But in Normandie, whilest others in other places, made their hand in fetching preies and booties out of the enimies countrie, [Sidenote: Vernueil besieged. _R. Houed._ Hugh Beauchampe.] king Lewes besieged Vernueil, which towne being strong of it selfe, Hugh Beauchampe and others that had charge thereof valientlie defended, so that the French[5] king was a moneth before it, yer he could win anie part thereof. This towne of Vernueil was in those daies diuided into three portions, beside the castell, euerie of them apart from other with mightie wals and déepe ditches full of water. One of these parts was called the great Burrow without the wals, where the French king had pitcht his field & planted his engins. About a moneth after whose coming thither, vittels began to faile them within, so that at length they required a truce onelie for thrée daies, & if no succour came within those thrée daies, they promised to yeeld that part of the towne called the great Burrow, & the peremptorie daie was the vigill or eeue of S. Laurence. Herevpon were hostages deliuered by the burgesses vnto the French king. Now it was agréed that if they yéelded the towne at the daie appointed for want of succor, king Henrie the son, and Robert the French kings brother, with the earles of Trois & Blois, Henrie and Theobald, and William archbish. of Sens, vndertooke vpon their othes that the hostages should then be restored free & without any hurt or damage. King Henrie being certified from them within of the composition thus made, was driuen to a verie hard shift: for he doubted nothing lesse than that any such thing should haue chanced. Yet considering with himselfe, that the sauing of the towne stood in his speedie comming to the rescue, he hasted thither without any staie, and came to the place the daie before the third and last daie of the truce. [Sidenote: The French king requireth to talke.] King Lewes perceiuing him to be come, doubting least he should loose the preie which he looked for, sent vnto the king, and required that he might common with him on the next daie, touching some means of agréement to be had betwixt him and his sons. This did he of policie, to féed him with hope of some end to be made in the troubles betwixt him and his sons, till he had gotten possession of the towne.