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wished to persevere in this, to dethrone him utterly, A.D. 1415. and exclude him from the possession of the crown of England, which thing he would not believe. So he requested of all those who were there their opinions of this thing, that is to say, if it were true, that they would faithfully advise him of what he had to do, or what he should not do with those who devised such treason against him. Concerning this, he swore first the greatest lords and chiefs of his council and army, then came to the Earl of Cambridge and the Lords Scrope and Cobham, who replied to the king, "Sire, "he or those who would devise or practise such "treason against you, are worthy to suffer a death so "cruel that it may be an example to all others," and similarly said all those who were at the council, and that they could not be put to death by torments too cruel. This council having been held, and all the opinions heard, as has been said, the king caused the Earls of March and Cambridge to be confronted and made to speak in each other's presence, together with the Lords Scrope and Cobham, and there, without much. fine language and without gainsaying, the above-mentioned lords confessed the said deed they had advised. the Earl of March, all in the manner that has been told above. Then the king, very angry at the thing which had come to pass through the said lords, whom he greatly loved, especially Lord Scrope, who many times had slept with the king and in his chamber, had them all three beheaded, then cut into four quarters and sent to the four principal towns of England.

Not long after the accomplishment of this justice the king put to sea, and drew towards France, with the intention of recovering his rightful inheritance. So it came to pass that when the king had embarked in his ship, and all his company were ready to start, fire broke out in the midst of the vessels, and three

A.D. 1415. large ones were quite destroyed, so that little was saved of ali that was in them; and it was a great wonder that there was not more damage, but every one withdrew as well as he could from the fire, for no one durst approach it, it spread so easily. These two misfortunes, that is to say, the said treason, and the three vessels being burned and destroyed, happened to King Henry at his departure from England to cross to France, at which most of his followers wondered and greatly feared for more difficulties. And because these things had occurred there were among them those who advised King Henry not to go any further, which advice he was unwilling to trust; but he sailed out, he and all his army, so that on the night of the Assumption of Our Lady he came to port in a harbour which is between Harfleur and Honfleur, where the water of the Somme1 falls into the sea. There might be eight hundred vessels loaded with people and equipments of war, all which were landed without loss. When all were disembarked, the king found lodging in a priory at Graville, the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, his brothers, pretty near him, while the Duke of York and Earl of Dorset, his uncles, the Bishop of Norwich, and all the other great lords housed themselves as best they could in the neighbourhood. And the next day they very strongly besieged the town of Harfleur, which is the marine key of the country of Normandy; then they formed their seige as they were accustomed to do, so made their approaches, and with their bombards and engines began to assail them in every direction. Into the town of Harfleur there had entered with its inhabitants about three

1 Should be Seine.

2 MS. H. adds the Earl of
Oxford, the Earl of Suffolk, the
Earl of Warwick, the Earl of
Marshal, the Earl of Kent (Kyme),

the Lords Comberge (the Earl of Cambridge), Bremont, Willoughby, Trompanton, Cornwall, and Malliflacq.

hundred French men-at-arms to guard and defend it, A D. 1415. among whom were the Lord of Estouteville, captain of the said town of Harfleur on behalf of the King of France; and with him the Lords of Villantville, Hacqueville, Hermanville, Gaillart-Bos, Clere, Bethondes, Gaucourt, Lisle-Adam, and several other knights and esquires to the number above mentioned, resisting the English valiantly, which availed nothing because of the great power of the enemy, and they were so hardly pressed that it was with great difficulty they got back into the town.

Before the descent of the King of England the French had caused the road between Montivilliers and the said town of Harfleur to be broken up to make the road difficult for the English, and had carried the stones into the town. The English then being there maintaining the siege, foraged, overran, and pillaged the surrounding country to victual their army, also they took prisoners and did innumerable injuries as soldiers are accustomed to do. On the other hand, King Henry, who was very cunning, went often round the town incognito, to judge which part was the easiest and most convenient to take it from, and where it was most suitable to place his large engines, with which he so damaged the towers and the wall, and so distressed the people of the town that they were greatly confounded. Nevertheless, they defended themselves to the best of their power, and killed many of the English with their cross-bows and bolts. Then there were only two open gates by which the French could make sallies, the one was that of Montivilliers and the other opposite, by which they daily went out to skirmish with the free English; but their skirmishes profited them but little, for the Eng lish by their arrows drove them back within their walls surrounded by deep and wide trenches. Now there happened a great misfortune to the besieged,

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A.D. 1415. for the King of France sent them a great abundance of powder and arrows, of which the King of England was informed, and he sent hastily some of his people, who seized them and took them to his army.

Meanwhile the King of France sent a number of men to the city of Rouen and to the frontier of the English; first the constable and Marshal Boucicault, the seneschal of Hainault; the Lord of Hamede, Sir Clugnet of Brabant, and several other captains, who to the best of their power and very diligently protected the country, in such wise that while the English were sitting before Harfleur they conquered nothing on the frontier; and already they were reduced to great difficulty, often riding in force over the flat country in search of food and adventure; for they asked for nothing better than to encounter the French, who kept themselves so wisely and so successfully, that the King of England and his army were often in great want of food, for the provisions which they had brought with them from their own country were as if quite spoiled by the sea air. Besides all other mischief, there broke out in the English army the disease of diarrhoea, of which at least two thousand died, among whom the principal were the Bishop of Norwich, the Earl of Stanfort, Lord Beaumont, Lord Trompanton, and Maurice Brunel, with many other noblemen, all of whom I cannot name.

Notwithstanding which things the King of England ceased not to prosecute diligently the work of his siege, and caused three mines to be dug beneath the wall, ready to destroy it, and besides this he caused his great engines to ruin and beat down the gates and towers. Finally, seeing and acknowledging these things, the besieged, knowing that they were daily in great danger of being taken by force, parleyed with King Henry, and went so far that they surrendered to him on condition that if they were not relieved

within three days, they would come out of the town, A.D. 1415. saving only their lives, which they would redeem by ransom, and to secure this bargain they gave good hostages.

This being done, the French in the garrison sent some of their people to seek help, and these found the Duke of Guienne, son of the King of France, at Vernon-sur-Seine; so they showed him the condition and need they were in, they and all the people of the town of Harfleur, and they very humbly prayed their lord the king and him that within the term of three days they might be assisted, or otherwise the town would be surrendered to the King of England, his enemy, and those who had hitherto kept it, would be delivered to him as prisoners. To these it was gently answered, that the forces of the King of France were not yet collected, or ready to afford them succour so hastily, upon which the people of Harfleur returned to their companions, who, the report having been made, surrendered themselves and the town to King Henry on St. Maurice's day (on the condition above mentioned, which was duly kept towards them, to the great regret of all loyal Frenchmen), for, as has been said above, it was without exception the chief port of all Normandy, and the most advantageous for carrying on their war in that quarter.

Of the orders which the King of France sent throughout his kingdom, to resist the enterprise of his adversary the King of England. CHAPTER VI.

Now it is true that when it came to the knowledge of the King of France, his princes, and great council how the town of Harfleur had surrendered into the hands of the English, fearing that the King of England

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