When king Charles had resided some time in Paris, he departed for Tours in Touraine. After he was gone, several of his captains set out for the frontiers of Normandy, as they found great difficulty to maintain themselves,—namely, Anthony de Chabannes, Blanchefort, Gaultin de Bron, Floquet, Pierre, Regnault Chapelle, Mathelin d'Escouvet, and others. On assembling together, they mustered about two thousand horse, and took the road through the country of Vimeu, to cross the Somme at Blanchetaque, and quarter themselves in the country of Ponthieu. Thence they advanced toward Dourlens, and stationed themselves at Orville, and in the villages round, belonging to the count de St Pol. They went next toward Braye, and recrossed the Somme at Cappy, to lodge at Lihons in Santerre, committing great mischiefs wherever they passed.

They were not satisfied with seizing on provision but ransomed all they could lay hands on, peasants and cattle. They even attacked the castle of Lihons; but it was well defended by sir Waleran de Moreul and his men within it.

After remaining there some time, and committing the greatest disorders and waste, they advanced toward the lands of sir John de Luxembourg count de Ligny, in the Cambresis, who had not yet taken the oaths of allegiance to king Charles. Nevertheless, they did him no mischief, because he was always well provided with men at arms,—and they mutually exchanged sealed agreements not to molest each other. The French, however, committed much waste in other parts of the Cambresis, and thence went to fix their quarters at Solesmes[14], in Hainault.

Sir John de Croy, at that time bailiff of Hainault, assembled the nobles of Hainault, and sent to the principal towns for reinforcements to defend the country against these French, who, in the vulgar tongue, were called Skinners. The reason why this name had been given them was, that whoever was met by them, whether French, Burgundian or English, he was indiscriminately stripped of all his clothes to his shirt; and when he, thus naked, returned to his home, he was told that he had been in the hands of the Skinners, and much laughed at for his misfortune. This name was in vogue a long time,—and thus the name of Armagnac was forgotten which had lasted so long.

While these Skinners were quartered at Solesmes, and in the adjoining villages a party of them advanced farther into Hainault, beyond QuÊnoy, to seek for pillage. In the course of this expedition they accidentally met the bailiff of Lessines named Colart de Sennieres, with three or four hundred men whom he had assembled in his village, and was marching them toward QuÊnoy le Comte, in obedience to the summons of the countess-dowager and of the before mentioned bailiff of Hainault, who was there collecting all his forces together.

It was very early in the morning when the French fell in with these men, and instantly charged them most courageously. The Hainaulters were much surprised at the suddenness of the attack, and although some of them made a resistance and prepared for the combat, they were very soon defeated, and the greater part made prisoners or cruelly put to death. Colart was killed on the field, with about eight score of his men. The prisoners were ransomed as if they had been enemies to France: the rest escaped by the nimbleness of their heels.

The nobles of Hainault were greatly alarmed at this defeat, in so much that the bailiff sent information of what had happened to the duke of Burgundy requiring from him aid, when the duke sent him a strong reinforcement of men at arms. The bailiff again assembled a greater force than before in QuÊnoy, as well from Valenciennes, as from the other great towns, to pursue and combat these Skinners; but they, hearing of it, quitted the country and made for Guise, and thence proceeded toward Champagne, committing waste wherever they passed.

Before they left Hainault, they gave up several prisoners without ransoms, in consequence of the duke of Burgundy's writing to request it. He had also sent to them a gentleman of his household, called Meliades, who was a Breton, and much beloved by these french captains.