MEMORANDUM, that my lord the earle of Warwike did send out my cosin sir Iohn Bromley and my cosin George Umfreuile with an hundred archers, and about two hundred soldiers a strett, to kéepe at a little castell called the Stroo néere to Cawdebeke, where they wearen met with aboue eight hundred Frenchmen & the fraie betwéene them long yfought, and the Englishmen in great dread and perill: till at length by the might of God and saint George, the féeld did fall to our Englishmen, and the Frenchmen wearen put to flizt, and thear wearen yslaine aboue two hundred Frenchmen, and as manie ytaken prisoners, and their capteine who was ycalled the lord of Estrisles was thear also yslaine, and thear wearen yslaine of our Englishmen my said cosin George Umfreuile and about twentie mo: on whose solles Iesus haue mercie, and thear wearen hurt in the face my said cosin sir Iohn Bromley & my cosin Walter Audeley sore wounded and maimed in the right arme of his bodie, he then being but of the age of eightéene yeares. But thankes be giuen to the blessed Trinitée, thear wearen manie noble victories ywoon by the said noble erle of Warwike and his folke, as in his officiall booke (written by maister Iohn le Tucke then present with the said noble earle) is amply recorded. My said cosin Walter Audeley died at Warwike the seauentéenth daie of Iulie[3] anno Domini one thousand foure hundred and twentie, and was buried at Acton in Cheshire, néere the bodie of my said cosin sir Iohn Bromley: on whose solles Iesus haue mercie. By me sir Richard Braie, chapleine to my ladie the old countesse of Warwike; Iesus Maria, Amen, Pater noster, Aue Maria.
[3] And this sir Iohn Bromley departed from this life the fourth day of Sept. 1419, which was in anno reg. 7, as by the office takē after his death remaining of record in the castell of Chester dooth manifestlie appeare.
After this conflict, this towne was so hardlie handled with fierce and continuall assaults, that the capteins within offered to suffer the English nauie to passe by their towne without impeachment, vp to the citie of Rone. And also if Rone yéelded, they promised to render the towne without delaie. Héerevpon the English nauie, to the number of an hundred sailes, passed by Cawdebecke, and came to Rone, and so besieged it on the water side. There came also to this siege the duke of Glocester, with the earle of Suffolke, and the lord Aburgauennie, which had taken (as before yée haue heard) the towne of Chierburgh, & lodged before the port of S. Hilarie, néerer to their enimies by fortie rodes than any other person of the armie.
The lord of Kilmaine capteine of the Irishmen.
The good seruice of the Irishmen at this siege.
Titus Liuius.
The king of Portingale sendeth aid to king Henrie.
During this siege also, there arriued at Harflue the lord of Kilmaine in Ireland, a band of sixtéene hundred Irishmen, in maile, with darts and skains after the maner of their countrie, all of them being tall, quicke and nimble persons, which came and presented themselues before the king lieng still at the siege, of whom they were not onelie gentlie receiued & welcomed; but also because it was thought that the French king and the duke of Burgognie would shortlie come, and either attempt to raise the siege, or vittell and man the towne by the north gate, they were appointed to kéepe the north side of the armie, and speciallie the waie that commeth from the forest of Lions. Which charge the lord of Kilmaine and his companie ioifullie accepted, and did so their deuoir therein, that no men were more praised, nor did more damage to their enimies than they did: for suerlie their quicknesse & swiftnesse of foot did more preiudice to their enimies, than their barded horsses did hurt or damage to the nimble Irishmen. Also the kings coosine germane and alie (the king of Portingale) sent a great nauie of well appointed ships vnto the mouth of the riuer of Seine, to stop that no French vessels should enter the riuer, and passe vp the same, to the aid of them within Rone.
The number within Rone.
Thus was the faire citie of Rone compassed about with enimies, both by water and land, hauing neither comfort nor aid of King, Dolphin, or Duke. And yet although the armie was strong without, there lacked not within both hardie capteins and manfull souldiers. And as for people, they had more than inough: for as it is written by some that had good cause to know the truth, and no occasion to erre from the same, there were in the citie at the time of the siege, two hundred and ten thousand persons. Dailie were issues made out of the citie at diuerse gates, sometime to the losse of the one partie, and sometime of the other, as chances of warre in such aduentures happen. The Frenchmen in déed preferring fame before worldlie riches, and despising pleasure (the enimie to warlike prowesse) sware ech to other neuer to render or deliuer the citie, while they might either hold sword in hand or speare in rest.