SIR JAMES DE HARCOURT ESPOUSES THE DAUGHTER OF THE COUNT DE TANCARVILLE.—THE DEFEAT OF HECTOR DE SAVEUSES.—THE CONSTABLE LAYS SIEGE TO SENLIS.
ABOUT this period, sir James de Harcourt espoused the heiress of the count de Tancarville, with whom he had possession of all the count's estates; and he placed garrisons in the whole of his towns and forts, to defend them against the English.
At this time also, Philip de Saveuses being in garrison with his brother Hector in Beauvais, set out one day with about six score combatants, to make an inroad on the country of Clermont, as he had frequently done before. On his return, he passed by a castle called Brelle, in which were assembled a body of men at arms belonging to the constable, who suddenly made a sally with displayed banners on Philip and his men. The latter were overpowered by numbers, and put to the rout, nor was it in the power of their captain to rally them, so that they were pursued almost to Beauvais, and some killed, and the greater part made prisoners. Philip de Saveuses, grieved at heart for this misfortune, re-entered that town.
Within a few days after, having recovered some of his men, he went to Gournay in Normandy, whereof he had been appointed governor, with the consent of the inhabitants. Hector de Saveuses had some dissentions with the inhabitants of Beauvais, and was forced to quit the town shortly after the departure of his brother.
On the following Candlemas, king Charles, attended by the count d'Armagnac his constable, and a considerable number of men at arms set out from Paris for Creil, where he staid many days. As his men were passing near to Senlis, which was garrisoned by the duke of Burgundy, they were attacked, and several killed and made prisoners, to the great vexation of the constable.
The constable, a few days after this, by the king's orders, laid siege to Senlis, and had several large engines of war pointed against the walls, which greatly harrassed the inhabitants. They therefore sent messengers to sir John de Luxembourg and to the lord de Hangest, requiring them, in behalf of the duke of Burgundy, to send aid to Senlis. These lords having consulted the count de Charolois and his council, assembled a large force, and marched to Pontoise, and thence toward Senlis, with the intent to raise the siege; but they received intelligence that their enemies were too numerous, and they could only detach one hundred men, whom they sent into the town by a gate that had not been guarded by the constable, with orders to tell the besieged to be of good cheer, for that they should, without fail, be speedily succoured.
Sir John de Luxembourg and the the lord de Hangest returned, with their men at arms, through Pontoise and Beauvais to Picardy, without attempting any thing further at this time. On the other hand, sir Tanneguy du Châtel, provost of Paris, took the town of Chevreuse, and was laying siege to the castle, when he was hastily ordered to leave it, and join the king and the constable at the siege of Senlis; on which account he left a part of his men at Chevreuse, and obeyed the orders he had received.