The Duke of Burgognie with fortie thousand mē.
The duke of Burgognie, remaining still in his former purpose, assembled togither, of Flemings, Picards, Hollanders, and Heneweirs, a great armie, to the number of fortie thousand, so well armed, so well vitteled, so well furnished with ordinance, and garnished in all things, that they thought and blazed amongst themselues, that the Calisians would leaue their towne desolate, and flée for their safegard, hearing onelie of the dukes approch: but they reckoned without their host; and so paid a déerer shot than they looked for. Now when this mightie armie was past the water of Grauelin, the duke intending to begin his feats, assaulted the little poore castell of Oie, which hauing in it but fiftie souldiers, whereof twelue sold their liues déerelie; the remnant (compelled by necessitie) yéelded themselues to the dukes mercie. Which to please the Gantois (being of number most puissant in all the armie) liberallie gaue to them, both the castell and prisoners, who (rude and cruell people) not onelie raced the castell but also hanged nine and twentie of the captiues, and had so doone with the residue, if the duke, offended at their crueltie, had not willed a staie.
Calis besieged by the Duke of Burgognie.
After this feat doone, the Picards besieged the castell of Marke, and gaue thrée assaults to it. The Englishmen within, being in number two hundred and six, vnder the gouernement of their capteine sir Iohn Gedding, valiantlie defended the place; vntill at length, despairing of succours, they yéelded themselues (their liues and lims saued.) The castell of Marke being thus deliuered, was raced to the ground. Then the duke, accompanied with the duke of Cleues, the earle of Estampes, the lords of Dantoing, Croie, Crisquie, Humiers, and manie other barons and knights, with his great armie, came before Calis, & placed his siege about the same most to his aduantage: he gaue thrée assaults, and gained nothing by them, but constreined to kéepe them further off. At the first assault, the Hire which was come to sée the duke of Burgognie, was sore wounded and hurt. A cooling card it was also vnto them, still to sée ships arriued in the hauen out of England, openlie before their faces, laden with vittels, munition and men.
The dukes enterprise to bar the hauen.
The duke on a daie riding about to view the situation of the towne, to the intent to take his most aduantage (either by assault or otherwise) was quickelie espied, and with the shot of a canon, a trumpetter, which rode next before him, and thrée horsses in his companie were slaine out of hand. The lord of Croie, and a conuenient number with him, was appointed to besiege the castell of Guisnes, where he got little profit, and did lesse harme. Moreouer, for the better aduancing of his enterprise, the duke minded to stop vp the hauen; so that no succours should enter there. Herevpon, he caused foure great hulkes to be fraught with great square stones, cemented and ioined togither with lead, to the intent they should lie still like a mount, and not seuer in sunder.
These ships, with the residue of the dukes nauie, were conueied into the mouth of Calis hauen, and at a full sea, by craft and policie, were soonke downe to the ground. But whether God would not that the hauen should be destroied, either the conueiers of the hulkes knew not the verie chanell; these foure great ships, at the low water, laie openlie vpon the sands, without hurting the rode or chanell. Which when the souldiers perceiued, they issued out of the towne, brake the ships, and caried both the stones and timber into the towne. An other deuise the duke had, which was the building of a strong bastile vpon a little mountaine, which he furnished with foure hundred men, and much artillerie, that did impeach the Englishmen from issuing foorth of the towne, to their great displeasure.
Whilest these things were adooing, there came to the duke an herald called Penbroke, belonging to duke of Glocester, who declared to the duke of Burgognie, that the protector of England his maister (if God would send him wind & weather) would giue him battell, either there, or in anie other place within his owne countrie, where he would appoint, and that with spéed, if God vouchsafed him wind and weather. The duke answered the herald; "Sir, saie to your maister, that his chalenge is both honorable and reasonable: howbeit, he shall not néed to take the paines to séeke me in mine owne countrie, for (God willing) he shall find me héere, till I haue my will of the towne, readie to abide him and all the power he can bring." After the herald had receiued this answer, he was highlie chéered, and had a cup and an hundred guildens to him giuen in reward, and so he returned to Calis.
The dukes bastile woone.
The duke of Burgognie breaketh vp the siege before Calis, and fléeth, the 26 of Iulie.