On this account, the townsmen of Antwerp, without giving any notice to the duke, had seized the vessel, and confined those found within it in prison. The duke was so much displeased with their conduct that he had collected the force before mentioned to punish them.—In the mean time, his intentions were known to the men of Antwerp, who, though greatly surprised thereat, lost no time in providing men at arms to defend their town, should it be attacked.
They went in a body to the abbey of St Michael, where the duke was lodged whenever he visited Antwerp, having suspicions that some of their enemies were in it; but alter searching every part both above and below, and finding no one, they broke down the walls, to prevent them becoming places of defence. After this, they retired to continue their warlike preparations.
When the duke of Burgundy found that they had discovered his purposes, and were preparing to resist them, he disbanded his men at arms. At the same time, he caused it to be proclaimed through the principal towns in Flanders, Brabant, and his other dependances, that no one, under pain of being capitally punished, should carry provision or stores of any kind to Antwerp, nor give to the inhabitants any counsel or aid whatever. The Antwerpers were in great distress and dismay on hearing of these proclamations,—but they carefully guarded their town, and remained a considerable time in this situation. However, at length a treaty was entered into between them, by which the duke received a very large sum of money, and the magistrates recovered his good graces.
THE FRENCH CONQUER THE TOWN OF ST DENIS FROM THE ENGLISH.
While these things were passing in Brabant, the French won the town of St Denis from the English by storm. They were about twelve hundred combatants, under the command of sir John Foulcault, sir Louis de Vaucourt, sir Regnault de St Jean, and other captains, who put to death some of the English whom they found in the town. The Parisians began to be alarmed by this conquest, as it was so near, and would probably cut off all provision coming to Paris,—for the French made frequent excursions to their walls.
To prevent any supplies being delayed from Normandy, they sent deputations to the duke of Bedford at Rouen, and to Louis de Luxembourg bishop of Therouenne, and chancellor of France for king Henry, to request that a sufficiency of men at arms might be ordered to Paris, to defend them against the enemy.
By the advice of the chancellor, sir John bastard of St Pol, Louis his brother, Waleran de Moreul, sir Ferry de Mailly, Robert de Neufville, and some other gentlemen, with five hundred men, were sent to them from the frontiers of Picardy. They took the road from Rouen, and safely arrived in Paris, where they were most joyously received; and, with the counsels and aid of the lord de l'Isle-Adam, governor of Paris for king Henry, they commenced a sharp warfare with the French in St Denis.