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This siege of Tournay lasted a long time. The army that lay before it was plentifully and cheaply supplied with all sorts of provisions, for they were brought to them from all the neighbouring countries. Many gallant actions were performed; for the earl of Hainault, who was very bold and enterprising, took this war to heart, reflecting as he did that his country had suffered so much at its commencement, and headed every excursion. He set out one morning very early from the camp with five hundred lances, and passing below Lisle, burnt the good town of Seclin, and many villages in its neighbourhood. His light horse advanced even as far as the suburbs of Lens, in Artois. All this was related to his uncle, king Philip, at Arras, who, though very angry, could not at this time help it. After this excursion the earl took another route, and advanced towards the capital town of Orchies, which was taken and burnt, for it was not enclosed. Landas and Celle shared the same fate, as well as many considerable villages thereabouts. They scoured the county, and took a very great booty, with which they retreated to the army before Tournay. At the same time, the Flemings made frequent and strong assaults ont Tournay: they built boats, moveable towers, and other machines of offence, with which they every day battered the town. Skirmishes very frequently took place, in which many were killed and wounded on both sides: and the Flemings exerted themselves to conquer or damage Tournay, so much had this war irritated them; and they say there is never any discord so bitter, as that between a neighbour and friends.
Among these attacks there was one which lasted a whole day: much valour was shown, for all the knights that were in Tournay were present. It was intended, by means of boats and other machines, to have forced and broken the barriers of the postern of the bridge; but they were so gallantly defended, that the Flemings made no impression, but lost a vessel, in which there were one hundred and twenty men, who were drowned; so they retreated towards evening, sorely tired. During this siege some soldiers made an excursion from St. Amand, where there was a strong body, and came to Hasnon, which belonged to Hainault, burnt the town, violated the nunnery, destroyed the monastery, and took with them all they could carry off to St. Amand. Shortly after these same soldiers set out again, and having passed through the wood of St. Amand, came to the monastery of Vicogne, with the intent to pillage and destroy it: they made a great fire before the gate in order to burn it. When the abbot perceived in what danger he was, he set off directly on horseback, and riding behind the wood, came to Valenciennes in great haste, where he requested the provost to let him have some cross-bowmen; whom, having obtained, he led behind Raimes, and posted them in the wood looking towards Pourcelet, and upon the causeway. Thence they began to shoot upon the soldiers and Genoese, before the gates of Vicogne, who no sooner felt the arrows showering upon them from the woods, than they were panic-struck, and ran off as fast as they could. By these means was the monastery saved.
About this time the earl of Lisle was in Gascony, carrying on the war, by orders from the king of France. He had already taken and recaptured all the country of Aquitaine, and kept the field with upwards of four thousand horse; he had besieged Bordeaux by sea and land. The earl had with him the flower of the chivalry of the marches of Gascony - the earl of Perigord, the earl of Cominges, the earl of Carmaing, the earl of Villemort, the viscount Brumquet, the lord de la Borde, and many other knights and barons, and nothing resisted them but the fortresses, which the English garrisons carefully guarded. Many gallant feats of arms were performed in this country, of which we shall speak in proper time and place; for the present we must return to Scotland, and see what is going on there during this siege of Tournay.