CHAP. CI.
THE BISHOP OF LIEGE AND THE LIEGEOIS DESTROY BOUSSEUVRE[33], AND OTHER FORTS THAT HAD MADE WAR AGAINST THEM.
At the end of the month of April, the bishop of Liege raised a large force to combat and reduce to obedience several forts in the forest of the Ardennes, held by a set of plunderers, who had done much mischief to the inhabitants of his territories. The principal leaders and supporters of these marauders were Jean de Beaurain, Philipot de Sergins, the lord d'Orchimont and others, who made the castle of Boussenoch, Villers opposite to Mousson, Aubigny, Beaurain, Orchimont, and several other castles in these parts, their retreats.
Some of them gave out that they were attached to the king of France, others to the duke of Burgundy, but the greater part to sir John de Luxembourg, count de Ligny; while two of them, John de Beaurain and Philipot de Sergins, made war on their own account, to recover sums due to them for services they had done the Liegeois.
The bishop, through the aid of the nobles of the country, assembled from two to three thousand horse, and from twelve to sixteen thousand infantry, well equipped, and armed each according to his rank: he had also three or four thousand carts laden with provision, military engines, and stores of all kinds. The bishop, on quitting Liege, advanced to Dinant[34], and thence across the river Meuse. Having marched through woods for five leagues, his forces halted two days at Rigniues,[35] to wait for the baggage, which travelled slowly on account of the badness of the roads. At this place, the bishop formed his army into four divisions, namely, two of cavalry, and the same number of infantry,—and, riding down their fronts, admonished every one to perform his duty well.
He dispatched part of his cavalry to post themselves before the castle of Boussenoch, while he followed with the main body, and on his arrival surrounded it on all sides, placing his bombards and engines against the walls and gates of the castle, in which were about twenty pillagers, greatly surprised to see so large an army before the gates.
The Liegeois set instantly to work, and soon drained the ditches by sluices which they cut, while others brought faggots and filled them, so that they began to storm the place with such vigour that the bulwark was instantly won. Those within retreated to a large tower, and defended themselves for a long time; but it was of no avail, for they were overpowered by fire and arrows, and surrendered at discretion to the bishop, who had them all hanged on trees near to the castle, by a priest who acted as their captain,—and he, after hanging his companions, was tied to a tree and burnt, and the castle razed to the ground.
The bishop, after this exploit, marched away toward the upper Châtelet; but many of his army wanted to march to Hirson[36] and other places of sir John de Luxembourg,—because, they said, he was the supporter of those they were now making war on. But this same day the bastard of Coucy met the bishop, and said that he was sent by sir John de Luxembourg to assure the bishop that sir John was only desirous of living on neighbourly terms with him, and to request that he would not suffer any injuries to be done to his country or vassals; that if any thing wrong had been done to the Liegeois by those who gave out that they were dependant on him, he wished to be heard in his defence, and would refer the matter to friends of either side as arbitrators. At the same time, letters were brought from the duke of Burgundy to the bishop, to require that he would not do any injury to sir John de Luxembourg, nor to the lord d'Orchimont, which put an end to their intended plan.
The bishop, with a part of his army, then marched to the castle of Aubigny, when, finding that the garrison had fled through fear of him, he ordered the castle to be burnt. From Aubigny he went to upper Châtelet, wherein a body of his men were, for the garrison had abandoned it,—and it was destroyed as the others had been.
The bishop had intended marching to Villiers; but his intention being known to the inhabitants of Mousson and Ivoy, they destroyed the castle of Villiers, fearful of the damages that would be done to the country should the Liegeois once enter it. On hearing this, the bishop took the road to Beaurain, which castle John de Beaurain, its lord, had lately repaired and strengthened with the addition of four towers: one he called Hainault, another Namur, the third Brabant, and the fourth Rethel, because it was from those countries he had gotten the money to build them. However, when he heard of the march of the Liegeois, he was afraid to wait their coming, and fled with his men, but not before he had set the castle on fire. This did not prevent the bishop from completely demolishing it to its foundations; then, without proceeding further, he marched his men back to their own country, and went himself to the city of Liege.
At this season, the town of Gamaches in Vimeu, which had long been held by the English, surrendered to the lord d'Aussi and to sir Florimont de Brimeu, seneschal of Ponthieu, by means of certain friends they had in the town. The seneschal re-garrisoned it with men at arms for the duke of Burgundy. In like manner, the English were driven out of Aumarle, which surrendered to a gentleman called David de Reume, attached to king Charles.
About the same time, the constable laid siege to Creil, in the possession of the English, and erected a block-house at the end of the bridge on the road to the Beauvoisis, wherein he remained for a long time, but at length marched away in disgrace, which grieved him much,—for he had lost many men, together with very large quantities of military stores and artillery.