The king consented to pardon the inhabitants, and to receive them again into favour, without touching their lives or fortunes. Thus on Monday, the 8th day of May, at the same time that the troops of the duke of Burgundy marched out under passports from the king and the duke of Acquitaine to fix their quarters in Artois, the royal army marched into Compiegne. At this time, Waleran count de St Pol, who still called himself constable of France, riding from Amiens to his castle of St Pol, had a severe fall, and broke his leg: the pain was so great that he was carried to St Pol; but there was a report current, that he pretended to have been thus sorely hurt in order to be excused from obeying the king's summons, which had been often repeated to him; and also out of regard to the duke of Burgundy, whom he saw much distressed, and was perplexed how to assist him in his quarrel. In like manner, sir James de Châtillon, lord of Dampierre, styling himself admiral of France, remained all this season at his castle of Rolaincourt, pretending to be confined with the gout, which often attacked him, in order to be excused, like the constable, from serving in the king's army, or joining the duke of Burgundy, of whose success he was very desirous. Their dependants, however, who were accustomed to follow them in arms to war, or at least the greater part of them, joined the duke of Burgundy and his partisans. This war placed many lords in disagreeable situations and perplexities; for they knew not well how to steer, with honour to themselves, between the two parties. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 1: Verberie,--a town in Picardy, on the Oise, three leagues from Senlis, four from Compiegne.] CHAP. V. THE KING OF FRANCE MARCHES HIS ARMY FROM COMPIEGNE TO SOISSONS, WHICH HE BESIEGES AND TAKES BY STORM:--IT IS PILLAGED AND DESTROYED. The king, having reduced the town of Compiegne to his obedience, departed, on the 5th day of May[2], with his army, to lay siege to the town of Soissons, of which place the brave Enguerrand de Bournouville was governor. The van division had before advanced thither, under the command of the duke of Bar, the count d'Armagnac, Clugnet de Brabant, calling himself admiral of France, the bastard of Bourbon, sir Aymé de Sallebruche, and other able captains. The inhabitants of Soissons, perceiving that they should be besieged, acted like to those of Compiegne, in destroying their suburbs, with many noble buildings, churches and houses. Notwithstanding this, they were, on the arrival of the royal army, very closely besieged. The king, on his coming thither, sent to summon the town to surrender itself to his obedience, otherwise the inhabitants were in the road to destruction; but in defiance of this, they resolved to defend themselves against the king's army, in the hope of receiving reinforcements from their lord and master the duke of Burgundy, who had promised to succour them by a certain day.