CHAP. XLII.
THE DUKE OF BEDFORD LAYS SIEGE TO MONTARGIS.—THE SIEGE IS RAISED BY THE FRENCH.—OTHER EVENTS BRIEFLY TOUCHED ON.
THIS year, the duke of Bedford, who styled himself regent of France for king Henry, had the town and castle of Montargis besieged by the earls of Warwick and Suffolk. With them were the lord de la Pole, brother to the earl of Suffolk, sir Henry Bisset and other captains, having under them three thousand combatants.
The town was so situated that it required three different sieges, which could with difficulty afford assistance to each other: however, the English formed lodgements all around it and fortified them. The earl of Warwick was quartered in a nunnery on one side of the town. They soon threw bridges over different parts of the river to serve for communications between their quarters.
Having done this, they made vigorous approaches toward the town, which they damaged very much by their cannon and engines of war. The besieged made so good a defence, that the business was continued for more than two months, during which time they sent notice to king Charles that unless speedy succours were afforded them, they must surrender to his enemies. The king, hearing this, assembled his council, when it was resolved to raise the siege, or at least to throw reinforcements of men and provision into the place. This was attempted but without effect. An assembly of men at arms was then ordered by king Charles at Orleans, and the command of them given by the king to the count de Dunois bastard of Orleans. He had with him sir William d'Albreth lord d'Orval, the lords de Graville, de Villag, de Gaucourt, Estienne Vignolles surnamed La Hire, sir Gilles de St Simon, Gaultier Boussart, and many other captains, amounting to sixteen hundred combatants, all men of tried courage. They commenced their march with a large train of forage-carts, intending only to revictual the town, and not to raise the siege.
When they were arrived within half a league of the enemy's camp, they held a council as secretly as they could, and determined to attack the nearest quarters of the English. They had some of the garrison of Montargis with them as guides,—and in the number was one called le Petit Breton.
La Hire was appointed leader of one of the parties, and fell on the English quarters with great courage, shouting, 'Montjoye St Denis!' The English were quite unprepared,—and their camp was soon on fire in various parts,—and much slaughter was committed near to where the lord de la Pole was lodged: indeed the whole of that part was defeated, and the lord de la Pole escaped with eight others in a small boat.
The garrison of the town had dammed up the river so high that the bridges the English had made were overflowed, and most of them who attempted to escape over them fell into the water and were drowned.
The bastard of Orleans, while this was going forward, made a vigorous attack on the quarters of sir Henry Bisset: he had dismounted, and began to be hard pressed, when those who had destroyed the lord de la Pole's quarters opportunely came to his support, for the lord de Graville had been wounded.
The English, finding that fortune was against them, began to retreat toward the quarters of the earl of Warwick; but crossing a bridge in haste, and too many at once, it broke down with their weight and great numbers lost their lives. Add to this, that the garrison made a well-timed sally to assist their friends, and killed great numbers and made many prisoners.
In the mean time, the earl of Warwick assembled his men around him as speedily as he could; but when he perceived the greatness of his loss, for from one thousand to fifteen hundred had been slain, drowned or taken, he formed his men in order of battle, and thus retreated to a small eminence, covered with vineyards, above his quarters.
The French, who had fought hard and were fatigued, entered Montargis. When night came on, the English collected their men together, the greater part of whom were now on foot, and retreated to castle Landonin Nemours, and to other places under their dominion. The French remained in Montargis, making good and hearty cheer, being rejoiced that with the aid of God they had accomplished the purpose they had been sent on. They afterward returned to king Charles of France, who received them most graciously.
In this year, duke John of Brabant after a very severe illness, departed this life in his castle of Leneure[10], repeating most devoutly, 'Miserere mei Deus,' &c. He was buried in the chapel of this castle, near to the body of his father. On his decease, his brother Philip count de Ligny and de St Pol took possession of all his territories. Thus was the duchess Jacquiline deprived of her two husbands,—for, as I have before said, the duke of Glocester had married another woman, and the duke of Brabant was dead.
During the life of the duke of Brabant, a person named John Chevalier had engaged at the request as it was said, of the countess-dowager of Hainault, to put an iron collar round the duke's neck, for which this chevalier was arrested at Brussels and beheaded.
At the same time, the fortress of Escandeur, near to Cambray, was put into the hands of sir John de Luxembourg, with the consent of the duke of Burgundy, and was the cause why sir Louis, bastard-brother to the duchess Jacquiline, to whom it had belonged, carried war and tribulation through that country in fighting the battles of his sister, but he lost his inheritance for so doing.
In these days, a terrible combat took place near to Mont St Michel, between the English who had possession of Mont de Hellem[11] on the one side, and the French and Bretons on the other; but in the end the French were victorious, having killed or put to flight the English and consequently gained the castle.