boys and villains of the host set nothing by good furred gowns:  they made all the men of the town to issue out and to go into the ships, because they would not suffer them to be behind them for fear of rebelling again.  After the town of Barfleur was thus taken and robbed without brenning, then they spread abroad in the country and did what they list, for there was not to resist them.  At last they came to a great and a rich town called Cherbourg:  the town they won and robbed it, and brent part thereof, but into the castle they could not come, it was so strong and well furnished with men of war.  Then they passed forth and came to Montebourg, and took it and robbed and brent it clean.  In this manner they brent many other towns in that country and won so much riches, that it was marvel to reckon it.  Then they came to a great town well closed called Carentan, where there was also a strong castle and many soldiers within to keep it.  Then the lords came out of their ships and fiercely made assault:  the burgesses of the town were in great fear of their lives, wives and children:  they suffered the Englishmen to enter into the town against the will of all the soldiers that were there; they put all their goods to the Englishmen’s pleasures, they thought that most advantage.  When the soldiers within saw that, they went into the castle:  the Englishmen went into the town, and two days together they made sore assaults, so that when they within saw no succour, they yielded up, their lives and goods saved, and so departed.  The Englishmen had their pleasure of that good town and castle, and when they saw they might not maintain to keep it, they set fire therein and brent it, and made the burgesses of the town to enter into their ships, as they had done with them of Barfleur, Cherbourg and Montebourg, and of other towns that they had won on the sea-side.  All this was done by the battle that went by the sea-side, and by them on the sea together.[1]

[1] Froissart is mistaken in supposing that a division of the land army went to these towns.  Barfleur and Cherbourg were visited only by the fleet.  According to Michael of Northburgh, who accompanied the expedition, Edward disembarked 12th July and remained at Saint Vaast till the 18th, and meanwhile the fleet went to Barfleur and Cherbourg.  The army arrived at Caen on the 26th.

Now let us speak of the king’s battle.  When he had sent his first battle along by the sea-side, as ye have heard, whereof one of his marshals, the earl of Warwick, was captain, and the lord Cobham with him, then he made his other marshal to lead his host on his left hand, for he knew the issues and entries of Normandy better than any other did there.  The lord Godfrey as marshal rode forth with five hundred men of arms, and rode off from the king’s battle as six or seven leagues, in brenning and exiling the country, the which was plentiful of everything—­the granges full of corn, the houses full of all riches,