2: Lord Berners says, "they ordayned a horse lytter right honourably, and put his body therin," &c. - Ed.
King Philip, after his return to Paris, had disbanded his army; but he had sent strong reinforcements to the navy which he had at sea, under the command of Quiriel, Bahucet, Barbenoire. These three master corsairs had under them a number of Genoese, Normans, Picards, and Bretons, as soldiers, and they had done this winter much damage to the English. They frequently came near Sandwich, Rye, Winchelsea, and Dover, upon the English coast, and were much dreaded, for they had upward of sixty thousand soldiers, and none durst leave the English ports, for fear of being pillaged and put to death. These seamen had gained considerably for the king of France during the course of the winter, and, in particular, had taken the ship Christopher, richly laden with money and wool, which the English were carrying to Flanders. This vessel had cost the king of England a very large sum. When taken by the Normans and others, it was pillaged and all on board put to death. The French afterwards spoke much of this capture, and made great boastings respecting it.
The king of France was continually thinking how he could revenge himself on his enemies, and especially on sir John of Hainault, who had done him, as he had been informed, much mischief; such as conducting king Edward into the countries of Cambrensis and Tierache, and burning and destroying all he passed through. He wrote therefore to my lord de Bemont, to the vidame of Chalons, to the lord John de la Bone1, to the lords John and Gerald de Loire, ordering them to collect a body of men, and make an incursion on the lands of the lord John of Hainault, and burn them without delay. These lords obeyed the king's command, and secretly collected so many, that they amounted to five hundred armed men, with whom they one morning came before the town of Chimay, entered it, and made a large booty; for the inhabitants never imagined the French would advance so far into the country, or venture to pass the forest of Tierache: however, they did so, and they burnt the suburbs of Chimay, and many villages in the neighbourhood, indeed almost all the territory of Chimay except it's fortresses. They then retreated to Aubenton, in Tierache, with their plunder. News and complaints of this were soon brought to sir John of Hainault, who at that time was at Mons with his nephew, at which he was very angry, and not without cause: the earl was also displeased, for those lands were held under him; but he was silent, and showed not any open design of revenge, upon the kingdom of France.
About the time of this disaster, it happened that some soldiers, who were garrisoned in Cambray, came to a small fortified house, beyond the walls of the town, called Relenques, that belonged to sir John of Hainault, and was guarded by a bastard of his, who might have with him about fifteen men; they attacked it one whole day, but it was valiantly defended. The ditches were frozen over, so that any one might approach the walls, which those within perceiving, packed up all they could, and leaving it about midnight, set it on fire. The next morning, when those from Cambray returned and saw it on fire, they destroyed the walls and everything remaining. The bastard and his companions retreated to Valenciennes. It has been related how sir Walter Manny took the castle of Tin-l'Evêque, and placed his brother Giles Manny with a garrison in it. This brother made many incursions upon those of Cambray, and gave them much uneasiness, for he was every day skirmishing close up to the barriers. In this state he kept them for some time.
One day very early he set out from the castle of Thin with about six score men at arms, and came to the barriers at Cambray. The alarm was so great, that many were frightened. The garrison armed themselves as fast as they could and mounted their horses with all haste, hurrying to the gate where the skirmish was, where, finding sir Giles had driven back those of Cambray, he instantly attacked their enemies. Among the Cambresians was a young squire from Gascony, called William Marchant, who came to the field of battle mounted on a good steed, his shield hanging on his neck, his lance in its rest, completely armed, and spurred on to the combat. When sir Giles saw him approach, he spurred on to meet him most vigorously, and they met lance in hand, without fear of each other. Sir Giles had his shield pierced through, as well as all the armour near his heart and the iron passed quite through his body. Thus he fell to the ground. This caused as great dismay to one party as joy to the other. The skirmish was very sharp, several were wounded, and many gallant actions performed; but at last those of Cambray kept their ground, and drove back their enemies. They returned to the town in triumph with the body of sir Giles, whom they immediately disarmed, and had his wounds examined, and most willingly would they have preserved his life; but their wishes were in vain, for he died the next day. They determined to send the body to his two brothers, John and Thierry, who were in garrison at Bouchain, in l'Ostrevant; for although the country of Hainault was not in a state of war, all the frontiers towards France were strictly guarded. They ordered a handsome coffin,2 in which they placed the corpse, and directed two monks to carry it to his brothers, who received it with much sorrow, and afterwards had it carried to the church of the Cordeliers, at Valenciennes, where it was buried. The two brothers came to the church of Thin-l'Evêque, and made a very severe war against the Cambresians, in revenge for the loss they had suffered from them.
Sir Godemay du Fay at this time commanded for the king of France in Tournay and the fortresses in it's neighbourhood; the lord of Beaujeu, in Mortaigne upon the Scheld; the high steward of Carcassone in the town of St. Amand; sir Aimery de Poictiers in Douay; the lord Gallois de la Baume, the lord of Villars, the marshal of Mirepoix, and the lord of Marneil, in the city of Cambray. These knights, as well as the esquires and soldiers, desired nothing more ardently than permission to enter Hainault to pillage and destroy it. The bishop of Cambray, who had retired to Paris, being near the king's person, complained, whenever he found a fit opportunity, of the damage the Hainaulters had occasioned him, and that they had burnt and destroyed more for him than any others would have done; so that the king at last gave his consent for the soldiers in the county of Cambray to make an invasion, and overrun the country of Hainault. Then the garrison of Cambray prepared six hundred men at arms for this incursion, and they sent out on a Saturday at nightfall from Cambray those that were ordered for it. At the same hour those from Male-maison began their march. The two detachments met on the road, and came to the town of Haspres, which was a large handsome town, though not fortified; nor had the inhabitants any fear, for they had never received the smallest notice of war being declared against the country. The French, on entering the town, found every one within doors. Having taken and pillaged what they pleased, they burnt the town so completely, that nothing but the walls remained.
At Haspres there was a priory of black monks, that was dependent on that of St. Waas in Arras; the monastery was extensive, and had large buildings belonging to it, which they also pillaged and burned most villanously. They returned to Chambray after this excursion, driving all their booty before them. News of this was soon carried to Valenciennes, and earl William was informed of it as he was sleeping in his hotel, called La Salle. He immediately rose, and dressed himself in great haste, and summoned all the lords that were with him: - at that time there were not many, only his high steward, sir Gerald de Verchin, sir Henry d'Antoing, sir Henry de Huffulise, sir Thierry de Walcourt, the lords of Flayon and Potrelles, and some few attached to his person, for the others were lodged at different houses, and were not ready as soon as the earl, who, without waiting for them, hastened to the market-place of Valenciennes, and ordered the alarm bells to be rung. This awakened all the inhabitants, who made themselves ready as quickly as possible to follow their lord, who was already out of the town, on horseback, pushing towards Haspres. When he had advanced about a league, he was informed that his efforts were in vain, for the French had retreated. He then went to the abbey of Fontenelles, where his lady mother resided, who took all pains to appease and soften his anger; but he said, that for this robbery he would shortly make the kingdom of France pay dear. The lady his mother did all she could to appease him, and would most willingly have made excuses for the king of France in this disaster; but he would not listen to them, and said he must consider in what manner he could most speedily revenge himself, and burn part of the French territories. When he had remained there some little time, he returned to Valenciennes, and wrote letters to the knights and prelates, to have their advice what should be done under these circumstances, and to summon them to be at Mons by a fixed day.
When sir John of Hainault, who was at Beaumont, thinking how he could best revenge the burning of his land, heard these things, he mounted his horse, and came to his nephew, whom he found at La Salle. As soon as the earl perceived him, he came to meet him, saying, "Fair uncle, your absence has made the French very proud." Sir John replied, "God be praised! for although I am much vexed at the loss you have sustained, yet I cannot be somewhat pleased with what has happened; for you now see what return you have had for the love and assistance you bore to the French: - you must now make an incursion upon them on their own grounds." "Fix upon the place," said the earl "and it shall be directly undertaken." When the day of the conference, which was to be holden at Mons, was arrived, all the councils from the different towns, as well as those of Holland and Zealand, were there.
Many proposals were made; and some of the barons were for sending persons properly instructed to the king of France, to demand if he had consented or ordered the invasion and burning of Hainault, or had sent his soldiers upon the lands of the earl, and upon what title this had been done, as there had not been defiance or challenge sent to the earl or to the country. Others were for revenging this outrage in a similar manner, as the French had begun. Upon these proposals there was much argument and debating; but it was at last determined, that neither the earl nor the country could get clear of this business without declaring war against the kingdom of France, as well as for the burning of the lands of Chimay, as for their outrages committed at Haspres: it was therefore resolved, that a challenge should be sent to the king of France, and that afterwards they should enter his kingdom with a large body of men.
These letters of defiance were written and sealed by the earl and all the barons; and the abbot Thibaut de St, Crispin was ordered to carry them. The earl then returned thanks to his lords for the good disposition he saw in them, for they had promised him aid and assistance in every situation. The abbot of St. Crispin carried this challenge to the king, who made but light of it, saying that his nephew was an outrageous madman, and was bargaining to have his country burnt and destroyed. The abbot, upon this, returned home, and related to the earl and his council what had happened to him, with the answers he had received. The earl immediately collected men at arms, summoned his knights in Brabant and Flanders, as well as in his own country, and exerted himself so much, that in a short time he got together a large body of horsemen, well equipped. they set out from Mons, in Hainault, and that neighbourhood, and advanced towards the lands of Chimay, for it was the intention of the earl and his uncle to burn and destroy the territories of the lord of Bresne, as also Aubenton, in Tierache.
Notes: