CHAPTER CCLX.-THE KING OF FRANCE MARCHES TO BESIEGE THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF PONTOISE.

WHEN the king of France had resided some days at Creil, he marched his whole army to Pontoise and arrived there about the middle of May. He was lodged in the abbey of Maubuisson, a noble convent having many fine edifices. His household was quartered there with him, and also the constable and marshals of France, namely the lord de Solignes* and de Lohiac: the other commanders were lodged in divers parts. The artillery was soon brought to bear on a large bulwark at the end of the bridge, opposite to Maubuisson†, which so much damaged it that it was taken by storm. From fourteen to sixteen were killed on the king's side, and many wounded: the English suffered nearly an equal loss. The king had this bulwark repaired and strengthened, and gave the guard of it to sir Denis de Chailly, and Michael Durant, with their men. In another quarter, a bridge was thrown over the river Oise, opposite to the abbey of St. Martin, which was surrounded by a low wall, and fortified like a blockhouse. The lord Charles d'Anjou and the lord de Cotivy, admiral of France, took possession of it with three or four thousand combatants. A strong blockhouse was also erected at the end of this new bridge, for its defence. The French could now pass over the river at their pleasure, without fear of danger from the enemy.

While these approaches were carrying forward, the king was joined by great numbers of nobles and gentlemen, and likewise by the burghers from the chief towns, in obedience to his summons. In the number were six score combatants from the city of Tournay, all picked men, and excellently appointed. These were chiefly cross-bowmen, and under the command of three persons of note in Tournay, namely Symon de St. Genoix, Robert le Boucher, and John de Cour, who were most graciously received by the king. Numbers came from Paris handsomely equipped, and from all the other great towns; and, as they arrived, they were received by the king's officers, and suitably lodged.

Louis de Luxembourg, count de St. Pol and de Ligny, who had been some time assembling his men, arrived before Pontoise about a week after Midsummer-day, with six hundred men well appointed and arrayed. As the weather was very hot, he drew up his men in order of battle near to the king's quarters, who, with several of the princes and others, came to see him and were greatly rejoiced at his arrival. The king feasted him much, and was profuse in his thanks to him for having come thither with so handsome a company. There came with the count de St. Pol the lord de Vervins, sir Colart de Mailly, Louis d'Anghien, sir Ferry de Mailly, John de Hangest, sir Daviod de Poix, Jacotin de Bethune and his brothers, George de Croix, and many more gentlemen, who suffered much this day from the excessive heat; insomuch that one gentleman, called Robert de Frisomen, died of it.

After the king had reviewed them they went to lodge at a village hard by, and shortly after encamped with the besieging army. The count de Vaudemont came also thither with one hundred or six score combatants, with whose arrival the king was well pleased. In truth, there were at this siege most of the great lords of France, such as the dauphin, the count de Richemont constable of France, the two marshals and the admiral, before-named, the lord Charles d'Anjou, the counts d'Eu, de la Marche, de St. Pol, de Vaudemont, d'Albreth, de Tancarville, de Joigny, the vidame de Chartres, the lord de Châtillion, the lord de Moreul in Brie, Poton de Saintrailles, the lord de Bueil, La Hire, the lord de Ham, sir Heincelin de la Tour, the lord de Mouy, Claude de Hangest, Regnault de Longueval, the lord de Moyencourt, the lord de la Suze §, sir Theolde de Valberg, Anthony de Chabannes, Charles de Flavy, sir Giles de St. Simon, Hugh de Mailly, Olivier de Cointiny ||, the lord de Pennesach,

Solignes.-Jaloignes.-Du CANGE.

+ Maubuisson,—a convent in the diocese of Beau vais. Cotivy, Coitiny.-Du CANGE.

§ René de Laval, lord de la Suze, younger brother to the infamous marshal de Retz, whose execution is mentioned at page 96, vol. ii.

Should this be Coetivy? This Oliver, fourth son of
VOL. II.

Alan III. lord of Coetivy, and brother of the admiral, was lord of Taillebourg and seneschal of Guienne, &c. He married Mary, one of the natural daughters of Charles VII. in 1458, with a portion of 12,000 crowns of gold. His descendants were counts of Taillebourg, and princes of Mortagne and Gironde.

I

Blanchefort, Floquet, Broussach, Joachim Rohault, Pierre Regnault, the lord de Graville*, sir John de Gapondes, Geoffry de la Hire, the bastard de Harcourt, and many others of great weight and authority; so that, according to an estimate made by persons well informed, it was thought that the king's army amounted to from ten to twelve thousand combatants, the flower of his chivalry, each of whom was personally anxious to conquer the town and castle of Pontoise.

While the French were thus employed, the duke of York, the lord Talbot, and others of the English commanders then at Rouen, took counsel together how they could best relieve their companions in Pontoise. It was resolved that the lord Talbot should first attempt to revictual it, and reconnoitre the position and appearance of the French. In consequence lord Talbot marched away with about four thousand fighting men, as well horse as foot, and had with him a long train of carts and cattle for the supply of the garrison. After some days' march, he took up his quarters at a town called Cheurint, not far distant from Pontoise, where he lay two nights; and, during that time, threw his supplies into Pontoise without hindrance from the French; for the king had determined in council to avoid combating the English, unless he could do so highly to his advantage. Having accomplished this business, lord Talbot retreated to Mantes ‡, and quartered his men without the town: thence he returned to Normandy.

In the mean time, the artillery of the king of France, as well in the blockhouse of St. Martin as elsewhere, played continually on the walls and gates of Pontoise, and damaged them greatly; but the besieged repaired them in the night, as well as they could, with beams of wood and old barrels: they also made frequent sallies, in which several were killed and wounded on both sides. The king was desirous of inclosing the town all round; but could not well do it from the danger of an attack from the English army, and of his troops being cut off from succouring each other when thus separated; for he knew how near the enemy were, and in great force, preparing to make him raise the siege. It was from this cause that the French delayed surrounding the town closely on all sides. A large blockhouse was ordered to be instantly built in the forest of Compiegne, and floated down the Seine to Pontoise, where they would fix it as they should judge expedient; and William de Flavy was commanded to see that this was immediately done.

Some time after, the lord Talbot came a second time and revictualled the town, and supplied it with all sorts of stores in abundance. Each time, he took away those who had been wounded, leaving reinforcements, from his own men, and, as before, met with no interruption or opposition in his return. The king, observing those measures of his adversaries, became very melancholy; for he saw no end to a siege when the town was so continually and uninterruptedly reinforced. Nevertheless, he was personally active in strengthening his leaguers, and in providing them with all necessary stores, in case the enemy should advance to attack them.

CHAPTER

CCLXI. THE DUKE OF YORK, GOVERNOR OF NORMANDY FOR THE KING OF ENGLAND, MARCHES AN ARMY TO PONTOISE, TO FORCE THE KING OF FRANCE TO

RAISE THE SIEGE.

THE duke of York, commander-in-chief and lieutenant-general for king Henry in the marches of France and Normandy, had assembled from six to seven thousand combatants; among whom were the lord Scales, the lord Talbot, sir Richard Woodville, who had married the duchess of Bedford, sister to Louis de Luxembourg count of St. Pol, and many other captains, then at Rouen, but whose names I have not been told. There were likewise collected a large train of carts and horses, laden with artillery and provision, together with a great number of live cattle.

The duke of York began his march about the middle of July, and in a few days came near

John Malet V. lord de Graville, grand pannetier of France.

+ Cheurin. Q. Ennery?

Mantes, capital of the Mantois, on the Seine, nineteen leagues from Rouen.

to Pontoise, the lord Talbot commanding the vanguard of three thousand men. The duke fixed his quarters at Cheuery*, half a league from Pontoise; and the van were lodged at Hetonvillet where they remained for three days and reinforced and revictualled Pontoise most abundantly.

When this was done, the duke sent to tell the king, that he was come to offer him and his army combat, if he would give him an opportunity. But the king was not inclined to comply; for his council had repeated the advice they had given on other occasions, that he would act imprudently to risk his army and person against men of such low degree; adding, that the battles that had formerly taken place with the English during his reign had cost him too dearly, and that it was more advisable to let them for this time run their career and guard the fords of the river, for that the English could not long remain where they were without danger from want of provisions for so large a force. This resolution was adopted; and many captains, with their men, were detached along the river Oise, even farther than Beaumont and the king and the rest of his army remained in their quarters.

The English, finding they would not hazard a battle, resolved, if possible, to cross the Oise and advance into the Isle of France, and even attack the king's quarters. They decamped therefore on the fourth day from their arrival, and marched in a body to Chanville-hautVergier §; but as they heard that all the passes on the river were guarded, they determined to execute their plan by night, and they had with them on carts small boats of leather and wood, with cords and other necessaries. They ordered a large detachment to advance to Beaumont, under pretence of their crossing the river and to make a prodigious noise, that the guards at the other passes might be drawn off to resist their attempt at Beaumont, while the remainder of the army should proceed silently along the river to find out a proper place to cross.

A place was found according to their wish, opposite to the abbey of Beaumont, whence the guards had gone; for all the soldiers near were attracted by the noise at Beaumont, as it had been planned by the English, who, when they saw numbers had been collected, pretended to make an attempt to force a passage, which was quite impracticable should any tolerable defence be made. The other party of English now launched a boat into the river, and with difficulty three or four passed over, when, having fastened two strong cords to each bank with staves of wood between them, from forty to fifty crossed by this means, and instantly fortified themselves with sharpened palisades, as was their usual custom.

Now, consider the extreme danger the first party that crossed would have been in had only ten Frenchmen staid to guard this pass, who would easily have defended it against the whole power of the duke of York; and this may serve for an example to those who are intrusted with similar commands, never to place any guards but such as they know may be depended on, and such as will have a proper regard to their own honour,-for by neglect the greatest misfortunes may happen.

Shortly after, the men of Floquet, who had had this part of the river in charge, returning from Beaumont, whither they had gone on hearing the shoutings of the English, noticed them crossing the river, and instantly gave the alarm, along the banks, as far as Beaumont, where the greater part of their captains were quartered. They lost no time in mounting their horses, and hastened to where the English were, intending to combat them; but it was lost labour, for they were too numerous, although some skirmishing passed between them. In these skirmishes, a very valiant man was slain, called William du Châtel, nephew to sir Tanneguy du Châtel, and with him two or three more.

On this bridge of cords the English conveyed over their baggage, carts, and stores; and when the French saw that they could not prevent them, they retreated to Pontoise, to inform the king of what had passed, who was greatly displeased at the intelligence. Some of his council, being fearful of the event turning out more disastrous and to their greater shame, had all the artillery and stores moved into the large blockhouse of St. Martin, and made every preparation for immediately decamping with the whole army, should it become

Cheuery. Q. Ennery?

+ Hetonville. Herouville, near Pontoise.

Beaumont, a seigniory in the Isle of France, near to Melun. § Chanville-haut-Vergier. Q. Chambly?

necessary,

The English, having passed the Oise at their ease, lodged that night on the spot, and there created some new knights, such as the two brothers of lord Stafford*, one of whom styled himself count d'Eut. On the morrow, they dislodged, and marched in handsome order toward Pontoise, and were quartered in two villages. The king, on receiving intelligence of the approach of the English, was advised to remove his quarters from Maubuisson, and march his whole army to Poissy‡, with the reserve of those in the great blockhouse, to the amount of two or three thousand combatants, under the command of the lord de Coetivy, admiral of France. He had also with him La Hire, Joachim Rohault, John d'Estouteville, and his brother Robinet, sir Robert de Bethune lord of Moreul in Brie, the lord de Chatillon, the lord de Moyencourt, Regnault de Longueval, the lord de la Roche-Guyon, the lord de Moy in the Beauvoisis, and other gentlemen of renown. Those who had been sent from Tournay remained there likewise, and great plenty of provision and stores of all sorts had been carried thither. The king, on his departure, had promised to relieve them so soon as possible. With regard to the bulwark at the end of the bridge, the French had abandoned it. The duke of York continued his march to Maubuisson, but arrived after the king's departure. He found great abundance of provision and other things, which the merchants had not had time to remove. The duke fixed his quarters there, and lord Talbot at a town a league distant, on the Oise, between the towns of Pontoise and Conflans. They remained there for three days, and went into Pontoise by the bridge, which the garrison had repaired as well as the bulwark that had been abandoned, without any opposition whatever from the French; and those of the town went in and out at their pleasure, without hindrance. The French in the blockhouse were every day expecting and hoping for an attack, as they were determined to defend themselves well; but the English had no thoughts of risking the attempt, considering that their affairs were growing worse, and that they could not foresee the end of them. The enemy, however, threatened to attack them, but offered to let them march away in safety, with part of their baggage,-which, like men of sense, they ought gladly to have accepted of, since their king had abandoned them in such danger. But they had no such inclination, and replied, that they would not accept of terms, as they were not afraid of their attempts. While this kind of parley was going forward, several skirmishes took place, but more between the archers than with any others.

On the fourth day, the duke of York dislodged from Maubuisson, and marched to the quarters of Talbot, who had made a bridge over the Oise with cords and hurdles, on which full fifty cars and carts crossed that river. On this same day, Poton de Saintrailles had left Poissy, accompanied by a numerous escort, with provisions to revictual the blockhouse of St. Martin. He was followed by the constable, the count de St. Pol, and other captains, to support him, should there be occasion. Having learnt that the English had recrossed the river, they sent orders to Poton to hasten his return, but he sent back the messenger, to tell them to cross the river at Meulan, and return to Poissy on the other side, which they did.

The duke of York, having recrossed the Oise, advanced his whole army in battle-array before Poissy, wherein were the king of France, the dauphin, and the greater part of his nobles and captains. A very great skirmish took place, in which two of the archers of the constable, and one belonging to the count de St. Pol, were made prisoners. The duke thence marched to Tourtie-sur-Seine, and on the morrow returned to Mantes,--and the king went to Poissy and Conflans with a part of his army. The constable, the count de St. Pol, and others, passed through St. Cloud to Paris, where they staid two days, and then retired with their men-at-arms into the isle of France, where different towns were delivered up to them for the quarters of their men, each according to his rank. The king afterwards went, with his attendant lords, to St. Denis, and remained there until the middle of August, when he

They were half brothers by the same mother, Eleanor, daughter of Thomas of Woodstock duke of Gloucester, married two husbands; first, Edmund earl of Stafford, (by whom she had Humphrey afterwards duke of Buckingham,) and secondly, William lord Bouchier, created for his services carl of Eu in Normandy, whose two sons here mentioned were Henry earl of Eu, married to

Isabel, sister of Richard duke of York; and William lord
Fitzwarin. There were two younger sons besides these,
Thomas archbishop of Canterbury, and John Lord Berners,
ancestor to the translator of Froissart.

↑ See Dugdale's Baronage.

Poissy,-in the Isle of France, two leagues from Meulan, seven from Paris.

returned to Conflans, and caused a bridge to be constructed over the Seine to an island in that river, and another bridge thence to the main land, with a strong blockhouse, and ditches round at that end, wherein he posted a body of troops. In the mean while lord Talbot plundered the convent of Poissy, and carried away the effects of the nuns to Mantes.

Shortly after, the town of Pontoise was again revictualled, for the fourth time; and the men of the duke of York remained there in the room of the lord Talbot's, which vexed the king greatly, for he saw but little hope of his accomplishing his enterprise. He thought, however, that should he depart without having gained Pontoise, after lying before it so long, and at such a prodigious expense, he would be disgraced, and the people would cry out against him and his ministers, more especially the Parisians, who had advanced large sums of money for this purpose. He was likewise informed that the nobles of his realm, and even the princes of his blood, were much dissatisfied with his government, and that there was to be a meeting of them, which could not be meant for his welfare: he had, therefore, enough to think on. Nevertheless, he determined, with his most faithful advisers, to return to Maubuisson, and prosecute the siege, which he did on the twelfth day from the time he had quitted it, and quartered his troops in their former situations.

Soon after his return, a grand skirmish took place with the constable's division, between Maubuisson and Pontoise, in which Claude de Hangest, lord of Ardilliers, was killed by a cannon-shot. Various and frequent skirmishes passed between the French and English,— but it would be tiresome to enter into a detail of each: in one of them, the lord Charles d'Anjou was wounded by an arrow. Very little worth noticing took place in the main business of the siege. The count de St. Pol's men having been much harassed, and having expended large sums of money, were desirous of returning home, and entreated of him permission so to do; upon this, he took leave of the king and the dauphin, who, on his going away, made him handsome presents, and returned him their thanks for the services he had done them. The count de St. Pol marched with his men from before Pontoise, to cross the river Oise at Pont St. Maixence. At the entrance of the bridge, the captain of the fort came out to meet the count,-when, sharp words arising between them, the count would have seized the captain, had he not made haste to retire within his fort, whence he instantly discharged the cannon and cross-bows on him and his men. The horse of sir Ferry de Mailly was killed under him by a shot, and another man-at-arms had his arm broken. The count retreated with his army and crossed the Oise at Compiégne, and thence returned to his own country. The garrison of the bridge before-mentioned followed a party of the count's men who were marching toward Mondidier, overtook and pillaged them."

On the same day, the count de Vaudemont marched his men from before Pontoise, as did several other great lords, and left the king in the state you have heard, to his no small displeasure, although he did not suffer it to appear, for he could not help it; and he was forced to bear all things patiently which God was pleased to send him. He daily employed his cannon and other engines against the walls and gates of the town, and also against the church of Our Lady, without the walls, but possessed by the English, and held by them for a long time. The walls of this church were so battered that, on the 16th day of September, the king resolved in council to storm it, which took place on a Saturday, and all within were put to the sword or made prisoners. This church was very high, and so near to the town that from the top could be seen almost everything the English were doing,-and they could be thence annoyed with small cannons, culverines, and even cross-bows.

The church being won, it was ordered, that on the ensuing Tuesday a general storm should be made on the town, to see if they could not conquer it. This was executed; and on the Tuesday, the king and his lords, having well armed their men, urged them on with shouting, "St. Denis! Town won!" A large party having forced an entrance, the townsmen fled to the churches and other strong places; but about five hundred of the English were soon put to the sword, and the remainder, to the amount of four hundred, made prisoners. Among the slain was an English knight called sir Nicholas Burdet,-but the governor of the town was taken prisoner. Only forty, or thereabout, were killed on the king's side at the attack, or died afterward of their wounds. Many new knights were made on the occasion: among whom were the brothers John and Robert d'Estouteville, Regnault de