Chronicle of Jean le Bel Volume 2. Afterwards it happened that Sir Jean de Picquigny, who was on the side of the King of Navarre, gained so great an alliance among the burgesses of Amiens, for the most part, and among the common people also, that one day1 he dared to come under their protection, with fully eight hundred lances, enter the suburbs, and set fire to them amid great noise and tumult. By that fire, fully two thirds of the city were burned, and it would have been conquered and taken by force had the Count of Saint-Pol not come to its aid. But when the said Sir Jean and those of his company perceived him coming, they withdrew. Afterwards, however, the treason of the burgesses was uncovered, and fourteen2 of the greatest of them were put to death and publicly dragged, for it was found that they had placed and hidden a great number of men-at-arms in their cellars, who had supported the said Sir Jean and allowed him to enter the suburbs. Likewise, at Laon, six of the richest burgesses were dragged, for it was said that they had wished to sell the city. I do not know whether they were guilty of it or not, but I would scarcely believe that good and honourable burgesses would commit such villainy.
Aprez avint que messire Jehan de Pinquegny, qui estoit de la part du roy de Navarre, acquist si grande aliance aux bourgoys d'Amyens pour la plus grande partie, et des communes aussy, qu'il osa bien ung jour venir soubs leur fiance, à tout VIIIC glayves, et entrer dedens les fausbours, et bouter le feu dedens à grand bruit et à grand hustin; et de celluy feu furent bien arses les II pars de la cité, et eust esté conquise et gaagnie par force, se le conte de Saint Pol ne la fust venu secourir; mais quant ledit messire Jehan et ceulx de sa compaignie le sentirent venir, ilz se retirerent arriere, mais puis aprez fut descouverte la trahison des bourgoys et en furent mis a mort XIIII des plus grands et traynés publiquement, car on trouva qu'ilz avoient mis et mussié grande quantité de gens d'armes enleurs celiers, qui avoient conforté ledit messire Jehan et laissié entrer es fausbours. Aussy furent traynez à Laons vi des plus riches bourgoys, car on disoit qu'ilz avoient voulu vendre la cité; je ne sçay s'ilz en estoient coulpables ou non; mais je croiroye envis que bons bourgois et honnourables feissent telle chestiveté.
Note 1. Luce's Froissart gives the number of burgesses who were beheaded as seventeen.
1. Froissart, éd. Luce, t V, p. 129, donne le nombre de dix-sept bourgeois qui furent décapités.
Note 2. It was on 16th September 1358 that Jean de Picquigny tried to seize Amiens. (Grandes Chroniques, vol. VI, p. 140, Froissart, ed. Luce, vol. V, p. xc. Compare Guillaume de Nangis, vol. II, pp. 274–276, and Chronique Normande, p. 317, nn. 1–2.)
2. C'est le 16 septembre 1358 que Jean de Picquigny essaya de s'emparer d'Amiens. (Grandes chroniques, t. VI, p. 140; Froissart, éd. Luce, t. V, p. xe. Cf. Guillaume de Nangis, t. M, p274 à 276, et Chronique Normande, p. 317, n. 1 et 2.)
In or after 1359 Jean de Picquigny died in fit of madness having killed his Chamberlain; see Chronicle of Jean le Bel Volume 2.
Chronicle of Jean le Bel Volume 2. In the end, Almighty God showed his miracle upon him [Jean de Picquiny], for he went mad in a most vile manner, and in his madness ate his hands and strangled his chamberlain, who was of the greatest lineage in Picardy.
Au derrain monstra Dieu tout puissant son miracle sur luy, car il arragaé moult villainement, el par rage menga ses mains et estrangla son chambellan qui estoit du plus grand lignage de Picardye.
Bourgeois de Valenciennes. At the time when the Navarrese were ravaging France, the city of Amiens was betrayed by certain people within it and by Sir Jean de Picquigny. The Navarrese entered it by night, and burned and pillaged a great part of it, committing much slaughter; but they were not able to hold or fully conquer it. Therefore they withdrew and retreated outside again.
En ce tamps que les Navarrois gastoient France, fut la cité d'Amiens traye par ceulx de dedens raesmes et par monseigneur Jehan de Picquegny. Et y entrèrent les Navarrois une nuit, et en ardirent et pillèrent grant plenté, et y fisrent grande ochision, mais ils ne le peurent pas conquerre. Sy s'en partirent et retrayrent hors.
Chronicle of Jean le Bel Volume 2. The noble king did not sleep at all that night, but rose at midnight and had his trumpet sounded. When everything was ready, packs and bundles loaded, and the men mounted, he set out under the guidance of this young man and his companions. They went through the country of the Vimeu until, around sunrise, they came to the ford called Blanche Tache1. But the sea tide was then so high that they could not cross, and so they remained there. In any case, he also had to wait there for his men. The said king waited there until after prime, when the said tide ebbed away. But before it had fully gone out, Sir Godemar du Fay2 came on the other side with a great number of men-at-arms and men of the country, who drew themselves up in battle array to defend the crossing.
Le noble roy ne dormy pas toute celle nuit, ains se leva à la minuit et fit sonner sa trompe. Quant tout fut appareillié, males et trousseaulx chargiez, et gens à cheval, il se parti soubs la conduite de ce varlet et de ses compaignons et alerent parmi le pays de Vymeu, tant que environ soleil levant vinrent au gué appelé Blanche Tache, mais le flos de la mer estoit adoncques si plain qu'ilz ne pœurent passer, ains là demourerent; aussy bien luy convenoit il contre attendre ses gens. Si arresta là ledit roy jusques aprez prime que ledit flos s'en rala, mais ainchois qu'il s'en fust tous ralés, vint d'aultre part messire Godemard du Fay avecq grand quantité de gens d'armes et de gens du pays qui se rengierrent en bataille pour deffendre le pas.
Note 1. The ford of La Blanchetaque is situated between Abbeville and Saint-Valery, opposite the communes of Noyelles-sur-Mer and Port-le-Grand on the right bank, and Mons and Saigneville on the left bank.
1. Le gué de la Hanchetaque est situé entre Abbeville et Saint-Valéry, en face des communes de Noyelles-sur-Meret de Port-le-Grand, sur la rive droite, de Mons et de Saigneville sur la rive gauche. (Voy. Froissart, éd. Luce, t. Il, p. xuv, n. 3.
Note 2. Together with Godemar du Fay, the Chronique Normande, and the Chronographia, name Jean de Picquigny, L’Hermite de Caumont, and Jean du Cange, treasurer of wars, among the principal defenders of the ford of Blanchetaque. Following this defeat, Godemar du Fay did not fall into disgrace, for in August 1349 we find him holding the office of seneschal of Beaucaire.
2. Avec Godemar du Fay, la Chronique Normande (p. 79) et la Chrenographia (t. Il, p. 229) citent, parmi les principaux défenseurs du gué de la Blanchetaque, Jean de Picquigny, L'Hermite de Caumort et Jean du Cange, trésorier des guerres. A la suite de cette défaite, Godemar du Faÿ ne tomba pas en disgrâce, car au mois d'août 4349 nous le trouvons remplissant les fonctions de sénéchal de Beaucaire. (Journaux du Trésor de Philippe VI de Valois, n° 5016.)
Chronicle of Jean le Bel Volume 2. Afterwards it happened that a knight named Sir Jean de Picquigny and others, acting with the support of the Provost of the Merchants and the council of the good towns, came to the castle1 where the King of Navarre was. They took him from prison and led him to Paris, at which everyone rejoiced greatly, for no one knew what he had in his heart.
Aprez, avint que ung chevalier nommé messire Jehan de Pinquegny et aultres vinrent soubs le confort du prevost des marchans et du conseil des bonnes villes au chastel, où le roy de Navarre estoit; si le prirent en prison et menerent à Paris, dont chascun eut grand joye, car chascun ne sçavoit mie ce qu’il avoit en son ventre.
Note 1. The King of Navarre, who was imprisoned in the castle of Arleux, Nord, was freed by Jean de Picquigny on Wednesday, 8th November 1357, that is, before the massacre of the Marshals of Normandy and Champagne.
1. Le roi de Navarre, qui était enfermé au château d'Arleux (Nord, arr. de Douai, ch.l. de cant.), fut délivré par Jean de Picquigny le mercredi 8 novembre 1357, c'est-à-dire avant le massacre des maréchaux de Normandie et de Champagne. (Grandes chroniques, t. VI, p.63; ef. Secousse, Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de Charles II, roi de Navarre, t. 1, p. 145 à 149, et t. I,fp. 98 et 154.)
Chronicle of Jean le Bel Volume 2. So it happened one day that Sir Jean de Picquigny, and several other knights and squires who were on the side of the King of Navarre, gathered a great company of men-at-arms to relieve the English besieged in the castle of Mauconseil. They set out by night from Creil and struck, at sunrise, into the army of the French, defeating them all. They took as prisoners those whom they wished, and killed so many that it was a marvel. Of the seven hundred whom the town of Tournai had sent there, not half escaped, and so it was with the other towns. There were taken prisoner the Bishop of Noyon, Sir Raoul de Coucy, the Fleming of Canny and several others whom I cannot name. This was in the year of grace 1358, on the Tuesday after the feast of Our Lady in mid-August1.
Si avint ung jour que messire Jehan de Pinquegny, et pluseurs aultres chevaliers et escuiers qui estoient de la part du roy de Navarre assemblerent grande compaignie de gens d'armes, pour secourir les Angloys assiegiez ou chastel de Mauconseil; si se partirent de nuit de Creel et se ferirent, ainsy que à soleil levant en lost des Françoys, si les desconfirent tous et en prirent de prisonniers ceulx qu'ilz volurent, et en tuerent tant que merveilles; des vrr que la ville de Tournay y avoit envoyé n'en eschappa pas la moitié, et ainsy des aultres villes. Là furent pris l'evesque de Noyon, messire Raoul de Coussy, le Flamenc de Canny et pluseurs aultres que je ne sçay nommer. Ce fut l'an de grace mil CCC LVIII, le mardi aprez la feste Nostre Dame my aoust.
Note 1. Jean le Bel is mistaken in placing the affair of Mauconseil on the Tuesday after the Assumption, which would correspond to 21st August, it took place on Thursday, 23rd August; Grandes Chroniques.
1. Jean le Bel fait erreur en rapportant l'affaire de Mauconsel au mardi après l'Assomption, qui correspondrait au 21 août; elle eut lieu le jeudi 23 août. (Grandes chroniques, & VI, p. 138. Cf. Froissart, éd. Luce, t. V, p. xxxrx, n. 3.)
Chronicle of Jean le Bel Volume 2. The largest garrison was in the town of Creil, and its captain was an English knight called Sir Fodringhay, who had five hundred mounted lances in his pay, not counting the archers. At the castle of Poix there was another large garrison, and Sir Jean de Picquigny, who was entirely the master of the King of Navarre and who had freed him from prison, was sovereign over these garrisons. He had drawn several knights and squires of the country into his alliance, some by force, others through fear, and he had gold and silver without number, so greatly had he oppressed and ransomed the country.
La plus grande garnison estoit en la ville de reel, et en estoit cappitaine ung chevalier angloys que on nommoit messire Fodrigand, et avoit VC lances à cheval soubs ses gages sans les archiers. Au chastel de Poys avoit une aultre grosse garnison, et messire Jehan de Pinquegny, qui estoit tout maistre du roy de Navarre et qui l'avoit jetlé de prison, estoil souverain sur ces garnisons, et avoit attrait de son acord pluseurs chevaliers et escuiers du pays, les aucuns par force, les aultres par doubte, et avoit d'or et d'argent sans nombre, tant avoit oppressé et raenchonné le pays.