Whilest these things happened thus in France, Iohn lord Talbot gathered togither a crue of chosen men of warre in England, to the number of eight hundred, and sailed into Normandie, and passed by Rone to Paris. In his waie he tooke the strong castell of Ioing betwéene Beauuois and Gisours, and caused all the Frenchmen within to be taken and hanged, and after raced and defaced the castell. After he had rested himselfe a while at Paris, and taken aduise with the councell there, what waie it should be best for him to take, without prolonging time; he with the lord de Lisle Adam and others, departed from thence, hauing in their retinues sixtéene hundred men of warre. And comming to the castell of Beaumont vpon Oise, whereof was capteine sir Amadour de Vignoils brother to the Hire, they found it abandoned by them that had it in kéeping, who were withdrawne to the towne of Creill.
The lord Talbot.
Earle of Arundell.
Thither therefore the lord Talbot followed, who slaieng in a skirmish the said Amadour, he wan at length the said towne of Creill, and after the townes of Pont S. Marence, Neufuile in Esmoie, la Rouge maison, Crespie in Valois, & Cleremont in Beauuois, and after with great riches and good prisoners returned to Paris. Neither had the lord Talbot such good and prosperous successe alone but the earle of Arundell also at the verie same season tooke the castell of Bomeline, & raced it to the ground, after he got by force the castell of Dorle, & from thence came to S. Selerine, where the lord Ambrose de Lore, being capteine, issued out and fought with the Englishmen so egerlie, that he droue them backe an arrow shoot by fine force: but the earle so incouraged his men, that they gaue a fresh onset vpon the Frenchmen, and followed it so fiercelie, that they slue a great number of them, and droue the residue into the towne.
Louiers besieged.
Saint Selerine won by assault.
After this victorie, he besieged Louiers, whereof was capteine the Hire, and his brother, who rendered the towne without assault. Then the earle assembling togither a great armie, returned againe to S. Selerine, & inuironed the towne with a strong siege. When he had lien there almost thrée moneths, euerie daie attempting or dooing somewhat, he finallie gaue so fierce an assault, that by force he entered the towne, and slue Iohn Almaigne, and Guilliam saint Albine, the chéefe capteins, and eight hundred other men of warre. The children of le seigneur de Lore were taken prisoners. The earle put new men of warre into the towne, and made capteine there sir Iohn Cornewall. After this, he before the strong towne of Sillie pitched his campe. The inhabitants terrified at the losse of saint Selerine, deliuered him pledges, vpon condition, that if they were not rescued within thirtie daies next, then they (their liues saued) should render the towne into his possession: which offer was receiued.
The French king, being aduertised hereof by a post, appointed (as some saie) Arthur earle of Richmont (or as other write, Iohn duke of Alanson) with a great companie of men of warre to go to the rescue of this towne. But whether it was the earle or duke, certeine it is at his approching to the siege, he incamped himselfe by a brooke side, ouer the which a man might haue striden, & perceiuing how stronglie the English were incamped against him, he thought it not for his profit to giue battell; & so in the night season raised & went his waie without further attempt. When they within the towne knew that their succours failed, they rendered themselues to the mercie of the earle of Arundell, who gentlie receiued them, and leauing a garrison in the towne, departed to Mans, and in his waie tooke the castels of Mellaie and saint Laurence. About this time the lord Willoughbie & sir Thomas Kiriell, returning with great victorie out of Burgognie, passing by the towne of Louiers, latelie reduced to the English obeisance, furnished it both with men and munition.
An insurrection in Normandie.
Among so manie good chances, some euill are accustomed to happen, or else the gainers would not know themselues. And so at this time it happened, that a great number of the common and rusticall people in Normandie dwelling by the sea coast, either prouoked by the French king, or desirous of alteration and change (which thing the commons much couet and desire) made an insurrection, put on harnesse, and by force expelled certeine English garrisons out of their holds, publishing and proclaming openlie, that their onelie purpose and intent was to expell and banish the whole English nation out of their countries and coasts. Wherefore it maie be likelie, that the blacke Morian will sooner become white, than the people bred in France will heartilie loue an English borne. For it standeth not with their enuious nature to alter their malicious maners; as the old prouerbe saith truelie of them: