Li 
34 Blondel’s Account of the Re-conquest of Normandy. (Feb. 1, 
treated this man exceedingly il]. The 
miller projected revenge, by delivery cf 
the town to the French. He went. to 
the bailiff of Evereux, Robert de Flo- 
gues, and proposed to introduce him 
into the place. Flogues twice refused, 
from fear of some treachery; but the 
miller pressing the matter, he at last 
agreed. The miller, as generous as 
vindictive, asked no other recompence 
than the honour of having served the 
king; but, added he, I require one con- 
dition, it is, that when the town is taken, 
no. Frenchman shall receive any damage. 
Flogues arranged matters with the 
Count de Dunois, and ordered the se- 
neschal of Poitou, Pierre de Brezé, to 
bring him some troops. To conceal the 
design, the Count de Dunois and Flogues, 
pretended to have a hunting party in 
the forest of Couches, near Verneuil. 
Their wives,who were sisters,came there, 
and there was much bunting with great 
splendour. They fixed on the night of 
the 19th or 20th ef July for the execution 
of their project. 
The miller im the mean while obtain- 
ed an associate. As the 20th of July 
was a Sunday, they had a pretence for 
letting the water run (on Saturday) be- 
cause they could not grind the next day. 
One of them went to fetch the soldiers, 
concealed in the forest, the other remain- 
ed watching upen the wall, and advised 
the English, who were on guard at that 
place, to go at break of day to hear mass. 
Brezé then arrived with the soldiers, who 
threw themselves into the foss. He 
was on foot at their head: but having 
his boots on, which were large and hea- 
vy, they were buried in the mud to 
such a degree, that he could not remove 
them; he left them behind, and gained 
and scaled the wall,* followed by his 
people: nobody was present to repel them,t 
they descended into the high-street, hold- 
ing their swords drawn in their hands, 
but. concealed under their cloaks, and 
advising the inhabitants im a low voice, 
to keep within their houses, and they 
would do them no harm. One person 
had the impruderceto attempt resistance 
and was killed upon the spot. 
The French, arrived at the gate, open- 
ed it to the rest of their people, who 
were on horseback. There were only one 
* Hence it appears that the bombastic 
statements of the modern day, are of ancient 
erigin. 
+ The passages in italics shew the unwary 
confessions of the author, and what absurdi- 
nies he makes of trivial incidents. 
hundredand twenty English in the place. 
Some were killed, or made prisoners in 
flying tothe castle. The French, followed 
by the citizens, did not wait for scaling 
ladders, but clambered up the wall, one 
leaped armed as he was upon the draw- 
bridge,though it was raised; and the Eng- 
lish were obliged to fly to a tower, whieh 
could not be takeu, Dut by famine. It 
surrendered ‘at discretion, August 22, 
and the English were reduced to thirty 
men. There were among them some ban- 
ditt, whom the king had commanded 
them not to let escape; but having cor- 
rupted the centinels, they descended in 
the night by cords, and carried away a 
great deal of money. Florent d’hien, 
who had the charge of the siege, was 
greatly reproached on this account. __ 
[ A finer picture, though unintended by. 
the author, of the bravery of a handful of 
English overpowered by numbers, cannot 
be given; and the caution aid corruption 
of the French, ill accords with the bom- 
bast of extraordinary exploits, in the af- 
fair of the boots, draw-hridge, &c.] 
Talbot, the English general, who was 
at Beaumont le Roger, heard of the cap- 
ture of Verneuil, on the morrow; but. 
having been told at Vandreuil, that the 
French were masters of the piace, and 
that the Count de Dunois was arrived 
in force, he retreated to Neuborg. Du- 
nois followed him, but could not prevent 
him from gaining Rouen. This retreat 
was very fine. Although the printed 
accounts. speak of it, there are in the 
MSS. some differences and particularities. 
The French were less successful at Pont 
Audemer. This town was only defended 
by a pallisade and a ditch, in which 
ran the river Rille. Brezé attempted to 
carry it by a coup de main; but when he 
had arrived at the fauebourg, he found 
that his men had deserted him to go and 
pillage. Notwithstanding this deser- 
tion, he passed the foss, tore up the pa- 
lisades, and had entered the place, when 
the inhabitants rushed to repulse him... 
He found that he was aimost alone, and 
was obliged to retire. Dunots appreach- 
ed to lay a reguiar siege. It might have 
lasted a long time, for a supply of money. 
and troops had just arrived; but an acci- 
dent expedited the surrender, The details 
are not given by any other writer. A 
young man, a relative of the Count of St. 
Paul, who was at the siege, attempting to 
imitate the Greek fire, had made a fire- 
work, which he. discharged upon the 
town, without informing the generals of it. 
Ic fell upon a thatched roof, which mme- 
diately 
