While the duke of Burgundy was thus employed at Pont de St Remy, sir John de Luxembourg went to the town of St Riquier, under proper passports from the lord d'Offemont, with one hundred picked men at arms, as an escort to six knights, well mounted and accoutred, who were to perform a deed of arms against six champions of the Dauphinois, under the lord d'Offemont.
This combat had been previously settled by messages which had passed between the parties. The burgundian champions were Henry l'Allemant, the bastard de Robaix, Lyonnet de Bournouville and three others. The Dauphinois were the lord de Verduysant, Guillaume d'Aubigny and four others, whose names I have forgotten. On the parties meeting, the justings commenced; but, at the onset, the two Dauphinois killed the horses of their opponents: the others broke several lances gallantly enough; but from the shortness of the time two on each side could not just,—and there was no one wounded on either side. The parties took a friendly leave; and sir John de Luxembourg returned with his company to the Pont de St Remy, and the lord d'Offemont re-entered St Riquier.
Sir John de Luxembourg had been accompanied for his security, by one hundred of the most expert men at arms in the burgundian army: he had also formed an ambuscade of three hundred men in a wood to succour him, should there be occasion. When on his road to St Riquier, having placed this ambuscade, he halted on an eminence to observe if his orders were obeyed, and to his surprise saw that those in ambush were wandering about and the horses grazing. In a great rage, he seized a lance and galloped back to reduce them to proper order; but his men, perceiving him coming, mounted their horses and fled as fast as spurs could make them. Nevertheless, he overtook a man at arms, named Aloyer, whom he pierced through the thigh and unhorsed, and to many others he gave severe blows. When he had restored order, and severely reprimanded the leaders, he continued his march to witness the deed of arms already related.
CHAP. LXI.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY MARCHES FROM PONT DE ST REMY TO LAY SIEGE TO THE TOWN OF ST RIQUIER.—HE BREAKS UP HIS SIEGE TO COMBAT THE DAUPHINOIS, WHO ARE ADVANCING TO THE RELIEF OF THAT TOWN.
After the destruction of Pont de St Remy, the duke of Burgundy departed for Abbeville with his army, a part of which was quartered in the suburbs. About the end of July, he marched to St Riquier, and fixed his quarters in the castle of la Ferté, which a little before, together with the castle of Drugy and the suburbs, had been set on fire. His men were quartered in other places near sir John de Luxembourg, at the gate of St John leading toward Auxi: the lord de Croy, some days after, was lodged near the gate of St Nicholas toward Abbeville. At the gate of the Heronhault, leading toward Crotoy, there was not any lodgement of men at arms, which gave free liberty to the garrison or inhabitants to go in and out of the town at their pleasure, on horseback or on foot.
Numerous reinforcements from the principal towns, in consequence of his summons, now joined the duke. When the quarters had been all marked out, the Burgundians made their approaches near to the walls, and began severely to annoy the garrison. The duke might have under his command, as well men at arms as archers and cross-bows, including those sent from the towns, five or six thousand combatants. The enemy, under the lord d'Offemont, Poton de Santrailles, Verduysant, Mengues, and other captains in the town, might consist of twelve or fourteen hundred men; for in addition to those they had brought thither, sir James de Harcourt had sent them some of his most expert soldiers; and they exerted themselves to the utmost to resist the attacks of the Burgundians.
It would be too long and tedious, were I to attempt to enumerate all the sallies of the garrison; but in truth, they made many in which they gained more than they lost; and in the number, was one by which they captured some of the duke's captains, the principal of whom were sir Emond de Boubers, Henry l'Allemant, John de Courcelles, John de Crevecoeur, one called Ancellet, and some other noblemen.
In the mean time, the engines which the duke had erected broke down the gates and walls, and even destroyed some of the houses within the town; and those which the besieged had pointed against the burgundian army were equally destructive, so that many lives were lost on both sides during this siege.
Sir James de Harcourt sent frequent messengers to the lord d'Offemont, to exhort him and his brother-captains to hold out with courage, for that they would shortly be succoured, as he had sent for relief from divers places in Champagne, Brie, Valois, to Compiègne and other places attached to the interest of the dauphin, and had earnestly besought them to assemble as large a force as they possibly could to join him, and offer battle to the duke of Burgundy.