garrison of three or four hundred English who exerted themselves
valiantly in their defence with cannons and other missile weapons. By
their means was killed a gallant Frenchman, named Regnault William,
le Bourgognon, then bailiff of Montargis, which was a great loss. At
length, the English were so overpowered by fear and want of provision
that they were constrained to demand a parley, to arrange terms of
capitulation; and they agreed to surrender the town and castle on the
18th day of February, unless there should appear a force sufficient to
relieve them, by conquering the French, and gave hostages for its due
performance, on which they were to march away with their effects in
safety.
The French now fortified their camp, and made preparations for a
combat, but the English did not appear; for the duke of Somerset dared
not leave Caen ungarrisoned, and, besides, they were not strong enough
to expect success without great reinforcements from England. The place
was therefore surrendered according to the terms of the capitulation,
and the English marched to other parts under their obedience.
Soon after the reduction of Honfleur, the king left the abbey of
Grestain, and went to Berucy[72], and thence to Essay[73] and Alençon.
He ordered a party of his guards, with the franc archers, to lay siege
to Fresnay[74], which was under the government of two Englishmen,
called Andrew Torfflot[75] and Janequin Vaquier[76], having with
them from four to five hundred English and Normans, called French
Renegadoes. The French advanced before the place in a numerous body,
in handsome array, which so much alarmed the governors that they
instantly offered to treat for a surrender. After a short discussion,
it was agreed, that on the place being given up to the king of France,
together with ten thousand golden saluts, their captain, called
Montfort[77], who had been made prisoner at Pont Audemer, should be
restored to them, and they should be allowed to march away in safety
with their baggage. Thus was the place surrendered,--and the English
departed, on the 22d day of March, for Caen or Falaise, or to wherever
else they pleased.
During the time of Lent, in this year, three thousand English landed
at Cherbourg, under the command of sir Thomas Kiriel, a knight of
great experience and renown, and marched to lay siege to Valognes[78],
which was under the government of an esquire from Poitou, called Abel
Rohault. He held it valiantly for some time, for his brother Joachim
Rohault; but having no hope of succour, he was forced to surrender it
to sir Thomas Kiriel, after a defence of three weeks, and was allowed
to march his men away in safety with all they possessed.
The king's army was, at the time, collecting to raise the siege;
as were the English to oppose them, from their different
garrisons,--namely, sir Robert Vere, in Caen, had six hundred
combatants,--Henry Morbery, in Vire, had about four hundred,--Matago,
in the town of Bayeux, had eight hundred fighting men,--so that they
amounted in all, including sir Thomas Kiriel's force, to six or seven
thousand combatants. The French, learning this, suffered the town to be
surrendered without any attempt to the contrary,--for they could not be
assembled in time, considering that the king's army was then dispersed
in cantonments throughout Normandy, for the better preservation of
their conquests.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 70: Saltviton. In the MS. of Du Cange, it is _Soliton_; but
this seems as far from the true name as the other.]
[Footnote 71: Courson. Q. Curzon?]
[Footnote 72: Berucy,--Bernay, a market-town in Normandy, twenty
leagues and a half from Alençon. MS. Du Cange.]
[Footnote 73: Essay,--a market-town in Normandy, five leagues from
Alençon.]
[Footnote 74: Fresnay. There are two villages of this name in Normandy.]
[Footnote 75: Andrew Torfflot. Troslo.----MS. Du Cange. Q. if not
Truslow?]
[Footnote 76: Janequin Vaquier. Basquier and Baquier.----MS. Du Cange.]
[Footnote 77: Montfort. Q. if not lord Fauconberg? See in the preceding
pages.]
[Footnote 78: Valognes,--five leagues from Cherbourg.]
[A.D. 1450.]
CHAP. XVIII.
AFTER THE CAPTURE OF VALOGNES BY SIR THOMAS KIRIEL, HE TAKES THE FIELD
WITH A LARGE ARMY OF ENGLISHMEN.--HE IS MET BY THE COUNT DE CLERMONT,
WHO ATTACKS AND DEFEATS HIM.
On the 12th day of April, in the year 1450, after Easter, sir Thomas
Kiriel dislodged from Valognes, having with him the greater part of
the garrisons of Caen, Bayeux, and Vire, and, crossing the fords
of St Clement[79], advanced toward the country of Bayeux and Caen.
Intelligence of this movement was carried to the french headquarters,
and a detachment was ordered to pursue them, under the command of the
count de Clermont, the count de Castres, the seneschal of Poitou, the
lord de Montgascon and de Retz, admiral of France, and others, to the
amount of five or six hundred spears and archers. Although they were
so few in numbers, they continued their pursuit until they overtook
them. Sir Geoffry de Couvran and Joachim Rohault had, some little time
before, separated from them to seek if they could gain any information
of the enemy, and luckily fell in with their track. Notwithstanding the
disparity of numbers, they boldly and courageously made an attack on
their rear-guard, and killed and wounded several. They then retreated,
and sent notice of what they had done to the count de Clermont, who was
not far off. He hastened to come up with the English, which he did near
a village called Fourmigny, between Carentan and Bayeux, on the 13th of
the same month.
The English, on perceiving the enemy, drew up in battle-array, and sent
in haste to a captain, called Matago, who had that morning quitted them
for Bayeux, but instantly returned to the aid of his companions.
The two armies remained drawn up facing each other for three hours,
while a continual skirmish was going forward,--during which, the
English made, with their swords and daggers, deep holes in their front,
that those who should charge them might fall in with their horses: they
were also very advantageously posted, for they had, within a bow-shot
of their rear, a small river with gardens and orchards thick planted
with fruit-trees, so that they could not be attacked on that quarter.
The count de Clermont, observing their situation, and considering that
he had not an adequate force to combat them, dispatched a messenger
in haste to St Lo, to require that the count de Richemont, constable
of France, would come to his succour,--otherwise he and his men would
have more work on their hands than they could accomplish, for that the
English greatly outnumbered his force.
The constable, on receiving this intelligence, instantly set out,
at three o'clock in the morning of the same day, the 18th, to his
assistance, although he was but just arrived from Brittany without
halting. He rode to Trevieres[80], accompanied by the lord James de
Luxembourg, the count de Laval, the lord marshal de Lohéac, and from
two hundred to twelve score lances and eight hundred archers. They
advanced with great rapidity (for the English had already crossed the
ford) until they came to the windmill above Fourmigny, where they drew
up in order of battle in sight of the English.
The count de Clermont had begun the engagement with his army of a
thousand to fifteen hundred men before the arrival of the constable,
and had been sharply repulsed by the English, who had taken from them
two culverines. The constable first marched his men to gain a stone
bridge,--but no sooner did Matago and sir Robert Vere perceive this
manœuvre of the constable than they fled with a thousand of their men
from Caen and Bayeux. Kiriel and the remainder retreated toward the
rivulet, and occupied the village that was hard by.
Part of the constable's archers, having dismounted at the end of the
bridge, attacked the left wing of the English,--and many were killed
and put to the rout. The constable now crossed the rivulet and joined
the count de Clermont; when the grand seneschal of Normandy asked his
permission to march his division toward the enemy's right wing, which
being granted, the English were slain and defeated. The main body of
the constable's men marched now in handsome order until they were near
the village, and crossed the brook by the high road. The English were
so much alarmed that they quitted the village, and advanced to the
rivulet, where a well-fought engagement took place; but although the
French were in all not more, according to the report of the heralds,
than three thousand combatants, and the English from six to seven
thousand, nevertheless, by the grace of God, the French defeated them.
From the accounts of the heralds, priests, and credible persons, three
thousand seven hundred and seventy-three were slain, and buried in
fourteen deep trenches on the spot.
Among the prisoners were sir Anthony[81] Kiriel, sir Henry Norbery[82],
sir Thomas Drieut[83], Thomas Kirby, Christopher Auberton, Arpel,
Helix Alengour, Jannequin Vacquier, Gobert Caleville, and numbers
of other captains, and english gentlemen bearing coats of arms.
Conformably to the old proverb, of 'He who fights and runs away, may
live to fight another day,' did those act who fled and left their
companions to bear the brunt of the battle, namely, Matago, sir Robert
Vere, Henry Lons, master Meillan, and another captain who commanded
thirty lances and five hundred archers. The prisoners taken at this
battle were estimated at from twelve to fourteen hundred. Matago fled
to Bayeux, and sir Robert to Caen,--and thus, by the favour of Divine
Providence, were the English defeated.
On this day, the following were made knights: the count de Castres,
son to the count de la Marche,--Godfrey de Boulogne, son to the count
de Boulogne and Auvergne,--the lord de Vauvert, son to the count de
Villars, the lord de St Severe, the lord de Chalençon, and several
more. The French only lost this day, by death, eight persons at the
most!
The army now marched to lay siege to the town and castle of Vire. After
their departure, a dispute arose among the captains, to whom the honour
of the day was due: some said to the constable, as being, from his
office, lieutenant-general for the king in all parts of the realm; but
others claimed it for the count de Clermont, he having been specially
ordered on this service,--and a special order ought to supersede a
general one. It came to such a length that it was referred to the king,
who decided in favour of the count de Clermont, although it was through
the constable's able support that he had gained the victory.
News of this success was soon spread all over the kingdom of France;
and coming to the ears of master William Charrier, bishop of Paris,
he immediately ordered a procession to be made to the church of Nôtre
Dame of all children, as well male as female, that were at school,
from the age of seven to eleven years, to return thanks to God for
the signal victory the most Christian king had obtained over his
ancient enemies. The procession, consisting of from twelve to fourteen
thousand children, attended by their masters and tutors, set out from
the church of St Innocent, where they were assembled, each with a
wax taper, or other light, in his hand. The chaplains of the church
were in the center, bearing the relics of Saint Innocent,--and the
procession extended from this church to that of our Lady, and was a
fine sight to see, and did great honour to the bishop. On its arrival
at the church of Nôtre Dame, a solemn mass was sung, and the bishop
preached a sermon, taking for his text the second verse of the eighth
Psalm,--'Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained
strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy
and the avenger.' When the service was over, they returned two and two
as they had come, conveying back the relics to the church of Saint
Innocent,--and thence each child went to its school.
About this period, the duke of Suffolk quitted a strong castle into
which he had retired for fear of the English, who would have put him
to death, and embarked for foreign countries; but he was met at sea
by the partisans of the duke of Somerset, who laid hands on him and
cut off his head, which they sent, with the body, to their friends in
London, who hung up the quarters at the different gates.[84]
The French, without loss of time, after their late victory, marched
to besiege the town of Vire, in which was a garrison of three or four
stout english combatants: their captain was sir Henry Norbury, then
a prisoner, in consequence of the defeat at Fourmigny. The siege did
not last long before the commandant capitulated to surrender, on being
allowed to march away in safety with the garrison and baggage to Caen.
The french army was now divided: one part, under the count de Clermont,
marched toward Bayeux,--and the other, with the constable, returned to
the duke of Brittany, to lay siege to Avranches[85].
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 79: St Clement,--a village near to Bayeux.]
[Footnote 80: Trevieres,---a market-town near Bayeux.]
[Footnote 81: Anthony. He is called _Thomas_ before.]
[Footnote 82: Norbery. Before Morbery. Probably Norbury.]
[Footnote 83: Drieut. Q. Trivet?]
[Footnote 84: See the english historians for a more correct account of
the end of the duke of Suffolk.]
[Footnote 85: Avranches,--a bishoprick in Normandy, 75 leagues from
Paris, 50 from Rouen.]
CHAP. XIX.
THE DUKE OF BRITTANY BESIEGES AVRANCHES, WITH HIS WHOLE FORCE.--IT
SURRENDERS TO HIM.--HE TAKES TOMBELAINE[86].--BAYEUX IS WON.--THE
CONSTABLE GAINS BRICQUEBEC[87], VALOGNES[88], ST SAUVEUR LE
VICOMTE[89],--OTHER INCIDENTS.
When the duke of Brittany's army was returned to him, and had taken
some rest, he mustered his men, and without delay began his march,
well attended by artillery, to besiege the town of Avranches, which
was garrisoned by four or five hundred English under the command of
a captain called Lampet[90]. The duke displayed great ability and
courage in forming the siege, during which many skirmishes took place
between the parties.
This siege lasted three weeks, when the walls were so battered that
the captain and garrison were reduced to surrender; but although they
proposed different terms of capitulation, they could only obtain
permission to march away in safety, but without arms or baggage; so
that, when the place was given up, they departed with staves in their
hands. On the reduction of Avranches, the duke of Brittany advanced
with his army to Tombelaine, which is impregnable, so long as provision
and stores last; for it is seated on a rock in the sea, near to St
Michael's Mount. There was in it an english garrison of from four score
to one hundred men,--but they no sooner perceived the great force that
was brought against them than they capitulated to surrender the place,
on being permitted to march to Cherbourg in safety with their baggage
and effects.
On the 16th day of May, the king of France ordered the counts de
Dunois, de Nevers, d'Eu, and several other knights and esquires, to
lay siege to Bayeux. In consequence, they encamped near to the town,
and pushed forward the siege with such vigour, by mines and battering
cannon, that many breaches were made in the wall, wide enough to be
stormed; but the commanders were averse to this, to avoid the effusion
of blood and the numberless other evils that would ensue. However,
notwithstanding this laudable resolution, the ardour and avarice of
soldiers to become rich induced part of the army, without orders, to
storm the town twice in the same day, when many gallant deeds were done
on both sides, and several were killed by arrow and culverine shots.
The French were forced to retreat without success, for the storm had
been only made on one side: had this measure been carried on under the
direction of their officers, it must undoubtedly have succeeded.
Matago, the governor of Bayeux, surprised at the valour he had seen
displayed by the French at this attack, for they had slain some of the
stoutest of the English, opened a treaty with the count de Dunois for
its surrender; but after many parleys, he could only obtain permission
for his men to march away without arms or baggage and with staves in
their hands. Thus marched away, by the castle-gate for Cherbourg, all
the English, to the amount of nine hundred, esteemed the most valiant
of their party; but in honour of nobility, horses were given to carry
their damsels and gentle ladies,--and carts were also supplied to
convey the most respectable of the women who followed their husbands.
It was a pitiful sight thus to see from three to four hundred women,
(without including children, who were very numerous,) some carrying
their infants in cradles on their heads, others swinging them round
their necks or in rolls of cloth round their bodies and in a variety of
other ways.
On the restoration of Bayeux to the obedience of the king of France,
the count de Dunois appointed a captain, and other officers, to
govern the city, and then crossed the Orne[91], with the count de
Clermont,--and there cantoned the army, to live on the country until
the arrival of the count de Richemont, constable of France. He had left
all his artillery at Bayeux to be ready for laying siege to Caen.
In the mean time, the constable, and those in his company,--namely, the
troops of the lord de Laval, the marshal de Lohéac, the troops of the
admiral and of the lord de Touteville,--gained the town of Bricquebosq
for the king of France, on permitting those within it to march away
with their baggage and effects. The constable then besieged Valognes,
that had lately been captured by the English; but it was not long
before it surrendered, for the lieutenant-governor for the king of
England had turned to the french interest. He, however, obtained from
the constable that the english garrison, amounting to six score men,
should march in safety, with arms and baggage, to Cherbourg.
On the departure of the duke of Brittany, the constable came to Bayeux,
and thence sent sir James de Luxembourg his lieutenant, and Odet
Dadic, with about thirty lances, to commence the siege of St Sauveur
le Vicomte, which is a handsome town, and one of the strongest in
Normandy. They remained before it three days, waiting for the marshals
of France and of Brittany, the lords de Touteville, de Boussac and
others.
The lord Robersart, a baron of Hainault, was the governor, having with
him two hundred english combatants,--and on the arrival of the marshals
the place was besieged in earnest. During the opening of the trenches,
a valiant esquire from Berry, called John de Blanchefort, was killed by
a cannon-shot, whose loss was much lamented. The garrison witnessing
the approaches of the French, although unhurt by their batteries,
offered to surrender, on condition that they should depart in safety
with their arms, baggage and effects, and be allowed eight days for
clearing the place. Thus was St Sauveur le Vicomte restored to the
king of France; and the marshals rode to a village called Ceaux[92],
within two leagues of Caen, where the constable and his company were
quartered, carrying with them the english hostages for the performance
of the treaty,--and at the end of eight days, when the place was
cleared, they were set at liberty.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 86: Tombelaine,--a small island, or rock, on the coast of
Normandy, between Avranches and St Malo.]
[Footnote 87: Bricquebec. Probably Bricquebosq, a village in Normandy,
near Valognes.]
[Footnote 88: Valognes,--a large town between Cherbourg and Carentan.]
[Footnote 89: St Sauveur le Vicomte, near Valognes.]
[Footnote 90: Lampet. Q. Lambert?]
[Footnote 91: Orne,--a river in Normandy: it runs into the sea at
Estreham.]
[Footnote 92: Ceaux,--a small town in Normandy, near Avranches.]
CHAP. XX.
THE SIEGE OF CAEN.--THE KING OF FRANCE, ATTENDED BY THE KING OF SICILY
AND HIS SON, THE DUKE OF CALABRIA, APPEAR BEFORE IT WITH A LARGE
ARMY.--THE ENGLISH, AFTER SUSTAINING MUCH DAMAGE FROM THE BATTERIES,
SURRENDER THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF CAEN.
On the 5th day of June, the constable and his division dislodged from
Ceaux, and fixed his quarters in the abbey of St Stephen, in the
suburbs of Caen, and near to the walls. On the same day, the count
de Clermont, the count de Castres, and many other lords, knights and
esquires, marched their men to the quarters of the constable: they
amounted to twelve hundred spears, four thousand five hundred archers,
guisarmes[93], and armour-bearers, and two hundred franc archers on
foot.
The count de Dunois posted himself in the suburbs of Vaucelles, on
the side toward Paris with a large company of nobles, men at arms
and archers, to the amount of eight hundred lances, and two thousand
archers, guisarmes, and armour-bearers on horseback, and two thousand
franc archers on foot, so that the city was completely blockaded on
its two sides. They instantly threw a bridge of communication between
the two divisions over the river Orne, by which, the fourth day after,
the counts of Nevers and of Eu passed a considerable body of men at
arms and archers, and quartered them in the suburbs of Caen, toward
the sea, at the abbey of la Trinité, a convent of women. They were
scarcely arrived before they attacked an outwork of the town, which was
valiantly defended, and many gallant deeds were performed on each side,
but it was at length won by storm by the French. They soon deserted
it, because it was open on the side near the walls,--and it was not
re-occupied by the English, for they had destroyed its communication
with the town by walling up the gate.
The king of France departed from Argentan[94], to be present at this
siege, attended by the king of Sicily, his son the duke of Calabria,
the duke of Alençon, the counts of Maine, of St Pol, of Tancarville,
and a numerous body of barons, knights, esquires, men at arms and
archers, to the number of six hundred lances, and archers in proportion.
The king lay the first night at St Pierre sur Dive[95],--on the morrow
at Argentan,--and on the third day, he came to dinner in the suburbs of
Vaucelles[96]; after which, he instantly crossed the river by the new
bridge, and was lodged at an abbey called Dardenne, where he remained
during the whole siege, except one night that he passed in the abbey
of la Trinité, wherein were quartered the king of Sicily, the duke of
Calabria, and other lords, to the amount of a thousand lances.
The king had with him twelve thousand archers on horseback, one
thousand guisarmes, and armour-bearers mounted also, and two hundred
franc archers on foot, of whom the greater part were quartered in
the villages round. The siege was pushed forward with the greatest
diligence on the arrival of the king, and trenches were made round
the town, in which every person individually exerted himself. The
count de Dunois made an attack on the outworks of Vaucelles, on the
river Dive[97], which were valorously defended; but after many gallant
deeds on both sides, they were gained by the French, and numbers of
the English slain, wounded, and taken, to the great dismay of their
companions.
From all the quarters of the French, deep mines were made even unto
the ditches of the town, more particularly from the constable's
quarters, which advanced under St Stephen's,--so that all the wall
above fell to the ground, and the French and English could there engage
hand to hand. The English, perceiving the near approach of the enemy,
were fearful of being taken by storm, and demanded to capitulate.
The king of France, moved by compassion and pity, after the example
of our Lord, who desires not the death of sinners, but would rather
that they would turn to their God,--and considering what a loss the
destruction of so fine a town would be, and the miseries that would
ensue from pillaging the churches, violating women and damsels,--and
desirous also of sparing a further effusion of human blood, consented
to their request, and agreed that the place should be surrendered on
capitulation. In truth, the town might have easily been taken by storm,
as there were many practicable breaches; but the English might have
retired into the castle, and have held out for a considerable time, if
they had had the courage so to do,--although, in the end, they must
have yielded to the numerous chivalry then before it.