COUNT WALERAN DE ST POL MARCHES ABOUT SIX HUNDRED COMBATANTS INTO THE DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG.—THE DUKE OF ACQUITAINE GOES TO MEHUN-SUR-YEVRE.
AT this period, Waleran count de St Pol, still calling himself constable of France, left his county of St Pol with about six hundred combatants, men at arms and archers, of whom sixty at least were English.
He marched them from his town of Bohain to that of Laon, but the gates were closed against him. He was much displeased thereat, and fixed his quarters below it. He thence marched by Rheims and Châlons to his town of Ligny in Barrois, whither his countess, sister to the duke de Bar, speedily followed him; and they there solemnised the feast of All-Saints.
Shortly after, leaving his countess in the castle of Ligny, he advanced through Luxembourg, to Thionville, and to others of the principal towns in that duchy, of which he had been appointed governor, as well as of the county of Chigny, by duke Anthony of Brabant, his son-in-law, then sovereign of it, by right of the duchess his mother. After visiting the chief towns and fortresses in that country, he made preparations, about St Andrew's day, to lay siege to the town of Neufville on the Meuse, in which were some vainglorious and overbearing persons, posted there by John d'Authe, lord of Orchimont, who were constantly making inroads and plundering the duchy of Luxembourg and the county of Chigny. They were consequently besieged by the count, who had in his company some notable warriors, namely, Garnot de Bournouville, sir Colart de Fiennes, Allain de Vaudonne, and several others. However, although the besieged were sorely harrassed by the engines of the count, and their bulwark had been taken by storm, they refused to surrender, and he remained for six weeks before the place.
Other matters demanding his presence elsewhere, he fortified a church, within cross-bow shot of the castle, in which he posted a certain number of soldiers, under the command of a gentleman of that country, called Vatier Disque, in conjunction with Robinet Ogier; and they were for another six weeks skirmishing and fighting with their enemies, who at the end of that time submitted themselves to the obedience of the count de St de Pol.
The count, on quitting the siege of Neufville, went to Dampvilliers[16], and thence to Yvoix[17], where he passed the whole of Lent with his nephew, sir John de Luxembourg, who had come a little before to visit him at the siege. When sir John had remained about a month, he took leave of his uncle, who never saw him afterwards, and went to Avignon, to visit and pay reverence to the holy Peter of Luxembourg, his uncle, who had formerly been a cardinal.
At this period, the duke of Acquitaine, leaving Paris, travelled through Melun, and Montargis in Berry, to Bourges, where he arrived on the night of All-Saints, and was magnificently received and feasted by the burghers and inhabitants of that town in the palace of the duke of Berry. On the morrow he departed, unknown to the inhabitants, and went to the castle of Mehun-sur-Yevre[18], which the duke of Berry had given to him at Paris, and was the cause of his journey into Berry. The castle pleased him very much, and, having taken possession of it, he did not return to Paris until near the feast of St Nicholas.
This sudden expedition of the duke of Acquitaine, with only seven persons, surprised many; but he was instantly overtaken by the counts de Vertus and de Richemont, who accompanied him as he went and returned.