CHAP. L.
LA HIRE AND OTHER FRENCH CAPTAINS OVERRUN ARTOIS AND CAMBRESIS.
In the month of September, of this year, La Hire, with others of king Charles's captains, such as Anthony de Chabannes, Blanchefort, Charles de Flavy, Regnault de Longueval, and full fifteen hundred combatants, whom they had assembled in Beauvais, crossed the Somme at Cappy into Artois, and made a number of peasants prisoners, who were unsuspicious of such an inroad, and returned with them and their plunder to Beauvais, where they were all quartered. They also made great seizures of men and cattle in the Cambresis, by whose ransoms they acquired large sums of money.
They again took the field, but after some little time they divided; and Anthony de Chabannes with Blanchefort and their men went toward Cambray, and, passing by it, they took the straight road to Haspres, as a free fair had been held the preceding day at the town of Ivoy; and because the townsmen would not compound according to their pleasure, they burnt most part of the town and the church.
They then advanced to Haspres, which was full of people and merchandize, and entered it by surprise. They made many prisoners, but several retired with some monks into a strong tower, which was long attacked in vain by the French. In revenge for not being able to gain it, they plundered all they could lay hands on in the town, and then set it on fire, by which several houses were destroyed, with the church and abbey of St Akaire. They also committed other enormous mischiefs.
Having packed up their plunder, they departed, and, traversing the Cambresis, took many prisoners, and burnt numbers of houses, and went to lodge at Mont St Martin[10], where La Hire was waiting for them. On this same day, La Hire had set fire to the town of Beaurevoir, the mill, and a very handsome country-seat called La Mothe, situated near to the town, and belonging to the countess de Ligny. Many detachments scoured the country, committing numberless mischiefs without opposition; for sir John de Luxembourg was absent with his nephew the young count de St Pol on business relative to matters that had happened in consequence of the death of sir Peter de Luxembourg his father.
This was the cause why the French met with no resistance on this expedition wherever they went. From Mont St Martin they took the road toward Laon, carrying with them multitudes of prisoners and great herds of cattle. They halted at Cressy-sur-Serre, and thence, without any loss, returned to Laon, where they divided their spoils, and went to the different garrisons whence they had come.
About this period, the lords de Croy and de Humieres returned, with about two thousand horse, from Burgundy, where they had been for a considerable time under duke Philip, assisting him in his various conquests from the French.
The duchess of Burgundy was delivered of a son at Dijon, who was knighted at the font: his godfathers were Charles count de Nevers, who gave him his own name, and the lord de Croy. He was also made a knight of the order of the Golden Fleece, and in addition the duke his father gave him the county of Charolois.