THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS AN ARMY INTO LUXEMBOURG AGAINST SOME GERMANS, WHO, FROM THIONVILLE[144], WERE WASTING THAT COUNTRY.—THE DUKE ENTERS FLANDERS WITH A LARGE FORCE, TO MAKE WAR ON GHENT.
About Easter, in this year, some Germans, who had possessed themselves of the strong town of Thionville, overran, at different times, the duchy of Luxembourg, which was under obedience to the duke, and all its towns, excepting this town of Thionville. These Germans continuing their incessant inroads, the duke was constrained to send thither the lord de Rubempré, a Picard, with one hundred men at arms and four hundred archers: but he found the enemy in such strength that he was unable to oppose them. The duke, although hard pressed to find men to carry on his war against Ghent, was forced to send reinforcements into Luxembourg. He therefore ordered thither the lord de Croy, his first chamberlain, and governor of Luxembourg, with one hundred lances and eight hundred archers, whose principal captains were the lord of Hames, the lord of Mareuil, the lord of Dommarcq[145], and others.
The ghent men, on the other hand, did not cease from carrying fire and sword into Hainault and the defenceless parts of Flanders. On the 15th day of June, they advanced toward Ath[146], to burn that part of the country; but sir John de Croy lord of Chimay, having had early notice of their intentions, defeated them completely, killing three hundred, and taking numbers of prisoners, whom he carried off without molestation.
The duke of Burgundy marched from Lille on the 20th day of June, with a most numerous army to Courtray: he had a large train of artillery, and plenty of pioneers to open the woods and clear the roads, and numbers of carpenters to construct warlike engines. These pioneers and carpenters had been sent thither at the expense of the countries under the duke's obedience.
The principal nobles in this army were the count d'Estampes, sir James de St Pol, brother to the count de St Pol, who was then employed by the king of France in the Bordelois against the English. The marshal of Burgundy was also with the duke, having with him three hundred men at arms, whom he had brought from Burgundy, and many other great lords and esquires from the territories of the duke.
The duke marched his whole army from Oudenarde the 25th day of June, to besiege the castle of Helsebecque, and a strong monastery hard by. The monastery was instantly won by storm, and thirty-two ghent men taken within it, whom the duke caused to be hanged. The castle surrendered unconditionally the second day afterward, when about one hundred and fifty men, that were made prisoners, suffered a similar fate, by command of the duke.
FOOTNOTES:
[144] Thionville,—a strong town of Luxembourg on the Moselle, 12 leagues from Treves.
[145] Dommarcq.——Du Cange, Dormnast.
[146] Ath,—a town in Hainault, nine miles north-west of Mons.