arrived at the spot indicated with four thousand men.  The archers drew up before the wall; the men-at-arms dismounted; the burgesses gave the signal, and the planting of scaling-ladders began; but when hardly as many as fifty or sixty men had reached the top of the wall the banner and troops of Talbot were seen advancing.  He had been warned in time and had taken his measures.  The assailants were repulsed; and Charles VII., who was just arriving at the camp, seeing the abortiveness of the attempt, went back to Pont-de-l’Arehe.  But the English had no long joy of their success.  They were too weak to make any effectual resistance, and they had no hope of any aid from England.  Their leaders authorized the burgesses to demand of the king a safe-conduct in order to treat.  The conditions offered by Charles were agreeable to the burgesses, but not to the English; and when the archbishop read them out in the hall of the mansion-house, Somerset and Talbot witnessed an outburst of joy which revealed to them all their peril.  Fagots and benches at once began to rain down from the windows; the English shut themselves up precipitately in the castle, in the gate-towers, and in the great tower of the bridge; and the burgesses armed themselves and took possession during the night of the streets and the walls.  Dunois, having received notice, arrived in force at the Martainville gate.  The inhabitants begged him to march into the city as many men as he pleased.  “It shall be as you will,” said Dunois.  Three hundred men-at-arms and archers seemed sufficient.  Charles VII returned before Rouen; the English asked leave to withdraw without loss of life or kit; and “on condition,” said the king “that they take nothing on the march without paying.”  “We have not the wherewithal,” they answered; and the king gave them a hundred francs.  Negotiations were recommenced.  The king required that Harfleur and all the places in the district of Caux should be given up to him.  “Ah! as for Harfleur, that cannot be,” said the Duke of Somerset; “it is the first town which surrendered to our glorious king, Henry V., thirty-five years ago.”  There was further parley.  The French consented to give up the demand for Harfleur; but they required that Talbot should remain as a hostage until the conditions were fulfilled.  The English protested.  At last, however, they yielded, and undertook to pay fifty thousand golden crowns to settle all accounts which they owed to the tradesmen in the city, and to give up all places in the district of Caen except Harfleur.  The Duchess of Somerset and Lord Talbot remained as hostages; and on the 10th of November, 1449, Charles entered Rouen in state, with the character of a victor who knew how to use victory with moderation.