The town was instantly alarmed, and the majority of the inhabitants precipitately withdrew into the castle, which had not been conquered,—whence they defended themselves gallantly against the enemy, who summoned them repeatedly to surrender. They would never listen to the summons, but dispatched messengers in all speed to inform sir John de Luxembourg of their distress, and to require his aid. Sir John, on hearing this, immediately set clerks to write letters to all his friends and relations, to press them most earnestly, from the affection they bore him, now to hasten to the succour of his town of Ligny. Many of the nobles and gentlemen to whom he had applied made instant preparations to attend him, and would have joined him in great numbers; but, in the mean time, the young lord of Commercy perceiving he could not win the castle, and fearing the great force sir John de Luxembourg would march against him, whose power and inclinations he well knew, concluded with those in whom he had the greatest confidence to return whence they had come. Having thus determined, they packed up all the moveables they found in the town that were portable: they set the houses on fire, to the grief and dismay of the inhabitants, and then marched away with their prisoners to Commercy.
Intelligence of this was instantly sent to sir John de Luxembourg, who was grieved at heart on hearing it; and as his plans were now at an end, he sent letters to countermand the coming of his friends, and gave up his intended expedition.
THE BURGUNDIANS, UNDER PRETENCE OF BEING ENGLISH, GAIN THE CASTLE OF LA BOUE, NEAR TO LAON.—OTHER MATTERS.
At this same period, the men of the lord de Ternant, who resided in Rethel, dressed themselves with the red cross, to counterfeit being English, and, on a certain day, won by stratagem the castle of la Boue, within two leagues of Laon. They were under the command of a man at arms called Nicholas Chevalier; and, by means of this capture, those of Laon, and other places under the obedience of king Charles, suffered much.
The reason why they put on the red cross was on account of the truce between king Charles and the duke of Burgundy, which was not then expired. They had always been of the duke's party; and very many mischiefs were done to the poor countrymen by English, French, and Burgundians.
The count de Vaudemont, at this time also, assembled three or four hundred combatants in Picardy, whom he conducted to his town of Vezelize: one of his captains was the bastard de Humieres: and on their arrival, they commenced a severe warfare on the Barrois and Lorrainers, to whom they did much mischief by fire, sword and plunder.
In the month of October, the duke and duchess of Burgundy went to Holland, escorted by about six hundred combatants from Picardy. The duke staid there about a month to examine the country,—and during that time, a treaty was concluded between his counsellors and those of the duchess of Bavaria, by which it was settled that the duke of Burgundy should from the present enjoy all the honours, profits, and emoluments of the countries of Hainault, Holland, Zealand and Frizeland, with their dependancies, as his own hereditary right; but that, should the duke die before the said duchess, all these territories were to return to her as the legal heiress of them.