Part 8

Omnibus ad quos hoc præsens scriptum peruenerit, Ioh[=a]nes de Bromley miles, capitaneus generalis de Dampfront, senescallus & magnus constabularius de Bosseuile le Rosse & March ibidem, salutem. Sciatis quòd pro bono & fideli seruitio quod dilectus consanguineus meus Gualterus de Audeley mihi fecerit, tam infra regnum Angliæ quàm extra, & præcipuè contra Francos: dedisse & concessisse, & hac præsenti charta mea confirmasse eidem Gualtero vnum annualem redditum viginti librarum, exeuntem de manerio meo de Bromley, & omnibus alijs terris & tenementis meis infra regnum Angliæ, vna cum herbagio pro quatuor equis habendo infra boscos meos de Bromley & Willoughbridge, & octo carucatis foeni capiendis infra prata mea de Shurlebrooke & Foordsmedo annuatim, durante tota vita prædicti Gualteri, in festo sancti Iacobi apostoli. Et si contingat prædictum annualem redditum, a retrò fore in aliquo festo, durante termino prædicto; tunc bene licebit eidem Gualtero, in manerio meo, & omnibus alijs terris meis prædictis distringere, & districtiones inde captas penes se retinere, quousq; de redditu prædicto, vna cum arreragijs (si quæ fuerint) plenariè fuerit persolutum & satisfactum. Et vlteriùs volo, quòd prædictus Gualterus habebit liberum egressum & regressum cum equis suis prædictis, & ad asportandum foenum predict[=u], quandocunq; voluerit, per omnes semitas & vias, sine aliqua contradictione mei prædicti Iohannis, aut hæredum meorum aliquali. Reddendo inde mihi ipsi Gualtero annuatim in festo sancti Georgij martyris, si tunc fuerim infra regnum Angliæ, vnum par calcarium deauratorum, pro omnibus. Et etiam volo & concedo quòd prædictus Gualterus liber sit, durante tota vita sua, ad volandum, venandum, piscandum, & alias commoditates percipiendum, tam infra manerium meum de Bromley quàm in omnibus alijs manerijs, terris, & tenementis meis infra regnum Angliæ, sine aliqua contradictione vel impedimento mei præfati Iohannis de Bromley militis, hæredum, aut assignatorum meorum aliquali. Et vt fidele testimonium præsentibus habeatur, sigillum meum apposui: hijs testibus Roberto de Bruyn milite, Iohanne de Holland, Gulihelmo de Brereton, Richardo le Greuill, Iohanne de Egerton, Richardo le Beston, Thoma le Creu, & alijs. Datum apud Dampfront prædicto, 12 die mensis Augusti, anno regni regis Henrici quinti post conquestum sexto.

The old armes of the house of Bromley being quarterlie gules and ore per fesse indented, had in the seale to this déed, an inscutchen charged with a griffin surgiant; his creast, out of a crowne, a demilion supporting a standard charged with a lion passant gardant; about the shield was ingrauen, Sigillum Iohannis de Bromley militis. That inscutchen and creast (as like is) giuen him in laudable remembrance for his valiant recouerie of the standard at the sharpe and bloodie skirmish by Corbie. The earle of Warwike, and the lord Talbot, after the winning of this fortresse, made spéed to come vnto the siege of Rone, where they were imploied, as after shall appeare. And in like manner, the duke of Glocester, hauing once got the possession of Chierburgh, hasted towards the same siege: for the better furnishing of which enterprise, he had first caused an armie of fiftéene thousand men to be brought ouer to him vnder the leading of his vncle the duke of Excester, who imbarking with the same, about the feast of the holie Trinitie, was appointed by the king to besiege the citie of Eureux, as the earle of Angus, otherwise called earle of Kime, was sent to win the castell of Millie Leuesche. These townes being deliuered to the kings vse, the duke ordeined capteine of Eureux sir Gilbert Halsall knight.

The king now determining with all spéed to besiege Rone, prepared all things necessarie for his purpose. Into this citie the Normans had conueied out of euerie part their monie, iewels, and houshold stuffe, as into the most sure and strongest place of the whole duchie. For since his arriuall, they had not onlie walled that citie, and fortified it with rampiers and strong bulworks, but also furnished it with valiant capteins, and hardie soldiers, to the number of foure thousand, beside such of the citizens as were appointed for the warre, according to their estates, of the which there were at the least fiftéene thousand readie to serue in defense of the citie, as soldiers, and men of warre in all places where they should be assigned. King Henrie to haue the countrie frée, before he would besiege this citie, thought good first to win such townes as laie in his waie, and therefore departing from Caen (where he had kept the feast of saint George) the ninth daie of Iune, he marched streight vnto the towne of Louiers, and laid his siege about the same.

[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius._]

[Sidenote: Louiers besieged.]

[Sidenote: Louiers yéelded vp.]

They within the towne, being well furnished of all things necessarie for the defending of a siege, manfullie resisted the Englishmens inforcements, which spared not to deuise all waies and means how to approch the walles, and to batter the same with their great artillerie, till at length they brought the Frenchme[=n] to that extremitie, that they were contented to yéeld the towne on these conditions; that if by the thrée and twentith of Iune there came no succour from the French king to raise the siege, the towne should be deliuered into the kings hands, the soldiers of the garrison should serue vnder the king for a time, and the townesmen should remaine in their dwellings as they did before, as subiects to the king: but the gunners that had discharged anie péece against the Englishmen should suffer death. When the daie came, and no aid appeared, the couenants were performed accordinglie. From thence went the king with all spéed vnto Point de Larch, standing vpon the riuer of Seine, eight miles aboue Rone towards Paris: he came thither about the seauen and twentith of Iune.

[Sidenote: The English armie passeth the riuer of Seine.]

When the Frenchmen which kept the passage there heard of the kings approach, they gathered togither a great number of men of warre, minding to defend the passage against him, appointing an other band of men (if they failed) to kéepe the further side of the bridge; and to watch, that neither by boate nor vessell he should come ouer the riuer by anie maner of meanes. At his comming néere to the towne, he perceiued that it was not possible to passe by the bridge without great losse of his people, and therfore he retired almost a mile backeward, where, in a pleasant and commodious place by the riuer side he pitched his campe, and in the night season, what with boates and barges, and what with hogsheads and pipes, he conueied ouer the broad riuer of Seine a great companie of his soldiers, without anie resistance made by his enimies. For they which were on the hither side of Seine, thinking that the Englishmen had gone to winne some other place, followed them not, but studied how to defend their towne, which was inough for them to doo.

[Sidenote: A good policie.]

And to put the French men in doubt, least the Englishmen should séeke passage somewhere else, the king appointed certeine of the soldiers which had skill in swimming, to go to a place thrée miles from the siege by the riuer side, and there to enter into the water, making great clamor and noise, as though they had meant to haue passed; but they had in commandement not to trauerse past halfe the riuer, so to procure the Frenchmen to make thitherwards, whilest the king in one place, and his brother the duke of Clarence in another, got ouer their men, and that in such number, before the Frenchmen had anie vnderstanding thereof, that when they made towards them, and perceiued that they were not able to incounter them, they fled backe, and durst not abide the English footmen, which would faine haue béene dooing with them.

[Sidenote: Pont de larch rendred vp to the Englishm[=e].]

When the king saw that his men were on the other side of the water, he (the next daie earlie) returned to the towne, & assaulted it on both sides. When the inhabitants therefore saw themselues compassed on both sides, contrarie to their expectation, with humble heart and small ioy they rendered vp the towne vnto the kings hands. After this, the king hauing no let nor impediment, determined foorthwith to besiege the citie of Rone, and first sent before him his vncle the duke of Excester, with a great companie of horssemen & archers to view the place, & thervpon with banner displaied came before the citie, and sent Windsore an herauld at armes to the capteins within, willing them to deliuer the citie vnto the king his maister, or else he would pursue them with fire and sword. To whome they proudlie answered, that none they receiued of him, nor anie they would deliuer him, except by fine force they were therevnto compelled: and herewith there issued out of the towne a great band of men of armes, and incountered fiercelie with the Englishmen, the which receiuing them with like manhood, and great force, draue the Frenchmen into the towne againe to their losse, for they lett thirtie of their fellowes behind prisoners and dead in the field.

[Sidenote: Rone besieged by K. Henrie.]

The duke returned with this good spéed and proud answer of the Frenchmen vnto the king, who remained yet at Pont de Larch, and had giuen the towne of Louiers to his brother the duke of Clarence, which made there his deputie sir Iohn Godard knight. After that the duke of Excester was returned to Pont Larch, the French capteins within Rone set fire on the suburbs, beat downe churches, cut downe trées, shred the bushes, destroied the vines round about the citie, to the intent that the Englishmen should haue no reléefe nor comfort either of lodging or fewell. When the king heard of these despitefull dooings, he with his whole armie remooued from Pont Larch, and the last daie of Iulie came before the citie of Rone, and compassed it round about with a strong siege. This citie was verie rich in gold, siluer, and other pretious things, in so much that when the same was taken and seized vpon by the English, the spoile was verie great and excéeding aduantagable: which the compiler of Anglorum prælia hath verie well noted, in a few lines, but pithie; saieng

[Sidenote: _Angl. præl. sub._]

[Sidenote: Hen. 5.]

Vltima Rothomagus restat, quæ mercibus, auro, Argento, vasis pretiosis diues abundat: Rothomagus capitur, iámq; Anglus adeptus opimas Prædas, in patriam perpulchra trophæa remittit.

[Sidenote: Before Pont S. Hiliarie.]

[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius._]

[Sidenote: The order of the siege.]

[Sidenote: Before the gate called Markeuile.]

[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius._]

[Sidenote: Salisburie & Huntington on the other side of the riuer of Seine.]

The king laie with a great puissance at the Chartreux house, on the east side of the citie, and the duke of Clarence lodged at S. Geruais before the port of Caux on the west part. The duke of Excester tooke his place on the north side: at port S. Denis, betwéene the dukes of Excester and Clarence, was appointed the earle marshall, euen before the gate of the castell; to whome were ioined the earle of Ormond, and the lords Harington and Talbot, vpon his comming from Dampfront: and from the duke of Excester toward the king were incamped the lords Ros, Willoughbie, Fits Hugh, and sir William Porter, with a great band of northerne men, euen before the port of saint Hilarie. The earles of Mortaigne and Salisburie were assigned to lodge about the abbie of saint Katharine. Sir Iohn Greie was lodged directlie against the chappell called mount S. Michaell: sir Philip Léech treasurer of the warres kept the hill next the abbeie, and the baron of Carew kept the passage on the riuer of Seine, and to him was ioined that valiant esquier Ienico Dartois.

[Sidenote: The lord Talbot.]

[Sidenote: W. P.]

On the further side of the riuer were lodged the earles of Warren and Huntington, the lords Neuill and Ferrers, sir[2] Gilbert Umfreuile with a well furnished companie of warlike soldiers directlie before the gate called Port de Pont. And to the intent that no aid should passe by the riuer toward the citie, there was a great chaine of iron deuised at Pont Larch, set on piles from the one side of the water to the other: and beside that chaine, there was set vp a new forced bridge, sufficient both for cariage and passage, to passe the riuer from one campe to another. The erle of Warwike that had latelie woone Dampfront, was sent to besiege Cawdebecke, a towne standing on the riuer side, betwéene the sea and the citie of Rone. A memorable feat in seruice néere to that place was doone at that time by a well minded man then noted soone after in writing: which matter vnable to be better reported than by him that had so well marked it, nor like to be more trulie expressed than by the ancient simplicitie (and yet effectuall) of the selfe same words wherein they were written, therefore thought méetest to haue them rehearsed as they were in order, thus.

[2] Umfreuile.

The truth of the said memorable feat as it was reported in writing.

[Sidenote: A conflict néere to Cawdebecke.]

[Sidenote: The L. of Estrisles slaine.]

[Sidenote: George Umfreuile slaine.]

[Sidenote: Walter Audeley sore wo[=u]ded.]

MEMORANDUM, that my lord the earle of Warwike did send out my cosin sir Iohn Bromley and my cosin George Umfreuile with an hundred archers, and about two hundred soldiers a strett, to kéepe at a little castell called the Stroo néere to Cawdebeke, where they wearen met with aboue eight hundred Frenchmen & the fraie betwéene them long yfought, and the Englishmen in great dread and perill: till at length by the might of God and saint George, the féeld did fall to our Englishmen, and the Frenchmen wearen put to flizt, and thear wearen yslaine aboue two hundred Frenchmen, and as manie ytaken prisoners, and their capteine who was ycalled the lord of Estrisles was thear also yslaine, and thear wearen yslaine of our Englishmen my said cosin George Umfreuile and about twentie mo: on whose solles Iesus haue mercie, and thear wearen hurt in the face my said cosin sir Iohn Bromley & my cosin Walter Audeley sore wounded and maimed in the right arme of his bodie, he then being but of the age of eightéene yeares. But thankes be giuen to the blessed Trinitée, thear wearen manie noble victories ywoon by the said noble erle of Warwike and his folke, as in his officiall booke (written by maister Iohn le Tucke then present with the said noble earle) is amply recorded. My said cosin Walter Audeley died at Warwike the seauentéenth daie of Iulie[3] anno Domini one thousand foure hundred and twentie, and was buried at Acton in Cheshire, néere the bodie of my said cosin sir Iohn Bromley: on whose solles Iesus haue mercie. By me sir Richard Braie, chapleine to my ladie the old countesse of Warwike; Iesus Maria, Amen, Pater noster, Aue Maria.

[3] And this sir Iohn Bromley departed from this life the fourth day of Sept. 1419, which was in anno reg. 7, as by the office tak[=e] after his death remaining of record in the castell of Chester dooth manifestlie appeare.

After this conflict, this towne was so hardlie handled with fierce and continuall assaults, that the capteins within offered to suffer the English nauie to passe by their towne without impeachment, vp to the citie of Rone. And also if Rone yéelded, they promised to render the towne without delaie. Héerevpon the English nauie, to the number of an hundred sailes, passed by Cawdebecke, and came to Rone, and so besieged it on the water side. There came also to this siege the duke of Glocester, with the earle of Suffolke, and the lord Aburgauennie, which had taken (as before yée haue heard) the towne of Chierburgh, & lodged before the port of S. Hilarie, néerer to their enimies by fortie rodes than any other person of the armie.

[Sidenote: The lord of Kilmaine capteine of the Irishmen.]

[Sidenote: The good seruice of the Irishmen at this siege.]

[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius._]

[Sidenote: The king of Portingale sendeth aid to king Henrie.]

During this siege also, there arriued at Harflue the lord of Kilmaine in Ireland, a band of sixtéene hundred Irishmen, in maile, with darts and skains after the maner of their countrie, all of them being tall, quicke and nimble persons, which came and presented themselues before the king lieng still at the siege, of whom they were not onelie gentlie receiued & welcomed; but also because it was thought that the French king and the duke of Burgognie would shortlie come, and either attempt to raise the siege, or vittell and man the towne by the north gate, they were appointed to kéepe the north side of the armie, and speciallie the waie that commeth from the forest of Lions. Which charge the lord of Kilmaine and his companie ioifullie accepted, and did so their deuoir therein, that no men were more praised, nor did more damage to their enimies than they did: for suerlie their quicknesse & swiftnesse of foot did more preiudice to their enimies, than their barded horsses did hurt or damage to the nimble Irishmen. Also the kings coosine germane and alie (the king of Portingale) sent a great nauie of well appointed ships vnto the mouth of the riuer of Seine, to stop that no French vessels should enter the riuer, and passe vp the same, to the aid of them within Rone.

[Sidenote: The number within Rone.]

Thus was the faire citie of Rone compassed about with enimies, both by water and land, hauing neither comfort nor aid of King, Dolphin, or Duke. And yet although the armie was strong without, there lacked not within both hardie capteins and manfull souldiers. And as for people, they had more than inough: for as it is written by some that had good cause to know the truth, and no occasion to erre from the same, there were in the citie at the time of the siege, two hundred and ten thousand persons. Dailie were issues made out of the citie at diuerse gates, sometime to the losse of the one partie, and sometime of the other, as chances of warre in such aduentures happen. The Frenchmen in déed preferring fame before worldlie riches, and despising pleasure (the enimie to warlike prowesse) sware ech to other neuer to render or deliuer the citie, while they might either hold sword in hand or speare in rest.

[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius._]

The king of England aduertised of their haultie courages, determined to conquer them by famine, which would not be tamed with weapon. Wherefore he stopped all the passages, both by water and land, that no vittels could be conueied to the citie: he cast trenches round about the wals, and set them full of stakes, and defended with archers, so that there was left neither waie for them within to issue out, nor for anie that were abroad to enter in without his licence. To rehearse the great paines, trauell and diligence, which the king tooke vpon him in his owne person at this siege, a man might woonder. And because diuerse of the souldiers had lodged themselues for their more ease, in places so farre distant one from an other, that they might easilie haue béene surprised by their enimies, yer anie of their fellowes could haue come to their succors; he caused proclamation to be made, that no man vpon paine of death should lodge without the precinct appointed them, nor go further abroad from the campe than such bounds as were assigned.

[Sidenote: King Henrie his iustice.]

[Sidenote: _Thom. Wals._]

[Sidenote: Thrée great victories on the English side within a short time togither.]

Now as it chanced, the king in going about the campe, to surueie and view the warders, he espied two souldiers that were walking abroad without the limits assigned, whom he caused straightwaies to be apprehended and hanged vpon a trée of great height, for a terrour to others, that none should be so hardie to breake such orders as he commanded them to obserue. Whilest the king laie thus with his power about the mightie citie of Rone, the Frenchmen sought to indamage as well those that were at that siege, as other of the Englishmen that laie in garrisons within the townes that were alreadie in the king of Englands possession, insomuch that (as some haue written) within the octaues of the Assumption, thrée notable victories chanced to the Englishmen in thrée seuerall places. First an hundred Englishmen at Kilbeuf tooke thrée great lords of the Frenchmen, besides fourescore other persons, and put thrée hundred to flight.

Also vpon the thursdaie within the same octaues, foure hundred Frenchmen that were entered within the suburbes of Eureux were repelled by eleuen Englishmen, that tooke foure of those Frenchmen prisoners, slue twelue of them, and tooke fortie horsses. On the saturdaie following, the Frenchmen tooke in hand to steale vpon them that laie in garrison within Louiers, in hope to surprise the towne earlie in the morning: but the capteine perceiuing their purpose, sallied foorth with a hundred of his men, and putting the Frenchmen to flight, being a thousand, tooke an hundred and fourescore of them being all gentlemen. But to returne to them before Rone. The siege thus continuing from Lammas, almost to Christmas, diuerse enterprises were attempted, and diuerse policies practised, how euerie part might indamage his aduersaries; no parte greatlie reioised of their gaine. But in the meane time vittels began sore to faile them within, that onelie vinegar and water serued for drinke.

[Sidenote: Extreme famine within Rone.]

If I should rehearse (according to the report of diuerse writers) how déerelie dogs, rats, mise, and cats were sold within the towne, and how gréedilie they were by the poore people eaten and deuoured, and how the people dailie died for fault of food, and yoong infants laie sucking in the stréets on their moothers breasts lieng dead, starued for hunger; the reader might lament their extreme miseries. A great number of poore sillie creaturs were put out at the gates, which were by the Englishmen that kept the trenches beaten and driuen backe againe to the same gates, which they found closed and shut against them. And so they laie betwéene the wals of the citie and the trenches of the enimies, still crieng for helpe and reléefe, for lacke whereof great numbers of them dailie died.

[Sidenote: A vertuous and Charitable prince.]

Howbeit, king Henrie mooued with pitie, vpon Christmasse daie, in the honor of Christes Natiuitie, refreshed all the poore people with vittels, to their great comfort and his high praise: yet if the duke of Burgognies letters had not béene conueied into the citie, it was thought they within would neuer haue made resistance so long time as they did; for by those letters they were assured of rescue to come. Diuerse lords of France hauing written to them to the like effect, they were put in such comfort herewith, that immediatlie, to expresse their great reioising, all the bels in the citie were roong foorth chéerefullie, which during all the time of the siege till that present had kept silence. In déed by reason of a faint kind of agréement procured betwixt the Dolphin and the duke of Burgognie, it was thought verelie that a power should haue béene raised for preseruation of that noble citie, the loosing or sauing thereof being a matter of such importance.

[Sidenote: _Chron. S. Alb._]

[Sidenote: A large tr[=e]ch without the campe.]