THE DUKE OF ORLEANS RECEIVES FROM THE HANDS OF THE DUKE OF MILAN HIS UNCLE, THE COUNTY OF ASTI IN PIEDMONT.—THE KING OF FRANCE BESIEGES THE CITY OF MANS, WHICH SURRENDERS BY CAPITULATION.
IN this year, the duke of Milan yielded up to the duke of Orleans, his nephew, the county of Asti,—and shortly after, the duke of Milan departed this life.
The king of France, at this period, laid siege to the city of Mans, because the king of England, on his marriage with the daughter of the king of Sicily had promised instantly to surrender that town, with all the other places he held in the county of Maine; and he had been deceived for three months by the specious promises of the english commissioners, who had not only refused to give it back but had introduced about fifteen hundred English into that town.
The king, therefore on being informed of this circumstance, ordered it to be besieged,—and sent thither a great force of men at arms and archers, to the amount of six or seven thousand combatants, under the command of the count de Dunois. The siege was pushed forward with such vigour that those in the town found resistance would be vain, as they had not sufficient forces to oppose their enemies on that side of the sea. It would have been taken by storm had not the bishop of Glocester, keeper of the privy seal, remonstrated with the king of France on the risk of the truces being broken between the two kingdoms were this to take place, and obtained a capitulation for them, by which they were to yield up the town, and march away in safety with their baggage and effects.
The king of France then resided at Lavardin, near to Vendôme, attended by some of the princes of the blood-royal, and a large company of men at arms to support, should there be occasion, the besieging army of Mans. After its surrender, the king went to celebrate his Easter in the city of Tours, and those before Mans returned to their quarters and garrisons, while, on the other hand, the English that had been in Mans retreated to Normandy.