When the earl of Douglas heard of this inroad, he collected, without delay, six thousand Scots, and attacked the English on the plain in open day. The battle was well fought on both sides, and many were killed and wounded; but it was won by the Scots, who kept the field, and made many prisoners: in the number were sir Thomas de Hanton and Percy: the rest escaped as quickly as they could, to carry the melancholy news to lord Salisbury. He was very much grieved, and not without cause, but not cast down; for he instantly raised a greater army than before, consisting of sixty thousand men, thinking to destroy the whole kingdom of Scotland.
When the earls of Murray and of Ormond heard of the English having crossed the Solway with a large army, they, having the fear of God before their eyes, and finding the English determined thus conjunctly to destroy their country, took measures to oppose them; for it is perfectly lawful that every one should fight for his country. They soon, with the aid of other scots lords, assembled a force of thirty-two thousand able warriors, and, falling on the english camp unawares, put them to the rout, with great slaughter and loss in prisoners and wounded. They were pursued as far as the Solway, wherein many were drowned. The English lost in these two invasions from twenty to twenty-four thousand men in killed and prisoners.
The Scots gave all the merit of this signal defeat to God, and not to human force, for which they celebrated a thanksgiving; and, to prevent the English from being in future so eager to invade their country, they resolved to continue the pursuit into England. Having crossed the Solway, they destroyed the country, full twenty leagues in length, and six in breadth, as far as the strong town of Newcastle, without leaving a town or house on their road unburnt. On this expedition, a knight of great power in Scotland was slain, called sir John Vbouailles; and the Scots then returned unmolested home.
The account of these battles was given to the writer of the Chronicles of St Denis, at that abbey, by three scots priests of the diocese of Dunblaine, of which church one was a canon, and affirmed it for true before the holy shrine of St Denis, in the manner above related, and in the presence of the monks of that abbey.
On the 12th of August, the king of France came to Vendôme, grandly accompanied by men at arms, as well lords, knights and esquires, as others. He remained there until the 18th; and, during this time, the lord de Lohéac, marshal of Brittany, sir Geoffry de Couren[7], 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 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[8]. 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 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.
FOOTNOTES:
[5] Under the years 1446, 47, 48, 49, 50, in Andrew's History of Great Britain, &c.
'An invasion of Scotland is attempted by the English, led by the earl of Northumberland and Magnus Reidman. They are defeated at Sark[6] by the Scots, under the command of the lord Douglas and his brother the earl of Ormond.'