THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY REDUCES THE DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG TO HIS OBEDIENCE.
WE must now speak of the duke of Burgundy, who was making great preparations for the attack of Luxembourg. In the interval, several attempts were made to reconcile the duchess and her disobedient subjects, but in vain. The duke was, therefore, resolved to make a severe war on them, and reduce them to his obedience.
He first detached sir Simon de Lalain into Luxembourg, with three or four hundred combatants, who formed a junction with the count de Vernembourg, and the other nobles allied to the duke of Burgundy. They quartered themselves in Arlon, and other towns attached to the duchess, and thought to have gained Thionville by an understanding with the inhabitants, but failed, from the count de Clicque and his party having the ascendency, together with a considerable garrison to enforce obedience. Shortly after, the count de Clicque, with a large army and train of artillery, advanced near to Arlon, with the intent to besiege it, and several skirmishes took place, when many were killed and wounded on both sides,—but fearing the superior force of the duke of Burgundy, he retreated into Luxembourg.
The Picards made several excursions, and at times advanced even to the gates of Luxembourg. The duke of Burgundy now left Dijon in handsome array, and grandly attended with knights and esquires. He fixed his quarters at Yvoy, in the duchy of Luxembourg, where he was joyfully received by the inhabitants. While at Yvoy, he ordered the castle of Villy to be besieged, as it contained a party of marauders, who had done great mischief to the poor farmers, under the command of one called Jacquemin de Beaumont.
The command of this expedition was given to Guy de Roye, the lord de Saveuses, Hugh de Hasines, and others, having with them six hundred combatants. They pointed many engines against this castle, which damaged it much; but those within declared, that they belonged to the young lord de Commercy, who had been with the dauphin to the relief of Dieppe. They also sent to inform him of what was passing, when he assembled about a thousand combatants,—among whom was Pierre Robert, le Roucin, and many other veterans. They pushed forward by forced marches until they were near the castle, and then, at early morn, they surprised the burgundian camp, without meeting much resistance. Those, however, who had the command of the siege, hearing a noise, assembled their men in haste, and, in handsome array, attacked the enemy, drove him out of their camp into the plain, where a sharp engagement ensued, and where sir Gauvain Quieriet, sir Hugh de Longueval, and others of the chiefs displayed great courage. Sir Gauvain had joined them the day before, and had informed them of the march of the young lord of Commercy.
This lord and his companions, finding that they would lose rather than gain by a longer stay, galloped off in haste, and returned to Commercy, leaving behind eight or ten dead and several wounded. On the part of the Burgundians, a gentleman, named Walter de Pavant, was slain, and a few with him. During the engagement, Jacquemin de Beaumont abandoned his men, and, issuing out at a postern of the castle, joined the young lord de Commercy, and returned with him. The garrison now surrendered on capitulation, that they should march away with arms and baggage.
The duke of Burgundy encamped his army nearer Luxembourg, and the count d'Estampes, with the greater part of his captains, went to Ez[120], a large town that was formerly inclosed, and remained there some time. His men made frequent excursions thence, and, when they met any of the enemy's troops, made very light of them.
While these things were passing, the duke, who had with him some of his ablest advisers, held frequent consultations with those best acquainted with the country, on the means of putting an end to the war. He was advised to attempt scaling the walls of Luxembourg during the night, to which he readily listened, and ordered preparations to be made accordingly. Two gentlemen,—one from Burgundy named Guillaume le Grevant, and the other from Picardy called Robert de Miraumont,—were dispatched, under care of proper guides, to examine the place and make a trial. They set out, having with them some excellent scalers, and soon discovered that the enterprise was feasible,—for, finding the watch inattentive, they mounted the walls, and examined at their ease the whole state of the town. They then returned as secretly as they could, and related to the duke all they had observed.
On their report, he determined to make the attempt, and sent information thereof to the count d'Estampes and the other captains with him, signifying to them that it was his pleasure they should undertake it, and that he would support them should there be occasion. The duke was at this time at Arlon, and the count d'Estampes at Ez. The count, on receiving this information, assembled the majority of the captains, and laid before them the plan and orders from the duke, and demanded their opinions. It was long debated, when some declared themselves doubtful of its success, and gave their reasons for so thinking; but at length it was resolved to undertake it, since it was the will and pleasure of the duke.
After this determination, it was next considered who should take command of the first party of scalers—and sir Gauvain Quieriet, the lord de Bosqueaux, Guillaume le Grevant, and Robert de Miraumont, were appointed, with sixty or eighty men to support the scalers. They began their march under the direction of able guides of the country, and were overtaken by the lord de Saveuses, although at the time he was labouring under a severe disorder, whose arrival gave them great pleasure. They advanced in silence to within half a league of Luxembourg, when they dismounted, and there left their horses, and continued to advance to the appointed place. Having then ordered who were to mount first, and those who were instantly to follow in a line, the ladders were raised against the wall, and the enterprise proceeded. The lord de Saveuses was requested to remain at the foot of the ladders to see that order was observed, and that such mounted as had been fixed on,—for there was not a man among them who would have refused to obey him.
When sir Gauvain and the others had gained the ramparts, they seized some of the inhabitants, threatening to put them to death if they made the least noise, and hastened to break open a postern, to admit the lord de Saveuses and those who had followed them, to the number of two hundred, who instantly shouted, 'Town won!' to the dismay of the inhabitants, who cried out, 'To arms!' in several places.
The Burgundians hastened to the market place, which they gained, notwithstanding some few of the townsmen had assembled there to defend it. They made little resistance, but sir Gauvain was wounded,—and two of the townsmen being slain, the rest fled for the castle and the lower town. The count d'Estampes, having received on his march several messages of the success of the detachment, hastened as fast as he could to Luxembourg. On his arrival, he ordered a party in front of the castle, to prevent those within from making a sally; but they had already set fire to the houses in the street opposite, which destroyed several handsome dwellings, and the greater part of the horses of the men at arms in their stables, their masters having retired within the castle. When the populace, who had retreated in multitudes to the lower town, saw that the place was won without hope of rescue, they issued forth, and went to Thionville, and other places, in despair, abandoning all their effects.
This same day, the duke of Burgundy came to Luxembourg, and his men were then regularly quartered through the town: the great wealth, and abundance of all things therein, were plundered by those who had made the conquest. It had been ordered, prior to the march, that no indiscriminate pillage should take place,—but that all things should be regularly shared to each person, according to his rank, without fraud: but this order was not observed,—and the majority of the middling and lower ranks in the army were defrauded of their portion: indeed, few had any portions but the chiefs of the army and those who had commanded the expedition. Those also gained who were intrusted with the guard of the plunder; but this conduct caused great murmurings in the army,—and complaints were loudly uttered by many, saying that this was a bad example for them to adventure their lives another time for plunder, when they now received no share of it: but, notwithstanding their complaints, they gained nothing. On the contrary, they were forced rigorously, to deliver up whatever they had taken, into the hands of commissaries appointed for that purpose.
The lord de Humieres was on this expedition, and exercised the office of marshal for the lord de Beaumont, marshal of Burgundy. Beside the count d'Estampes, there were with the duke of Burgundy from Picardy and its borders, the lord de Croy, count Porcien, Waleran de Moreul, sir Simon de Lalain, Guy de Roye, the lord de Saveuses, his brother Hugh de Hames, Hugh de Longueval, the lord de Bosqueaux, sir Anthony de Wissoch, and numbers of others of the nobility. From Burgundy were the lord de Ternant, sir Pierre de Bauffremont lord of Chargny, the lord of Brassay, Charles de Rochefort, Philibert de Vaudray, Jean de Vaudray, Philibert d'Aincourt, and many more knights and esquires.
The count de Clicque had retreated, with his men, into the castle,—but escaped thence secretly during the night, and went on foot to Thionville. The castle of Luxembourg held out for three weeks after the capture of the town, during which sir John bastard of Dampierre was killed by the shot of an arrow on the head from one of the garrison; and the lord de Saveuses was grievously wounded on the breast by a cross-bow shot, at a sally made from the castle: he was in danger of death, but by the abilities of the duke's surgeons he recovered.
At the end of three weeks, the count de Clicque signed a capitulation with commissioners from the duke of Burgundy for the surrender of the castle of Luxembourg, on condition that his men therein might depart in safety, but without carrying away any thing with them. The town of Thionville surrendered at the same time,—when the count de Clicque returned with his men to his country of Germany, covered with disgrace and confusion. Thus did the duke of Burgundy in a short time subdue the whole duchy of Luxembourg to his obedience, and with little loss of men.
He was now joined by his duchess and the duchess of Luxembourg, with whom a treaty was concluded for her enjoyment of the duchy during her life with the same powers as before, and that she was to pay annually to the duke of Burgundy the sum of ten thousand francs, french money, as a reimbursement for his expences, and the duchy was to revert to him and his heirs on her decease.
The duke published a proclamation during his stay at Luxembourg to forbid all persons, whatever might be their rank, from seeking any quarrels or doing wrong to any of the lords of that country or to their vassals. This was infringed by one of his body-archers, called The Little Scotsman, who quarrelled with sir Pierre Bernard, and struck him; for which the duke had him instantly hanged, notwithstanding the entreaties of several great lords of his household, and even the solicitations of sir Pierre Bernard, to save his life, and although he had been before very fond of him, and was well pleased with his services; but he would not remit the sentence, to afford an example to all others not to dare infringe his edicts or ordinances.
At this time, several embassies took place between the kings of France and England, to endeavour to conclude a peace between them, or at least to prolong the truce. The king of France was now at Tours in Touraine, when many great councils were held on these matters, and for which a meeting of the three estates was called; but notwithstanding these measures, the two parties continued a severe warfare on each other.