CHAP. LVI.
THE COUNT DE NAMUR DIES, AND MAKES THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY HIS HEIR.
THE count de Namur, who was very old, died in the course of this year. He had, some time before his death, sold to the duke of Burgundy his county of Namur with its dependancies; and on his decease the duke advanced thither, when peaceable possession was given to him of the whole; and he appointed commissioners and captains to govern and defend it at his pleasure.
The Liegeois, who bordered on Namur, were not well pleased at this accession of power to the duke of Burgundy, whom they feared before, and very much disliked, because duke John his father, and duke William his uncle, had formerly conquered them, as has been related in the earlier part of this work. The Liegeois held, at this time, the strong town of Mont-Orgueil, situated near to Bouvines[18], which was said to belong to Namur, and, as such, the duke of Burgundy wished to have it, but the Liegeois refused to yield it up, and hence began a quarrel on each side. The duke, finding that he could not gain it amicably, returned to Flanders and secretly raised a body of men at arms, whom he dispatched, under the command of sir John Blondel and Gerard bastard of Brimeu, to the country of Liége, with orders to win the tower of Mont-Orgueil by force.
When they had approached the walls, and were preparing their scaling ladders, they were seen by the garrison, who made a sally and defeated them. They then returned back, and the Liegeois kept up a stricter watch than before; and their hatred to the duke of Burgundy was increased.
The English continued their siege of Orleans, and king Charles was in very great distress; for the major part of his princes and nobles, perceiving that his affairs were miserably bad, and every thing going wrong, had quite abandoned him. Nevertheless, he had great hope and confidence in God; and laboured earnestly to procure a peace with the duke of Burgundy, and had sent him many embassies to solicit it, but, hitherto, no terms could be agreed on between them.