CHAP. LXXI.
THE KING OF FRANCE MAKES AN ATTACK ON THE CITY OF PARIS.
DURING king Charles's stay at Compiègne, news was brought him that the regent-duke of Bedford had marched with his whole army to Normandy, to combat the constable near to Evreux, where he was despoiling the country. The king did not leave Compiègne for ten or twelve days, when he marched for Senlis appointing sir William de Flavy the governor. Senlis surrendered on capitulation to the king, who fixed his quarters in the town, and distributed his army in the country about it.
Many towns and villages now submitted to the king's obedience, namely, Creil, Beauvais, Choisy, le Pont de St Maixence, Gournay sur l'Aronde, Remy la Neuville en Hez, Moignay, Chantilly, Saintry and others.
The lords de Montmorency and de Moy took the oaths of allegiance to him; and in truth, had he marched his army to St Quentin, Corbie, Amiens, Abbeville, and to other strong towns and castles the majority of the inhabitants were ready to acknowledge him for their lord, and desired nothing more earnestly than to do him homage, and open their gates.
He was, however, advised not to advance so far on the territories of the duke of Burgundy, as well from there being a considerable force of men at arms as because he was in the expectation that an amicable treaty would be concluded between them.
After king Charles had halted some days in Senlis, he dislodged and marched to St Denis, which he found almost abandoned, for the richer inhabitants had gone to Paris. He quartered his men at Aubervilliers, Montmartre, and in the villages round Paris. The Maid Joan was with him, and in high reputation, and daily pressed the king and princes to make an attack on Paris.
It was at length determined that on Monday, the 12th day of the month, the city should be stormed, and, in consequence, every preparation was made for it.
On that day, the king drew up his army in battle-array between Montmartre and Paris: his princes, lords and the Maid were with him: the van division was very strong; and thus, with displayed banner, he marched to the gate of St Honoré, carrying thither scaling ladders, fascines, and all things necessary for the assault.
He ordered his infantry to descend into the ditches: and the attack commenced at ten o'clock, which was very severe and murderous, and lasted four or five hours. The Parisians had with them Louis de Luxembourg, the bishop of Therouenne king Henry's chancellor and other notable knights, whom the duke of Burgundy had sent thither, such as the lord de Crequi, the lord de l'Isle-Adam, sir Simon de Lalain, Valeran de Bournouville, and other able men, with four hundred combatants. They made a vigorous defence, having posted a sufficient force at the weakest parts before the attack began. Many of the French were driven back into the ditches, and numbers were killed and wounded by the cannon and culverines from the ramparts. Among the last was the Maid, who was very dangerously hurt; she remained the whole of the day behind a small hillock until vespers, when Guichard de Thiembronne came to seek her.
A great many of the besieged suffered also. At length the french captains, seeing the danger of their men, and that it was impossible to gain the town by force against so obstinate a defence, and that the inhabitants seemed determined to continue it, without any disagreement among themselves, sounded the retreat. They carried off the dead and wounded, and returned to their former quarters. On the morrow, king Charles, very melancholy at the loss of his men, went to Senlis, to have the wounded attended to and cured.
The Parisians were more unanimous than ever, and mutually promised each other to oppose, until death, king Charles, who wanted to destroy them all. Perhaps, knowing how much they had misbehaved by forcing him to quit Paris, and by putting to death some of his most faithful servants they were afraid of meeting with their deserts.