They reported to the council all that had passed at Pont de l'Arche; and soon after the cardinal went to pope Martin at Avignon, for he saw clearly that no peace was likely to take effect between the three parties.
The inhabitants of Rouen knowing well that the negotiation between the kings of France and England was broken off, and fearing that succour would be too long delayed, resolved to make a sally, and fight their way through one of the quarters of king Henry's army, to seek for succour themselves. On mustering their forces, they found they were full ten thousand combatants, leaving a sufficiency for the defence of the town. Orders were given for each man to provide himself with two days provision. When all were ready, and two thousand of them had made an attack on the king's quarters, where they had done much damage, they began their march out of the town; but it happened that the props which bore the drawbridge had been wickedly and secretly sawed nearly through, so that when their first ranks advanced thereon it broke, and very many fell into the ditch and were killed or wounded.
They hastened to another gate to support their men that were engaged with the English, and ordered them to retreat; but they could not regain their town without great loss, although they had made their enemies suffer also.
There were now many murmurings against the honour of sir Guy le Bouteiller, who was believed to have caused the supporters of the drawbridge to be sawn.
Not long after this sally, Langnon bastard d'Arly died of sickness, to the great sorrow of the commonalty, who as I have before said, had greater confidence in him than in any of the other captains.
At this time sir John de Luxembourg took to wife Joan of Bethune, daughter and heiress to the viscount de Meaux, who had before espoused Robert de Bar count de Marle and de Soissons. She had a young daughter, two years old or thereabout, the heiress of these counties. This marriage was concluded through favour of the duke of Burgundy and the count de Charolois; and by it sir John de Luxembourg had the management of extensive territories. Within a year, the lady brought him a son, who died young. The duke of Burgundy gave up to him many lordships, such as Dunkirk, Varmeston and others, which he had holden as being confiscated,—for the late sir Robert de Bar, during his lifetime, had been of the opposite party.
CHAP. XV.
A LARGE ARMY IS COLLECTED TO RAISE THE SIEGE OF ROUEN.—THE BESIEGED SEND ANOTHER EMBASSY.—THE EXCURSION OF SIR JAMES DE HARCOURT.
We must now return to the situation of the king of France, and of the duke of Burgundy's government. It is true that large bodies of men at arms had been summoned in the king's name for the relief of the town of Rouen, from different parts of the kingdom, and ordered to rendezvous at and near Beauvais. A great many of the lords from Picardy, with a numerous body of their men accustomed to bear arms, came thither; and the country suffered much from them wherever they passed.
The king, queen and duke of Burgundy, with their households, came from Pontoise to Beauvais, to have provisions in greater plenty, and held there many private councils on the best means to relieve the town of Rouen. They could not devise any mode that would be successful, on account of the quarrel between the dauphin and the duke of Burgundy, and because the king of England had too powerful an army. Notwithstanding this, they daily summoned more men at arms and cross-bows from the towns under their obedience.