The earle of Kent, and the archbishop of Dubline going ouer into France, could not light vpon anie good conclusion for the matter about the which they were sent, bicause the same time, or rather somewhat before, the lord Rafe Basset of Draiton, being the kings seneshall in Guien, had ouerthrowne a certeine towne, newlie fortified by the Frenchmen on the frontiers, for that the inhabitants, trusting on the French kings fauour and maintenance, refused to obeie the lawes and ordinances of the countrie of Aquitaine, and séemed to despise and set at naught the authoritie of the said lord Basset in that countrie, contrarie to all right, good order or reason. Neuerthelesse, the French king tooke the matter so gréeuouslie, that except the lord Basset might be constreined to come vnto Paris, and there make answer to his offense, he would not hearken to anie other satisfaction. And therevpon, when the ambassadours were returned, he sent his vncle the lord Charles de Valois earle of Aniou, with a mightie armie, against the English subiects into Guien, where entring into Agenois, he tooke and seized all that countrie into the French kings hands. The earle of Kent being now gotten into those parts, with a great number of other capteins and men of warre sent thither by the king of England, resisted the enimies verie manfullie, in so much that vpon their approch to the Rioll, a strong towne in those parts, the earle of Kent as then being within it, did issue foorth, and giuing them battell, slue (as some write) fouretéene hundred of their men, so that they were glad to lodge at the first somewhat further off the towne.
Fabian.
The king of England writeth to the duke of Britaine.
Record. Tur.
Whilest this siege remained before the towne of the Rioll, the king of England wrote his letters to the duke of Britaine, as one of the péeres of France, declaring the iniurious dealing of the French king, who had sent his vncle the earle of Aniou with an armie against his people in Agenois, where he had taken manie townes, destroied his people, and now had besieged his nephue Edmund earle of Kent, within the towne of the Rioll, inforsing his whole puissance wrongfullie to bereaue him of all the duchie of Guien, and against all reason, and the prerogatiue of the péeres of France, to an euill president or example in time to come of the perpetuall seruitude of the said péeres. "And although" saith the king of England, "that the French alledge that we haue béen lawfullie summoned to come and doo homage, and haue refused so to doo, that is not so: for we were neuer in due order required as was conuenient, neither could we doo homage, by reason of the great iniuries and hard dealings practised against vs, from the feast of Easter last, till the date of those his present letters (which was the sixt of October, in this eightéenth yeare of his reigne) and yet," saith he, "there was neuer anie lawfull processe had against vs before our péeres, in the great chamber at Paris, as had béene requisite."
The lord of Biskie.
Tho. Wals.
A truce takē.
Herevpon he requested the duke of Britaine, that for the preseruation and maintenance of the honorable estate of the péeres of France, & for iustice sake he would helpe to aid him, either by waie of request, or other conuenient meanes, so as the said streict dealings and iniurious wrongs may ceasse, and the estate of the péereship may be mainteined as was requisite. He wrote likewise to the lord Iohn the infant, the lord of Biskie, and to the ladie Marie of Biskie gouernesse of the king of Castile and Leon, and to Iames king of Aragon, requesting them to aid him with men of warre, as well horssemen as footmen, against his aduersarie the French king, that most vniustlie went about to depriue him of his inheritance. But howsoeuer the matter went, no aid came to the earle of Kent from any part, till at length, the Frenchmen so reinforced the siege, that the towne was deliuered to the earle of Aniou, and a truce taken vpon certeine conditions, that further talke might be had, for the conclusion of some peace.