While the van of the enemy were pursued, some of the king's franc-archers too busily employed themselves in plundering their baggage; and the count de Romont who had from fourteen to fifteen thousand infantry under his command, fell on them, and slew the greater part. It was said that the loss on both sides, that day, amounted to nearly fifteen thousand men, of which from eleven to twelve thousand were Burgundians. The French likewise made nine hundred or a thousand prisoners; and in the number was the son of the king of Poulaine, and another youth said to be the favourite of the duke of Austria, with many others of good family and large fortunes[93].
On the king's side, the captain Beavoisien, and Vaast de Mompedon, bailiff of Rouen, were killed, and about three hundred of the franc-archers. After this defeat, the duke of Austria, the count de Romont, and others of their captains, having rallied their men, marched to a place, called Malaunoy, in which was a gascon captain, called le Cadet Remonnet, having with him seven or eight score gascon cross-bows. The Burgundians attacked the place, which was for some time well defended by the Gascons; but at length it was stormed and the greater part of the garrison put to death: the rest saved themselves by leaping into the ditches. With regard to Remonnet he was made prisoner, and, on assurance of his life, carried to the duke of Austria, who, regardless of the assurance that had been given, had him hanged, three days afterward, in cold blood. The king of France was so enraged at this that he ordered fifty of the principal prisoners that had been taken to be hanged by the provost marshal, by way of revenge. Seven of the chief prisoners were hanged on the spot where Remonnet had been executed,—ten before Douay, ten before St Omer, ten before Arras, and ten before Lille. The provost was escorted, to perform these executions, by eight hundred lances and six thousand franc-archers, who afterwards advanced into the country of Guines and Flanders, where they took seventeen towns or strong holds, burning and destroying the country, and carrying off cattle, sheep, horses, and every thing portable, to their different garrisons.
At this time, Coulon and other adventurers at sea from the coasts of Normandy captured four score flemish vessels, which were on their voyage to fetch rye from Prussia, to victual their country, and the produce of the herring fishery for that year. It was the greatest loss that had befallen the Flemings at sea for upwards of an hundred years, and they suffered much from it.
FOOTNOTES:
[90] Dole,—on the river Doux, in Franche Comté.
[91] It is singular that the three contemporary monarchs, Edward IV. of England—James III. of Scotland—Louis XI. of France, should have each murdered his brother.
[92] For further particulars relative to the duke of Albany, I refer to Pinkerton's History of Scotland. In a note to the Cronique Scandaleuse by the abbé Lenglet du Fresnoy, he says,—'Alexander Stuart, brother to James III. king of Scotland, died at Paris 1483, and was buried in the convent of the Celestins. But by Pinkerton he was alive in 1484, and was accidentally killed, when a spectator at a tournament between the duke of Orleans and another knight, by a splinter from a lance. His son John was duke of Albany, and regent of Scotland during the minority of James V.
[93] This battle of Guinegate decided nothing; for though Maximilian was beaten, he remained master of the field,—and Comines says, that had he attempted Therouenne or Arras, he would have found both towns empty.
[A.D. 1480.]
CHAP. XXIX.