On the morrow, he advanced to Roye in the Vermandois, where he remained eight days waiting for the earl of Stafford, the earl of Arundel and other Englishmen to whom he had sent orders to join him.
During this time, many of the captains of king Charles collected a body of about sixteen hundred combatants; and under the command of the marshal de Bousac, the count de Vendôme, sir James de Chabannes, William de Flavy, Poton de Saintrailles, the lord de Longueval, sir Regnault de Fontaines, sir Louis de Vaucourt, Alain Guyon, Boussart Blanchefort, marched in good array near to Mondidier, and thence went to quarter themselves at two villages two leagues distant from Roye.
Very early on the ensuing day, they held a council, and unanimously determined to offer combat to the duke of Burgundy and his army, if he would meet them in the open country; and that their intentions might be publicly known, they sent a herald to the duke with their challenge.
The duke, on receiving it, agreed to meet them in battle. The matter, however, was delayed by his council, who remonstrated with him on the impropriety of risking his person and honour against such people, as they had not with them any prince of equal rank with himself for him to contend with. They also stated, that he was weak in numbers, and that his troops were dispirited from the defeat they had lately suffered, and the loss of James de Helly, as well as by their retreat from before Compiègne.
The duke, much grieved that he could not follow his own inclinations, assented to the advice of his council. They sent, therefore, an answer to the French, that if they would wait until the morrow, they should be unmolested in their quarters; that even provision should be sent them, and that then sir John de Luxembourg would engage them in battle, for which he was willing to give sufficient securities.
The French, on receiving this answer, said, they would not consent to it; but that if the duke of Burgundy was willing to advance into the plain, they were ready to combat him. While these messages were passing, the duke drew his men up in battle-array without the town of Roye: the French were also in order of battle, fronting him; but it was difficult to pass from one army to the other, by reason of the deep marshes that were between them. Some skirmishing, nevertheless, took place until night-fall, which forced the French to retire toward Compiègne, very indignant at the duke's conduct, and making great mockeries of him and his men, saying they were afraid to fight them.
Thus the two armies separated, and the duke re-entered the town of Roye,—when shortly after arrived the earl of Stafford, with about six hundred combatants. The duke now left Roye, and went to quarter himself at Leigny-les-Chastiniers, where was a small castle, in which was the abbot de St Pharon de Meaux, brother to the lord de Gamaches, with about forty of the French.
The duke summoned them to surrender, which they refused,—and he instantly made an attack which gained him the lower court. Finding they could not hold out longer, they submitted themselves to the duke, who gave them up to sir John de Luxembourg, for him to do his will with them, and the castle was burnt and razed.
The inhabitants of Noyon sent to request of the duke, that he would deliver them from the garrison of the castle of Irle; but as it was now winter, and the duke had not those with him whom he looked for, he returned to Montdidier, wherein he placed a garrison, and thence by Corbie to Arras, and to Flanders. The earl of Stafford marched his Englishmen back to Normandy.