On the 6th day of June, in this same year 1452, the duke of Burgundy marched from Dendermonde with his whole army, to invade the country of Waes. He formed his army into three divisions: the van he gave to the count de St Pol, who was accompanied by his two brothers, sir Cornille the bastard, the lord de Saveuses, sir James de Lalain, and others. The duke commanded the center, having with him his son, the knights and esquires of his household, and a part of the Picards: the count d'Estampes and the duke of Cleves, his son-in-law, had the command of the rear division. This arrangement being made, he marched toward Rupelmonde, which the ghent men had strongly fortified, and were there waiting his coming with plenty of artillery and warlike stores, to defend a bulwark they had cast up in front of the place. When the duke was near to Rupelmonde, he was fearful that if the ghent men should discover his whole strength they would not issue out of their intrenchments; and to deceive them as to his numbers, he detached a considerable body to observe the countenance of the enemy, to skirmish with them, and to draw them out into the plain. In the mean time, he advanced his whole army in three divisions, but in close order, for greater security, so that the ghent men could not see more than the first division, or at least what appeared to be such. The ghent men observing the detachment, and the van of the army, which was not far behind, not imagining there were any more, insolently issued forth from their intrenchments to attack them; but, in pursuance of the duke's orders, his men immediately wheeled round and fled. The ghent men pursued until they fell in with the duke's army, drawn up in battle-array, and the archers dismounted. The battle now raged, and the ghent men made good use of their culverins; but they could not withstand the arrows of the Picards, and, turning about, fled. The men at arms followed, and the slaughter was dreadful. It happened in the pursuit, that sir Cornille, the bastard, was attacked by a Fleming, who thrust his pike into his throat, which unluckily was unguarded, and killed him on the spot: it was a great loss, from the promising expectations he had given of his future worth. The ghent men were defeated, and two thousand five hundred were left dead on the field: the rest retreated to a large village called Acre, which they had strongly fortified with trenches and ramparts. The duke, having collected his men together, began his march back, but not before he had his son, the bastard, raised from the ground, and sent off, with many honours to Brussels, where he was interred in the church of St Goule. CHAP. XXXIV. THE GHENT MEN WHO HAD FLED TO ACRE ABANDON THE PLACE: IT IS BURNT BY THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.--THE KING OF FRANCE SENDS AMBASSADORS TO THE DUKE IN FLANDERS, TO RESTORE PEACE TO THAT COUNTRY.