The army now moved, the three battalions near to each other, when sir James de St Pol and many others from Burgundy, Picardy, and other territories of the duke, were knighted, and several that day displayed their banners for the first time. This mortal battle took place on the 22nd day of July, in the year 1453.
The duke had scarcely advanced before the van perceived the ghent men drawn up in battle-array, with their culverins and other artillery placed in their front. This manœuvre alarmed the marshal of Burgundy, who commanded the van, lest too many of his men should suffer at the onset; and he ordered his division to retire a little, which the ghent men mistaking for an intention to fly, hastened forward leaving their artillery in the rear.
John de Voz and John de Hout, with their english companions led them on, but soon, sticking spurs into their horses, galloped to surrender themselves to the duke, saying, 'My lord, here are the ghent men, whom we have brought to you, and we leave them to your mercy.' The archers now shot fiercely on the ghent men, who defended themselves for a time very valiantly; but no sooner did the three battalions of the duke make a uniform charge than their ranks were broken, and they instantly fled for Ghent.
The duke's army pursued them closely, and it was marvellous the numbers they slew. It chanced that a division of the ghent men, to the number of fourteen or fifteen hundred, had retreated into a meadow under cover of a coppice, where they regained courage and put themselves on their defence. This meadow was surrounded with ditches, so that neither the duke nor his men at arms could enter it by reason of their depth. Among those with the duke was a man at arms from Bruges, who thrice leaped the ditch to skirmish with those in the field; but at the third leap, his horse fell dead under him, from the severe blows received from the enemy's pikes.
The duke had not any archers with him, for they had all dismounted, and could not easily overtake the runaways on horseback, to put them to death; for the duke hated them mortally, and was more vexed than can be imagined to see those who had leaped the ditches forced back again by the resistance they met with. Then this valiant prince, seizing his lance from the page who bore it by his side, raging like a lion, made his horse leap the ditch, and charged the thickest of the ghent men. He was followed by many men at arms,—and in the number was Bertrandon de la Brocquiere, who bore his pennon. The duke's horse was so badly wounded in several places that he was obliged to leap back again over the ditch and wait the return of the archers. On their arrival, he again crossed the ditch, followed by his son the count of Charolois, and numbers of others, who charged the ghent men so courageously that they were defeated, and all found in the meadow were slain. It was difficult for them to escape, as it was surrounded by ditches on three sides, and by the Scheld on the other: many leaped into the river, and were drowned,—but a few of the most active and lighter armed made such good use of their legs that they saved themselves in Ghent. It is certain, that had the duke marched thither instantly, he must have entered without opposition, so much were those in the town frightened and cast down,—but his guides were unacquainted with the roads.
When the battle was over, some few escaped into Ghent; and the duke, having recalled his men, lay that night on the field of battle in his tent,—where, casting himself on his knees, he offered his thanksgivings to God for the great and decisive victory he had that day given him over his bitterest enemies.
Upward of twenty thousand of the ghent men lost their lives this day, by the sword or by drowning. The bastard de Blanc-Estain, however, saved himself by swimming across the Scheld. On the side of the duke, not more than sixteen men were killed from the commencement of the battle!
CHAP. XLVII.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, MOVED BY PITY, SENDS HIS HERALD TO GHENT TO KNOW IF THE TOWNSMEN WOULD SUBMIT TO HIS WILL, AND HE WOULD HAVE COMPASSION ON THEM.—THE MEN OF GHENT SEND HIM A DEPUTATION TO BEG HIS MERCY.
On the morrow after the defeat of the ghent men, the noble duke, moved by compassion, and his own virtuous nature, for his poor subjects, who, through pride and insolence, had rebelled against him, sent his herald, clad in his coat of arms, with letters to Ghent, signifying, that notwithstanding the victory which God had given him the preceding day, he would show them mercy if they would submit to his will, and had transmitted them passports for a deputation to come to him, should they be so inclined, to arrange articles for a general peace.