[46] Chaulnes,—a town of Picardy, election of Peronne.
[47] Lihons,—a town of Picardy, election of Peronne.
[CHAP. XLII.]
LIHONS, IN SANTERRE, PILLAGED BY MANY CAPTAINS WHO HAD TAKEN UP ARMS.—THE CAPTURE OF THE CASTLE OF BEAUMONT.—THE STORMING THE CASTLE OF NEELE.—AND OTHER MATTERS.
Sir Mauroy de St Leger, soon after his last expedition to Chaulnes, made another, in conjunction with Jean d'Aubigny, to Lihons, in Santerre, which with the priory they completely plundered, ransoming the inhabitants for large sums, all of which they carried with them into Artois.
In this manner different companies were formed of nobles or others, but attached to the party of the duke of Burgundy, under various standards: the principal leaders were, St Mauroy de St Leger, sir Jennet de Poix, his brother David, the lord de Sores in Beauvoisis, Jean de Fosseux, Hector and Philippe de Saveuses, Ferry de Mailly, Louis de Varigines, sir Payen de Beaufort, sir Louis de Burnel, Jean de Donquerre, Guerard, bastard de Bruneu, and numbers of others, who, with displayed banners, invaded the territories of France; in particular, the countries of Eu and Aumale, and those lands in Santerre, as far as the river Oise, that belonged to such as were favourers of the Orleans party. In these parts they committed every sort of ravage, plundering the property, and making the inhabitants prisoners, as would be done to a country against which war had been declared.
There were also other companies formed by captains under pretence of their attachment to the duke of Burgundy, such as sir Gastellin, a lombard knight, Jean de Gaingy, Jean de Clau, and Lamain de Clau, Savoyards, Jean d'Aubigny, the bastard de Sallebruche, Charles l'Abbè, the bastard de Thian, Matthieu des Près, Panchette, the bastard Penar, and others, who amounted to two thousand horsemen when they were all assembled. They for a long time quartered themselves on the territories of Burgundy as well as France, and did incredible mischief to both.
Sir Gastellin and his men even took the castle of Oisy in the Cambresis, belonging to the daughter and heiress of sir Robert de Bar, and held it for a long time, using that and its dependances as if they had been his own property.
About the same time, the lord de Sores, with six hundred combatants, marched to Pont Avaire[48], and thence advanced toward Paris, and placed themselves in ambuscade at La Chappelle[49] until the gates should be opened. Shortly after their arrival, a man rode to them on a white horse from Paris, and, having said a few words to the lord de Sores, he returned thither the same road he had come. While they remained, they made several men and women prisoners for fear of being discovered by them to the Parisians; but seeing their enterprise had failed, they sounded their trumpets and retreated hastily toward Beaumont-sur-Oise. Their object had been to seize the king of Sicily by the aid of some of the Parisians.