Ia. Meir.
Froissard.
This countesse of Mountfort was sister vnto Lewes earle of Flanders, and named Margaret, and not Claudia (as some write.) She was verie diligent in hir businesse, and spared no trauell to aduance hir cause, so that she wan not onelie the harts of the men of warre, but also of the people of Britaine, the which fauoured hir husband, and lamented the mishap of his taking. She first furnished such cities, townes, castels, and fortresses as hir husband had in possession, with men, munition and vittels, as Renes, Dinaunt, Guerand, Hanibout, and others. This doone, she sent ouer into England, sir Emerie de Clisson, a noble man of Britaine, to require the king of England of succors, with condition, that if it pleased him, hir sonne Iohn should marrie one of his daughters. ¶The king of England glad to haue such an entrie into France, as by Britaine, thought not to refuse the offer, & therevpon granted to aid the countesse: & foorthwith raising a power, sent the same ouer into Britaine, vnder the conduct of the lord Walter of Mannie, and others: the which at length, after they had continued long vpon the sea, by reason of contrarie winds, arriued in Britaine; in which meane time, a great armie of Frenchmen were entred into Britaine, and had besieged the citie of Renes, and finallie woone it by surrender, & were now before the towne of Hanibout, which with streict siege, and sore brusing of the walles, they were néere at point to haue taken, and the countesse of Mountfort within it; if the succours of England had not arriued there, euen at such time as the Frenchmen were in talke with them within, about the surrender. But after that the English fléet was séene to approch, the treatie was soone broken off, for they within had no lust then to talke anie further of the matter.
The english succour ariued in good time.
Archers.
Charles de Blois.
Lewes de Spaine.
Britaine Britonant.
The lord of Mannie, and the Englishmen arriued at Hanibout thus in time of imminent danger, wherein the countesse, and the other within that towne were presentlie beset, greatlie recomforted the said countesse, as she well shewed by hir chéerefull countenance in receiuing them. Shortlie after their arriuall, a certeine number of the English archers, issuing foorth, beat the Frenchmen from an engine which they had reared against the walles, and set fire vpon the same engine. To conclude, the Frenchmen liked the Englishmen so well, that shortlie after being wearie of their companie, they raised their siege to get themselues further from them: and in an other part of the countrie indeuoured themselues to win townes and castels as they did indéed, hauing their armie diuided into two parts, the lord Charles de Blois gouerning the one part, and a Spaniard called the lord Lewes de Spaine the other (which was the same that thus departed from the siege of Hanibout, after the arriuall of the Englishmen) and then winning the townes of Dinand and Guerand, passed into the countrie of Britaine Britonant, and there not farre from Quinpercorentine, were discomfited by the Englishmen, who followed them thither. Of six thousand Genowaies, Spaniards, and Frenchmen, which the lord Lewes of Spaine had there with him, there escaped but a few awaie. A nephue which he had there with him named Alfonse was slaine, howbeit he himselfe escaped, though not without sore hurts.