CHAP. LXXVI.
THE LORD DE SAVEUSES AND THE BASTARD DE ST POL ARE MADE PRISONERS BY THE FRENCH, NEAR TO PARIS.—A PARTY OF FRENCH GAIN THE TOWN OF ST DENIS BY SCALADO.
ABOUT this time, the duke of Burgundy sent the lord de Saveuses and John de Brimeu, with five hundred combatants, to assist the Parisians against the French, who were daily making excursions on all sides of the town, to the great loss of the inhabitants.
They quartered themselves in St Denis, and gained several advantages over the enemy in their many skirmishes; but one day, the French, having formed a junction with some of the garrisons on the side of Montlehery, advanced to Paris, leaving a detachment in ambuscade at a small village. At that time the lord de Saveuses and the bastard de St Pol were in Paris, and, hearing the disturbance, hastily mounted their horses, and set out instantly in pursuit of the enemy with few attendants, and without waiting for their men at arms. The French, in their flight, made for the ambuscade, where these two knights, finding resistance vain, were taken prisoners by them, and carried away, with a few of their attendants, to one of their castles.
The bastard de St Pol was badly wounded in the neck by a lance before he was taken, and was some time in danger of his life. The two knights, however, on paying a heavy ransom, soon returned to Paris, to the great joy of the inhabitants.
On the other hand, the French, under the command of Allain Geron, Gaucher de Bruissart, and other captains, advanced, at the break of day, to St Denis; in which town, John de Brimeu was lately arrived with some men at arms, whom he had brought from Artois, and he had also some of the men of the lord de Saveuses. A party of the French gained admittance by means of ladders, and, opening one of the gates, their whole body rushed in, shouting, 'Town won!' and, battering down the doors and windows of all the houses wherein they thought there were any Burgundians, who, on hearing the noise, were much alarmed.
Some retreated to the strong parts of the town, and John de Brimeu with many to the abbey; the bastard de Saveuses to the gate leading to Paris, and others saved themselves under different gates; while great part, sallying out of their quarters to join their captains, were made prisoners or slain. Among the prisoners were Anthony de Wistre, Thierry de Manlingehem, and from twelve to sixteen others, mostly gentlemen. Thevenin de Thenequestes, Jean de Hautecloque, and a few more were killed.
While the affray was going on, John de Brimeu and his companions recovered their courage, and began to assemble in different parts where they heard their war-cries; and having introduced a valiant man at arms, called Guillaume de Beauval, he collected a body of men and attacked the enemy, who were more intent on pillaging than on keeping good order, and drove them out of the town, with the loss of eight or ten of their men.
The lord de Saveuses, then in Paris hearing of this attack, assembled in haste as many men as he could, and galloped off to succour his friends at St Denis; but before his arrival, the French were gone, and had retreated toward Senlis, and others of their garrisons, carrying with them many horses from those in St Denis.
At this same time, the English besieged the lord de Rambays in his castle of Estrepaigny, the inheritance of the count de Tancarville,—and remained so long battering it with their engines that the lord de Rambays, hopeless of succour, treated with the English for its surrender, on condition that he and his men should depart in safety with their baggage.