In this luckie time also, no lesse occasion of victorie was offered to the Englishmen in an other part, if they could haue vsed it with such circumspect warinesse as had béene expedient. For Robert lord Willoughbie, and Matthew [13]Gough, a valiant Welshman, with fiftéene hundred Englishmen, laid siege to a towne in Aniou called saint Seuerine. Whereof Charles the French king being aduertised, sent with all spéed the lord Ambrose de Lore, with manie noble men to the succours of them within the towne, wherof the same lord Ambrose was capteine: and therefore made the more hast to reléeue his deputie, and the other being streictlie besieged, but yet staied at the towne of Beaumont, till his whole power might come to him.
[13] or rather Goche.
The Englishmen aduertised of this intent of the capteine, came vpon him in the night, and found the Frenchmens watch so out of order, that a thousand men were entered into the campe before they were espied; by reason whereof the Englishmen found small resistance. But when the daie began to appeare, and that the sunne had set foorth his bright beames abroad, that all things might be séene, the Englishmen giuen wholie to spoile, followed not their enimies in chase, but being contented with their preie and game, began to retreit toward the siege againe, which the lord Willoughbie still mainteined with a part of the armie.
But sée the chance. The Frenchmen which were cōming after, hearing by the noise of the people that some fraie was at hand, put spurres to their horsses, and set on the Englishmen pestered with bag and baggage of the spoile and preie which they had gotten in the French campe. The other of the Frenchmen which before had fled, returned againe, and aided their fellowes; so that the Englishmen being taken out of order, were compelled to flée, of whome Matthew [14]Gough and diuerse other were taken prisoners. And yet of the other part manie were slaine, and a great number taken: amongst whom was the lord de Lore, who (for all that the Frenchmen could doo) was kept, and not deliuered. The lord Willoughbie hearing of this mishap, raised his siege, and departed verie sore displeased in his mind, but could not remedie it.
[14] Goche.
A legat from Rome sent to treat a peace betwixt the English and the French.
A truce for six yeares.
Chartres taken by treason notwidthstanding the truce.
The two errours.
About this season, Nicholas the cardinall of the holie crosse was sent into France, as a legat from Eugenie the fourth as then bishop of Rome, to treat a peace betwéene the Englishmen and Frenchmen. But when after great instance and labour made betwéene the parties, he saw their obstinate and froward minds, nothing inclined to anie agréement, he wan so much at their hands by earnest sute, that a truce was granted to indure for six yeares to come: but as the same was hardlie granted, so was it of the Frenchmen soone and lightlie broken. For the bastard of Orleance newlie made earle of Dunois, tooke by treson the towne of Chartres from the Englishmen, affirming by the law of armes, that stealing or buieng a towne, without inuasion or assault, was no breach of league, amitie, or truce. In which towne he slue the bishop, bicause he was a Burgognian. Hereby did new malice increase, and mortall warre began eftsoones to be put in vse.