The next day a tilting took place with lances between Rifflard de Champremy, attached to king Charles, and the bastard de Rosebecque. They broke many lances, but, in the end, Rifflard was pierced through his armour and side but not mortally hurt. The duke then put an end to the business; and each party retired to his lodgings with his friends. Within a few days after this last combat, Poton, with his companions went back to the county of Guise.
THE EARL OF SALISBURY BESIEGES THE CASTLE OF MONT-AQUILON, WHICH SURRENDERS TO HIM.—OTHER MATTERS.
At this period, the earl of Salisbury, by orders from the duke of Bedford, who called himself regent of France, laid siege to the castle of Mont Aquilon in Champagne. Lord Salisbury was then governor of the countries of Champagne and of Brie.
This siege, notwithstanding the many attacks that were made, and the warlike engines employed, lasted for six months, or thereabout. The garrison consisted of full six score combatants, under the command of the lords de la Bourbe, de Cotigny, and a man at arms named Bourghenon. Very many of these six score left the place, so that toward the end no more than about thirty remained, who were so much distressed that they were forced to eat their horses.
At length, the earl of Salisbury accepted their surrender, on condition that they paid twenty-two thousand saluts of gold for their lives being spared; and for the payment of which, they were to give four of the principal men at arms as pledges. The garrison now departed in their bare pourpoints, under safe escorts, excepting those who had sworn to the observance of the last peace between the kings of France and England; and then the castle was demolished and razed to the ground.
About this same time sir Mauriod de St Leger was arrested in Arras, by command of the duke of Burgundy, many complaints having been made against him to the duke, and particularly for having plundered his town of Auchin. He was carried prisoner to the castle of Chavetignes, where he remained a whole year and was delivered therefrom by the solicitations of his friends.