at Louviers, that, considering the great body of french chivalry, it
would be necessary to form two divisions: the one under the command
of Charles d'Artois count of Eu, Louis de Luxembourg count of St Pol,
and other captains, having with them from three to four thousand
combatants, were ordered to besiege the new castle of Nicorps, which
was held by the captain, Adam Illeton[18], an Englishman. The french
army came before it on Tuesday the 12th day of September, and took
the town by storm on the following Thursday. The castle was then
besieged,--and surrendered on capitulation fifteen days afterward.
The other division was under the command of the count de Dunois,
lieutenant-general, having with him the counts de Clermont and de
Nevers, with four thousand veteran soldiers. On leaving Louviers, they
marched to lay siege to the castle of Chambrais[19] on the 18th of
September, of which an Englishman, called William Crinton[20], was
governor, and had under him two hundred men for its defence. After
seven days siege, it surrendered on capitulation with the count de
Clermont,--and thus was it restored to the obedience of the king of
France.
Without losing time, the lieutenant-general marched his army before the
castle of Harcourt, which is handsome and strong. It was governed by
sir Richard Frongueval[21], an Englishman, having under him about eight
score of his countrymen. The siege lasted about fifteen days, with
daily skirmishes with the garrison. Great advances were made, in which
a very valiant man at arms from the garrison of Louviers was killed
by a cannon-shot,--and an Englishman lost his life by the shot of a
culverine, on the portal of the lower court.
A mutiny now took place in the garrison, when the governor was
disgraced, and hung by his feet under the gate,--when the French,
taking advantage of it, played their cannon so well that they greatly
damaged the walls of the lower court. The English, fearful of
consequences, entered into a capitulation to surrender, if they should
not, on the ensuing Friday, be in force to meet them in the field, and
gave hostages for the performance. When the day arrived, not receiving
any succours, they yielded up the place.
While these armies were thus employed, the english garrison of the
town and castle of Essay[22] made an excursion to fish a pond at some
distance,--which coming to the knowledge of the duke d'Alençon, he
instantly ordered his men to mount, and marched, as secretly as he
could, to cut off their retreat. He succeeded in making the whole
prisoners, and, carrying them to Essay, forced them to deliver up the
town and castle, on pain of losing their heads.
The french garrison in Dieppe, knowing that there was but a small
garrison in Fecamp, which is a sea-port, marched thither secretly, and
won it by storm.
Shortly after, arrived a vessel from England, having on board
ninety-seven soldiers to garrison the abbey, supposing it still
to belong to king Henry, whom the French suffered to land without
opposition, but instantly afterwards took them all prisoners.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 17: Nicorps,--a village in Normandy, diocese and election of
Coutances.]
[Footnote 18: Adam Illeton. Q. Elton, or Hilson?]
[Footnote 19: Chambrais,--a market-town in Normandy, 13 leagues from
Evreux.]
[Footnote 20: W. Crinton. Q. Clinton?]
[Footnote 21: Sir Richard Frongueval. Q.]
[Footnote 22: Essay,--a market-town in Normandy, five leagues from
Alençon, two from Sées.]
CHAP. VIII.
THE DUKE OF BRITTANY AND THE CONSTABLE OF FRANCE ENTER NORMANDY WITH A
GREAT ARMY, AND LAY SIEGE TO ST LO[23], WHICH SURRENDERS TO THEM, AS
DO MANY OTHER SMALL PLACES.--THE TOWN OF CARENTAN[24] SURRENDERS ALSO.
About the same period of this year, the duke of Brittany, his brother
the count de Richemont, constable of France, with other nobles and
men at arms from his duchy, amounting to a thousand or twelve hundred
lances, entered lower Normandy, to restore it to the obedience of the
king of France from the dominion of the English (the ancient enemies of
the realm), who had usurped the government of it for nearly thirty-two
years. They first advanced to the town of Mont St Michel[25]; and the
nobles and men at arms were quartered in the villages of upper and
lower Les Pas[26], Courtis[27], St George en Gaine, Postulbanch, and
thereabouts.
The duke, on quitting Brittany, had left his brother, the lord Peter,
on the frontiers, near to Fougeres and Avranches, for their defence,
with three hundred lances. On the morrow, the duke and the constable
formed their van-guard under the command of sir James de Luxembourg,
lieutenant to the constable, the marshal and admiral of France, of
five hundred spears, who that day marched to Coutances[28], and lay
before it,--while the duke and the main army, consisting of five or
six hundred lances, remained that night in and about Granville[29]. On
the morrow, the constable advanced the main army toward Coutances, and
halted opposite to the hospital; but they were not there a day before
the English in the town marched away, and the inhabitants continued in
the same peaceful state as before this renewal of war.
The duke of Brittany next marched to lay siege to St Lo, and ordered
his van to advance and take up their quarters on one side of the
town,--while he followed with the army on the next day, and posted
himself on the opposite side. Sir William de Poitou commanded in the
place, with a garrison of two hundred men,--but notwithstanding these
numbers, he made no resistance, but capitulated with the duke for its
surrender, on being allowed to march away with his men whither he
should please. The duke and the constable, during their stay at St Lo,
won the following towns, villages and castles, namely, le Hommet[30],
Neufville[31], Torigny[32], Beuseville[33], Hambie[34], La Motte
l'Evêque[35], la Haye-du-Puy[36], Chanteloup[37], L'Aunay[38], and many
other small places round St Lo, in which city, as well as in those
captured places, strong garrisons were posted.
The van was now detached to the town of Carentan, and followed by
the main body; but the garrison held out only three days before they
surrendered, and then marched away with staves in their hands,--and
those in the town were reinstated in their possessions.
The marshal and the admiral of France now separated from the duke and
the constable, and came before Pont d'Oue[39], which having taken by
storm, they overran all the country of Coutantin, without meeting any
resistance. The government of it and Carentan was given to Joachim
Rohault. From Carentan, the above lords returned to Coutances, and
thence, in the month of October, detached a party to Gavrey[40]. On
the morrow, the duke and the constable came to Coutances, where the
duke staid that day, and before the constable could arrive at Gavrey,
the bulwark had been won by storm; and on the morrow, sir Geoffry de
Couvren, who directed the siege, having made great approaches by his
mines, attacked the castle with such vigour that the english garrison,
of about six score men, demanded a parley, and concluded a treaty with
the constable for its surrender, on being allowed to march away in
safety with their effects.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 23: St Lo,--a city of Normandy, on the Vire.]
[Footnote 24: Carentan, a town in Normandy, three leagues from the
sea-coast.]
[Footnote 25: Mont St Michel,--a strong town in Normandy, built on a
rock, and surrounded by the sea at high water.]
[Footnote 26: Les Pas,--a village in Normandy, diocese of Avranches.]
[Footnote 27: Les Courtis,--a village in Normandy, diocese of
Avranches.]
[Footnote 28: Coutances,--capital of the Coutantin, two leagues from
the sea.]
[Footnote 29: Granville,--a sea-port in Normandy, six leagues from
Coutances.]
[Footnote 30: Le Hommet,--a small town near St Lo.]
[Footnote 31: Neufville,--a village near Alençon.]
[Footnote 32: Torigny,--three leagues from Coutances.]
[Footnote 33: Beuseville, a village in Normandy.]
[Footnote 34: Hambie,--a market-town near Coutances.]
[Footnote 35: La Motte-l'Evêque,--a barony and castle near St Lo.]
[Footnote 36: La Haye-du-Puy,--a market-town near Coutances.]
[Footnote 37: Chanteloup,--a village near Coutances.]
[Footnote 38: L'Aunay,--a village.]
[Footnote 39: Pont d'Oue. Q. Pont d'Ouilly? a market-town in Normandy,
on the Vire.]
[Footnote 40: Gavrey,--a town on the Seine, four leagues from
Coutances.]
CHAP. IX.
THE DUKE OF ALENÇON CONQUERS HIS TOWN OF ALENÇON[41].--THE COUNT DE
FOIX GAINS THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF MAULÉON[42].--THE COUNT DE DUNOIS
TAKES ARGENTAN[43].--THE ENGLISH RETIRE INTO THE KEEP OF THE CASTLE,
AND, ON SURRENDERING IT, MARCH AWAY WITH ONLY STAVES IN THEIR HANDS.
The duke of Alençon, in consequence of intelligence with friends in
Alençon, advanced thither by day-break, and by their means was admitted
into the town. The english garrison retreated to the castle, which was
instantly surrounded by the duke, who had with him eight hundred lances
besides archers. There were numbers of English in the place,--but their
hearts failed them, for they made little resistance, and surrendered
the town to the duke, whose inheritance it was. Sir Louis de Beaumont,
governor of Mans, had come to his assistance with sixty lances, and
archers in proportion. During this time, the king of France was at
Louviers.
About this same period, namely, the latter end of September, the count
de Foix accompanied by the counts de Comminges, d'Estract[44], the
viscount de Lautrec his brother, and many other knights, barons, and
esquires from the counties of Foix, Comminges, Estract, Bigorre and
Béarn, to the amount of five or six hundred lances and two thousand
cross-bows, marched from his country of Béarn through that of the
Basques[45], until he came before the town of Mauléon de Soule, to
which he laid siege. The inhabitants, perceiving such numbers, were
afraid of the consequences, should the siege be pushed to extremities,
and capitulated to surrender, on condition that no harm should be done
to them.
Upon this, the english garrison retreated into the castle, which is the
strongest in all the duchy of Guienne, and is seated on a high rock.
But the count de Foix, learning that it was badly provided with stores
and provision, surrounded it with his troops on all sides; and this
coming to the knowledge of the king of Navarre, he instantly issued
his summons for the relief of the English, and marched six thousand
Navarrois, Arragonians, Gascons and English, to within two leagues of
it, to raise the siege. Finding the enemy so strongly intrenched, and
so numerous, he retreated, and sent messengers to the count to say
that he was desirous of having a conference with him, if he would send
passports for himself and what company he might please to bring with
him.
The king of Navarre, on receiving the passports, advanced with a small
company to within a quarter of a league of the count's army, where he
was waiting for him; when, after the usual salutations from the count,
(who had married the king of Navarre's daughter, and had a beautiful
family) the king said that he was much astonished, considering how
nearly they were connected together, that he had besieged a place
under his protection, his constable being governor for the king of
England, to whom he had promised to defend it against all his enemies.
The count good-humouredly replied (paying at the same time all honour
and respect), that he was lieutenant-general for the king of France
of all the countries between the river Gironde and the mountains: he
was, likewise, a relation and subject to the king of France, and it
was by his command that he had taken the town and besieged the castle;
and to preserve his honour unspotted, and that no blame might ever
be cast on him by any of his family, he would never raise the siege
until the place was reduced to the obedience of the king of France,
unless he should be fought withal and conquered; that in every other
respect he would assist and serve the king of Navarre, the father of
his wife, against all persons whatever, excepting the king of France,
his subjects and allies, and all things appertaining to the crown of
France. Upon this, the king of Navarre returned with the troops to his
own country.
The garrison in the castle, finding they had no hopes of succour,
and knowing their scarcity of provisions, surrendered it on
capitulation,--and thus was the castle restored to the obedience of the
king of France. Shortly after, the lord de Luce[46], attended by six
hundred combatants, all wearing red crosses, came and did homage to
the king of France in the hands of his lieutenant-general for the town
and castle of Mauléon, which was his inheritance. After he had taken
the oaths, he and his company returned to his mansion, wearing white
crosses, to the great astonishment of all the men, women and children,
of his country. When this had been done, the count de Foix marched his
army back to Béarn, having left a sufficient garrison in the town and
castle of Mauléon.
On the 27th of September, the lord de Blainville came with a large
force of men at arms before the castle of Toucques, strongly situated
on a rock close to the sea, and having an english garrison of sixty
men. On seeing so large a body, they did not attempt resistance, but
surrendered on having their lives and fortunes spared, and being
allowed to march in safety whither they pleased.
On the last day of this month, the counts de Dunois and de Nevers
laid siege to the castle of Yemmes[47], which the English instantly
surrendered on similar terms.
The count de Dunois then marched his army to besiege the town and
castle of Argentan. The English opened a parley, although they had not
any intentions to surrender; but when the townsmen saw that they were
only laughing at the French by these pretended parleys, and knew their
intention of holding out to the last, and that what they were saying to
the French was the farthest from their thoughts, they called some of
their countrymen aside, and bade them have no more parleys with the
English, for that they would hold out as long as they could. At the
same time, they asked for a banner or pennon, which they would display
from a certain part of the walls,--and that when they should see it
they should advance thither with courage, and they would admit them
into the town, which was done.
The English, perceiving themselves betrayed, retreated into the castle;
but a large bombard was instantly pointed against the walls, and made
a breach wide enough for a cart to pass. The French, on this success,
attacked the castle, and entered the breach,--but the English retired
into the dungeon, which they soon surrendered, fearing to be taken by
storm; and although they demanded a capitulation, they were marched
away with only staves in their hands.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 41: Alençon,--a handsome city in lower Normandy, 47 leagues
from Paris.]
[Footnote 42: Mauléon. Q. Mauléon de Soule? a town in Gascony, eight
leagues from Pau.]
[Footnote 43: Argentan,--seven leagues and a half from Alençon.]
[Footnote 44: D'Estract. In the MS. from Du Cange's copy, it is changed
to _d'Estrar_. I suspect that it ought to be _de la Trane_; for the
souldich de la Trane was of that country, and one of Edward the IIId's
great captains. He is frequently mentioned by Froissart.]
[Footnote 45: Basques,--a small country near the Pyrenées, surrounded
by Spain, the ocean, Béarn and the river Adour.]
[Footnote 46: De Luce. Luxe.----MS. Du Cange.]
[Footnote 47: Yemmes. Q. if not Yesme, a village in Maine?]
CHAP. X.
THE KING OF SICILY WAITS ON THE KING OF FRANCE AT
LOUVIERS.--FRESNOY[48] SURRENDERS TO THE DUKE OF ALENÇON.--GISORS[49]
CAPITULATES.--THE CASTLE OF GALLON[50] IS BESIEGED.
At this season, the king of Sicily came to the king of France at
Louviers, where he was very joyfully received. He had with him his
brother the count du Maine, and a long train of nobles, knights and
esquires, whose names it would be tedious to relate, to the number of
more than two hundred lances, and archers, without including those
from the army of the duke d'Alençon, the duke of Brittany, the count
de Dunois lieutenant-general, the count de Clermont, nor those of the
count d'Eu, or of the count de St Pol, who all had with them very many
men of note.
The king, seeing such a numerous and well appointed body of chivalry,
resolved to pursue with vigour the conquest of the whole duchy of
Normandy, and began his operations by ordering siege to be laid to
the castle of Gallon. This castle was very strong, and impregnable
but by famine,--for it was seated on a rock near to the Seine, out of
cannon-shot, and could not any way be won, so long as provision for
the garrison should last. The command of the siege was given to the
seneschal of Poitou and others, who pushed their approaches toward it
with great activity. The king went thither in person.
In the mean while, the duke of Alençon laid siege to the town and
castle of Fresnoy, wherein were many English; but they made no
opposition to the prosperity of the king's affairs, and surrendered on
capitulation.
During the siege of Gallon, and about three or four days before its
surrender, sir Richard de Merbury, an english knight and governor of
Gisors, agreed to terms of capitulation with the brother of his wife,
for its surrender on the 17th day of October following. In fact,
the governor turned to the french interest, and took the oaths of
allegiance, on condition that two of his sons, John and Hemond, who had
been made prisoners at the capture of Pont-Audemer, should be restored
to him without ransom; and also that he should enjoy unmolested the
lands of his wife, which were now held by the French, whether by
gift from the king or otherwise. At the solicitations of his wife's
relations, the king granted his requests,--and, in expectation of the
services that he looked to from him and his children, he also made him
governor of St Germain en Laye, and gave him, for his life only, all
the profits and emoluments arising from this government.
The king appointed, as governor of Gisors, the lord de Gaucourt, who
had long laboured in his majesty's service: and considering his great
age, of four score years and upwards, he had lately acquired very great
honour.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 48: Fresnoy,--a village in Normandy.]
[Footnote 49: Gisors,--a city in Normandy, capital of Vexin-Normand.]
[Footnote 50: Gallon,--10 leagues from Rouen, about a league from the
Seine.]
CHAP. XI.
THE KING OF FRANCE ORDERS THE COUNTS DE DUNOIS, D'EU, AND DE ST
POL TO JOIN HIM, AS HE INTENDED TO MARCH TO ROUEN, WHENCE, AFTER
REMAINING THREE DAYS HE RETURNS.--SOME OF THE INHABITANTS OF ROUEN ARE
NEAR DELIVERING UP THE CITY TO HIM.--THE DUKE OF BRITTANY BESIEGES
FOUGERES.--CONDE IS TAKEN.
In the month of October, the king of France ordered the count de
Dunois, and the lords in his company who had subdued Argentan, to
join him: and likewise the counts d'Eu and de St Pol; for it was his
intention to march to reduce Rouen to his obedience. They hastily
complied with his orders, insomuch that their armies were soon in the
plains of Neufbourg[51], and assembled on the opposite side of the
river, toward Rouen.
The king of France departed from Louviers, attended by the king of
Sicily and his nobles, and advanced to Pont de l'Arche,--when the
inhabitants came out with great joy, to welcome him on his arrival. He
thence sent heralds without delay to summon Rouen to surrender, that
all oppressions might be avoided by a voluntary submission: but the
english garrison, aware on what embassy the heralds came, would not let
them approach the walls, nor would they hear their summons, ordering
them, at the same time, to make haste and return, under pain of death.
They reported to the king all they had seen and heard, who, having
learnt the answers the English had given to his heralds, commanded the
army to cross the bridge at Pont de l'Arche, which was done under the
conduct of the count de Dunois, and thence to proceed to Rouen. They
remained before that city for three days with a multitude of men at
arms and soldiers of all descriptions; but during these three days, the
army suffered so greatly from the continual rains and storms that the
whole was nearly destroyed.
Notwithstanding the severity of the weather, the garrison made many
sallies, in which very gallant deeds of prowess were done; and a french
esquire, called the bastard de Forbier, was made prisoner by reason of
his horse falling under him. The french lords drew their army up in
battle-array before the walls, and sent the king's heralds, a second
time to summon the city to surrender; but as the English would not
suffer them to approach near enough to be heard by the people, they
were forced to return as before, which was quite contrary to every rule
of chivalry; for heralds are always allowed the liberty of freely going
and coming, to deliver their messages, provided such messages do not
contain any thing treasonable.
The heralds, having made their report to the count de Dunois on their
return, and he having considered that there seemed at present no chance
that the city would surrender, and that the severity of the weather had
much weakened his army, and worse was to be expected during the winter,
which was nigh at hand, marched back to Pont de l'Arche, and quartered
his men in the villages round that town. On the day of this retreat,
the king of France had come with the king of Sicily to a nunnery within
a league and a half of Rouen; but the king of France returned to his
former quarters at Pont de l'Arche, while the king of Sicily remained
until all the companies had marched for their cantonments near to Pont
de l'Arche.
Shortly after, the king received intelligence that some of the
inhabitants of Rouen had gained two towers that commanded part of the
walls, and that they would admit them by this way into the city. On
this information, the count de Dunois was ordered with the army to
undertake the business, who marched off, on the 16th day of October, in
handsome array.
On their arrival before Rouen, the army was drawn up fronting the new
castle, whence two detachments were ordered,--the one to the gate of
the Carthusians, and the gate Beauvoisienne, under the command of the
counts de Dunois, de Nevers, d'Eu, and de St Pol, having with them many
knights and esquires. The other detachment was to take post between
the place appropriated to the execution of criminals and the walls of
the city, under the command of the counts de Clermont, de Chartres,
the viscount de Lomaigne and others. Each remained in battle-array
until two hours after midday, when a person sallied out of the city
on horseback, and told the above-mentioned commanders that some of
the townsmen had gained, and kept by force, two towers, purposely to
introduce, by their means, the king's army into the town.
Upon this, the count de Dunois, and the other lords in the detachment
before the gate of the Carthusians, ordered their archers to march
towards that part of the walls between these two towers,--and the count
and his companions instantly dismounted and advanced to the foot of the
walls, against which they raised the few scaling ladders they had, and
made all diligence to mount them.
On this occasion were made knights the count de Nevers, the lord
Concresault, Brunet de Long-champ, the lord de Pleu-martin, Pierre de
la Fayette, the lord de Graville, master William Cousinot, Jacques de
la Rivierre the bailiff of Nivernois, Robert de Hurenville, who all
exerted themselves manfully to scale the walls, so that there were more
than thirty Frenchmen who were on the battlements or within the town.