While the court resided at Beauvais, four gentlemen, and four citizens of Rouen, were sent to lay before the king and council their miserable state: they told them, that thousands of persons were already dead of hunger within their town; and that, from the beginning of October, they had been forced to live on horses, dogs, cats, mice and rats, and other things unfit for human creatures. They had nevertheless, driven full twelve thousand poor people, men women and children, out of the place, the greater part of whom had perished wretchedly in the ditches of the town. That it had been frequently necessary to draw up in baskets new born children from mothers who had been brought to bed in these ditches to have them baptised, and they were afterward returned to their mothers: many however, had perished without christening,--all which things were grievous and pitiful to be related. They then added, 'To you our lord and king, and to you noble duke of Burgundy, the loyal inhabitants of Rouen have before made known their distress: they now again inform you how much they are suffering for you, to which you have not yet provided any remedy according to your promises. We are sent to you for the last time, to announce to you on the part of the besieged, that if within a few days they are not relieved, they shall surrender themselves and their town to the English king, and thenceforward renounce all allegiance, faith and service, which they have sworn to you.' The king, duke and council, courteously replied, that the king's forces were not as yet adequate to raise the siege, which they were exceedingly sorry for; but, with God's pleasure, they should very soon be relieved. The deputies asked, by what time: the duke answered, before the fourth day after Christmas. They then returned to their town with difficulty, from the great danger of being taken by the besiegers and related all that had passed. The besieged now suffered the greatest distress; and it is impossible to recount the miseries of the common people from famine: it was afterward known, that upwards of fifty thousand had perished of hunger. Some, when they saw meat carried through the street, in despair, ran to seize it, and, so doing, allowed themselves to be severely beaten, and even wounded. During the space of three months, no provisions were seen in the markets, but every thing was sold secretly: and what before the siege was worth a farthing was sold for twenty, thirty, or even forty; but these prices were too high for the common people, and hence the great mortality I have mentioned.