Shortlie after, the king himselfe came, and lodged in the abbeie of Pharon, the duke of Excester in the abbeie de Chage, the earle of March at the greie friers, and the earle of Warwike directlie against that part that is called la March. They within defended themselues right valiantlie, so that the Englishmen were not all at their ease, but specialie through lacke of vittels manie died, and manie fell sicke, by reason whereof, no small number returned home into England; wherein the meane time, on the first of December, a parlement was called and holden at Westminster, by the duke of Bedford, gouernour of the realme in the kings absence. ¶ In this parlement, a fiftéenth was granted to the king towards the maintenance of the warres, the one moitie to be paid at Candlemasse, and the other at Martinmasse, of such monie as at the time of the grant was currant.
Windsore. The birth of king Henrie the sixt.
King Henrie prophesieth of his sonne.
This yeare at Windsore on the daie of saint Nicholas in December, the quéene was deliuered of a sonne named Henrie, whose godfathers were Iohn duke of Bedford, and Henrie bishop of Winchester, and Iaquet, or (as the Frenchmen called hir) Iaqueline of Bauier, countesse of Holland was his godmother. The king being certified hereof as he laie at siege before Meaux, gaue God thanks, in that it had pleased his diuine prouideuce to send him a sonne, which might succéed in his crowne and scepter. But when he heard reported the place of his natiuitie; were it that he warned by some prophesie, or had some foreknowledge, or else iudged himselfe of his sonnes fortune, he said vnto the lord Fitz Hugh his trustie chamberleine these words; "My lord, I Henrie borne at Monmouth, shall small time reigne, & much get; and Henrie borne at Windsore, shall long reigne, and all loose: but as God will, so be it."
Titus Liuius.
1422
The king held his Christmasse at the siege before Meaux, for he would not giue ouer that siege, although his armie was greatlie diminished, by reason of lacke of vittels, extreame cold, foule weather, and other discommodities that bred great store of diseases and sickenesse among his people; notwithstanding, all the helps and means that might be, he deuised to remedie the same: so that beside such as died, as well of sickenesse as by the enimies hand, manie returned home into their countries. But yet he ceassed not to continue the siege, beating the walles with his ordinance, and casting downe bulworkes and rampiers on ech side the towne, made approches as well by water as land, with mightie engines deuised of boords to defend the Englishmen, as they approched the walles, and gaue assaults. The walles also were in diuerse places vndermined.
After this, the Englishmen found meanes, by bridges made of boats, to passe the riuer; but yet the souldiers and other within defended their rampiers and breaches most stoutlie, and with guns and quarrels still shot at the Englishmen, of whome they slue manie; and among other the earle of Worcester was slaine, with a bullet of the great artillerie, & the lord Clifford with a quarrell of a crossebow; yet the Englishmen still wan ground, and got néerer and néerer to the walles. They also woone the chiefest part of a bridge from the enimies, and kept watch and ward vpon and about the same. The earle of Warwike had also taken a Vaumure from them of the market place, built on the southside thereof, able to receiue and lodge a good number of men, which seruing to good purpose, for the better brideling of them within, he caused to be kept, and thus were they within Meaux sore oppressed on euerie side.
Meaux taken by assault.