About St John Baptist's day, in this year, the earl of Salisbury, governor of Champagne and Brie, and very renowned in arms, besieged a good little town called Sodune, in the county of Vertus, which was taken by storm, by means of a mine, and the greater part of those within were cruelly put to death, to the amount of two hundred at least, and the rest made prisoners. Their effects were pillaged, their women ravished, and the place demolished. The lord de Châtillon was with the earl of Salisbury, and created a knight by the hand of the earl within the mine. The governor of the town was a valiant man at arms called William Marin, who was slain with the others at the storming. While this was passing, the duke of Bedford caused the castle of Gaillon, a very strong place belonging to the archbishop of Rouen, to be besieged, as it was held by the partisans of king Charles. It was battered so effectually, that the garrison surrendered on having their lives spared,--and the place was utterly destroyed. In the month of June, the duke of Bedford ordered the town and castle of Ivry to be besieged. The first was soon won; but the castle, being strong and well garrisoned, held out for about a month, when the garrison capitulated to deliver up the fort to the English on the night of the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin, in case king Charles should not appear before that day with a sufficient force to combat them with success. When the treaty had been signed, and proper hostages given for its performance, the siege was broken up. The English and Burgundians at this time besieged many places on the borders of Normandy. Neelle in Tardenois submitted to king Henry; and Alardin de Monsay treated with the duke of Bedford for the castle of La Fere, and stipulated that he would not make further war against him if he should be suffered to keep it, unless king Charles should muster forces enough to cross the Seine, and advance to Champagne. The French were at this time much the weakest. CHAP. XIX. THE LORD DE LONGUEVAL AND MANY OTHER FRENCH LORDS TURN TO THE PARTY OF KING CHARLES. In this year the lord de Longueval, his brother Reginald, John Blondel, the lord de Saint-Simon, John de Mailly, the lord de Maucourt, and several other knights and gentlemen of the Vermandois, who had always been attached to the Burgundy-party, assembled at Roye to consider on the most effectual means of opposing the bodies of men at arms who frequently despoiled their towns, and who had likewise very improperly taken possession of their lands on their return from the expeditions of sir John de Luxembourg to conquer the county of Guise.