THE DEATH OF LOUIS KING OF SICILY. THE CONDUCT OF THE LEADERS OF COMPANIES.—THE OVERTHROW OF RAYMONNET DE LA GUERRE.—THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TOWN OF AUMALE.
IN these days, king Louis, father-in-law to the daulphin, died, leaving three sons and two daughters,—Louis, who succeeded to his crown, René, afterward duke of Bar, and Charles. One of his daughters was married to the dauphin, and the other, named Yolande, was but two years old. By his death, the dauphin lost an able counsellor and friend; the more to be lamented, as the greatest confusion now reigned in many parts of France, and justice was trampled under foot.
The foreigners also that were attached to the party of the duke of Burgundy, such as Gastellimas Quigny, and others before named, robbed and plundered all the countries they marched through, and every person, noble or not, even such as were of the same party as themselves. Infinite mischiefs were done by them to poor countrymen, who were grievously oppressed.
These foreign companies bent their march toward the Boulonois, intending to treat it as they had done to other districts; but some of the inhabitants assembled during the night, under the command of Butor, bastard of Croy, and made an attack on the quarters of the lieutenant of John de Clau, named Laurens Rose, whom they put to death, with several of his men: the rest were robbed of all they had.
In revenge for this insult, the bastard de Thian, one of the captains of these companies, seized a very proper gentleman, called Gadifer de Collehaut whom he hanged on a tree. However, these strangers, seeing they were likely to be strongly opposed, speedily retreated from the Boulonois, and, shortly after took the town and castle of Davencourt belonging to the heirs of the lord de Hangest. When they had rifled it of its furniture, they set it on fire, so that it was totally destroyed, and thence marched to lay siege to Neuf-Châtel sur Eusne.
Sir Raymonnet de la Guerre, and sir Thomas de Lersies bailiff of the Vermandois, collected a considerable force in the king's name to raise the siege, and to overpower these foreigners; but as their intentions were known the besiegers marched to meet them, and in the end completely put them to the rout, taking and killing full eight score: the remainder, with Raymonnet and sir Thomas de Lersies, saved themselves by flight, and took refuge in such of the strong towns belonging to the king as they could first gain.
After this defeat, those of Neuf-Châtel surrendered the town, which the foreigners having plundered it of its valuables, set on fire, and then departed for the Cambresis, where they did infinite mischiefs.
At this same period, but in another part of the kingdom John de Fosseux, Daviod de Poix, Ferry de Mailly, sir Louis de Thiembronne, Louis de Varigines, Guerrard bastard de Brimeu, and some other captains of companies attached to the duke of Burgundy, crossed the Somme near to Blanchetaque, with full twelve hundred combatants, and, passing through Oisemont, went to Aumale, belonging to the count de Harcourt.
They quartered themselves in the town, and then made a sharp assault on the castle; but it was so well defended by the garrison that very many of the assailants were dreadfully wounded. When they were retreating, and during the night, they, through mischief or otherwise, set fire to the town, which, with the church, was completely burnt. It was a great pity, for it was a town that carried on a very considerable commerce.
John de Fosseux and his accomplices then marched away to quarter themselves in the town of Hornoy, and in the adjacent villages in the county of Vimeu, which district they totally plundered; and after three days, they conducted their prisoners, with the cattle, sheep and pigs, across the Somme, at the place where they had before passed.
In like manner, similar excursions were made into the countries of the Beauvoisis, Vermandois, Santerre, Amiennois, and other districts under the king's government,—in all of which the inhabitants were grievously oppressed.