CHAP. XV.
THE FRENCH TAKE THE CASTLE OF DOMMART IN PONTHIEU, AND CARRY OFF THE LORD DE DOMMART PRISONER.
In the month of February, a party of king Charles's men, to the amount of fourscore combatants, under the command of a noble knight called sir Regnault de Verseilles, collected from Beauvais, Breteuil, and other places, crossed the river Somme in small boats near to Pequigny, and were thence conducted to the castle of Dommart in Ponthieu, to the walls of which, without being perceived by the guard, they fastened their ladders and gained an entrance.
They instantly shouted, 'The castle is won!' and began to batter down doors and windows. This noise awakened the inhabitants, and especially the lord, sir James de Craon, who was in bed with his wife. He suddenly arose, thinking to put an end to it, but it was in vain; for his enemies were too powerful, and his men, who were not very numerous, could not collect together. He and the greater part of them were made prisoners: the rest escaped over the walls.
The French, after having gained possession, packed up all the moveables they could find within the castle, such as gold and silver plate, furs, clothes, linen, and other things, which, after having refreshed themselves, they carried away, with their prisoners, by the way they had come, leaving the castle in the same outward state as they had found it.
In the mean time, the inhabitants of the town of Dommart, hearing the noise in the castle, collected together, and sent notice of what had passed to Pequigny and to other places. It was not long, before nearly two hundred men of all sorts were assembled, who pursued the French with such haste, that they overtook them at the place where they had before passed the Somme, and instantly attacked them. They were soon defeated: part were made prisoners or killed, and the others were drowned in attempting to cross the river. However, sir Regnault had crossed the Somme before they came up with them, with his prisoner sir James de Craon, and carried him, without any opposition, to Beauvais, whence he afterward obtained his liberty by paying a large sum of money.