An. Reg. 28.
The Frenchmen, following the successe in hand, came to Harflue, and fiercelie assaulted the walles: but by the high prowesse and vndanted valiancie of the capteine, sir Thomas Curson, they were to their great losse manfullie by him repelled, and beaten. The Frenchmen learning wit by this great perill, left their scaling, and deuised dailie how to batter the walles, & make the breaches reasonable for them to enter. This siege long continued to the great losse of both parties. When sir Thomas Curson saw no likelihood of gaine, but great appéerance of present losse, he fell at composition with the enimies, and so departed with all his goods. After which towne rendered, the fortresse of Hunflue was vpon like composition yéelded. And beside these townes surrendred in Normandie, the duke of Britaine recouered againe Fougiers, saint Iames de Beuuron, and diuerse other.
1450
Sir Thomas Kiriell with a new band into France.
In the meane season the king of England sent into Normandie (with a new supplie of a thousand fiue hundred men) a right valiant capteine called sir Thomas Kiriell, who ioining himselfe with other English capteins recouered the townes of Lisieux and Valongnes, and hauing with him power sufficient (as he tooke it) to kéepe the fields, he departed the twelfe of Aprill from Valongnes, meaning to passe towards Baieux, and after to Caen. But the eightéenth daie of the same moneth, he was incountred at a place called Formignie betwixt Carenten and Baieux, by the earle of Cleremont, & other Frenchmen with Scots. At the first onset, the Englishmen receiued their enimies with such manhood, that the Frenchmen were driuen backe, and the Englishmen tooke from them two culuerings.
The Englishmen ouerthrowne at Formigne.
But yet in the end, by the comming of the constable of France, Arthur de Britaine earle of Richmond, who brought two hundred or twelue score men of armes, and an eight hundred archers or demilances, the Englishmen were discomfited, put to flight, and slaine to the number of thrée thousand, seauen hundred, thrée score and thirtéene as Enguerant noteth, beside prisoners, of whome there were diuerse personages of accompt, as the said sir Thomas Kiriell himselfe, sir Henrie Norberie, sir Thomas Drew, sir Thomas Kirklie, Christopher Auberton, Arpell, Helice, Alengour, Iennequin, Vacquier, Gobart, Caleuille, and sundrie other. Sir Robert Véer, and sir Matthew [19]Gough that valiant Welshman, and manie other escaped so well as they might, some to Baieux, some to Caen, and other to other places as best they could.
[19] Or rather Goche.
Caen besieged and yéelded to the French.
After this ouerthrow obteined, the French king assembled an armie roiall, and comming before Caen, besieged it on all sides: and after making his approches, fiercelie assaulted the walles. But the duke of Summerset, and the other capteins within the towne, manfullie withstood their enimies, shewing both force and great policie in defending and beating backe the assailants. The French king, perceiuing he could not preuaile that waie, sent for all his great ordinance to Paris, which being brought, he dailie shot at the wals, and did some hurt: but to the castell which stood on a rocke, and in it a dungeon vnable to be beaten downe, he did no harme at all.