The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Vol. 01 [of 13] : $b containing an account of the cruel civil wars between the houses of Orleans and Burgundy, of the possession of Paris and Normandy by the English, their expulsion thence, and of other memorable events that happened in the kingdom of France, as well as in other countriesMonstrelet, Enguerrand de
History
The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Vol. 01 [of 13] : $b containing an account of the cruel civil wars between the houses of Orleans and Burgundy, of the possession of Paris and Normandy by the English, their expulsion thence, and of other memorable events that happened in the kingdom of France, as well as in other countries
Monstrelet, Enguerrand de
Europe -- History -- 476-1492 -- Sources; France -- History -- House of Valois, 1328-1589; Hundred Years' War, 1339-1453
The Flemings, and the greater part of the infantry, shortly began to
give way, and take to flight from fear of the arrows,—and the men at
arms soon followed their example. The genoese cross-bows also, having,
in the preceding assault on the outer court of the castle, expended all
their bolts, had not provided themselves with a fresh supply, so that at
this time of need they made a very poor defence.
By these means, the English, without any great loss on their side, soon
discomfited the French, and remained victors oh the field. The count de
St Pol, with others of his companions, made off without any regard to
his honour, and, passing through St Omer, returned to Therouenne.
In general, all those of his party who remained were killed, or made
prisoners. The slain were about sixty in number,—and among them were the
principal of the french commanders, namely, the lord de Querecqs, sir
Morlet de Savences, sir Courbet de Rempeupret, sir Martel de Vaulhuon,
sir Guy d’Juergny, and the lord de Fayel.
Among the prisoners were the lord de Hangestez[81], governor of
Boulogne, the lord de Dampierre[82], seneschal of Ponthieu, the lord de
Rambures[83], George la Personne, the lord de Givenchy, with several
other noble knights and esquires, to the amount of sixty or eighty.
When the battle was concluded, and the English had taken possession of
all the carts and engines of war which the enemy had brought thither,
and had stript the dead, they returned to their town of Calais with
their prisoners, rejoicing in their victory.
On the contrary, count Waleran and those who had escaped with him were
overwhelmed with despair, and not without cause. On the third day after
this defeat, the English marched out of Calais with the numerous cannons
and other artillery they had taken from the French before Mercq, for the
town of Ardres. They amounted to about five hundred combatants; and as
they had marched all night, thinking to surprise it, and that it was
weakly garrisoned, they began their attack at the break of day, by
placing ladders against its walls, and setting fire to different parts
of it.
But through the vigilance and courage of two notable and valiant knights
who were in the town, sir Mansart de Boz and the lord de Lignes, the
English were repulsed. At this attack and retreat, there were from forty
to fifty English slain, whom their companions carried to a large house
without the walls, and set fire to it, that the enemy might be ignorant
of their loss.
Confounded and dejected with their repulse and loss, they returned to
Calais, where, some of those who had been at the affair of Mercq having
died of the wounds which they had received from the genoese cross-bows,
they wanted to put the genoese prisoners to death, saying that their
bolts and arrows had been poisoned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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