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 knig 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 that 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*, 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 t, which the English instantly surrendered on similar terms.

The count do 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

This should be Luxe. Luxe is the name of a sovereign county in lower Navarre, which passed in 1593 into the house of Montmorency-Fosseux. It was François de Montmorency, count of Luxo, of whom the court of Louis XIII. judged it proper to make a memorable example by

way of preventive to the epidemical rage for duelling then prevalent. He was beheaded in 1627, for the honourable murders of the count de Thorigny and the marquis de Bussy in two successive rencontres.

Yemmes. Q. if not Yesme, a village in Maine ?

French, on this success, attacked the castle, and entered the breach, but the English retired into the donjon, 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.

CHAPTER XXI.—THE KING OF SICILY WAITS ON THE KING OF FRANCE AT LOUVIERS.-FRESNOY

SURRENDERS TO THE DUKE OF ALENÇON.-GISORS † CAPITULATES.—THE
GAILLON IS BESIEGED ‡.

CASTLE OF

Ar 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 Gaillon. 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 Gaillon, 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 PontAudemer, 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.

CHAPTER XXII.-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 ΤΟ 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§,

Fresnoy, a village in Normandy.

Gisors,- -a city in Normandy, capital of VexinNormand.

Gaillon,-ten leagues from Rouen, about a league from the Seine.

§ Neuf bourg,-a town in Normandy, between the Seine and Rille, eight leagues from Rouen.

and assembled on the opposite side of the river, towards 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 learned 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 menat-arms and soldiers of all descriptions; but during these three days, the army suffered so greatly from the continued 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 anything treasonable. The heralds having made their report to the count de Dunois on their return, and he having cousidered 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 mid-day, 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 Pleumartin, Pierre de la Fayette, the lord de Graville, master William Cousinot, Jacques de la Riviere 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.

The lord Talbot now advanced, with about three hundred men, planting his banner on the wall, charged the French most valiantly, to repulse those who had made good their entrance

into the town. They, however, fought well,-and great part saved themselves by leaping into the ditches, being forced thereto by the arrows of the English archers. Those who could not thus escape were put to death, or made prisoners; and the English became masters of the wall and of these two towers. At this attack, from fifty to sixty French, including

those of the townsmen who had assisted them, were killed or taken; and several, in attempting to escape, destroyed themselves. A few saved themselves from the towers: others had their legs broken by their fall, and such as remained were inhumanly slaughtered; so that it was an abomination to see the torrents of blood that ran in streams from the two towers.

During this time, the kings of France and of Sicily arrived at Darnetal*; but when they saw that the attempt had failed, and that the citizens of Rouen were not unanimous to assist them, they returned, on the 16th day of October, to Pont-de-l'Arche. The army was quartered in the villages on the banks of the Seine, according to their former disposition. On the 17th day of October, sir Richard Merbury, the English knight before-mentioned, fulfilled his engagement, and delivered the town and castle of Gisors to the lord de Gaucourt, for the king of France. In consequence, his children were restored to him, and all the articles agreed on fulfilled; after which, he departed. He, however, sent away, previously to yielding up the place, an English captain called Regnéfort †, who had been his lieutenant in the command of the garrison, and in the guard of the castle.

་

At this period, the duke of Brittany left lower Normandy, where he had taken many places, on his return to besiege the town of Fougeres, held by sir Francis de Surienne, called the Arragonian. The French, at this time, won the town of Condé-sur-Noireau through neglect of the guard at the gate; and therein was taken the lady of sir Francis de Surienne, who had been driven from her lord's own residence, and forced to shelter herself in Condé. The French plundered everything within the town, and also carried away the English prisoners.

Darnetal, a town very near to Rouen. + Regnéfort, Q. Rainford.

Condé-sur-Noireau,-in the valley of Noireau, dioceso of Bayeux.

CHAPTER XXIII. THE ARCHBISHOP OF ROUEN AND OTHERS OF THE CITIZENS NEGOTIATE TO SURRENDER THAT CITY TO THE KING OF FRANCE. THE KEYS ARE PRESENTED TO THE LIEUTENANT-GENERAL, THE COUNT DE DUNOIS, WHO ENTERS THE TOWN WITH HIS ARMY.

On the 18th day of October, the inhabitants of the city of Rouen, being greatly frightened lest their town should be stormed by the French, and of course pillaged and destroyed, and also to avoid the further effusion of blood, assembled with one accord at the bishop's palace. They were much enraged at the deaths of their relatives and friends; and had they met the lord Talbot, it was generally supposed that they would have murdered him, as he had done their fellow-citizens and friends. They, however, saw the duke of Somerset, and plainly told him, that it was expedient that a treaty should be opened with the king of France, otherwise they would be ruined and starved; for it was upwards of six weeks since any corn, wood, meat or wine had entered the town. This language was not very agreeable to the duke; but looking round, and seeing that he had not more than fifty or sixty Englishmen with him, and that there were from eight hundred to a thousand of the townsmen, without including the remainder of the inhabitants who were under arms in the different streets, he began to be alarmed, and, addressing himself with much humility to the archbishop and people, said that he was ready to do whatever the inhabitants of the town should wish. To appease the populace, he went to the town-hall, where public meetings are usually held; and, after some discussion, it was resolved that the archbishop, with some English knights and citizens, should attend at the gate of St. Ouen, to confer with the king, or with a part of his great council, respecting the welfare and surrender of the city of Rouen. In consequence of this resolution, the official of the town was sent to the king at Pont-del'Arche to obtain a safe-conduct for certain persons therein named, to treat of peace, which being granted, the official returned to the archbishop and the duke. The archbishop, and some knights and esquires on the part of the duke of Somerset, together with certain of the townsmen, were sent to Port St. Ouen*, within a league of Pont-de-l'Arche, where they met, on the part of the king of France, his lieutenant-general the count de Dunois, the chancellor of France, the seneschal of Poitou, sir William de Cousinot, and some others. They had a long conference, in which the deputies from Rouen insisted on a general amnesty being granted, and that such as chose might depart with the English, and all who preferred to stay should have the enjoyment of their fortunes unmolested. It was also stipulated, that the English and their party should have safe-conducts for themselves and their effects when they marched away. All these demands having been agreed to by the count de Dunois and the king's counsellors, the archbishop and his associates promised to deliver up the town to the king's obedience. The archbishop and his companions then departed to make their report to the English and the citizens of Rouen,-but as they arrived in the night, they could not do it until the following day. On the 18th, therefore, the archbishop and the other deputies went very early to the town-hall, and related everything that had passed between them and the ministers from the king of France, which was very agreeable to the inhabitants but sorely displeasing to the English, who, when they saw the strong inclinations of the townsmen to turn to the French interest, were greatly astonished,-more especially the duke of Somerset and the lord Talbot. They therefore left the town-hall much discontented, and, instantly arming themselves, withdrew to the government palace, the bridges, and portals of the castle. The citizens, having observed their motions, began to take alarm, and armed themselves also. They, as well as the English, kept up a strong guard the whole of this Saturday, and likewise during the night; but the townsmen, anxious to expel the English for refusing to accept of the terms the deputies had agreed to, sent a messenger to Pont-de-l'Arche, who arrived there on Sunday by daybreak, to inform the king that if he would send a force to their relief it should have free entrance into the town. On this same Sunday, the 19th day of October, about eight o'clock in the morning, the St. Ouen. I believe there must be some mistake, St. Ouen seems to be within a league of Elbeuf, which is for there is no St. Ouen near to Pont-de-l'Arche; but a near to Pont-de-l'Arche.