The lord de Gaucourt was of infinite service to the French by his wisdom and prudence. The French now left Vitry and returned toward Lagny, where the lord de Gaucourt remained: the other captains led their men to the garrisons whence they had come. The besieged were much rejoiced, and not without cause, at the departure of their enemies,—for the siege had lasted upwards of four months, in which time they had suffered very great hardships from want of provision and other distresses.
At this period, the English lost the castle of Monchas in Normandy, belonging to the count d'Eu, prisoner in England, and which they had held for a long time. The captain of it was called Brunclay[7], but he was at the time with the duke of Bedford at the siege of Lagny. The French delivered all of their party confined in the prisons, and sent in haste to offer its government to sir Regnault de Fontaines, then at Beauvais, who immediately accepted of it, and marched thither with about eighty combatants. By means of this castle, a sharp warfare was carried on in Vimeu, and the adjacent parts, against all who supported the party of king Henry and of the duke of Burgundy.
FOOTNOTES:
[7] Brunclay. Q. Brownlow.
THE COMMONALTY OF GHENT RISE AGAINST THEIR MAGISTRATES.
At this season, the commonalty of Ghent rose in arms, to the amount of fifty thousand, against their magistrates. Having assembled about ten o'clock in the morning, they went to the square of the market-place, and drew up in front of the hall where the magistrates were. They were obliged instantly to speak with them, or they would have forced an entrance through the doors and windows.
When the magistrates appeared, they immediately put to death the deacon of small trades, called John Boëlle, one of the sheriffs, named Jean Daniel van Zenere, with one of the counsellors called Jason Habit. The other magistrates were in fear of their lives from the cruelties they saw committed before their eyes; the mob, however, were contented with what they had done.