By the intrigues and solicitations of a gentleman called Charles de Mouy, the lord of Isle-Adam joined the party of the duke of Burgundy, and delivered up his town and pass to John de Fosseux, Hector and Philip de Saveuses, who placed therein, as a garrison, a sufficient number of their men at arms. When the duke was informed of this, he was very much rejoiced that the lord de l'Isle Adam had joined him, and delivered up the passage through his town.
On the other hand, John de Luxembourg crossed the river Oise, with a number of men at arms which he had at Presy, in small boats, making their horses swim the river; and he quartered them at a village hard by. The morrow, he led the greater part of them to Senlis, of which town sir Robert d'Esne was bailiff for the king, having under him about sixty combatants. He made a sally with his men on foot against those of John of Luxembourg, and a grand skirmish took place.
However, the majority of the commonalty of the town were not well pleased that sir Robert should thus wage war on the friends of the duke of Burgundy: and on the ensuing night, when John of Luxembourg had retreated, the townsmen rose, seized sir Robert d'Esne and all his men, after eight or ten had been killed, and carried him to prison; but through the interference of some of the principal inhabitants, he was permitted to leave the town, with his men and baggage,—and he went thence to Mont-Epiloy.
The next day those of Senlis sent very early for John of Luxembourg, before whom they swore obedience to the duke of Burgundy. He received their oaths in the names of the king and duke, promising loyalty and good behaviour, and appointed Troullart de Moncruel bailiff of Senlis, with other officers according to his pleasure. When this was done, John of Luxembourg returned to the duke of Burgundy.
[CHAP. LX.]
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY CROSSES THE RIVER OISE WITH HIS ARMY AT L'ISLE-ADAM.—HE BESIEGES AND CONQUERS BEAUMONT AND PONTOISE,—WHENCE HE REMOVES HIS QUARTERS TO L'ARBRE-SEC.
When the duke of Burgundy had repaired the bridge at l'Isle-Adam, the greater part of his army passed over under the command of the lords de Fosseux, de Vergy, and de Salnoe, and were lodged in the open fields, and under hedges and bushes, within the distance of a league from where they had crossed the river. On the morrow they decamped, and marched in battle-array to Beaumont-sur-Oise, and quartered themselves in the town, and around the castle, in spite of the resistance made by those within it.
Sir Jennet de Poix, with four hundred combatants under his banner, advanced to a village a league further, and on the road toward Paris, which he fortified, and kept possession of until the whole army was dislodged. The duke of Burgundy was encamped on the other side of the river, and had his artillery pointed to batter the castle of Beaumont from across the Oise; and they kept up so brisk an attack that the castle was damaged in several places.
The besieged, seeing they were in danger of being taken by storm, surrendered to the will of the duke of Burgundy. Fifty two persons were found in the castle, nine of whom were beheaded, and their bodies hung by the arms to trees: the rest or the greater part, were set at liberty on paying a heavy ransom; and the lord de Vergy, marshal of the army, received, by right of his office, all the effects that were found in the castle.