They continued advancing until they came before the town of Bar-le-Duc[76], in which were the marquis du Pont, son to the king of Sicily, duke of Bar, and others of the nobility of that country. They summoned the marquis to come out and give them battle, for that they were ready and anxious to meet him in the field. The marquis, by advice of his council, made answer, that he would not combat them at their request and pleasure; but he had that intention in proper time and place, when he should judge most fitting. The Burgundians, on hearing this answer departed thence for a large village, called Longueville[77], where they were met by the count de Vaudemont with all the forces he could muster. On the morrow, they advanced farther into the duchy of Bar, destroying every thing with fire and sword; and thence into Lorraine, where they despoiled all all that was not secured in the fortified towns and castles; and what was worse, they took by force some churches and committed divers sacrileges. In truth, the count de Vaudemont was so determined on his revenge that he would have continued this cruel treatment throughout the duchies of Lorraine and Bar, had not the lords who had come to his aid been dissatisfied with it. He could not keep them longer with him, nor indeed his own men; so that after they had been employed on this business for the space of twenty-six days, without meeting with any force to combat, they returned whence they had come, but by another road, after having suffered greatly from want of provision for themselves and their horses. Such was the mode in which war was carried on between these two great lords, to the ruin and destruction of the poorer people. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 74: Reuly. Rely.--Du Cange.] [Footnote 75: Aubanton,--a town in Picardy, near Vervins, diocese of Laon.] [Footnote 76: Bar-le-Duc,--a strong town of Lorraine, on the confines of Champagne.] [Footnote 77: Longueville,--three leagues north from Faquemont.] CHAP. XLII. THE DUKE OF ORLEANS OBTAINS HIS LIBERTY BY MEANS OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, AND MARRIES THE LADY OF CLEVES, NIECE TO THE SAID DUKE. Several embassies, as you have seen, took place between the kings of France and of England, and the duke of Burgundy, to endeavour to bring about a general peace, and also to obtain the deliverance of the duke of Orleans from his confinement in England. They had, however, been attended with little success for the English held out no hopes of peace, but to the prejudice and loss of the king of France and his realm. They would not condescend to treat in earnest but on condition that all the conquests they had made in France should remain freely to them, with any dependance whatever on the crown of France, and they particularly insisted on holding the duchies of Guienne and Normandy on these terms. This had prevented the conclusion of a general peace, for neither the king of France nor his council would submit to them.