THE ENGLISH MAKE AN EXCURSION INTO THE COUNTRY OF SANTOIS[47], WHERE THEY GAIN THE CASTLE OF FOLLEVILLE[48], AND COMMIT MANY RAVAGES AND CRUELTIES.
ABOUT the beginning of Lent, in this year, the earl of Somerset, the lord Talbot and other captains, collected about two thousand combatants, as well horse as foot, in the country of Normandy, near to Rouen, whom they marched, with all their baggage, provision and stores, toward the country of Santois. Having crossed the Somme near the town of Montrieul[49], they quartered themselves before the castle of Folleville, then under the government of Bon de Saveuses, in right of the lady-dowager, whom he had married.
In consequence of the garrison making a sally, and killing a particular favourite of the earl of Somerset, whom he much loved, he swore a great oath that he would not march away until he should have conquered the castle, and reduced all within to his power.
He ordered an excellent small bombard, with other engines, to be pointed against it,—and their first discharge killed the governor. He continued his attacks with such courage that the garrison were glad to surrender the place and every thing it contained, and to pay a large sum as ransom for their lives. The earl had the castle repaired, and regarrisoned it with his men, who did great mischiefs to all the country round.
On the morrow of the surrender of this castle, the earl of Somerset departed with the remainder of his forces, and followed the lord Talbot, who was already far advanced into the country of Santois. They fixed their quarters at Lihons[50], wherein they found abundance of every thing, as well as in the surrounding country,—for the inhabitants, not suspecting their coming, had not driven away their cattle and flocks to places of security.
At Lihons, there was a small fort and large church wherein the inhabitants had retired, on perceiving the English near the town. The earl summoned those in the church to surrender, or he would order an assault. They refused to comply, and, in consequence, on the morrow, a very severe attack commenced; but the English, finding from its continuance that they could not otherwise obtain their end, set the church on fire, which was wholly burnt with all it contained,—and upwards of three hundred persons, men, women and children, were thus pitilessly destroyed, for very few escaped who had therein taken refuge.
Those who had fled to the fort, witnessing the cruel manner in which their poor brethren had been treated, entered into capitulation with the commissaries of the earl, and saved their lives and the town from being destroyed, by paying a larger sum of money. They gave many hostages, women as well as men, for the due payment of their ransom, who were long prisoners at Rouen and elsewhere, from the delays in the payment. One of these hostages was a gentleman called Noiseux de Sailly, who died in prison.
While the English remained at Lihons, they made frequent inroads on the adjoining countries, whence they brought large booties to their quarters. They took also the castle of Harbonnieres[51], and the lord within it,—who, to ransom himself and his vassals, and to prevent the castle from being destroyed as others had been, agreed to pay one thousand golden saluts[52].
During this time, the English met with no opposition,—but the count d'Estampes had arrived at Peronne, and instantly sent summonses to the principal persons in Picardy, Hainault, and the adjacent countries, to hasten to him with as many men as they could collect. They joined him in great numbers,—among whom were the lord de Croy, the lord de Humieres, the lord de Saveuses and his brothers, Waleran de Moreul, Jean de Brimeu, at that time bailiff of Amiens, sir Jean de Croy, bailiff of Hainault, the lord de Hautbourdin, the lord de Barbenson, sir Simon de Lalain, and very many more from the countries aforesaid, who, when they were assembled in Peronne and the towns round about, amounted to full three thousand well-tried combatants.
These lords held a council, to consider how they should act. Many wanted to fight the English without more loss of time; but others were of a contrary opinion, and gave good reasons, why they ought not to fight them. At length, it was determined to take the field during the night, and form an ambuscade near to Lihons in Santois, while some of the captains were to beat up the quarters of the English, and set fire to the outskirts of the town,—when they would consider, from the movements of the enemy, how it would be most expedient for the main body in ambush to act.
After this determination, every one was ordered to be ready to mount instantly after midnight,—and this order was obeyed. The count d'Estampes issued, immediately after, out of Peronne,—but they had scarcely advanced half a league from that town, when it became so very dark that they had difficulty to keep their road; they were, therefore, forced to move about until it was lighter, so that their enterprise failed, and they returned back to Peronne. On this same day, about twelve o'clock, the count d'Estampes received certain intelligence that the English had dislodged from Lihons, and were on their march back to Normandy by the same road they had come.
When the English had remained for about ten days in Lihons, ransoming and despoiling the country as I have said, they marched back to Normandy, without meeting with any opposition worth mentioning, carrying with them much plunder, and hostages for payment of the composition-money. On repassing Folleville, they reinforced the garrison with a strong body of men.
During the stay of the English in Santois, and when they were quartered in Lihons, those attached to, and dependant on, sir John de Luxembourg went backward and forward, and had much communication with them, to the great astonishment of the count d'Estampes, who as well as the other lords with him were not very well pleased,—but they could not prevent it at that time. On the departure of the English for Normandy, the men at arms who had obeyed the summons of the count d'Estampes began to retire, each to the place he had come from.