CHAP. XLI.
THE GHENT MEN SEND A DEPUTATION TO THE COUNT D'ESTAMPES, TO MEDIATE A PEACE.—IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY BESIEGE COURTRAY, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS.—THEY ARE NEAR TAKING PRISONER THE DUCHESS OF BURGUNDY, ON HER ROAD TO BRUGES.
While the Companions of the Verde Tente were thus employed in the field, the municipality of Ghent sent to entreat the count d'Estampes to procure passports from the duke their lord, that a deputation might wait on him respecting a peace. The count succeeded in obtaining them passports,—and the place of conference was fixed at Bruges, whither the duke sent some of his ministers, and the count d'Estampes as his representative.
The ghent men sent thither a deputation, with a carthusian friar, and an ancient knight called sir Baudouin de Bos, whom they had long kept prisoner on account of their suspicions of his fidelity to them, he having declared an opinion contrary to their proceedings; and they even had him carried, with his eyes banded, to the scaffold to behead him: he would have suffered death, had not some steady friends, by their exertions, prevented it. These ghent commissioners behaved with the greatest insolence and pride on their arrival at Bruges, as if they had no way acted wrong toward their prince; and on their departure, they received no answer. They all returned except the knight and the Carthusian, who refused to accompany them back and remained in Bruges. The other commissioners staid so long on their road to Ghent that the term of their passports expired, and, falling in with a body of Picards, they were made prisoners and carried back to Bruges: among them were two of the greatest enemies the duke had in Ghent.
When the men of Ghent learnt that their deputies were prisoners, they sallied forth, on the 17th of February, in great numbers, and in three divisions. In this array they came before Courtray, the marshal of Burgundy being then absent with the duke at Lille. There was at this time in the town a very valiant and adventurous knight from Picardy, called Gauvain Quieret, who, fearless of their numbers, issued out with the few people he had, and began a sharp skirmish; but he was soon forced to retreat into the town, as the ghent men were too many: he could not, however, retire without the loss of two of his men at arms and one archer. The ghent men then attacked the suburbs; but they were so well defended that they gained nothing, except killing one man at arms: they now returned to Ghent.
On the 2d of March following, sir Anthony, the bastard, on his advance toward Ghent, fell in with a considerable body of the enemy, and charged them so rapidly that he slew more than fifty, and took many prisoners, whom he carried to Dendermonde.
On the 5th day of this same month, the duchess of Burgundy left Lille, by orders from the duke, to go to Bruges. The ghent men soon had intelligence of this,—and, supposing that she would travel the strait road, they posted a strong ambuscade near that road, intending to overpower her escort, and put those who composed it to death. The duchess was informed of their plan, and consequently took a different road, and arrived safely at Bruges.
Sir Simon de Lalain, governor of Sluys, hearing that the duchess was to travel from Lille to Bruges, set out with two hundred combatants to escort her thither, and followed the main road, ignorant of the ghent men being there. In his company was the lord de Maldeghen, a flemish knight, well acquainted with all the roads and passes. Happening to ride at some little distance from the great road, he espied the ambush of ghent men, who were watching the coming of the duchess, and also of sir Simon, whom they had perceived. The lord de Maldeghen instantly sounded his trumpets, as loudly as he could, that sir Simon, on hearing them, might retire,—but he was too far advanced for this, being already in the midst of his enemies without perceiving it. He was sharply attacked on all sides, his banner beaten down,—and he and his men were forced to show all their courage, to save their lives. They exerted themselves so manfully that, with the aid of the lord de Maldeghen, who hastened to their succour, the ghent men were repulsed,—and they continued their march in safety to Bruges, having only lost three or four men at arms, and from twelve to sixteen archers, which was not much, considering how severe the attack had been.
Three or four days before this skirmish took place, the ghent men in Poulcres burnt Englemonstier, a considerable village belonging to the count d'Estampes, in right of his countess. They could do no harm to the castle, for it was strong and well garrisoned. A few days after this, the ghent men again demanded passports from the duke for twenty commissioners to meet his ministers any where he should appoint, to consider if they could find means to put an end to this disastrous war. The good duke complied with their request, and fixed on Seclin[143] as the place of conference, whither he sent the count d'Estampes as his representative, and some of his ministers,—but nothing was done, by reason of the insolent pride of the ghent deputies.
Not long after the return of the deputies from Seclin, a french man at arms, who had offered his services to Ghent for gain, called Pierre Moreau, who also was one of their captains, collected a large company, and marched to attack Dendermonde, wherein was sir Anthony of Burgundy. The knight, having had notice of their coming, issued out to meet them, and, after killing several, forced them to retreat to Ghent.