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lieutenant-governor of Arras, the lord de Noyelle, surnamed Le Blanc Chevalier, Allain de Vendosme, with a body of troops to the number of six hundred men-at-arms and as many archers. Those from Burgundy were commanded by the lord de Montagu, captain-in-chief, the lord de Vienne, the borgne de Toulongeon knight, sir William de Champ-divers, the bastard of Granson, to the amount of six hundred men-at-arms. The lord de Beauford-à-labarbe was commander of the commonalty; and in all the other towns were appointed able men, according to the good pleasure of the duke of Burgundy. These warriors made frequent excursions on the lands of such as were attached to the Orleans party; and one day sir John de Luxembourg, with a large detachment, advanced to the town of Hamme on the Somme, belonging to the duke of Orleans, which was pillaged and robbed of everything portable that it contained; and many of the adjacent villages shared the same fate, from the aforesaid cause. In like manner, Hector de Saveuses, Philippe de Saveuses his brother, Louis de Wargis, and some other captains, crossed the river Somme at Hauges, near to Pecquigny, and thence advanced to the town of Blangy, near Monchiaux, belonging to the count d'Eu, which was filled with much wealth. This was soon plundered by the Burgundians, who carried away men and all portable effects, and returned with them into Artois. Such expeditions did the duke of Burgundy's partisans often make, to the sore distress of the poor inhabitants.

On the 9th day of July, the king and the princes left Peronne, on a pilgrimage to our Lady of Cuerlu, and proceeding thence, fixed their quarters on the banks of a river, very near to Miraumontt. On the Thursday following, he came before Bapaume, a town belonging to the duke of Burgundy; and at this place the count d'Auxerre was made a

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ARRIVAL OF THE KING AT THE NUNNERY OF BAPAUME.-Designed from contemporary authorities.

knight by the duke of Bourbon, who commanded the van division, and had arrived before Bapaume at break of day. The king also created, with his own hand, the count d'Alençon a knight, as well as some others. The lords de Boissay and de Gaucourt at this time exer

William IV. de Vienne, lord of St. Georges, &c., surnamed the Wise, was counsellor and chamberlain both to the king and duke of Burgundy. He was at the bridge of Montereau when the duke was killed in 1419,

and died in 1434. There were several junior branches
of the house; but I cannot tell which is here meant.
+ Miraumont, a village in Picardy, election of Pe

ronne.

cised the functions of Boucicaut and De Longny, the two marshals of France. On the king's arrival, he was lodged at a handsome nunnery without the walls, and his army around the place, so that it was soon encompassed on all sides. This town is on an elevated situation, without spring or running water; and as the season was very dry, the soldiers were forced to fetch their water from a rivulet, near to Miraumont, in bottles, casks, and suchlike vessels, which they transported on cars or otherwise the best way they could, so that they and their horses suffered more from thirst than famine. This caused many to sink wells, and in a few days more than fifty were opened, and the water was so abundant that a horse could be watered for four farthings. It happened, that on a certain day the duke of Aquitaine sent for the chief captains in the town and castle of Bapaume, such as Ferry de Hangest, sir John de Jumont, and Alain d'Anetus, who on their arrival, being asked by the duke why they did not make some overtures to the king for the surrender of the town and castle to their sovereign lord, replied most humbly, that they guarded it for the king and for himself, the king's eldest son, by the orders of the duke of Burgundy. They requested the duke of Aquitaine to grant them an armistice until the following Tuesday, that they might send to the duke of Burgundy for his final orders respecting their conduct, as to surrendering the town and castle. This was granted, and confirmed by the king. They therefore sent to the duke of Burgundy, to inform him of the force that was surrounding the town, and the small provision they had for themselves and their horses. The duke, on hearing this, agreed to their surrendering the place to the king and the duke of Aquitaine, on condition that their lives and fortunes should be spared. This being assented to, they marched out of Bapaume with all their baggage, and were in number about five hundred helmets and three hundred archers. They took the road toward Lille, to join their lord; but, as they were on their departure, the varlet Caboche, who bore the duke's standard, and two merchants of Paris, were arrested; one of them was named Martin Coulommiers; and all three beheaded. Martellet du Mesnil and Galiffre de Jumelles were likewise arrested, for having formed part of the garrison in Compiegne, but were afterwards set at liberty.

In these days, it was proclaimed by sound of trumpet, that every one, whatever might be his rank, merchant or otherwise, who should repair to the king's army, should wear the upright cross as a badge, under pain of confiscation of goods and corporal punishment. At this period, also, ambassadors were sent to Cambray, the principal of whom were the lord of Ivry, and the lord de Ligny, a native of Hainault, at that time keeper of the king's privy seal, attended by many knights and others, to the amount of two hundred helmets. On their arrival at Cambray, they had a conference with the duke of Brabant and the countess of Hainault, but could not agree on any terms for a peace, on which the ambassadors returned to the king's army, and the duke of Brabant and the lady of Hainault went back to the duke of Burgundy at Lille, to signify to him that they had not been able to come to any terms with the king of France.

CHAPTER CXXIII.-THE INHABITANTS OF ARRAS FORTIFY THEIR TOWN VERY STRONGLY, AND BURN AND DESTROY SEVERAL HANDSOME EDIFICES WHICH WERE AROUND IT.

THE townsmen of Arras, daily expecting to be besieged by the army of the king of France, made great preparations to defend themselves against all adversaries. They erected bulwarks without the walls, and formed barriers of large oak trees placed one on the other, with deep ditches, so that the walls could not be approached without first having gained these outworks. They planted cannons and veuglaires (veuglaria), with other offensive engines on the walls and towers, to annoy the enemy; and, as I have before said, sir John de Luxembourg was governor-general of the place, having under him many very expert captains, whom I have mentioned, and who were always unanimous in their opinions. They resolved to wait for the attack of the king and the princes, and to resist it to the best of their ability; but in the meantime sir John de Luxembourg caused proclamation to be made by sound of trumpets throughout the town, that all persons who had wives or families should lose no time in having them and their effects conveyed to other strong places or territories of the duke of

Burgundy, and that whosoever had not collected necessaries for some months must leave the place.

In conseqence of these proclamations, many of the inhabitants carried their wives, families, and fortunes to the towns of Douay, Lille, Bethune, Aire, and other places, according to their pleasure. The governor demolished many handsome buildings and churches that were around the town, namely, the abbey of Tieulloy, the churches of the Cordeliers, Jacobins, and some others. He also burnt on the opposite side of the city the suburbs of Baudemont, which were of large extent, and contained many fine edifices, as well inns as other houses; all of which were burnt and destroyed, to the confusion of the inhabitants of this suburb.

CHAPTER CXXIV.-CHARLES KING OF FRANCE, HAVING REDUCED BAPAUME TO HIS OBEDIENCE, MARCHES TO LAY SIEGE TO ARRAS, AND TO SUBJECT THAT CITY TO HIS POWER.

KING Charles of France having, as I have said, reduced the town of Bapaume, to his obedience, departed thence on the 19th day of July with his whole army, and halted at a village called Vercourt, situated on a small brook two leagues from Arras. He had left his engines of war at Bapaume, under the guard of sir Gasselin du Bos and a sufficient garrison. Sir Gasselin, as governor of the town, made the mayor, sheriffs, and commonalty, take a solemn oath of fidelity to the king, and to him as his governor.

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From Vercourt, the king, passing by Arras, was lodged in the town of Vailly; at which place, and before the gates of Arras, there were grand skirmishes between the king's army and those within the town. They sallied out of the place in great numbers on horseback against their enemies, of whom they that day, at different times, made sixty or more prisoners, and carried them into the town, with a quantity of baggage. In company with the

Vailly,-a town in Picardy, near Abbeville.

king were his eldest son Louis, duke of Aquitaine, the dukes of Orleans, of Bourbon, of Bar, and of Bavaria, the counts of Vertus, of Alençon, of Richemont, of Vendôme, of Auxerre, of la Marche, of la Marle, of Eu, of Roussy, the archbishop of Sens, the bishop of Laon, and the count of Armagnac. The lord Charles d'Albreth, constable of France, was also with the king, and some other knights and esquires of the van division, consisting of three thousand men-at-arms at least, without including archers, so that the whole of the royal army may be estimated at about two hundred thousand persons of all sorts. The king's quarters at Vailly were in a house which had belonged to the Templars, about a cannon-shot from the town, and the duke of Aquitaine was lodged very near him.

Soon after, the duke of Bourbon and others of the van division made an entrance early in the morning into the suburbs of Vaudemont, and there established themselves, in spite of the resistance from Arras, but it was not without a severe conflict. On another day, the duke of Bar, the count de Marle, and the count d'Armagnac, with the rear division, made good a lodgement on the opposite side, in the suburbs of Belle-mocte, so that the city of Arras was now so completely surrounded that scarcely a single person could venture out without being taken, although, during the siege, there were daily sallies made from the town, sometimes on foot, at others on horseback. The besieged often made sallies from two and even three gates within an hour's time, and on these occasions, as it was afterwards known, they gained more than they lost; for, during the siege, they brought into the place upward of twelve score prisoners, and great numbers were in these sallies always left dead on the field.

One particular skirmish took place near the river Scarpe, between the suburbs of Bellemocte and the postern of Arras, which was very fatal to the besiegers. A party from the vanguard had crossed the river on a plank, one at a time, to the number of six or seven score, purposing to make an attack on the postern; but the besieged instantly sallied forth to combat them, and drove them back to the plank,-when they, finding they could not repass without much danger, rallied and forced their enemies to retreat to the postern. At length, by the valour of a man-at-arms called Perceval le Grand, who was the leader of the townsmen, they were again forced to the water's edge, and so vigorously attacked that fifty at least were killed on the spot, or made prisoners: from fifteen to twenty were drowned in attempting to cross the river, whose bodies, in armour, were dragged out on the following day. About twenty of the besieged were killed or taken in their various sallies. Among those of name made prisoners, were Baugeois de la Beauvriere, the bastard de Belle, the Bastard Dembrine, and some other gentlemen from Burgundy; but they lost the greater part of their best horses in these skirmishes.

The castle of Belle-mocte, situated near to Arras, remained, during the siege, steady to the Burgundy party. The guard of it was given to sir Fleurant d'Ancre and sir Symon de Behaignon: with them was a man-at-arms called Jean Rose, who was strongly suspected of wishing to betray the castle for money, and on that account was made prisoner and his effects confiscated. This fortress was well defended by the said knights for the duke of Burgundy, although the king's army took great pains to conquer it. To speak of all the different expeditions and incursions the king's troops made during this siege into Artois, Ternois, and other parts, would make too long a narrative; but I shall notice that which took effect under one of the bastards of Bourbon, and other captains, with about one thousand combatants. They went on a foraging party into the county of St. Pol, from which they gained an immense booty, in peasants, horses, cattle, sheep, and other things: they even advanced to the town of St. Pol, in which were count Waleran, styling himself constable of France, and the countess his wife, sister to the duke of Bar. They treated count Waleran with much abusive language, and said that he only pretended to be ill to avoid serving the king, his sovereign lord; and that he had manifested his warm affection to the duke of Burgundy by sending his nephew sir John de Luxembourg, with the greater part of his vassals, to assist him. Notwithstanding the count heard all that was said, he would not suffer any of his men to sally out against them, for fear the king and his council should be more discontented with him, and allowed them to burn a considerable part of the suburbs of St. Pol: they then returned to the king's army before Arras with their plunder.

On another day, about twelve hundred combatants assembled, and advanced toward Lucheux*, ransacking the country as far as the town of Hesdint, and committing much destruction; but the garrisons of Hesdin and of other places in the interest of the duke of Burgundy, pursued them with such activity and vigour, that they not only recovered several whom they had captured, but made many of them prisoners. Thus at different times were excursions made by the king's forces on parts that held out for the duke of Burgundy, by which the poorer people were sorely oppressed and ruined.

On the other hand, the garrisons of the duke of Burgundy, in his towns of Douay, Lens‡, Hesdin, Maizerolles §, and others, made continual excursions and ambuscades against the foragers of the royal forces, and likewise against those who brought provisions to the army from Amiens, Corbie, and other parts, whom they generally robbed, killed, or made prisoners. Hector de Saveuses, a very renowned man-at-arms, was particularly active in this kind of warfare: he usually collected from two to three hundred combatants under his banner, and, by secretly leading them against the king's forces, acquired much fame, and was greatly in the good graces of his lord, the duke of Burgundy; his companions were usually Philippe and Louis de Wargis, Lamon de Launoy, and other expert men-at-arms. The duke of Burgundy having resolved to relieve Arras, sent for all his captains, and, having consulted them, ordered, that on a fixed day they should make an attack on the king's army at Vaudemont, where the van division was quartered, under the command of the duke of Bourbon; and the garrison was to make a sally to support them, of which they were to be timely informed. These captains assembled a force of about four thousand combatants, whose commanders were the lord de Croy, the lord de Fosseux, the lord de Jumont, the lord de Chalons, sir Gautier de Ruppes, and some others, who marched their men to within about four leagues of Arras, and thence sent their scouts forward. The names of these scouts were Actis, Jacques de Breumeur, brother to Louis de Bussy, and others, whose names I have forgotten; but they were all taken by the king's army, and carried to the head-quarters. The duke of Burgundy's captains hearing of this, and supposing their intended attack would be known, were much troubled, and, without doing anything, returned to their garrisons, to the great displeasure of the duke.

During the time the king lay before Arras, his men took the fortress of Avênes-le-Comte, belonging to the duke of Burgundy, and Villers-le-Châtel from the lord de Gournay, both four leagues distant from Arras. They were regarrisoned with a considerable force, who much harassed the adjacent country, and gave the army intelligence of all assemblies of the enemy. All this time the town of Arras was constantly attacked by the cannons, veuglaires, bricolles, and other engines, to the great annoyance of its inhabitants, more especially on the side toward Vaudemont, and, moreover, several mines were made under the walls. One was particularly directed on this side, with the intent of forming a secret entrance to the city, but it was discovered by a counter-mine of the besieged, and a vigorous skirmish took place within it, each party being armed with lances. The count d'Eu fought with sir John de Meschastel, lord de Montagu, very valiantly, considering his youth: he had been knighted on this occasion by his brother-in-law the duke of Bourbon. When this skirmish had lasted some time, both parties retreated to their main army. Sir Louis Bourdon and others were quartered during the siege in the abbey of Mount-St.-Eloy, two leagues off Arras: it was surrounded by a strong wall, and consisted of handsome buildings,-the whole, or the greater part of which, were destroyed by them, the gratings, iron, lead, bells, and everything portable being carried away. Thus at this time was the county of Artois most severely oppressed by the army of the king of France.

Lucheux,-a town in Picardy, election of Peronne.
Hesdin,-a strong town in Artois, on the Canche,

thirteen leagues from Arras.

Lens, a town in Artois, on the confines of Flanders. § Maizerolles, a village in Artois.

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