CHAP. VIII.
THE DUKE OF BRITTANY AND THE CONSTABLE OF FRANCE ENTER NORMANDY WITH A GREAT ARMY, AND LAY SIEGE TO ST LO[23], WHICH SURRENDERS TO THEM, AS DO MANY OTHER SMALL PLACES.—THE TOWN OF CARENTAN[24] SURRENDERS ALSO.
About the same period of this year, the duke of Brittany, his brother the count de Richemont, constable of France, with other nobles and men at arms from his duchy, amounting to a thousand or twelve hundred lances, entered lower Normandy, to restore it to the obedience of the king of France from the dominion of the English (the ancient enemies of the realm), who had usurped the government of it for nearly thirty-two years. They first advanced to the town of Mont St Michel[25]; and the nobles and men at arms were quartered in the villages of upper and lower Les Pas[26], Courtis[27], St George en Gaine, Postulbanch, and thereabouts.
The duke, on quitting Brittany, had left his brother, the lord Peter, on the frontiers, near to Fougeres and Avranches, for their defence, with three hundred lances. On the morrow, the duke and the constable formed their van-guard under the command of sir James de Luxembourg, lieutenant to the constable, the marshal and admiral of France, of five hundred spears, who that day marched to Coutances[28], and lay before it,—while the duke and the main army, consisting of five or six hundred lances, remained that night in and about Granville[29]. On the morrow, the constable advanced the main army toward Coutances, and halted opposite to the hospital; but they were not there a day before the English in the town marched away, and the inhabitants continued in the same peaceful state as before this renewal of war.
The duke of Brittany next marched to lay siege to St Lo, and ordered his van to advance and take up their quarters on one side of the town,—while he followed with the army on the next day, and posted himself on the opposite side. Sir William de Poitou commanded in the place, with a garrison of two hundred men,—but notwithstanding these numbers, he made no resistance, but capitulated with the duke for its surrender, on being allowed to march away with his men whither he should please. The duke and the constable, during their stay at St Lo, won the following towns, villages and castles, namely, le Hommet[30], Neufville[31], Torigny[32], Beuseville[33], Hambie[34], La Motte l'Evêque[35], la Haye-du-Puy[36], Chanteloup[37], L'Aunay[38], and many other small places round St Lo, in which city, as well as in those captured places, strong garrisons were posted.
The van was now detached to the town of Carentan, and followed by the main body; but the garrison held out only three days before they surrendered, and then marched away with staves in their hands,—and those in the town were reinstated in their possessions.
The marshal and the admiral of France now separated from the duke and the constable, and came before Pont d'Oue[39], which having taken by storm, they overran all the country of Coutantin, without meeting any resistance. The government of it and Carentan was given to Joachim Rohault. From Carentan, the above lords returned to Coutances, and thence, in the month of October, detached a party to Gavrey[40]. On the morrow, the duke and the constable came to Coutances, where the duke staid that day, and before the constable could arrive at Gavrey, the bulwark had been won by storm; and on the morrow, sir Geoffry de Couvren, who directed the siege, having made great approaches by his mines, attacked the castle with such vigour that the english garrison, of about six score men, demanded a parley, and concluded a treaty with the constable for its surrender, on being allowed to march away in safety with their effects.