CHAP. XXIV.
THE LORD D'ORVAL DEFEATS THE MEN OF BORDEAUX.—DUKE PETER OF BRITTANY DOES HOMAGE TO THE KING OF FRANCE.—THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY ATTEMPTS TO LAY A TAX ON SALT THROUGHOUT FLANDERS.
On the last day of October in this year, the lord d'Orval, third son to the lord d'Albreth, set out from Bazas[114] with his companions, and from four to five hundred combatants, to invade the peninsula of Medoc[115]; and they halted for the night, to refresh themselves, in a forest within two leagues of Bordeaux. On the morrow, All-saints-day, they were early mounted, thinking to enter the peninsula, when they received information from Bordeaux, that from eight to nine thousand persons, on horseback and on foot, as well soldiers as others, were on their march to combat them.
The lord d'Orval did not for this abandon his enterprise, but drew up his men in order of battle, although so greatly inferior in numbers to the English, who were under the command of the mayor of Bordeaux. His light troops showed a good countenance, advancing in battle-array, and made prisoner a gentleman from Bordeaux, near to a coppice. The battle now commenced, and was so well fought by the French that eighteen hundred English and Bordelois were slain on the spot or in the pursuit. The first runaway was the mayor, who, being on horseback, abandoned his van, who were on foot, and whom he had advanced as a frontier to his main division. The French made twelve hundred prisoners, which was very honourable and profitable to them, considering how few they were in comparison with their enemies. At the conclusion of this business, the lord d'Orval marched his men back, with their prisoners, to Bazas, much rejoiced at their good success.
On the morrow of the feast of All-saints, duke Peter of Brittany waited on the king of France, as his sovereign lord, to do him homage for his duchy of Brittany, and took the accustomed oaths before the count de Dunois and de Longueville; when the king's great chamberlain took his baudrick, sword and buckler, for his fee. After he had taken the oaths, the chancellor of France said, that he was liege man to the king of France on account of this duchy, but the duke's chancellor replied, that, saving his respect to the king, he was not liege man to his majesty on account of this duchy,—which caused a long altercation. At length, the king accepted his homage according to the usages and manner that his predecessors, the dukes of Brittany, had done. Shortly after, he did another homage for his county of Montfort, for which he acknowledged himself the king's liege man and vassal. He was grandly entertained by the king and his chivalry, at the small town and castle of Montbazon[116], where the court then resided,—and also by the ladies and damsels, to whom he acquitted himself handsomely.
Many sports and pastimes of wrestling and other amusements took place during the fortnight the duke staid with the king, who was in high spirits and health. He had with him the count de Richemont his constable, and many barons, knights and esquires, to the number of from four to five hundred horses.
In the same year, according to the chronicles of Arras, Philip, then aged about fifty-four years, duke of Burgundy, Lotriche[117], Brabant, Limbourg and Luxembourg, count of Flanders, Artois, Burgundy, Hainault, Holland, Zealand and Namur, marquis of the holy roman empire, lord of Frizeland, Salins and Mechlin, required from the states of Flanders (whom he had assembled for this purpose) that they would allow him to lay a tax of twenty-four groats, flemish money, on each sack of salt that should be used in that country; promising, in return, that, during his life, he would not lay any additional impositions, by taxes on land or otherwise.
The deputies from Ghent, having heard this proposal, demanded time to consider of it. These deputies took the lead; and having fully weighed the matter, and considering that the principal food of the commonalty was salted meats and fish, absolutely refused their consent; adding, that they would never, while alive, suffer such a tax to be laid on their country. The deputies from Bruges, Ypres, and the Franc, in conformity to what the ghent men had said, declared that they would act in unison with Ghent, and refused their assent.