CHAP. XXXII.
SIR JOHN DE LUXEMBOURG ASSEMBLES A LARGE BODY OF MEN AT ARMS, AND LEADS THEM BEFORE ROYE.—OTHER OCCURRENCES THAT HAPPENED AT THIS PERIOD.
SIR JOHN DE LUXEMBOURG ASSEMBLES A LARGE BODY OF MEN AT ARMS, AND LEADS THEM BEFORE ROYE.—OTHER OCCURRENCES THAT HAPPENED AT THIS PERIOD.
Inconformity to the treaty with the English, the duke of Burgundy commenced his operations by assembling men at arms in Artois, Flanders and elsewhere, which he sent with different captains to be under the general command of sir John de Luxembourg, near to Peronne, who was to muster them, and lead them to lay siege to the castle of Muyn, which was strongly garrisoned by the Dauphinois, who had sorely oppressed the country round Amiens and Corbie.
Several of the nobility joined sir John de Luxembourg, at Peronne, such as, the lord de l'Isle-Adam, marshal of France, the vidame of Amiens, Anthony lord of Croy, le borgne de Fosseux knight, John de Fosseux his brother, the lord de Longueval,Hector and Philip de Saveuses, the lord de Humbercourt, sir John de Luquerque, the lord de Cohen, with many other notable knights and esquires, who marched from Peronne to Lyhons in Santerre, and to the adjacent villages, intending to besiege the castle of Muyn, but their intentions were soon changed.
During the time that these men at arms were at Lyhons, and on the night of the 10th of December, sir Karados de Quesnes, Charles de Flavy, the bastard de Tournemine, and one called Harbonniers, made a sally from Compiegne, with about five hundred combatants, to the town of Roye in the Vermandois, which they attacked, and, from neglect of the guard, great part of them entered the place. They assembled in the market-place, shouting out, 'Town won! Long live the king and dauphin!' The inhabitants were awakened by these shouts; and, seeing they could not make any resistance, the greater part escaped over the walls, and fled.
A detachment of the Dauphinois now advanced to the gate, which they opened to admit the remainder of their forces, andtheir horses, into the town. Perceval le Grand, governor of the place for the duke of Burgundy, having been awakened like the others, and perceiving that no resistance could be made, escaped as well as he could from the town, leaving behind his wife, children, and great part of his wealth. He hastened to Lyhons, and very dolefully related to his commander, sir John de Luxembourg, the news of the capture of Roye.
Sir John instantly ordered his trumpets to sound for the assembling of his men at arms, and led them toward Roye, sending forward a party of scouts to the town, to gain intelligence, who found the scaling ladders still reared against the walls by which the enemy had entered. They were no sooner observed, than the Dauphinois made preparations for defence, and gave a sharp discharge of cannons, cross-bows, and bows on them, and on some men at arms, who had joined the scouts. However, notwithstanding their defence, one of the suburbs was taken, and in the conflict several were wounded on each side. On that of sir John de Luxembourg was a valiant man at arms named Robert de Rebretanges, andwho, in consequence of this wound, died shortly after.
After sir John had posted his men in the different suburbs and houses round the town, he fixed his own quarters at a village about half a league distant. He then sent the lord de Humbercourt, bailiff of Amiens, to that place, and to Corbie, to require that they would send him cross-bowmen, cannons, and other implements of war, to enable him to subdue the Dauphinois in Roye, which request was complied with in the most ample manner. With the same eagerness were the cross-bowmen of Douay, Arras, Peronne, St Quentin, Mondidier, Noyon, and other places under the dependance of the king, sent to Roye in great numbers.
On the arrival of these reinforcements, sir John invested the town on all sides, and made some vigorous assaults: he also had some bombards, and other engines, pointed against the walls and gates, which greatly harrassed the besieged. They made, however, a handsome defence, and some sallies; but in these they did not gain much.
At length, the besieged seeing all theirefforts vain, and hopeless of succour, concluded a treaty with sir John, by his commissioners, on the 18th day of January, to surrender the place, on condition that they should depart in safety, with their baggage, and with a part of what they had gained in the town. When this treaty was ratified, the Dauphinois marched away under passports from sir John de Luxembourg, who appointed Hector de Saveuses to escort them; and, when out of the town, they took the road to Compiegne, marching with great speed.
Very soon after their departure, about two thousand English came to Roye, under the command of the earl of Huntingdon, and his father-in law sir John de Cornwall,[4]to assist the Burgundians; for, as I have said, there was a truce between the English and them, expecting that this truce would shortly be (as it happened) turned into a solid peace. The English, hearing of the departure of the Dauphinois, hastily set out in pursuit of them, and overtook them about four leagues from Roye. The momentthey came near, without any words, they attacked them lance in hand, although they were few in number; for, having rode so hard, three parts of their men were behind.
The English were accompanied by many of the men at arms of sir John de Luxembourg, the principal of whom were Butor bastard of Croy, Aubellet de Folleville, the bailiff de Foquesolle, the bastard Dunon and several other gentlemen. The Dauphinois made no great resistance, and were therefore soon routed, very many were killed, taken or robbed; but a few escaped as well as they could, by flying to the woods and other places.
Hector de Saveuses, observing this, made sir Karados de Quesnes his prisoner, in order to save him and restore him to liberty; but sir John de Cornwall took him from him, saying that he had not any right to make him his prisoner, since he had a passport from his captain; and because Hector would not release him at the first word, Cornwall smote him severely on the arm with his gauntlet, which incensed Hector much,—but he could not help himself; as the English were too numerous.
Sir Karados, the lord of Flavy, and the most part of the men at arms were made prisoners by the English; but those taken by the Picards were put to death by them, for they were afraid to bring them to their quarters on account of the passports that had been granted them. However, Harbonniers, who was prisoner to Aubellet de Folleville, was carried to Noyon, and there beheaded.
The English, after this affair, returned with their prisoners to a village within two leagues of Roye, where they quartered themselves. Hector de Saveuses made what haste he could to sir John de Luxembourg, to relate all that had passed, who was greatly enraged that his passports should have been treated with such contempt, especially by those of his own army and under his command. He therefore dispatched an angry message to Anthony lord of Croy, to order him to send Butor de Croy, his bastard-brother, and some others of his people, who had infringed his passports, that he might punish them accordingly. He sent a similar order to the lord de Longueval for the bastard Dunon, brother to his wife, to bebrought before him, but neither of these lords would obey his commands.
Upon this, sir John sent word, that if they did not deliver them up instantly, he would take them by force from their quarters. Longueval replied, that if he attempted it, and was not the strongest, he should not have them; and he would prefer putting them to death to yielding them up to him. These and other expressions created a great animosity between sir John and these two lords, which lasted a considerable time. However, nothing further was done in the matter; for those who were demanded to be delivered up departed secretly, and went whither they pleased.
On the morrow, sir John de Luxembourg, attended by part of his army, went to visit the lord Huntingdon and sir John de Cornwall at their quarters, and recommended to their attentions sir Karados de Quesnes and the other prisoners, who had been taken under his passports. They nevertheless remained prisoners, and were carried to England, where they were long detained, and did not recover their liberties until they had paid a heavy ransom.
When sir John de Luxembourg had passed some time at the English quarters, he returned to his own: the next day he disbanded the greater part of his captains and their men at arms, and went himself with Hector de Saveuses to place garrisons in the castles on the river Sere, and on the frontiers of the Laonnois, against the Dauphinois, who were in great force at Crespy and in the Laonnois. Hector was ordered to remain at Nouvion le Comte, as commander in chief of these troops. Sir John then returned to his castle of Beaurevoir, to see his wife and children, and to make preparations to accompany the duke of Burgundy on the journey he intended speedily to undertake.
FOOTNOTES:[4]See Dugdale's 'Baronage.'
[4]See Dugdale's 'Baronage.'
[4]See Dugdale's 'Baronage.'