the king left the abbey of Grestain, and went to Berucy*, and thence to Essay+ and Alençon. He ordered a party of his guards, with the franc-archers, to lay siege to Fresnay, which was under the government of two Englishmen, called Andrew Torfflots and Janequin Vaquier||, 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 Berucy,-Bernay, a market-town in Normandy, twenty leagues and a half from Alençon. MS. DU CANGE. + Essay, a market-town in Normandy, five leagues from Alençon. Fresnay. There are two villages of this name in Normandy. § Andrew Torfflot. Troslo.-MS. Du Cange. Q. if not Truslow? Janequin Vaquier. Basquier and Baquier. MS, DU CANGE. Montfort*, 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†, 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 Eng * Montfort. Q. if not lord Fauconberg? See in the preceding pages. + Valognes,-five leagues from Cherbourg. lish 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. LA. D. 1450.] CHAP. XVIII. AFTER THE CAPTURE OF VALOGNES BY SÍR 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*, 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 * St Clement, a village near to Bayeux. hundred spears and archers. 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 18th 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 com panions. The two armies remained drawn up facing each other for three hours, while a continual skirmish was going forward, |