CHAP. XXX.
THE TOWN OF BRAINE IN HAINAULT TAKEN AND DESTROYED BY THE ALLIES OF THE DUKE OF BRABANT.
WHILE these quarrelsome letters were passing between the dukes of Burgundy and Glocester, a very large army was raised by Philip count de Ligny and de St Pol, brother to the duke of Brabant, having in his company the count de Conversan, the lord d'Anghien, the lords de Croy, de l'Isle-Adam, sir Andrew de Malines, the bastard de St Pol, with other captains, banners, and gentlemen, together with thirty or forty thousand common men, whom he led before the town of Braine-le-Comte in the country of Hainault.
There were not more than about two hundred English of the duke of Glocester's party, in addition to the commonalty within the place. It was closely besieged on all sides; but after it had been well battered for eight days by their cannon and other engines, the garrison, considering the great force of the enemy, entered into terms of capitulation, that the English might depart with safety to their persons, and with part of their baggage, and that the town should return to the obedience of the duke of Brabant, taking oaths of allegiance to him or to his commissioners, and withal paying a certain sum of money by way of ransoming the town from pillage.
When this treaty had been signed, and the English were ready to march out of it, a body of the common people who had come with the count de St Pol rushed in by different gates, and slew the greater part of these English, with many of the townsmen. They then plundered the houses, and set them on fire, so that the whole town was completely burnt and destroyed.
Thus did they break through the treaty which their captains had made, and no prayers or entreaties could prevail on them to desist, which greatly angered their leaders. However, some of the English were saved by the exertions of the gentlemen and nobles, and sent away in safety.
At this siege of Braine, there were with the count de St Pol, Poton de Saintrailles, Regnaut de Longueval, and others, all firm friends of king Charles. When the town had been thus destroyed, the army of the Brabanters remained where they had been encamped; for news of the intended combat between the dukes of Burgundy and Glocester before the regent had been notified to them, so that all warfare was suspended between the Brabanters and the duke of Glocester, until victory should declare for one of the dukes in their personal combat.
Shortly after, the count de St Pol marched away from before Braine, on his return with the army to Brabant; but as the duke of Glocester was with his lady in Soignies, the Brabanters were afraid of being attacked, and therefore all the nobles and gentlemen marched in the same array as if they were about to engage in battle. The commonalty were likewise well drawn up; and they had not advanced far, when the scouts, whom they had left in their rear to bring them information, gave notice that the English had taken the field.
This was true, for some of the duke of Glocester's captains, having his permission, collected, at most, eight hundred men to see the Brabanters decamp. They advanced so near as to be visible to all, although there were some ditches between the two parties. The count de St Pol drew his men in array, on the ascent of a mountain, namely, the gentlemen and archers, and so did the english: and in the mean time some skirmishing took place between the outposts of each, in which several were killed, wounded and unhorsed, but in no great numbers. The two parties remained thus for a considerable time in battle array, each waiting for the other to depart first. While they were in this position, certain intelligence was brought to the count de St Pol of the day of combat having been fixed between the dukes of Burgundy and of Glocester, and that all warfare was to cease until that was over.
On this being made public, and because evening was coming on, the English marched away to the duke of Glocester in Soignies, and the count de St Pol with his men to Halx and that neighbourhood, where they kept a strict watch.
It is a truth that the greater part of the commonalty of Brabant, who were in the count's army, had been panic-struck, and deserted in great confusion, leaving suits of armour, without number, carts, cars and all their warlike instruments dispersed over the fields, although they were, as I said before, from thirty to forty thousand men, so that very few remained with their commander and other captains, and it was not their fault that they did not on that day receive much loss and disgrace.
The town and castle of Guise was by treaty to have been surrendered on the first day of March; but sir John de Luxembourg practised so successfully with John de Proisy the governor, that they were yielded up to him on the 26th of February, without waiting for the appointed day. In like manner he gained possession of the fortress of Irechon.
He was, by this means, obeyed throughout the whole county of Guise, to the great displeasure of Réné d'Anjou duke of Bar, to whom this county belonged as its true lord. Those who had assembled to be present at the surrender on the first of March, as well English as Picards, hearing what had passed, returned to their quarters. Sir John de Luxembourg gave liberty to the hostages, and passports for them to go whither they pleased. He also appointed sir Daviod de Poix governor of Guise.
When the count Philip de St Pol and the Brabant-nobles were returned to Brussels, and the Picards quartered on the borders of Hainault, the duke of Glocester retreated with his duchess and army from Soignies to Mons, where he met the countess-dowager of Hainault. Having conferred with her and some of the nobility, it was determined that he and his English should return to England, to prepare himself for the combat that was to take place with the duke of Burgundy.
When he was on the point of his departure, his mother-in-law, the countess of Hainault, and the nobles and deputies from the principal towns, requested that he would leave the duchess Jacquiline, whom he called his wife, and their lady behind. This he assented to, on condition that they would solemnly swear to him that they would guard and defend her against all who might attempt to injure her; and more especially the burghers and inhabitants of Mons were to take this oath, as she intended to reside within that town.
The duke and duchess of Glocester now separated with many tears and lamentations; and he departed with from four to five thousand english combatants for St Gillart, and thence to Yvins near Bohain, where he lay the first night: he then continued his route by Vy, and after some days arrived at Calais; but in all the countries through which he passed he committed no waste, but paid for all his provision very peaceably.
He carried with him to England Eleanor de Cobham, whom he had brought with him as companion to the duchess Jacquiline, and was afterward married to her.
Toward the end of this year king Charles sent ambassadors to the court of Rome, the principal of whom was the bishop of Leon in Brittany, who offered, in the king's name, his submission to pope Martin, the which was very graciously received.