CHAP. XV.
THE TOWN OF COMPIÈGNE IS DELIVERED UP TO THE ENGLISH.—THE TOWN AND CASTLE OF CROTOY ARE SURRENDERED TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD.
ABOUT this period, the duke of Bedford went to the town of Mondidier, where he staid five or six days: he thence gave orders for his captains, as well burgundian as english, to lay siege to Compiègne, and appointed the lord de Saveuses chief of the expedition. The principal captains were the bailiff of Rouen, the governor of Gisors, called Malberry, the lord de l'Isle-Adam, sir Lyonnel de Bournouville, the bastard de Thyan, the lord de Crevecoeur and Robert de Saveuses.
In obedience to these orders, they assembled their men with all speed at the bridge of St Maixence, and thence marched in good array toward Compiègne. The lord de Saveuses advanced with the English on the side toward Mondidier, and fixed his quarters in a meadow near to a town called Venvette,—while the lord de l'Isle-Adam, Lyonnel de Bournouville and other captains, advanced on the opposite side of the river to the abbey of Royaulieu, and then besieged the town on both sides of the river for about three weeks.
During this time, many considerable skirmishes took place; but at length the French, not having any hope of succour, entered into a treaty with the English to surrender the town within three weeks from that time, if they were not delivered by their king, and on condition they should depart in safety with all their effects. They gave hostages for the due performance of the above, and were likewise to deliver up the lord de Soral, who had been made prisoner by the besieged.
On the conclusion of this treaty, every one returned to his home. On the appointed day, no succours arrived, and the place was put into the hands of the English by command of the duke of Bedford, who styled himself regent of France. The lord de Montferrant, who had received the surrender of Compiègne, nominated the lord de l'Isle-Adam governor thereof.
About the end of February, the duke of Bedford went to Abbeville, with a large army, to keep the appointment that had been made for him to meet the French before Crotoy: but as the duke had received certain assurances that the French would not appear, he sent sir Raoul le Bouteiller to command in his stead, while he remained at Abbeville. Sir Raoul kept the field on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of March; when, about 12 o'clock on that day, sir Cloquart de Cambronne surrendered the castle and town of Crotoy into the hands of sir Raoul, who returned him the hostages, and gave him passports for himself and his men to join their king, or to go whithersoever they pleased on the other side of the Seine.
When sir Raoul le Bouteiller had made his entry, he received the oaths of allegiance from the inhabitants of Crotoy and from such as had remained within the town and castle. He was appointed by the regent governor general of that place and its dependancies; but this surrender was not very agreeable to many of the neighbouring lords and commonalty, for they suspected that the connexion between the English and the duke of Burgundy would not be of long duration, and that by means of this place they would be totally ruined, notwithstanding that many of them had been already great sufferers.
In this year died Pedro della Luna, who called himself Pope Benedict: he had been, ever since the council of Constance, rebellious and contumacious to the roman church, being resolved to die pope. The cardinals of his party attempted to elect another on his decease; but they soon returned to a proper obedience to the church, and to the holy father pope Martin, and thus perfect union was restored to the whole Christian church.