The weather was so exceedingly oppressive that two of the ghent captains died of the heat. They were named Jean des Degrez, deacon of the watermen, and Gautier de Wase-Reman, captain of Westmonstre, with several others of low degree. The commander in chief of this division of the flemish army was the lord de Comines; of that of Bruges, the lord de Fienhuse; of those from Courtray, sir Girard de Guistelles; of those from the Franc, the lord de Merque; of those from Ypres, Jean de Comines.
The first night they halted at Deijnse and Peteghem, which are not far distant from Ghent, and remained there on the morrow to wait for their baggage and stores. On the ensuing Monday they departed, and continued their march until they came to the town of Armentieres, when they quartered themselves in the meadows without the town with those from Courtray and Oudenarde, who were within the castlewick of Ghent, and had joined them on the march. The lord d'Antoing was their leader and commander in chief, as being hereditary viscount of all Flanders.
When they remained at Armentieres, twenty-one of their men were arrested, and hung on trees in front of head-quarters, for having robbed some peasants. The ghent division then advanced to Hazebrouch, in the country of Alleu, where they destroyed the mill of d'Hazebourch, because he had, as they said, led on the Flemings ungallantly when they were lately defeated by the English near to Gravelines; but he excused himself by declaring, they would not attend to his advice, nor obey his orders.
Thence they advanced to Drinchaut[39], where they were met by their prince the duke of Burgundy, and the count de Richemont, constable of France, who had come thither to wait on the duke. Both of them visited the ghent men, and partook of a collation at their head-quarters. The army marched through Bourbourg, and quartered themselves near to Gravelines, where they destroyed the mill of Georges de Wez, for the same reason they had done that of Cherry de Hazebourch.
At this place they were joined by the forces from Bruges, Ypres, the Franc and other towns in Flanders, and formed an handsome encampment, placing the tents regularly according to the towns they came from—which made a fine sight, and at a distance had the appearance of a large town. The carriages were innumerable to convey these tents, baggage and stores; and on the top of each was a cock to crow the hours. There were also great numbers of peasants to drag the culverines and other engines of war; and the majority of the Flemings wore plain armour, according to the custom of their country.
On their departure, they all mustered under arms before the duke and constable, who viewed them with much pleasure,—and on this day a wolf ran through the ranks of the division from Bruges, which caused a great alarm and a cry of 'To arms!' on which the whole took the field, when there might be full thirty thousand wearing helmets. They crossed the river at Gravelines, and fixed their quarters at Tournehem, not far distant. The weather was at this time dreadfully severe, with rain and such high winds that they could not pitch their tents, but were forced to lie on the ground. Three Picards were arrested and hanged by the ghent men, for robbing the landlord of an hôtel of his provisions.
The count d'Estampes here joined the army of Flanders with the men at arms the duke of Burgundy had ordered on this expedition,—and on a Friday the whole encamped before the castle of Oye[40], in possession of the English. This place soon surrendered to the duke and to the men of Ghent, who ordered nine and twenty to be hanged the same day in front of the castle; and afterward twenty-five suffered the like sentence, with the exception of three or four that were respited at the request of the duke. The castle was on its surrender burnt, and razed to the ground.
With regard to the Picards and Burgundians now with the army, although very expert plunderers, they could not lay hands on any thing; for the flemish commanders would on no account suffer such things, or, when known, pass them over with impunity,—and, what was worse, when they chanced to get any things from the enemy, it often happened that, with their spoil, their own private property was taken from them also. When they complained of this, they only received additional blows, which obliged them to be silent and suffer all, from the greater power of the Flemings, but it was most impatiently.
The Flemings were so presumptuous that they thought nothing could be done without them, and even imagined that the English, from fear of them would abandon Calais and fly to England. This was frequently the subject of their conversations with the Picards, adding, that they well knew that, when the English should be informed of their lords of Ghent being in arms against them, they would not run the risk of being conquered by them, but make a timely retreat; that it was negligence in the fleet not to have advanced prior to their arrival, before the port of Calais, to cut off their escape.