naked and plunged into the Scheldt, which is there wide and deep, swam into the town, and delivered their letters. Sir Simon was much pleased with the intelligence. In the mean time, the count advanced with his Picards in three battalions: the van under the command of Anthony bastard of Burgundy, the lord de Saveuses, and others: the centre under the count himself, grandly accompanied; and in the rear division were very many valiant men at arms and archers. When they were nearly approached to the enemy, the lord de Saveuses knighted, with his own hand, the lord d'Estampes, who had not before received that honour; and then the count instantly made fifty-two more knights, the first of whom was Anthony bastard of Burgundy.

When arrived within a quarter of a league from Oudenarde, they fell in with a body of four or five hundred Ghent men, posted there to defend a narrow pass. The Picards advanced to attack them, but came to a hollow way, of difficult descent, which forced them to make a circuit. Their leaders were sir James de Lalain, the lords de Bauf-segnies, de Crevecœur, de Bosqueaux, and du Bos,-and one called le Bourgognon was with them. Having passed the hollow way, they pushed through the Ghent men, who were drawn up; and wheeling round, sir James de Lalain charged them sword in hand. He was instantly surrounded by the enemy, and had it not been for the timely succour of the Bourgognon, who extricated him from this danger, he must have been killed.

When the Ghent men perceived that the main body of the Picards had passed the hollowway, they fled for a church near Oudenarde, where they were almost all put to death. This done, the count d'Estampes ordered the archers to dismount,- but the blockade was so complete that no sally was attempted from the town. However, the Ghent men on the other side of the Scheldt were cut off, for want of a bridge, from succouring the division on this side, which, as it afterward turned out, proved their destruction. The Ghent men, on seeing the Picards, advanced from their intrenchments in handsome array, well furnished with pikes and cannons, to give them battle; but they no sooner felt the arrows of the Picards, which, by reason of their being badly armed, pierced their bellies and backs, than they instantly gave way and fled. The Picards pursued them, and slaughtered so many that few escaped. It was commonly reported that upwards of three thousand were killed, while the count d'Estampes lost only one man, called Jean d'Athies, a man-at-arms and a native of Arras, who was slain through his own breach of duty.

During this time, the noble duke of Burgundy had left Grammont grandly accompanied, as I have said, to raise the siege of Oudenarde. He had learnt that the Ghent men had,

on the opposite side of the river, been forced to raise the siege, and that the division on this, through fear, were on their march back to Ghent. In consequence of this intelligence, he pushed forward, and soon overtook them, and the pursuit lasted to the gates of Ghent, killing and wounding all that came in his way, until the night forced him to give it over. The duke lay on the field this night, and on the morrow, early, entered Oudenarde, where great rejoicings and feasts took place between the duke, the count, and their companions. The artillery the men of Ghent had left behind them was secured in the town of Oudenarde, and their baggage plundered. Among those who escaped to Ghent were their three Hoguemans*,-but they had scarcely entered the town when the populace seized them, beheaded them without mercy, and elected five new ones.

CHAPTER XLII.-THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY ESTABLISHES GARRISONS ROUND GHENT.HE MAKES SEVERAL INROADS INTO THE COUNTRY OF WAEst.

THE siege of Oudenarde being raised, the duke of Burgundy, nobly attended, went to Dendermonde, the count d'Estampes remained in Oudenarde,—the count de St. Pol was sent to Alost, and the Marshal of Burgundy, with some Picardy gentlemen, to Courtray. Shortly after, the count d'Estampes sallied out of Oudenarde, with the intent of advancing to Ghent; and passing by the castle of Gave, he attacked it, but was forced to retire, as it Waes-a district in Flanders, on the Scheldt, between Ghent and Ysendic.

Hogueman-should be, according to Du Cange's Glossary, Hocquemant, Hoga, captain, governor.

was too strong, and the garrison outnumbered his force. He then continued his march toward Ghent, where a sharp skirmish took effect, but without much loss on either side; the Ghent men re-entered the town, except, indeed, that sir John de Miraumont was struck so severely with a cross-bow bolt that he died of it soon after: the Picards marched back to Oudenarde.

The count de St Pol, on another day, advanced from Alost to before the walls of Ghent, and gallantly repulsed those who sallied out against him; and this he did repeatedly. The count d'Estampes returned thither also, and not only repulsed them back into Ghent but slew upwards of forty: he lost, however, seven of his archers. Between Ghent and Antwerp lies a fertile country, called the country of Waes: it is very strong from its bogs and ditches, and has several rich towns and villages dependent on Ghent, and would not own any other superior lord than the municipality of Ghent. During the different wars that had taken place, this country had never been overrun or pillaged, and therefore was plentifully supplied with all things. The Ghent men had likewise strongly fortified it with ditches and bulwarks, so that it was of difficult entrance, more especially as those of Ghent were very assiduous in guarding it.

The duke, being anxious to possess this country, had a strong bridge thrown over the Scheldt, before Dendermonde; and when it was finished, a valiant knight called sir James de Lalain*, with leave of the duke, was the first who passed over, accompanied by the archers of the duke's body-guard and a few men-at-arms. This was on the 18th of May; and he had not advanced far when he was met by a large body of Ghent men, who instantly attacked and surrounded him on all sides. He behaved himself most valorously: no knight could have done better: but sir John bastard of Renty, captain of these archers, did not do the same, for he let fall the duke's banner which he bore, and saved himself as fast as his horse could carry him. In this encounter, seven or eight archers were slain, three of whom were of the duke's guard. The horse of a gallant young knight, sir Philip de Lalain †, was killed under him in a bog, while he defended himself like a wild boar at bay: had it not been for the exertions of his brother sir James, who dashed into the midst of those that held him in such peril, he could not have escaped alive; but sir James, by his valour, remounted his brother in spite of them, and having collected around him the few men he had, he marched off, himself closing their rear, to withstand all attempts of the enemy to hurt them. The archers who had remained with him, throwing off their jackets, made such excellent use of their bows that they forced the Ghent men to retreat to a respectful distance, and sir James carried his men and archers safely back to Dendermonde.

In another quarter, the count de St. Pol, accompanied by his two brothers, Adolphus of Cleves, Corneille, the bastard, and many men-at-arms and archers, with those from Dendermonde, under the command of John de Croy, set off to enter the country of Waes. They gained two bulwarks which the Ghent men occupied at Overmeer, a large village in that country, after a sharp attack, when the Ghent men fled, as many as could save themselves, to Ghent. The duke's army then advanced to Lokeren, another large village, in which were three thousand men, who had promised assistance to those at Overmeer, and were preparing to march thither when it was too late.

The Ghent men, seeing their enemies coming, advanced boldly to meet them; but before they were approached near enough for battle, the count de St. Pol, who led the van, made some new knights, namely, Adolphus of Cleves, Thibault lord de Fiennes, brother to the count, Corneille bastard of Burgundy, at that time governor of Luxembourg, a prudent and valiant youth, universally beloved by all who knew him, and a few more. The count marched the van on the flank of the Ghent men, while they continued to advance in front against the body under the command of sir John de Croy, who pushed forward to meet them they were so roughly attacked on two sides that they were almost all slain or made prisoners. In this engagement, four or five of the duke's body-archers did wonders in arms, more especially Hoste le Sur and Le Martre. This army now returned to their quarters.

* Killed soon after at the siege of the castle of Poul

cres.

Afterwards killed at Montl'hery.

Son of the duke of Cleves. He was lord of Ravestein, and not only nephew but son-in-law to the duke of Burgundy, having married Anne, one of his bastard daughters.

CHAPTER XLIII.-THE GHENT MEN FORTIFY NIENEVE.

THE COUNT D'ESTAMPES DEFEATS THEM THERE. THE MEN OF GHENT ATTEMPT TO DESTROY A DYKE, TO DROWN THE COUNTRY OF WAES, BUT ARE AGAIN DEFEATED BY THE COUNT DE ST. POL. BETWEEN Ghent and Oudenarde is a large village called Nieneve, which the Ghent men had strongly fortified with intrenchments and bulwarks, and had posted there a numerous garrison to harass the Picards in Oudenarde. The count d'Estampes having summoned the garrison of Courtray to join him, advanced to gain this village; and on the 25th of May he won by storm the outworks and the village, putting the Ghent men to the rout without much difficulty. The count then took the field, and, while a party of his men were pursuing the runaways, others had dismounted in the village to refresh themselves. They had not been there long before a large body of Ghent men, who had assembled unobserved, suddenly entered the village, and immediately put to death all they could find, for they were far from suspecting such an attempt. Among the slain were the lord de Herin, knight, Ciboy Boucly, Jennequin le Prevost, Jean Dinde, and some others, to the amount of thirteen, all valiant men-at-arms of the count's household, and full fifty archers. The whole would have perished, had not the lord de Saveuses hastened to their succour, and behaved with great valour. The count instantly returned with the army, and a dreadful slaughter ensued: the men of Ghent were a second time defeated, and twelve hundred killed on the spot the rest saved themselves in the woods and hedges. After this defeat the count caused those of his men who had been slain to be carried to a house hard by, and then set fire to the village; after which he returned to Oudenarde.

The duke of Burgundy, during his residence at Dendermonde, was very desirous of marching a great force to conquer the country of Waes, and had sent to Picardy for reinforcements of archers and cross-bows, which the towns had readily complied with. He ordered the garrisons of Courtray, Oudenarde, and Alost, to join him, and sent thither the reinforcements from Picardy to supply the place of these garrisons during the time he should be in the country of Waes. When the Ghent men heard of this great force being assembled,

they ordered a strong detachment to break down a sea-dyke, which being done, would drown the whole of that country; but the duke having timely notice of this, sent thither the count de St. Pol with a large body, who made such diligence that he came up with the enemy before they could effect their purpose, and discomfited them, with the loss of more than five hundred men: the rest saved themselves by flight; and what damage had been done to the dyke was repaired.

The count marched back to the duke, and found that the duke's nephew, John duke of Cleves, had arrived during his absence with a handsome body of German men-at-arms and cross-bows, at which the duke was exceedingly well pleased. Charles count de Charolois, legitimate son to the duke, had also arrived when he was absent on the last expedition.

CHAPTER XLIV.—THE BATTLE OF RUPELMONDE, WHERE THE GHENT MEN ARE DEFEATED BY THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.

On the 6th day of June, in this same year 1452, the duke of Burgundy marched from Dendermonde with his whole army, to invade the country of Waes. He formed his army into three divisions: the van he gave to the count de St. Pol, who was accompanied by his two brothers, sir Corneille the bastard, the lord de Saveuses, sir James de Lalain, and others. The duke commanded the centre, having with him his son, the knights and esquires of his household, and a part of the Picards: the count d'Estampes and the duke of Cleves, his sonin-law, had the command of the rear division. This arrangement being made, he marched toward Rupelmonde, which the Ghent men had strongly fortified, and were there waiting his coming with plenty of artillery and warlike stores, to defend a bulwark they bad cast up in front of the place.

When the duke was near to Rupelmonde, he was fearful that if the Ghent men should discover his whole strength they would not issue out of their intrenchments; and to deceive them as to his numbers, he detached a considerable body to observe the countenance of the enemy, to skirmish with them, and to draw them out into the plain. In the meantime he advanced his whole army in three divisions, but in close order, for greater security, so that the Ghent men could not see more than the first division, or at least what appeared to be such. The Ghent men observing the detachment, and the van of the army, which was not far behind, not imagining there were any more, insolently issued forth from their intrenchments to attack them; but in pursuance of the duke's orders, his men immediately wheeled round and fled. The Ghent men pursued until they fell in with the duke's army, drawn up in battle-array, and the archers dismounted. The battle now raged, and the Ghent men made good use of their culverins; but they could not withstand the arrows of the Picards, and, turning about, fled. The men-at-arms followed, and the slaughter was dreadful. It happened in the pursuit, that sir Corneille, the bastard, was attacked by a Fleming, who thrust his pike into his throat, which unluckily was unguarded, and killed him on the spot: it was a great loss, from the promising expectations he had given of his future worth.

The Ghent men were defeated, and two thousand five hundred were left dead on the field: the rest retreated to a large village called Acre, which they had strongly fortified with trenches and ramparts. The duke, having collected his men together, began his march back, but not before he had his son, the bastard, raised from the ground, and sent off with many honours to Brussels, where he was interred in the church of St. Gudule.

CHAPTER XLV. -THE GHENT MEN WHO HAD FLED TO ACRE ABANDON THE PLACE: IT IS BURNT BY THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY. - THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS

TO THE DUKE IN FLANDERS, TO RESTORE PEACE TO THAT COUNTRY.

AMBASSADORS

On the morrow of the battle of Rupelmonde, the lord de la Vere, a Hollander, and knight-companion of the Golden Fleece, and the lord de Launoy, then governor of Holland, came to offer their services to the duke of Burgundy, bringing with them three thousand combatants, mostly cross-bowmen. The duke was well pleased with them; but remembering the death of his son the bastard, whom he greatly lamented, he commanded all the villages in the country of Waes to be set on fire, and, in consequence, very many villages were burned; but as several of them contained only poor people, the inhabitants came in great numbers to beseech their lord's mercy, barefooted, and in all humility. The good duke had pity on them, and ordered the fires to cease. The duke then marched to Acre, where the Ghent men were in great force; but they were afraid to wait his coming, and abandoned the place, on which the duke had it burned to the ground.

While these things were going forward, the king of France sent an embassy to the duke, and appointed the count de St. Pol, then with the duke, as the head of it, who went to meet the other members at Tournay, where they were grandly feasted. The count returned to the duke, to know when and where it would be agreeable for him to see them: he appointed Dendermonde, whither he went for the purpose, leaving his army in the country of Waes. The ambassadors remonstrated with the duke on his present conduct; and added, that the king was astonished that he could thus destroy Flanders, which was a dependence on his crown; for that the Ghent men, out of revenge, and through pride, might ally themselves with the English, and admit them into Ghent, to the great prejudice of his kingdom. They exhorted him to make peace with Ghent, if possible; and ordered him, in the king's name, to put an end to the war.

The duke made answer, in person, that he was no way afraid of the English being admitted into Ghent; and that for no man living would he make peace with his rebellious subjects until they had submitted themselves to his will; for by the aid of God and of his good friends, he would force them to submission, if they would not submit by fair means. The ambassadors, on hearing this answer, did not make any reply for the present; but they obtained from the duke, at their entreaties, and out of respect to the king, that he would consent to a truce for three days, and give passports to such of the Ghent men as might choose to come to him and treat of a peace.

This being done, the ambassadors, with the exception of the count de St. Pol, went to Ghent, where they were received most honourably. They informed the townsmen, assembled in numbers at the town-hall, of the commission they had been entrusted with by the king of France, and the remonstrances they had in consequence made to the duke of Burgundy, and his answer. The Ghent men, on hearing this, said, that indeed their lord was too hard and merciless to them; that he wanted to deprive them of their privileges, which they would never suffer to be done; and told the ambassadors, that if they had nothing more to say, they might leave the town instantly. They therefore immediately departed, and returned to the duke of Burgundy.

CHAPTER XLVI. THE CUTLER OF GHENT IS MADE PRISONER IN BATTLE. THE GHENT MEN ARE DEFEATED. THEY ARE AGAIN DEFEATED AT HULST AND MOERBEKE.

THE French ambassadors had scarcely left Ghent, when upward of five thousand men in arms issued forth to combat the duke's army wherever they could meet it. They had chosen for their leader a cutler of Ghent, a large heavy man, who had boasted that he would overcome the duke; and his townsmen promised, that if he should succeed they would make him lord of Waes, and indeed of all Flanders. They marched for Hulst, a large village, in