CHAP. XXI.
THE DUKE OF BEDFORD COMBATS THE FRENCH BEFORE VERNEUIL.
WHEN the duke of Bedford had gained the town and castle of Ivry, he appointed a knight of Wales, renowned in arms, governor, with a sufficient garrison to defend them. He detached the earl of Suffolk in pursuit of the French, who had advanced to within three leagues for its relief, and went with the rest of his army to Evreux. He there received intelligence that the French had won Verneuil by stratagem, and were with their whole force within it. He instantly dislodged, and marched for Verneuil; but the French, having had information thereof, made all haste to prepare for his reception, and drew their men up in battle-array without the town, ready for the combat. They only formed one grand division, without any advanced guard,—and ordered the Lombards, with others, to remain on horseback, under the command of the borgne Cameran, du Rousin, Poton, and La Hire, to break the ranks of the enemy on their flanks and rear.
The grand battalion of the French was on foot,—which being observed by the duke of Bedford, he ordered his army to be formed in the same manner, without any vanguard, and not having any party on horseback. The archers were posted in front, each having a sharp-pointed stake stuck in the ground before him; and the stoutest of these men were placed at the two ends of the battalion, by way of wings. Behind the men at arms were the pages, the horses, and such as were unfit for the combat. The archers tied the horses together by their collar-pieces and tails, that the enemy might not surprise and carry them off. The duke of Bedford ordered two thousand archers to guard them and the baggage.
Very many new knights were now created on both sides; and when all was ready, these two powerful armies met in battle, about three o'clock in the afternoon, on the 16th day of August, The English, as usual, set up a grand shout as they advanced, which alarmed the French much; and the conflict raged with the utmost violence for three quarters of an hour,—and it was not in the memory of man that such armies had been so long and warmly engaged without victory declaring for either of them.
That division of the French which had been ordered to remain mounted to attack the rear of the English, while the combat was going on, came to the horses and baggage of the enemy, but could make no impression from the resistance of the guard of archers: they, however, seized some of the cavalry and baggage with which they fled, leaving their army fighting on foot. The archers then, finding themselves thus disembarrassed from the enemy, were fresh to join their companions in the front, which they did with loud shouts.
The French now began to fail; and the English, with great bravery, broke through their ranks in many places, and, taking advantage of their success, obtained the victory, but not without much effusion of blood on both sides: for it was afterward known by the kings at arms, heralds, pursuivants, and from other persons worthy of belief, that there were slain of the French and left on the field of battle, from four to five thousand, great part of whom were Scotsmen, and two hundred made prisoners.
On the part of the English, sixteen hundred were killed, as well from England, as from Normandy,—the principal persons of whom were two captains of the name of Dudley and Charleton. The following is a list of those of name who fell on the side of the French.
Jean count d'Aumale, the son of the count de Harcourt, the count de Tonnerre, the count de Ventadour, the earl, of Douglas, sir James Douglas his son the earl of Buchan, at that time constable to king Charles, the earl of Murray, the lord de Graville the elder, the lord de Montenay, sir Anthony Beausault, Hugh de Beausault his brother, the lord de Belloy and his brother, the lord de Mauny, the lord de Combrest, the lord de Fontenay, the lord de Bruneil, the lord de Tumblet, the lord de Poissy. From Dauphiny, the lord de Mathe, the lord de Rambelle. From Languedoc and Scotland, sir Walter Lindsay, sir Gilles de Gamaches, Godfrey de Malestroit, James Douglas, sir Charles de Boin, sir John de Vretasse, sir Gilles Martel, the son of Harpedame, sir Brunet d'Auvergne, sir Raoul de la Treille, Guy de Fourchonivere, sir Pochart de Vienne, sir John de Murat, the lord de Vertois, sir Charles de Gerammes, Dragon de la Salle, the lord de Rambouillet, the bastard de Langlan, the viscount de Narbonne, whose body, when found on the field, was quartered, and hung on a gibbet, because he had been an accomplice in the murder of the late duke of Burgundy,—the lord de Guictry, sir Francis de Gangeaux, sir Robert de Laire, sir Louis de Teyr, the lord de Foregny, Moraut de la Mothe, sir Charles d'Anibal and his brother Robinet d'Anibal, Pierre de Courçeilles, sir Aymery de Gresille, Andrew de Clermont, sir Tristan Coignon, Colinet de Vicomte, Guillaume Remon, sir Louis de Champagne, Peron de Lippes, sir Louis de Bracquemont, the lord de Thionville, the lord de Rochebaron, sir Philip de la Tour, and Anselin de la Tour.
The principal prisoners were the duke d'Alençon, the bastard d'Alençon, the lord de la Fayette, the lord de Hormit, sir Pierre Herrison, sir Louis de Vaucourt, Roger Brousset, Huchet de St Mare, and Yvon du Puys; but there were numbers of others, whose names I cannot remember.
When the duke of Bedford had gained this important victory at Verneuil, he assembled his princes and captains around him, and with great humility, with uplifted hands and eyes, he returned thanks to the Creator for the great success he had given him. The dead were then stripped, and whatever was valuable taken away.
The duke encamped that night round Verneuil, and appointed a strong guard to prevent any surprise from the enemy. On the morrow, the French within the town and castle were summoned to surrender. They were so much terrified by the defeat and carnage of their army that they instantly obeyed, on condition that their lives and fortunes should be spared. The lord de Rambures, governor, was also permitted to depart. After the duke had regarrisoned Verneuil and its castle, he marched his army into Normandy.
On the very day that this battle took place, a number of knights and esquires from Normandy and the adjacent parts deserted from the duke's army, although they had before sworn loyalty and obedience to him. For this offence, some of them were afterward severely punished in their bodies by the duke, and all their estates and effects confiscated to the use of king Henry. In the number were, the lord de Choisy and the lord de Longueval.
About this time, the lord de Maucour was taken, who had been implicated by the lord de Longueval, and others accused before master Robert le Jeune, bailiff of Amiens: he was beheaded by orders from the council of king Henry, in the town of Amiens, his body hung on a gibbet, and his fortune confiscated to the king. In like manner was afterward taken, Pierre de Recourt implicated likewise with the above, by one named Raoul de Gaucourt, who sent him to sir John de Luxembourg; and sir John sent him to Paris, where his body was quartered, and parts of it hung up at the usual places.
Very soon was intelligence of this unfortunate battle carried to king Charles, who was sorely affected at the destruction of his princes and chivalry, and for a long time was mightily grieved, seeing that all his plans were now unsuccessful.