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climb up with his men. Then on the day appointed A.D. 1422. by them, the said Lord of Offemont drew near to accomplish his purpose, and as he was coming he met some of the English watch, who were quickly put to death by him and his followers. Then he proceeded to the moats of the town, and his people began to get inside by the said ladder prepared for them, in fact several of them entered, but he who was quite in the rear to push them forward, being in full armour and crossing an old plank over a deep ditch fell in, and his companions could by no means draw him out though they reached their lances to him, for these, because of his weight, remained in his hands. Meanwhile those in this camp, hearing the murmurs and alarm, came upon them in great force without delay, and seized all that had still to mount, so the said Lord of Offemont was wounded in the face, so were some of his men, and in this condition they brought him before King Henry, who was very joyful for his capture. So he questioned him on several points, and then appointed him good guards, and had his person well cared for.

Next day the besieged, sad at heart for this misfortune, and fearing that in the long run they would not be able to keep the town because of its great circuit, removed all the property into the market-place. This being perceived by John de Guigny, the Savoyard, and his men who were at the said siege, they suddenly bestirred themselves, and went to assail the said town on one side, and immediately the besieged bestirred themselves, and so the assault began everywhere severe and heavy, and so fierce, that in a short time the town was taken without great loss to the assailants, therefore those of the besieged who could retreated to the market, for some of them at this capture had been killed, wounded, and taken prisoners.

Within the town thus gained the King of England lodged with a great part of his followers and these

A.D. soon afterwards captured a little island near the said 1421-2. market-place, in which the king placed some large

bombards which marvellously shattered the houses and walls of the said market. By these means the besieged were greatly distressed and reduced to very great necessity, for besides, King Henry had set up several engines, and made large bulwarks, and other appliances near the wall, and he had so constantly persevered in this that the said besieged saw themselves daily in danger of being taken, and they had no hope of succour from the Dauphin their lord, for the day was long passed by which he had promised to send them help. Moreover, things going from bad to worse with the besieged, the English took the mills of the said market place, so that those within could not grind their corn except with great difficulty and danger.

How during the siege of Meaux Sir John of Luxembourg took several castles and fortresses holding by the Dauphin's party. CHAPTER XXI.

Now it behoves us to speak briefly for a little of the particular things which came to pass during the siege which the English were maintaining against Meaux.

True it is that about the month of May in this year, Sir John of Luxembourg, as captain-general of the country of Picardy, issued a wide summons in the names of the Kings of France and England, and made a gathering round Encre, where he passed his musters. With him were some great lords of Picardy, that is to say, Sir Hugh de Lannoy, then master of the crossbowmen of France, the Lord of Longueval, the Vidam of Amiens, the Lord of Saveuses, the Lord of Humbercourt, and a great number of other knights and esquires. After these things were done, the captains

were sent

ordered the assault of a wretched castle named Le
Quesnoy, which belonged to John d'Arly, and in which
were about forty plunderers of the Dauphin's party,
who, with those of Araines, had greatly harassed the
country of Vimeu and all along the River Somme
from Araines 1 to Abbeville. So the better to secure
that they should not escape, the Vidam of Amiens and
the Lord of Saveuses with all their men
one day before [the fortress],2 and finally they were
so distressed by the engines of the besiegers, who
knocked down their walls, that they begged to have a
parley with them and to surrender the place. Finally,
they came to terms with the Lord of Saveuses, who
had been commissioned thereto by Sir John of
Luxembourg, the condition being that they should
surrender the fortress, and all the goods in it were
to be at the disposal of the said Sir John, with part
of the said plunderers, for they were betrayed by
Walleran de Saint Germain, their captain, who made
his own bargain, and leaving his men in danger went
away under a good safe conduct; then the said Luxem-
bourg had part of them hanged and sent the rest to
Sir Robert de Josne, bailiff of Amiens, who soon had
them despatched like the others, and the fortress was
demolished and overthrown.

Sir John of Luxembourg then went towards Gamaches, and from two to three hundred combatants came to him there under the command of Sir Ralph Butler, so he went to subdue to the authority of the Kings of France and England some fortresses in the country of Vimeu, as Lonroy, Hericourt, and some others.

At the time of which we are speaking the people. of the Lord of Gamaches, who were staying at Compiegne, took by storm the fortress of Mortemer near

1 Amiens. H.

2 the fortress H.; omitted in A.

A.D. 1421-2.

A.D.

Mondidier, which was held by Gerard, bastard of 1421-2. Brimeu, and within which the dauphinists placed a large garrison which greatly harassed the country. And on the other hand, the dauphinists of the garrison of Macousi, about two hundred men-at-arms, with their captain, called Mynon, went secretly by night to seize the bridge of Meulent, where they committed many evils, and with the intention of holding it placed a large garrison there, but the King of England quickly sent the Count of Conversan there with a great number of his men, who besieged them, and so managed that soon afterwards the place was given up to them in such wise that the besieged went away safely with all their property.

In those days Sir John of Luxembourg with his army returned during the night of Easter, mustering before the two castles of Araines, and he besieged them on all sides, erecting against the walls several engines that damaged them greatly in a few days. And those inside defended themselves bravely against their enemies with firearms, crossbows, and by all methods in their power. They made some sallies which did little to benefit them, but inasmuch as they were well provided with food and all necessary appurtenances for such cases they held out a long time, besides, it had been promised them by some of the Dauphin's partisans that they should be so powerfully assisted as completely to deliver them from their enemies.

How Sir John of Luxembourg took Araines. CHAPTER
XXII.

A.D. 1422. IN that same year, which was reckoned 1422, the siege being still before Meaux-en-Brie, many dauphinists assembled round Compiegne with the intention of going to succour those who were besieged within the castles

of Araines. The captains for the Dauphin were the A.D. 1422. Lord of Gamaches, the Lord of Mouy, Pothon de Sainte Treille, and some others, who might all together amount to near a thousand combatants. So they went to Pierepont, which is under the Vidam of Amiems, and notwithstanding this town was fortified with hedges and ditches full of water, nevertheless they entered in and lodged all together; then they delivered an assault on the fortress of the said place, which was well defended by those who had it in charge.

While the said dauphinists were lodging at Pierepont there came tidings of it to Sir John of Luxembourg, who was at the siege of Araines, and who, after taking counsel with the wisest men in his army to know what was good to be done about these tidings, ordered some of his captains with a thousand fighting men to go against these dauphinists. The chief of those on the side of the said Luxembourg were Sir Hugh de Lannoy, master of the crossbowmen of France, Sir Ralph Butler, an Englishman, the Lord of Saveuses, Le Borgne de Saveuses, knights, and several other expert men-at-arms, who went to lie at Coucy, and very early next day rode to Moreuil, at which place they had certain information that the dauphinists their enemies were in the town of Pierepont. Therefore, riding in very good order, they hastened to find them, but the said dauphinists, warned of the approach of their enemies, mounted their horses after setting fire to their quarters, and all together went to put themselves in battle array above the town on the side towards Mondidier. Then the Burgundians and the English, as quickly as they could, passed through the town to follow their enemies, notwithstanding the heat of the fire, which greatly hindered them, and there they placed themselves in order of battle against the dauphinists. In this place the Burgundians made several new knights, namely,

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