At these words all who were in the market-place, and who had heard the speech, held up their hands as a sign of their loyalty. After this Philip descended from the scaffold on which he had harangued, and returned to his house, where he remained the whole day. On the morrow he and his attendants mounted their horses, and went toward Oudenarde, where the siege was still going on, notwithstanding the news of the French; but on passing through Courtray he rested two days.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Order of the French Army in its March to Flanders, after they had heard the Bridges were broken and guarded.
WE will for a while leave Philip von Artaveld, and speak of the young King of France, who resided at Arras, and who, as he showed, had a great desire to enter Flanders to lower the pride of the Flemings; and was daily increasing his army by the arrival of men at arms from all quarters. On the third day of November, he came to Seclin, where he halted. A council was held in the presence of the Constable of France, and the Marshals of France, Burgundy, and Flanders, to consider how they should proceed. The common report in the army was the impossibility to enter Flanders in case the passes of the river should be strongly guarded. It rained, besides, at this time continually, and was so exceedingly cold that they could not advance. Some of the wisest said it was wrong to undertake such an expedition at this season of the year, and to bring the king so far into such a country. They ought not to have united before the summer to carry the war into Flanders, for the king had never been so far in his life.
This river Lis is so difficult to cross, that except at certain places it cannot be passed. There are no fords, and the country it runs through is so very marshy, horses cannot approach it. There were many debates among these lords on this subject; and those who knew the country said, “Certainly, at such a season as this, it will not be right to advance into that country, nor can we go into the territories of Cassel, Surnes, or Verthes.”—“And what road shall we then take?” cried the constable. Upon which the Lord de Coucy said, “I would propose that we march to Tournay, and there cross the Scheld, and take the road toward Oudenarde. This road is very easy, and we shall engage with our enemies. After passing the Scheld, we shall not have any thing to stop us before Tournay. We may thus arrive before Oudenarde, and punish Philip von Artaveld. We can have daily refreshments of provisions come to us from Hainault, and follow us down the river from Tournay.” This speech of the Lord de Coucy was well attended to, and supported by several for some time: but the constable and marshals were more inclined to follow the course of the Lis, to seek a shorter passage, than to march to the right or left by a longer road; and they urged strong reasons for it, saying, “If we look for any other road but the straight one, we do not show ourselves good men at arms; at least it is our duty to examine if we cannot pass the river above or below this pass of Commines, which is guarded. Besides, if we retreat, our enemies will rejoice and be encouraged: their forces will increase, and they will say that we fly from them. There is also another point which ought to be considered: we are ignorant what has been the success of the ambassadors they sent to England; for if, by any treaty, assistance should come to them from that quarter, they will give us much trouble. It is therefore better that we get rid of this business in Flanders as speedily as possible, than be thus long in determining upon it. Let us instantly, and with courage, march toward Commines, and God will assist us.”
This plan was unanimously adopted. During the time these lords were assembled, they considered how they should form their battalions; and selected those who were to march on foot with the constable in the vanguard, in order to clear the roads for the army to pass and march in a line, and to act as scouts to observe and find out their enemies. They also chose those who were to be in the king’s battalion, regulated the arms with which they should serve, and appointed proper persons to carry the oriflamme of France and to guard it; and likewise determined of what numbers the wings were to be composed, and how many were to be in the rear-guard. All these things they debated and arranged. When these points had been settled, and they could not think of any thing more that was necessary to be done, the council broke up, and every one retired to his lodgings. Those lords and barons who had not been present were informed of the regulations, and the manner in which they were to act from henceforward. It was this day ordered, that the king should on the morrow dislodge from Seclin, march through Lille without halting, and take up his quarters at Margnette l’Abbayee; and that the vanguard should pass on to Commines and Warneton, and do the most they could in the course of the day. This being settled, the master of the crossbows, in conjunction with the constable and marshals, unanimously appointed Sir Josse de Haluyn and the Lord de Rambures to the command of the infantry, who were to clear the roads by cutting down hedges and forests, filling up valleys, and every thing else that might be necessary. Their numbers amounted to seventeen hundred and sixty.
In the vanguard were the Marshals of Flanders, France, and Burgundy, who had under their command seventeen hundred men at arms and seven hundred crossbows, besides four thousand infantry whom the earl had given to them, armed with large shields and other weapons. It was also ordered that the Earl of Flanders and his battalion, consisting of about sixteen hundred men at arms, knights, squires, and infantry, should march on the wings of the vanguard to re-enforce it, should it be necessary. It was likewise ordered that the king’s battalion should march between the vanguard and the battalion of the Earl of Flanders, and that the king’s three uncles, Berry, Burgundy, and Bourbon, should be in it; and also the Count de la Marche, Sir James de Bourbon, his brothers, the Count de Clermont, the Dauphin d’Auvergne, the Count de Dampmartin, the Count de Sancerre, Sir John de Bouiogne, to the amount of six thousand men at arms, two thousand Genoese crossbows, and others.
The rear-guard was to consist of two thousand men at arms and two hundred archers; the commanders of which were the Lord John d’Artois, Count d’Eu, the Lord Guy, Count de Blois, Sir Waleran, Count de St. Pol, Sir William, Count de Harcourt, the Lord de Chatillon, and the Lord de Sere.
Sir Peter de Villiers was appointed to bear the oriflamme, attended by four knights, whose names were Sir Robert le Baveux, Sir Morice de Sancourt, Sir Guy de Tresiquidi, and Brandon de la Heuse: Le Borgne de Ruet and Le Borgne de Montdoulcet were named to guard the banner.
It is proper to be known, that the lords who had planned this expedition had determined they would never return to France until they had engaged Philip von Artaveld and his forces; and it was for this reason they had drawn up their battalions as ready for the combat on the morrow. The Lords d’Albreth, de Coucy, and Sir Hugh de Hanlon were ordered to form the battalions, and place them in array. Sir William de Bannes and the Lord de Champreny were appointed marshals to attend to the quarters of the king and his battalion.
It was also ordered, that on the day of battle no one but the king and eight valiant men appointed to attend his person should be on horseback. The names of these eight men were as follows: the Lord de Raineval, Le Bègue de Villaines, Sir Aymemon de Pommiers, Sir Enguerrant de Haluyn, the Viscount d’Acy, Sir Guy le Baveux, Sir Nicholas de Pennel, and Sir William des Bourdes. The Lord de Raineval and Sir Enguerrant de Haluyn were to take post in front of the king, Le Bègue de Villaines and the Viscount d’Acy (who is called in several places hereafter the Viscount d’Aunoy) were to place themselves on each side; and Sir Aymemon de Pommiers, Sir Nicholas de Pennel, Sir Guy le Baveux, and Sir William des Bourdes were to take post in the rear. It was likewise ordered, that on the day of battle Sir Oliver de Clisson, Constable of France, and Sir William de Poitiers, should advance on horseback, to reconnoitre and observe the appearance of the enemy.