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THe castell of Moūtcontour standeth on the marchesse of An∣iou and Poyctou / & was maruey∣lous strong and fayre: but four lea
〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 Thouars. And so moche dyde these en∣glysshmen and poite••yns who were to ye nom¦bre of thre thousande fightynge men / that they came to the forteresse: and hadde brought with theym great engyns fro Thouars / and fro the cytie of Poicters. And anone they were reysed vp agaynst the castell / whiche dyde cast nyght and day in to the castell. And besyde that / day∣lye there were assautes gyuen to theym within and scrimysshes. Ther was done many noble feates of armes for with these poicteuyns ther were certayne of the companyons / who wolde nat lye styll: as John̄ Creuell / and Dauyd Hol¦legraue. These two / with sir Gaultyer Hewet were capitayns. Sir Peter Cressell and Jor∣dayne of Coloyne / who were within / bare thē¦selfe ryght valiantly: and dayly came to ye bar∣••ye••s / and fought with the englysshmen. And among the assautes that were there made / whi¦che were many: the tenthe day that they were come thyder / they made suche assaute / & with so good order / that by clene force the pearsed ye walles / and entred in and conquered the fren∣chemen. And so all were slayne that were with¦in except Peter / and Jordayne / and a fyue or sire men of armes / who were taken to mercy. After this aduenture and enterprise / sir Tho∣mas Percy / sir Loyes Harcourt / and sir Guys sharde Dangle / by the acorde and counsayle of all the barons and knightes / gaue the same ca∣stell to sir Gaultyer Hewet / and to John̄ Cres∣well / and to Dauyd Hollegraue / and the com∣panyons / who were a fyue hundred fightynge men / to thentent to kepe fronter warr agaynst them of Aniou and Mayne. Than these lordes departed / & euery man went home to his owne Thus the forteresse of Mountcontour and the fronter / abode in the kepynge of these foresayd knightes / who made there a stronge garyson & well fortifyed it. And so kept it a long season af¦ter / and dyde moche trouble to the countre ther about / for dayly they ranne outher to Aniowe¦or to Mayne.
NOwe lette vs retourne to speke of sir Bertram of Clesquy constable of Fraunce / who was with ye kyn∣ge at Paris euersyth his comyng fro the bridge Uallant. Where he and the lorde Clysson had ouerthrowen the en∣glysshmen (as ye haue herd before) and he had well herde howe the englysshmen in Poictou & in Guyen kept the feldes. So that as soone as candelmasse was past and that the springyng tyme began. Sir Bertram thought to reyse & gather an army / and to asseble lordes & knigh∣tes and to ryde to some other parte / in lyke ma∣ner as thēglysshmen ryd in Poytou / in Quer∣cy / and Rouuergue. For in these coūtrees ther were englysshmen that dyde ryght honorably / and had so maynteyned them selfe euersyth the rene wyng of the warre. And also the company of sir Johan Deureur / were newly come in to the countre of Limosyn: and had taken in Au∣uergne a castell / cytie / and towne all toguyder / named Duses / the whiche sir Bertram of Cles¦quy thought / ought nat to be suffred. Than he sayd he wolde drawe to that part / and so by the kynges lycence / he assembled to guider a great nombre of men of armes / and so departed fro Parys and alwayes his nōbre encreased. And so long this constable rode that he cāe into Au∣uergne / and ther was with him ye duke of Ber¦rey / the duke of Burbone / the erle of Alenson / the erle of Perche his brother / the erle of saynt Poule / the Dolphyn of Auuergne / the erle of Uandon / the erle of Porceen / the lorde of Sul∣ly / the lorde Montague / sir Hughe Dolphyne / the lorde Beauieu / the lorde Rochforte / the lor∣de of Talenson / and a great nombre of barow∣nes / knightes / and squyers of the marchesse of Fraunce. So long they rode that they came to the cytie of Duses / and there they lodged and besieged the cytie / & lay there a .xv. dayes. ther were gyuen many great and ferse assaut{is} / how be it they coude nat gette the forteresse / for win ther were englysshmen that valyantly defēded their holde. So than the frenchmen departed and rode farther with the constable / in to the p∣ties of Rouuergue / and some of the chefe lord{is} went to Auygnon to se pope Gregory / and the duke of Aniou who was with him. And anone after this visytacion / and that these lordes had spoken with the duke of Aniou: they departed fro Auygnon and drewe agayne to the consta∣ble who was in Rouergue / and conquered tow¦nes and castels on thenglysshmen. And so they came before the towne of Lamulae / and layed siege therto: the whiche sir Thomas of Ueulq̄ fare helde / and hadde kept it long / and also the Roche Uauclere. But ye sayd englysshe knigh∣tes by composycion yelded thē to sir Bertram / and so dyd dyuers other castels / on the fronter of Limosyn. And whan sir Bertram hadde re∣fresshed hym / he toke his way and his retourne towarde the cytie of Duses in Auuergne / and so came thyder and layd siege therto. And thy∣der they brought great engyns fro Ryon and
Cleremont / and dressed them vp before the for∣tresse / and also apparelled all maner of instru∣mentes for assautes.