Another war broke out between the dukes of Bar and Lorraine; and sir Clugnet de Brabant, admiral of France, was sent thither with a large army. He marched it through Champagne to Lorraine, and besieged Neuf Chastel, belonging to the duke, which instantly surrendered to the king, by the advice of Ferry de Lorraine[[99]], count de Vaudemont, brother to the duke.
The duke of Lorraine immediately sent ambassadors to Paris to make excuses for what had passed, who negotiated so successfully that the king was satisfied, and remanded his army, which, in going and coming back, committed great waste in all the countries through which they passed.
The duke of Burgundy, accompanied by his two brothers and many great lords, went to the town of Arras, where his duchess and his daughters were waiting for him. Shortly after, the count de Cleves came thither, and was married to Marie, daughter to the duke; and, on the morrow, the count de Penthievre[[100]] espoused another, called Isabella. The town of Arras was very gay with the numerous feasts caused by these weddings.
Some days after, the duke of Limbourg and the two new-married couples, having enjoyed much festivity, took their leaves of the duke and duchess of Burgundy, and returned to their own homes.
At this period, the duke William, count of Hainault, nobly accompanied by his Hainaulters, went to Paris, where he was most handsomely received by the king, queen, and all the princes then there.
During his stay at Paris, it was declared in the parliament, and proclaimed throughout the town, that no one, whether ecclesiastic or layman, should in future pay any tax or subsidy to pope Benedict, nor to such as favoured his pretensions. This was likewise forbidden through the kingdom of France, which caused much perplexity to many well meaning persons in that realm from this schism in the church.
CHAP. XXVIII.
THE DUKE OF ORLEANS, BY THE KING’S ORDERS, MARCHES A POWERFUL ARMY TO ACQUITAINE, AND BESIEGES BLAYE AND LE BOURG.
This year, the duke of Orleans, by orders from the king, quitted Paris to march a large army of men at arms and archers, amounting to six thousand combatants, into Acquitaine, to wage war against the English. He took with him the lord Charles d’Albreth, constable of France, the marquis du Pont, son to the duke of Bar, the count de Clermont[[101]], Montagu, great master of the household, with many other noble lords, who marched in a body to lay siege to Blaye, which they sorely oppressed with their engines.
In a short time, the town began to negotiate, and offered to surrender to the duke, in case the town of Le Bourg, to which he intended to lay siege, should set them the example. They also promised to deliver provision to the duke’s army, during the siege of Le Bourg, at a reasonable price. The duke accepted of these terms, and besieged Le Bourg, which was strongly garrisoned by a numerous body of english and gascon men at arms. Many engines were pointed against the walls and gates by the French, which did them considerable damage; but, notwithstanding, the besieged defended themselves vigorously.