wn from this elevated spot, as the Earl of Salisbury
had formerly done from Les Tourelles at Orleans. Having fallen into a
regular skirmish, they sent to Clairoix in all haste for their arms
and to summon their company, which would take a good half hour to
reach the scene of battle. Meanwhile, all unarmed as they were, they
joined Messire Baudot's little band, to help it to hold out against
the enemy.[2008] Thus to surprise my Lord of Luxembourg might be a
stroke of good luck and certainly could not be bad; for in any event
the Margny men would have straightway summoned their comrades of
Clairoix to their aid, as they did in very deed summon the English
from Venette and the Burgundians from Coudun.

[Footnote 2007: Monstrelet, vol. iv, p. 387. Lefevre de Saint-Remy,
vol. ii, p. 179. Chastellain, vol. ii, p. 48. Note concerning G. de
Flavy, in _Trial_, vol. v, p. 176.]

[Footnote 2008: Letter from the Duke of Burgundy to the inhabitants of
Saint-Quentin, in _Trial_, vol. v, p. 166. Monstrelet, Lefevre de
Saint-Remy, Chastellain. Notes concerning G. de Flavy, _loc. cit._]

Having stormed the camp and pillaged it, the assailants should in all
haste have fallen back on the town with their booty; but they dallied
at Margny, for what reason is not difficult to guess: that reason
which so often transformed the robber into the robbed. The wearers of
the white cross as well as those of the red, no matter what danger
threatened them, never quitted a place as long as anything remained to
be carried away.

If the mercenaries of Compiegne incurred peril by their greed, the
Maid on her side by her valour and prowess ran much greater risk;
never would she consent to leave a battle; she must be wounded,
pierced with bolts and arrows, before she would give in.

Meanwhile, having recovered from so sudden an alarm, Messire Baudot's
men armed as best they might and endeavoured to win back the village.
Now they drove out the French, now they themselves were forced to
retreat with great loss. The Seigneur de Crequy, among others, was
sorely wounded in the face. But the hope of being reinforced gave them
courage. The men of Clairoix appeared. Duke Philip himself came up
with the band from Coudun. The French, outnumbered, abandoned Margny,
and retreated slowly. It may be that their booty impeded their march.
But suddenly espying the _Godons_ from Venette advancing over the
meadowland, they were seized with panic; to the cry of "_Sauve qui