Chronicle and Romance | Page 4

and rich jewels: there
was found so much riches, that the boys and villains of the host set
nothing by good furred gowns: they made all the men of the town to
issue out and to go into the ships, because they would not suffer them
to be behind them for fear of rebelling again. After the town of Barfleur
was thus taken and robbed without brenning, then they spread abroad in
the country and did what they list, for there was not to resist them. At

last they came to a great and a rich town called Cherbourg: the town
they won and robbed it, and brent part thereof, but into the castle they
could not come, it was so strong and well furnished with men of war.
Then they passed forth and came to Montebourg, and took it and
robbed and brent it clean. In this manner they brent many other towns
in that country and won so much riches, that it was marvel to reckon it.
Then they came to a great town well closed called Carentan, where
there was also a strong castle and many soldiers within to keep it. Then
the lords came out of their ships and fiercely made assault: the
burgesses of the town were in great fear of their lives, wives and
children: they suffered the Englishmen to enter into the town against
the will of all the soldiers that were there; they put all their goods to the
Englishmen's pleasures, they thought that most advantage. When the
soldiers within saw that, they went into the castle: the Englishmen went
into the town, and two days together they made sore assaults, so that
when they within saw no succour, they yielded up, their lives and
goods saved, and so departed. The Englishmen had their pleasure of
that good town and castle, and when they saw they might not maintain
to keep it, they set fire therein and brent it, and made the burgesses of
the town to enter into their ships, as they had done with them of
Barfleur, Cherbourg and Montebourg, and of other towns that they had
won on the sea-side. All this was done by the battle that went by the
sea-side, and by them on the sea together.[1]
[1] Froissart is mistaken in supposing that a division of the land army
went to these towns. Barfleur and Cherbourg were visited only by the
fleet. According to Michael of Northburgh, who accompanied the
expedition, Edward disembarked 12th July and remained at Saint Vaast
till the 18th, and meanwhile the fleet went to Barfleur and Cherbourg.
The army arrived at Caen on the 26th.
Now let us speak of the king's battle. When he had sent his first battle
along by the sea-side, as ye have heard, whereof one of his marshals,
the earl of Warwick, was captain, and the lord Cobham with him, then
he made his other marshal to lead his host on his left hand, for he knew
the issues and entries of Normandy better than any other did there. The
lord Godfrey as marshal rode forth with five hundred men of arms, and
rode off from the king's battle as six or seven leagues, in brenning and
exiling the country, the which was plentiful of everything--the granges

full of corn, the houses full of all riches, rich burgesses, carts and
chariots, horse, swine, muttons and other beasts: they took what them
list and brought into the king's host; but the soldiers made no count to
the king nor to none of his officers of the gold and silver that they did
get; they kept that to themselves. Thus sir Godfrey of Harcourt rode
every day off from the king's host, and for most part every night
resorted to the king's field. The king took his way to Saint-Lo in
Cotentin, but or he came there he lodged by a river, abiding for his men
that rode along by the sea-side; and when they were come, they set
forth their carriage, and the earl of Warwick, the earl of Suffolk, sir
Thomas Holland and sir Raynold Cobham, and their company rode out
on the one side and wasted and exiled the country, as the lord Harcourt
had done; and the king ever rode between these battles, and every night
they lodged together.

OF THE GREAT ASSEMBLY THAT THE FRENCH KING MADE
TO RESIST THE KING OF ENGLAND
Thus by the Englishmen was brent, exiled, robbed, wasted and pilled
the good, plentiful country of Normandy. Then the French king sent for
the lord John of Hainault, who came to him with a great number: also
the king sent for other men of arms, dukes, earls, barons, knights and
squires, and assembled together the greatest number of people that had