Enguerrand de Monstrelet

“ The garrison gallantly sallied out on foot to meet him, and a sharp skirmish began, during which sir John fell from his horse, by reason of the girth breaking, but was soon raised up again by his men, and instantly most courageously, and in a violent passion, attacked the Dauphinois lance in hand: they were fewer in number than the assailants, and therefore retreated in disorder, and closed their bulwark. ”

“ On the morrow of the feast of St Barbara, the king sent the earl of Dorset and the lord Clifford to the assistance of his uncle the duke of Exeter and the Parisians, who were much straitened for provisions by the garrisons of the Dauphinois that surrounded Paris. They had under their command twelve hundred combatants, and, avoiding all the ambushes of the enemy, rode hastily forward to Paris, where they were joyfully received by the inhabitants, by reason of the intelligence they brought of the king of England being at Calais, to whom they had sent several messages before he left England. ”

“ The king and queen of France, and the duke of Burgundy, held very many councils, while at Beauvais, on the most effectual means to relieve Rouen; but as it was found that at the moment the royal forces were insufficient to combat the army of England, and to raise the siege, the greater part of the men at arms that had been assembled were disbanded, excepting some from the principal towns, who were sent to garrison the frontiers, as well against the English as the Dauphinois. ”

“ At this period, the queen of Sicily, widow to king Louis of happy memory, granted permission, but not without heavy sighs, to her eldest son Louis to go to Rome to be crowned king of Sicily by the hands of the pope. She gave him into the charge of the Florentines and Genoese, who had entered the port of Marseilles with fifteen gallies, trusting not entirely to their loyalty, but demanding as hostages for her son eight of the most noble barons of Naples, who had come to fetch him by orders from the cities, chief towns, and principal noblemen of the realm. ”

“ Sir Guy le Bouteiller, who had been governor of Rouen, turned to the English, with several of his men, and took the oaths of allegiance to the king of England, deserting his own natural lord the king of France, for which he was much blamed by the French, and even by the English. Sir Guy was a native of Normandy, and not only had his estates restored to him, but was appointed deputy to the duke of Glocester, the new governor of Rouen. ”

“ For when we beg from door to door,
All cry, 'God bless you!' but not one
Gives bread or meat to feed the poor.
The dogs fare better far than we,
Albeit we faithful Christians be.
Yea, Christians, sons of God we be! ”

“ In these times, it was enough if one man hated another at Paris, of whatever rank he might be, Burgundian or not, to say, 'There goes an Armagnac,' and he was instantly put to death, without further inquiry being made. ”

“ The earl marched round part of the town with his army, and quartered some of his men in the monastery, and the rest in tents and pavilions. After this, he caused his engines to play incessantly on the walls, and damaged them in many places. With regard to the frequent sallies of the garrison, I shall, for brevity sake, pass them over; but, as the town was open to the sea, from the besiegers' want of shipping to blockade the port, the garrison and inhabitants could go whither they pleased for provisions, to Crotoy or elsewhere, to the great vexation of the earl of Warwick. ”

“ During this time, the English, in great force, under the command of the earl of Huntingdon and sir John de Cornwall, marched to the castle of Clermont, which they valiantly attacked, but it was as vigorously defended. The English, having had many killed and wounded, set fire to and burnt the village of St Andrieu, wherein were several handsome mansions, and substantial houses. They then overran the whole county of Clermont, and gained much plunder, with which they returned to the duchy of Normandy. ”

“ KING HENRY SETS OUT FROM ROUEN TO CALAIS WITH HIS QUEEN, AND THENCE TO ENGLAND, WHERE HE IS RECEIVED WITH GREAT JOY BY ALL RANKS OF PEOPLE.
When king Henry had satisfactorily arranged his affairs at Rouen, and appointed his brother the duke of Clarence, who was very prudent and renowned in arms, governor-general of all Normandy, he departed thence, accompanied by his queen, his brother the duke of Bedford, and six thousand men at arms. ”

“ Should any one attempt to injure him of his estates, we will aid and support him to the utmost of our power, when he shall call on us, against all persons whatever: even if any of our blood and kindred should, on account of matters that have passed some time since, pretend to injure him or his dominions, we will exert ourselves to the [Pg 98] utmost in his support, and defend him against them.
'Item, we Charles the dauphin and John duke of Burgundy do undertake henceforward the government of public affairs for the good of the realm, without harbouring any envy or jealousy of each other ”

“ King Henry, finding himself mortally ill, called to him his brother the duke of Bedford, his uncle of Exeter, the earl of Warwick, sir Louis de Robesart, and others, to the number of six or eight of those in whom he had the greatest confidence, and said, that he saw with grief it was the pleasure of his Creator that he should quit this world. ”

“ Several of the nobility joined sir John de Luxembourg, at Peronne, such as, the lord de l'Isle-Adam, marshal of France, the vidame of Amiens, Anthony lord of Croy, le borgne de Fosseux knight, John de Fosseux his brother, the lord de Longueval, [Pg 153] Hector and Philip de Saveuses, the lord de Humbercourt, sir John de Luquerque, the lord de Cohen, with many other notable knights and esquires, who marched from Peronne to Lyhons in Santerre, and to the adjacent villages, intending to besiege the castle of Muyn, but their intentions were soon changed. ”

“ It was then proclaimed, in the names of the king and the duke of Burgundy, under pain of death, that no persons should tumultuously assemble, nor any more murders or pillage take place, but that such as had of late risen in insurrection should prepare themselves to march to the sieges of [Pg 50] Montlehery and Marcoussi, now held by the king's enemies. The commonalty made reply, that they would cheerfully do so, if they had proper captains appointed to lead them. ”

“ Sir Guy le Bouteiller, a Norman, was captain-general of the town, having under him Langnon, bastard of Arly. The whole of the men at arms were selected for their courage, and amounted to about four thousand; and the citizens, well armed and clothed suitably to their degree, [Pg 38] were full fifteen thousand, ready and eager to defend themselves against all who might wish to injure them.
They united cheerfully with the men at arms in making every preparation of defence, in strengthening the gates, bulwarks, walls and ditches of their town, as well within side as without. ”