第43章 THE SIEGE OF HENNEBON(3)

Even with the reinforcements brought by Sir Walter Manny, the forces of the Countess of Montford were still so greatly inferior to those of the divisions of the French army that they could not hope to cope with them in the field until the arrival of the main English army, which the King of England himself was to bring over shortly.Accordingly the French laid siege to and captured many small towns and castles.Charles of Blois continued the siege of Auray, and directed Don Louis with his division to attack the town of Dinan.On his way the Spaniard captured the small fortress of Conquet and put the garrison to the sword.Sir Walter Manny, in spite of the inferiority of his force, sallied out to relieve it, but it was taken before his arrival, and Don Louis had marched away to Dinan, leaving a small garrison in Conquet.It was again captured by Sir Walter, but finding it indefensible he returned with the whole of his force to Hennebon.Don Louis captured Dinan and then besieged Guerande.Here he met with a vigorous resistance, but carried it by storm, and gave it up to be pillaged by his soldiers.He now sent back to Charles of Blois the greater part of the French troops who accompanied him, and embarked with the Genoese and Spanish, 8000 in number, and sailed to Quimperle, a rich and populous town in Lower Brittany.

Anchoring in the River Leita, he disembarked his troops, and leaving a guard to protect the vessels marched to the interior, plundering and burning, and from time to time despatching his booty to swell the immense mass which he had brought in his ships from the sack of Guerande.

Quimperle lies but a short distance from Hennebon, and Sir Walter Manny with Almeric de Clisson, a number of English knights, and a body of English archers, in all three thousand men, embarked in the ships in the port, and entering the Leita captured the enemy's fleet and all his treasure.The English then landed, and dividing into three bodies, set out in search of the enemy.

The English columns marched at a short distance apart so as to be able to give each other assistance in case of attack.The news of the English approach soon reached the Spaniards, who were gathered in a solid body, for the enraged country people, armed with clubs and bills, hung on their flanks and cut off any stragglers who left the main body.Don Louis at once moved towards the sea- coast, and coming in sight of one of the English divisions, charged it with his whole force.

The English fought desperately, but the odds of seven to one were too great, and they would have been overpowered had not the other two divisions arrived on the spot and fallen upon the enemy's flanks.After a severe and prolonged struggle the Genoese and Spaniards were completely routed.The armed peasantry slew every fugitive they could overtake, and of the 7000men with whom Don Louis commenced the battle only 300 accompanied him in his flight to Rennes, the troops of Sir Walter and de Clisson pursuing him to the very gates of that city.Sir Walter marched back with his force to the ships, but finding the wind unfavourable returned to Hennebon by land, capturing by the way the castle of Goy la Foret.Their return was joyfully welcomed, not only for the victory which they had achieved, but because the enemy was again drawing near to the town.Auray had fallen.The brave garrison, after existing for some time upon the flesh of their horses, had endeavoured to cut their way through the besiegers.Most of them were killed in the attempt, but a few escaped and made their way to Hennebon.

Vannes, an important town, and Carhaix quickly surrendered, and the French force was daily receiving considerable reinforcements.This arose from the fact that large numbers of French nobles and knights had, with their followers, taken part with Alfonso, King of Castile and Leon, in his war with the Moors.This had just terminated with the expulsion of the latter from Spain, and the French knights and nobles on their way home for the most part joined at once in the war which their countrymen were waging in Bretagne.

Seeing the great force which was gathering for a fresh siege of Hennebon, Sir Walter Manny and the Countess of Montford sent an urgent message to King Edward for further support.The king was not yet ready, but at the beginning of August he despatched a force under the command of the Earl of Northampton and Robert of Artois.It consisted of twenty-seven knights bannerets and 2000 men-at-arms.Before, however, it could reach Hennebon the second siege of that city had begun.Charles of Blois had approached it with a far larger army than that with which he had on the first occasion sat down before it.Hennebon was, however, much better prepared than at first for resistance.The walls had been repaired, provisions and military stores laid up, and machines constructed.The garrison was very much larger, and was commanded by one of the most gallant knights of the age, and the citizens beheld undaunted the approach of the great French army.

Four days after the French had arrived before Hennebon they were joined by Don Louis, who had been severely wounded in the fight near Quimperle, and had lain for six weeks at Rennes.Sixteen great engines at once began to cast stones against the walls, but Sir Walter caused sandbags to be lowered, and so protected the walls from the attack that little damage was done.The garrison confident in their powers to resist, taunted the assailants from the walls, and specially enraged the Spaniards and Don Louis by allusions to the defeat at Quimperle.