King Henrie pursueth the Dolphin.
The Dolphin, why called king of Berrie.
In which meane while, the earle of Suffolke was sent foorth to discouer the countrie, and the king wan by assault the towne of Baugencie, and after when vittels began to faile, he marched forward, meaning to pursue the Dolphin. But the Dolphin douting the English puissance, conueied all the vittels foorth of those quarters, and retired himselfe to Burges in Berrie, choosing that place as his first refuge, & therefore determined there to remaine, till fortune turning hir whéele shuld looke on them with a more fauorable countenance, hereof in scorne was he commonlie called king of Berrie. The king of England followed, till vittels and forrage began sore to faile on all sides, and then returning, passed towards Orleance, taking the castell of Rouge Mont by assault.
Titus Liuius.
Les histories des ducz de Normandie.
Abr. Fl.
He staied thrée daies before Orleance, and from thence, for want of vittels, marched through Gastinois, till he came to Vignie sur Yonne, where he remained for a season, to refresh his people that were sore trauelled, in that painefull passed iournie: in which the king lost not onelie manie of his men for lacke of vittels, but also a great number of horsses and carriages. Some haue written, that about the same time, he should win the citie of Sens, otherwise called the kings new towne by surrender; but after he had remained for a time at Vignie, we find that he remoued to Paris, where he was honorablie receiued. ¶ For he came among them as one hauing empire and dominion in his hand, so that to him they were no lesse forward in submission for feare of his indignation, than readie to giue him all the interteinement that they could deuise for the kéeping of his fauour: the lacke whereof they knew stood with the hazard of their safetie, as the contrarie tended to their welfare.
The strong towne of Meaux besieged by the Englishmen.
Shortlie after, considering with himselfe that the towne of Meaux in Brie, being replenished with enimies, was not to be suffered to remaine in that state, in the middes of his new gotten subiects; he determined to take awaie the open scruple that might poison and infect the members, dwelling hard by: wherefore with a great number of earles and barons in his companie, he came to besiege it. This towne was no lesse well vittelled than manned, and no better manned than fortified; so that the king could neither haue it to him deliuered at his pleasure, nor gaine it by assault, without the great losse of his people: yet neuerthelesse, he determined not to depart till he had got it by one meane or other. The riuer of Marne diuided this towne into two parts, so that there was no enterie from the one into the other, but by a bridge, raised vp, and made ouer the riuer, susteined with manie arches. The one part is called the citie, and the other la March being the strongest and best fortified. The king first lodged a mile off in a castell, and sent the duke of Excester to begin the siege, which he did according to his instructions, vpon the sixt of October.
A parlement called by the duke of Bedford, the king being in France.