He re knights and esquires, as others. mained there until the 18th; and, during this time, the lord de Lohéac, marshal of Brittany, sir Geoffry de Couren*, and Joachim Rohault and others, attacked the town of St Jacques de Beuvron with great vigour from nine in the morning until night, and, with heavy and small artillery, kept up a continual fire on the walls. It was, however, gallantly defended; but on the morrow; the English capitulated for its surrender, on being allowed to march away in safety with their effects.. : On the 22d of the said month, the king of France entered Chartres; and, on the next day, the garrison of the tower of Verneuil surrendered themselves prisoners. They were but thirty, of whom the greater part were renegado French,-several having escaped a little before, carrying off all their valuables, owing to the negligence of those who had the guard during the night. Sir Florent was very much blamed for this, as the king had sent him orders, by one of his heralds, to be * De Couren. Couvren.--MS. Du CANGE. very attentive in guarding the place. The king, on the departure of the principal leaders, made matters easy to those who had remained, from the consideration that the place was impregnable but from want of provisions; and he concluded a treaty with the lords de Presigny and de Baugey, for their paying a moderate ransom, on delivering up the tower to the king. At this time, or a little after, Joachim de Rohault, with these lords who had gained St Jacques de Beuvron, took, after an attack of ten hours, the town of Mortain*. The count de Dunois, with the count de St Pol and those who had been at the capture of Pont Audemer, marched to lay siege to the city of Lisieux; but when those within the city observed the great force brought against it, and which it was impossible for them to resist,-fearing also that, should it be taken by storm, they would lose every thing,-they held several conferences together, and, by the advice of their bishop, offered to surrender the place * Mortain, a town in Normandy, on the river Lances, on the borders of Maine. to the king of France. The bishop managed so honourably and ably that not the smallest damage was done to any individual, but each peaceably enjoyed his property as before the surrender. Several small places round Lisieux surrendered to the count de Dunois at the same time. CHAP. IV. THE KING OF FRANCE SUMMONS MANTES TO SURRENDER, WHICH IT DOES, AND - IS TAKEN POSSESSION OF, IN THE NAME On the 26th of this same month of August, and on the morrow of the feast of St Louis, the king left Chartres with a noble company, and fixed his quarters at Châteauneuf-en-Timerais*, and, the same day, sent his heralds to summon the garrison of * Château-neuf-en-Timerais, a town in Perche, election of Verneuil. Mantes,-which town was held and occu pied against his will. While the heralds were on their embassy, the counts de Dunois and St Pol arrived with five or six hundred combatants, the same day, before the town of Mantes, and summoned the inhabitants to return to their obedience to the king of France. They at first refused, from fear of the garrison, although in their hearts they were well inclined to obey the summons,—and the lieutenant-general ordered preparations for an immediate attack. The inhabitants noticed this, but were fearful that the english garrison, amounting to two hundred and sixty men, under the command of sir Thomas Hos*, knight, and chancellor for the king of England in these parts, would make a defence. He was indeed not in the town; but his lieutenant, Thomas de Sainte Barbe, bailiff of the place, was present, and determined on resistance as long as he could. The inhabitants, therefore, foreseeing the ruin of their town, caused the bailiff to be informed, that if he would not enter into a capi * Sir Thomas Hos. Q. tulation for the surrender of the place, they should certainly do so. This they would not have dared to say, if they had not felt themselves the strongest; and the better to force the English to terms, they seized the tower and gate called the Port-au-Saint, with the whole of that quarter, and then went in a body to the lieutenant-general, and concluded with him a treaty for the surrender of their town. The English were desirous of making resistance, and would have opposed the French, had not this tower and its defences been occupied by the townsmen. A copy of the capitulation was sent them, about four o'clock in the afternoon, by a herald accompanied by fifty men at arms, who were received by the inhabitants, and posted in this tower, to guard them against the English, should there be occasion. Although the lieutenant-governor had accept`ed the terms for himself and his companions the bailiffs, the count de Dunois remained with his army in order of battle before thé walls from morning to evening, when he entered the place with a strong detachment, to guard the inhabitants from pillage and |