THE FRENCH MARCH TO COMPIÈGNE AND RAISE THE SIEGE.
The earl of Huntingdon and John de Luxembourg laboured long at the siege Compiègne, and, by cutting off all provision from entering the town, and by their continued attacks from the forts, were in daily hopes of forcing the garrison to submit to their will. But on the Tuesday before All-Saints' day the French, to the number of four thousand fighting men, under the command of the marshal de Bousac, the count de Vendôme, sir James de Chabannes, Poton de Saintrailles, sir Regnault de Fontaines, the lord de Longueval, sir Louis de Vaucourt, Alain Giron and other captains, who had frequently been most earnestly pressed by William de Flavy, the governor, and inhabitants of Compiègne, to come to their assistance, at length quartered themselves at La Verberie, attended by a multitude of peasants with spades, mattocks, saws, and other implements, to repair the roads which the Burgundians had destroyed, by felling down trees, digging deep ditches, and various other hindrances to the march of an army.
The besiegers were soon made acquainted with their arrival, and a council was holden of the chiefs, to consider whether it would be more advantageous to advance and offer them battle or wait for them in their entrenchments. Many were for fighting them before they proceeded further; but others offered solid reasons why it would be better to strengthen their camp and wait their arrival,—adding, that should they quit the siege, to march to the French, and leave their forts unprotected, the besieged who were impatient to get out of their distressed situation, would demolish them, or at least they would make their escape from the town to a place of safety. This had such weight that the majority of the council agreed to it; and they resolved unanimously to wait the event, and exert themselves to the utmost to resist their enemies.
The following orders were issued. The earl of Huntingdon was to cross the river very early on the morrow, Wednesday, with his Englishmen, at the new bridge, and march to Royaulieu, where he was to draw up in order of battle, with sir John de Luxembourg, leaving in the abbey of La Venette, which was strong, all useless hands, with the horses and baggage, with a few of his men to guard them and defend the passage of the bridge.
Item, all carts, cars, merchandise and stores were to be secured in the abbey of Royaulieu, and the guard of it was given to sir Philip de Fosseux and the lord de Cohen.
Item, sir James de Brimeu with three hundred combatants were to remain in their fort, on promise from the lords, that should they be attacked, they would hasten to their support, having agreed on the signal they were to make, should they require aid.
Item, it was ordered, that the grand fort near the bridge of Marigny should be on a similar footing, as well as the two smaller ones on the river side toward Cleroi.
When these orders had been issued, the captains retired to their tents, and exhorted their men to be ready prepared on the morrow to meet the enemy. A strong guard was also ordered, of horse as well as foot, for the night, at all the avenues likely to be attacked.