[A.D. 1453.]
CHAP. XLII.
PIERRE MOREAU MAKES ANOTHER ATTACK ON DENDERMONDE.—THE GHENT MEN INVADE HAINAULT, AND COMMIT GREAT RAVAGES THERE.
On the 3d day of April, in the year 1453, immediately after Easter, Pierre Moreau collected a greater force than before, and made another attempt on Dendermonde, but with no better success than formerly, and, having lost from nine to ten of his men, returned to Ghent.
On the 14th of the same month, the ghent men made another irruption into Hainault, with a very numerous army, as far as Tournay and Enghien, setting fire to all the villages, and slaying every one they met without opposition. To this they were incited, as it was said, by the duke's not having paid his soldiers, on which account very many had refused to serve him.
When this came to the knowledge of the duke, he issued his summons for greater levies of men than he had raised during the war, every vassal was summoned, and all who had been used to arms,—for he was determined to put an end to the war,—and all were to be ready by the 15th day of May. The artillery which the duke meant to carry with him to Flanders was kept in the great hall of the town-house at Lille. It happened, but it was never known how, that fire was thrown through a crack in a tower, the cellar of which served as the magazine of powder for this artillery; but mischief was prevented by a person going accidentally into the cellar, and putting it out, as it was burning the hoops of a barrel of powder. Had not this person fortunately gone thither, the town-house, artillery, and probably the whole town would have been destroyed.