harles, who
could not help remarking that the troops of Louis demeaned themselves as
if they were rather friends to the Liegeois than allies of Burgundy.

At length, without experiencing any serious opposition, the army arrived
in the rich valley of the Maes, and before the large and populous
city of Liege. The Castle of Schonwaldt they found had been totally
destroyed, and learned that William de la Marck, whose only talents were
of a military cast, had withdrawn his whole forces into the city, and
was determined to avoid the encounter of the chivalry of France
and Burgundy in the open field. But the invaders were not long of
experiencing the danger which must always exist in attacking a large
town, however open, if the inhabitants are disposed to defend it
desperately.

A part of the Burgundian vanguard, conceiving that, from the dismantled
and breached state of the walls, they had nothing to do but to march
into Liege at their ease, entered one of the suburbs with the shouts
of "Burgundy, Burgundy, Kill, kill--all is ours!--Remember Louis of
Bourbon!"

But as they marched in disorder through the narrow streets, and were
partly dispersed for the purpose of pillage, a large body of the
inhabitants issued suddenly from the town, fell furiously upon them,
and made considerable slaughter. De la Marck even availed himself of
the breaches in the walls, which permitted the defenders to issue out
at different points, and, by taking separate routes into the contested
suburb, to attack, in the front, flank, and rear at once the assailants,
who, stunned by the furious, unexpected, and multiplied nature of the
resistance offered, could hardly stand to their arms. The evening, which
began to close, added to their confusion.

When this news was brought to Duke Charles, he was furious with rage,
which was not much appeased by the offer of King Louis to send the
French men at arms into the suburbs, to rescue and bring off the
Burgundian vanguard. Rejecting this offer briefly, he would have put
himself at the head of his own Guards, to extricate those engaged in the
incautious advance; but D'Hymbercourt and Crevecoeur entreated him to
leave the service to them, and, marching into the scene of action at two
points with more order and proper arrangement for mutual support, these
two celebrated captains succeeded in repulsing the Liegeois, and in
extricating the vanguard, who lost, besides prisoners, no fewer than
eight hundred men,