While these things were passing, a deputation of the three estates of Flanders, in conjunction with those of Bruges, waited on the duke at Lille, to request passports for certain of the ghent men to come to him, and treat of putting an end to the war. The noble duke, from his affection to them, granted their request; and soon after, twenty commissioners arrived at Lille from Ghent, who laboured so earnestly in the business that it was imagined peace must now be concluded. In this expectation, the ambassadors returned to Ghent; but when they had reported the preliminary terms, the commonalty refused to abide by them, and thus was the treaty broken off. While this negotiation was going forward, the men at arms whom the duke had raised were doing all possible mischiefs to his country,--and no person could venture abroad without being robbed, even to the very gates of the principal towns; and this plague lasted for upwards of six weeks. CHAP. XLIV. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS AN ARMY INTO LUXEMBOURG AGAINST SOME GERMANS, WHO, FROM THIONVILLE[144], WERE WASTING THAT COUNTRY.--THE DUKE ENTERS FLANDERS WITH A LARGE FORCE, TO MAKE WAR ON GHENT. About Easter, in this year, some Germans, who had possessed themselves of the strong town of Thionville, overran, at different times, the duchy of Luxembourg, which was under obedience to the duke, and all its towns, excepting this town of Thionville. These Germans continuing their incessant inroads, the duke was constrained to send thither the lord de Rubempré, a Picard, with one hundred men at arms and four hundred archers: but he found the enemy in such strength that he was unable to oppose them. The duke, although hard pressed to find men to carry on his war against Ghent, was forced to send reinforcements into Luxembourg. He therefore ordered thither the lord de Croy, his first chamberlain, and governor of Luxembourg, with one hundred lances and eight hundred archers, whose principal captains were the lord of Hames, the lord of Mareuil, the lord of Dommarcq[145], and others. The ghent men, on the other hand, did not cease from carrying fire and sword into Hainault and the defenceless parts of Flanders. On the 15th day of June, they advanced toward Ath[146], to burn that part of the country; but sir John de Croy lord of Chimay, having had early notice of their intentions, defeated them completely, killing three hundred, and taking numbers of prisoners, whom he carried off without molestation. The duke of Burgundy marched from Lille on the 20th day of June, with a most numerous army to Courtray: he had a large train of artillery, and plenty of pioneers to open the woods and clear the roads, and numbers of carpenters to construct warlike engines. These pioneers and carpenters had been sent thither at the expense of the countries under the duke's obedience.