In the mean time, the earl of Warwick assembled his men around him as speedily as he could; but when he perceived the greatness of his loss, for from one thousand to fifteen hundred had been slain, drowned or taken, he formed his men in order of battle, and thus retreated to a small eminence, covered with vineyards, above his quarters.
The French, who had fought hard and were fatigued, entered Montargis. When night came on, the English collected their men together, the greater part of whom were now on foot, and retreated to castle Landonin Nemours, and to other places under their dominion. The French remained in Montargis, making good and hearty cheer, being rejoiced that with the aid of God they had accomplished the purpose they had been sent on. They afterward returned to king Charles of France, who received them most graciously.
In this year, duke John of Brabant after a very severe illness, departed this life in his castle of Leneure[10], repeating most devoutly, 'Miserere mei Deus,' &c. He was buried in the chapel of this castle, near to the body of his father. On his decease, his brother Philip count de Ligny and de St Pol took possession of all his territories. Thus was the duchess Jacquiline deprived of her two husbands,—for, as I have before said, the duke of Glocester had married another woman, and the duke of Brabant was dead.
During the life of the duke of Brabant, a person named John Chevalier had engaged at the request as it was said, of the countess-dowager of Hainault, to put an iron collar round the duke's neck, for which this chevalier was arrested at Brussels and beheaded.
At the same time, the fortress of Escandeur, near to Cambray, was put into the hands of sir John de Luxembourg, with the consent of the duke of Burgundy, and was the cause why sir Louis, bastard-brother to the duchess Jacquiline, to whom it had belonged, carried war and tribulation through that country in fighting the battles of his sister, but he lost his inheritance for so doing.
In these days, a terrible combat took place near to Mont St Michel, between the English who had possession of Mont de Hellem[11] on the one side, and the French and Bretons on the other; but in the end the French were victorious, having killed or put to flight the English and consequently gained the castle.
FOOTNOTES:
[10] Leneure. The annotations at the beginning of the volume, french edition, suppose it to be Geneppe or Gueneppe, a summer residence of the dukes of Brabant, whither Louis XI. when dauphin, fled to, and resided at during his stay in Brabant.