Page lxxi
¶ Howe the kyng of England ma••e the passages about Calay•• to be well kept / that the frenche kyng shulde nat aproche to ••eyse his siege. Cap. C. xl••. (Book 145)
VE shall here what the kynge of Englande dyd & caused to be done whan̄e he sawe and knewe that the french kyng came with so great an hoost to rayse the siege / the whiche had coste hym somoche good and payne of his body / and lost many of his mē: and knewe well howe he had so constrayned the towne / that hit coulde nat longe endure for defaute of vitayls / it greued hym sore than to depart. Than he ad∣uysed well howe the frenchmen coud•• nat apro∣che nother to his hoost nor to the towne / but in two places / other by the downes by the see syde / or elles aboue by the hygheway / and there was many dykes / rockes / and maresshes / and but one way to passe ouer a bridge called Newlan∣de bridge. Than̄e the kynge made all his na••y to drawe a long by the cost of the downes euery shyp well garnysshed with ••ōbardes / cros ••ow∣es / archers / springalles / and other artyllary: wherby the frenche hoost myght ••at passe that way. And the kynge caused the erle of D••••••y to go and kepe Newlande bridge with a great nō¦bre of men of armes and archers / so that the frē∣chemen coude natte passe no way without they wolde haue gone through the marshes / the whi¦che was vnpossyble. On the othersyde towarde Calys / ther was a hyghe towre kept with. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. archers / and they kept the passage of y• downes fro the frēchmen / the which was well fortifyed with great and double ••ykes. Whan the french men were thus lodged on the mount of San∣gate: the commons of Turney who were a fyf∣tene hundred came to that towre / and they with∣in shotte at them / but they passed the dykes and came to the fote of the wall with pykes and ho∣kes / there was a fore assaute and many of them of Tourney sore hurte / but at laste they wanne the towre / and all tha•• were within slayne / and the towre beaten downe. The french kyng sent his marshals to aduyse what way he myght a∣proche to fyght with the englysshem•••• / so they went forthe and whan they had aduysed the pas¦sages and straytes / they retourned to the kyng and sayd / howe in nowyse he coude come to the englysshmen / without he wolde lese his people. So the mater rested all that day and nyght af∣ter / the nexte day after masse the frenche kynge sende to the kynge of Englande / the lorde Gof∣fray of Charney / the lorde Ewstace of Ryba∣mount / Guy of Nele / and the lorde of Bea••ewe and as they rodde that stronge way / they sawe well it was harde to passe that way. They pray¦sed moche the order that the erle of Derby kepte there at the bridge of Newlande / by the which•• they passed / than they rode tyll they came to the kynge / who was well acompanyed with nobl•• men aboute hym than̄e they fou••e lyghted and came to the kynge / and dyde their reuerence to hym / than the lorde Ewstace of Rybamont 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sir the kynge my maister sendeth you worde by vs that he is come to the mount of Sangate to vs batayle with you but he canne fynde no way to come to you. Therfore sir he wol••e that y•• shulde apoynt certayne of your counsayle / and in lykewise of his / and they bytwene theym to aduyse a place for the batayle. The kyng of En¦glande was redy aduysed to answere and sayd sirs I haue well vnderstande that ye des••re m•• on the behalfe of myne aduersary / who kepe•••• wrongfully fro me myne herytage: wher••ore I am sor••e. Say vnto hym fro me if ye lyst 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I am here and so haue bene nyghe an ho〈…〉〈…〉 and all this he knewe right well / he might 〈◊〉〈◊〉 come hyther soner if he had wolde / but he hath suffred me to abyde ••ere so long the which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ben gretly to my coste and charge / I ••••we co••∣de do somoche if I wolde to be sone lorde of ••a¦lays / wherfore I am natte determynedd•• to fo∣lowe his deuyse and ••ase / nor to depart 〈…〉〈…〉 whiche I am at the poynt to wynne / and that I haue so ••ore desyred and derely bought ▪ wher∣fore if he nor his men canne passe this way / lett•• theym seke some other passage if they thynk•• to come hyther. Than̄e these lordes departe•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were conueyed tyll they were paste Newlande bridge ▪ than they shewed the frenche kynge the kynge of Englan••es aunswere. In the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 season whyle the frenche kynge studyed ho•••• to ••ight with the kyng of Englande / the•• ca〈…〉〈…〉 into his hoost two cardynalles from pope Cl••∣ment in legacion / who toke great pay••e to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bytwene these hoostes / and they procuredde so moche that the•• was graunted a certayne tre••∣tie of acorde / and a respyte bytwene the two kyn¦ges / and their men beynge there at siege and in the felde all onely. And so the•• were four lord••••