CHAP. LII.
THE DAUPHINOIS RETAKE VILLENEUVE-LE-ROI.—THE LORD DE CHASTILLON CONQUERS CHASTEAU-THIERRY, AND MAKES LA HIRE PRISONER.
THE DAUPHINOIS RETAKE VILLENEUVE-LE-ROI.—THE LORD DE CHASTILLON CONQUERS CHASTEAU-THIERRY, AND MAKES LA HIRE PRISONER.
Inthe month of February, the Dauphinois regained the town of Villeneuve-le-Roi; but shortly after, the lord de l'Isle-Adam, with others of the burgundian captains, quartered themselves in all the adjoining villages, by way of blockading it. They, however, only remained a certain time, and then decamped without subjecting the town to their obedience, which caused the country around to suffer much. A treaty was, however, made with the governor to allow provision to be brought unmolested to Paris,on paying certain taxes, of which he was to have his share.
At this same time, Château-Thierry, with its castle, was delivered into the hands of the lord de Châtillon, though garrisoned by the Dauphinois, by means of some of the inhabitants, in which La Hire and many of his men were made prisoners, but were set at liberty afterward on ransom.
During this period, the Dauphinois-garrisons at Meaux in Brie, at Compiègne, Pierrefons, and on the borders of the Valois, destroyed all the country round by their inroads, more especially the Beauvoisis, the Vermandois, and Santerre. In like manner did those quartered in the country of Guise to the inhabitants of Hainault, the Cambresis, and the adjacent parts.
While these troubles lasted, from the year 1415 to 1420, the money in France was greatly lowered in value, insomuch that a gold crown from the king's mint was worth twenty-nine sols in the money of the day, although it had been coined for eighteen sols parisis, which very much affected those lords whose rents were payable in money, and caused several law-suits between theparties, on account of the said diminution of the coin, when a horse-load of wheat was worth from seven to eight francs.