter Bahucet, and Barbenoire, were at that time lying between Blanckenburgh and Sluys with upwards of one hundred and twenty large vessels, without counting others: these were manned with about forty thousand men, Genoese and Picards, including mariners. By the orders of the king of France, they were there at anchor, waiting the return of the king of England, to dispute his passage.
When the king’s fleet was almost got to Sluys, they saw so many masts standing before it, that they looked like a wood. The king asked the commander of his ship what they could be, who answered, that he imagined they must be that armament of Normans, which the king of France kept at sea, and which had so frequently done him much damage, had burnt his good town of Southampton, and taken his large ship the Christopher. The king replied “I have for a long time wished to meet with them, and now, please God and St. George, we will fight with them; for, in truth, they have done me so much mischief, that I will be revenged on them, if it be possible.” The king then drew up all his vessels, placing the strongest in the front, and on the wings his archers. Between every two vessels with archers, there was one of men at arms. He stationed some detached vessels as a reserve, full of archers, to assist and help such as might be damaged. There were in this fleet a great many ladies from England, countesses, baronesses, and knights’ and gentlemen’s wives, who were going to attend on the queen at Ghent: these the king had guarded most carefully by three hundred men at arms and five hundred archers. When the king of England and his marshals had properly divided the fleet, they hoisted their sails to have the wind on their quarter, as the sun shone full in their faces, which they considered might be of disadvantage to them, and stretched out a little, so that at last they got the wind as they wished. The Normans, who saw them tack, could not help wondering why they did so, and said they took good care to turn about, for they were afraid of meddling with them: they perceived, however, by his banner, that the king was on board, which gave them great joy, as they were eager to fight with him; so they put their vessels in proper order, for they were expert and gallant men on the seas. They filled the Christopher, the large ship which they had taken the year before from the English, with trumpets and other warlike instruments, and ordered her to fall upon the English. The battle then began very fiercely; archers and cross-bowmen shot with all their might at each other, and the men at arms engaged hand to hand: in order to be more successful, they had large grapnels, and iron hooks with chains, which they flung from ship to ship, to moor them to each other. There were many valiant deeds performed, many prisoners made, and many rescues. The Christopher, which led the van, was recaptured by the English, and all in her taken or killed. There were then great shouts and cries, and the English manned her again with archers, and sent her to fight against the Genoese.
This battle was very murderous and horrible. Combats at sea are more destructive and obstinate than upon land, for it is not possible to retreat or flee — every one must abide his fortune, and exert his prowess and valour. Sir Hugh Quiriel and his companions were bold and determined men, had done much mischief to the English at sea, and destroyed many of their ships; this combat, therefore, lasted from early in the morning until noon, and the 73 English were hard pressed, for their enemies were four to one, and the greater part men who had been used to the sea. The king, who was in the flower of his youth, showed himself on that day a gallant knight, as did the earls of Derby, Pembroke, Hereford, Huntingdon, Northampton, and Gloucester; the lord Reginald Cobham, lord Felton, lord Bradestan, sir Richard Stafford, the lord Percy, sir Walter Manny, sir Henry de Flanders, sir John Beauchamp, sir John Chandos, the lord Delaware, Lucie lord Malton, and the lord Robert d’Artois, now called earl of Richmond. I cannot remember all the names of those who behaved so valiantly in the combat: but they did so well, that, with some assistance from Bruges, and those parts of the country, the French were completely defeated, and all the Normans and the others were killed or drowned, so that not one of them escaped. This was soon known all over Flanders; and when it came to the two armies before Thin-l’Evêque, the Hainaulters were as much rejoiced as their enemies were dismayed.
After the king had gained this victory, which was on the eve of St. John’s day, he remained all that night on board of his ship before Sluys, and there were great noises with trumpets and all kinds of other instruments. The Flemings came to wait on him, having heard of his arrival, and what deeds he had performed. The king inquired of the citizens of Bruges after Jacob von Artaveld, and they told him he was gone to the aid of the earl of Hainault with upwards of sixty thousand men, against the duke of Normandy. On the morrow, which was Midsummer-day, the king and his fleet entered the port. As soon as they were landed, the king, attended by crowds of knights, set out on foot on a pilgrimage to our Lady of Ardembourg, where he heard mass and dined. He then mounted his horse, and went that day to Ghent, where the queen was, who received him with great joy and kindness. The army and baggage, with the attendants of the king, followed him by degrees to the same place.
The king had sent notice of his arrival to the lords that were before Thin-l’Evêque opposing the French, who as soon as they heard of it, and of his victory over the Normans, broke up their camp. The earl of Hainault disbanded all his troops, except the principal lords, whom he carried with him to Valenciennes, and treated most nobly, especially the duke of Brabant and Jacob von Artaveld. Jacob von Artaveld, in the full market-place, explained the right king Edward had to the crown of France to all those lords that chose to hear him, and of what importance it was to the three countries, that is to say, Flanders, Brabant, and Hainault, when closely united. He spoke so clearly, and with so much eloquence, that he was praised by all, who agreed that he was worthy to exercise the dignity of earl of Flanders.* These lords then took their leave, and agreed to meet in eight days’ time at Ghent, to see the king. He received them all most courteously, as did the queen, who was but lately recovered from her lying-in of a son, called John, afterwards duke of Lancaster, in the right of his wife, the lady Blanche, daughter of Henry duke of Lancaster. A day of conference was then appointed to be held at Vilvorde.
* There is some difference between this passage and the corresponding French of D. Sauvage’s edition: and as Lord Berners has translated it almost verbatim, his version is subjoined: — “And then Jaques Dartuell openly, and in the market-place, in the presence of all the lordes and of all such as wold here hym, declared what right the kying of Englande had to the crowne of Frāce, and also what puyssaience the three countreis were of Flanders, Heynault and Brabant surely joined in one alyance. And he dyde so by his great wysdome and plesaunt wordes, that all people that harde hym praysed hym moche and sayd howe he had nobly spoken, and by great experyēce. And thus he was greatly praysed, and it was sayd yt he was well worthy to gouerne ye countie of Flaunders.” There is nothing said here of his exercising the dignity of Earl of Flanders, an expression which would seem to imply an intention of investing him with the title. — ED.
WHEN king Philip of France heard of the defeat of his fleet, and that the king of England was quietly landed in Flanders, he was much enraged; but as he could not amend it, he immediately decamped, and retreated towards Arras. He dismissed the greater part of his army, until he should receive other news: but he sent sir Godemar du Fay to Tournay, to 74 advise them in any difficulties, and to see that the city was well provided, for he was more in fear of the Flemings than of any other people. He placed the lord of Beaujeu in Mortaigne, to guard the frontiers towards Hainault, and sent strong bodies of men at arms to St. Omer, Aire, and St. Venant; he also formed sufficient magazines in the countries bordering upon Flanders. At this time Sicily was governed by a king named Robert, who was much renowned as a great astrologer; he had prohibited the king of France and his council from ever engaging the English when commanded by their king, for in such cases he was ever to be unfortunate. This king was very desirous of bringing about a reconciliation between those of France and England, being so strongly attached to the crown of France, that he would have been much hurt at any calamity which might have impaired its lustre. The above-mentioned king went to Avignon to represent to pope Clement, and his college of cardinals, the great evils which might befal the realm of France from the quarrels of the two kings, and entreat of them to undertake the part of mediators in appeasing this disastrous war. The pope and the college replied, they would very willingly do their best endeavours, provided the two kings would listen to them.
THE conference holden at Vilvorde was attended by the following personages: first, the king of England, the duke of Brabant, the earl of Hainault and his uncle, the duke of Gueldres, the earl of Juliers, the marquis of Blanckenberg, the marquis of Nuys, the earl of Mons, the lord Robert d’Artois, the lord of Fauquemont, the lord William de Dunort, the earl of Namur, Jacob von Artaveld, and many other lords. Three or four men were sent by each of the principal towns in Flanders, Hainault, and Brabant, by way of council from them. The three countries of Flanders, Brabant, and Hainault, there entered into a treaty, that thenceforward they would succour and assist each other in every possible case; they then formed an alliance, with covenants, that if either of the three were attacked by any one whatever, the other two should immediately come to his assistance; and if at any future period two of them should quarrel, then the third should settle the matters of difference between them; and if he should not be in sufficient force so to do, that then it should be laid before the king of England, in whose hands these covenants had been declared, and sworn to be duly maintained, as the power that should make peace between them. Many statutes were then sworn and agreed to, which afterward turned out ill. But for a further confirmation of their love and friendship, they ordered coins to be struck, that should be current in these three countries, which were styled companions or allies. It was there also determined, that the king of England should put himself in motion about Magdalen tide, and lay siege to the city of Tournay; and all the lords present promised to be there, as well as the forces from the principal towns: they then set off for their homes, to get ready and prepare themselves properly for the business.
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