On the morrow, as Cornwall had promised, he came to the banks of the Seine, and embarked on board eight small boats, attended by his son, fifteen years of age, sixty combatants, one single horse, some small cannons, and military stores: he made for a little island that was in the middle of the stream, whence he could fire at the enemy who guarded the opposite shore. But although the French were so many as I have said, they did not even attempt to make any defence, but instantly fled in the utmost disorder, every man escaping as well as he could. Sir John de Graville returned to Pont de l'Arche, sir James de Harcourt to Estampigny, and the commonalty fled to the woods. Sir John de Cornwall and his men seeing all this from the island re-imbarked in their boats, and landed without opposition. He immediately created his son a knight; and shortly after, others of the English crossed also in these boats, to the number of about a thousand combatants, part of whom followed sir John de Cornwall, to skirmish before Pont de l'Arche, and the rest scoured the country round. Sir John de Cornwall addressed sir John de Graville, and said, that he and his countrymen had badly acquitted themselves, to suffer him and his small company to cross the river, when they were so very numerous, declaring, that if he had been in his situation with only his sixty English, he would have defended the landing against the united forces of the kings of France and of England. When the English who had passed the river were re-assembled, they fixed their quarters in the abbey of Mortemer, in the forest of Lyons. The whole of the country of Caux were much alarmed, and not without cause, when they learnt that the English had passed the Seine. The next day the king of England ordered his brother the duke of Clarence to cross the river with four thousand combatants, and to invest the town and castle of Pont de l'Arche on all sides. He had also a bridge thrown over the Seine, on the side leading toward Rouen, that he might cross whenever he pleased; and this bridge was called the Bridge of Saint George. After three weeks siege, sir John de Graville surrendered the town and castle to the king of England, on condition that he and his men might depart in safety with their baggage. Thus king Henry was master, to pass the Seine at his pleasure; and he placed a strong garrison in Pont de l'Arche, in dread of whom the greater part of the peasantry fled the country with all their effects. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 3: Cisteaux.--An order of white friars (instituted in the year 1090,) who under their uppermost white habit wear a black one and red shoes.--_Cotgrave._] CHAP. VIII. THE DUKE OF TOURAINE CONTINUES THE WAR.--THE TOWN OF COMPIEGNE WON BY THE LORD DE BOCQUIAUX.--THE MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF BRABANT,--AND OTHER MATTERS.