The English, however, peremptorily refused to agree to such terms, which was a most unreasonable conduct: and the king's commissioners employed apostolical and imperial notaries to draw up the offer they had made, and the english commissioners' refusal of it, that God and all the world might see how handsomely the king had acted, and that if a war should ensue, which God forbid! the blame could not fall on him. The english commissioners departed, on their return to the duke of Somerset, to relate what had been the result of these conferences. The king of France, to proceed with greater security, sent the count de Dunois, and others, with ample powers to his nephew of Brittany, whom he met at Rennes, where he had assembled the greater part of his connexions, prelates, barons and knights of the duchy. A treaty was concluded, by which the duke promised to serve the king in person against the English, by sea and land, and never to make peace, or any alliance with them, but with the approbation of the king; in confirmation of which, he gave letters patent, signed with the hands and seals of himself and the barons of the duchy. The said relatives and barons also promised, by putting their hands within the hands of the count de Dunois, punctually to maintain all the articles contained in the above-mentioned letters patent; and the count de Dunois engaged that the king should ratify the said treaty, which he afterwards did by letters to the duke. In these he promised to make the quarrel his own, and not to conclude any treaty with the enemy without comprehending him and his duchy, nor until the English should have restored what they had taken from him. In case the English should not, before the end of the ensuing month of July, surrender to the duke the town and castle of Fougeres, with an adequate sum for the plunder, the king would openly declare war against them. At this time, the town of Gerberoy[149], in the Beauvoisis, was taken by scalado, by the lord de Mouy, governor of that country; and all the English within it, to the number of thirty, were put to the sword. Their captain was John Harper, who that day had gone to Gournay[150]. Thus was the place reduced under the obedience of the king of France. A short time after this, the town of Conches[151] was won by Robert de Flocques, called Flocquet, bailiff of Evreux. About the same period, a gascon gentleman called Verdun, by the advice and consent of the duke of Brittany, took by storm the towns of Coignac[152] and St Maigrin[153], under the command of an esquire, called Mondoch de Lansac, for the king of England. He himself was made prisoner, as he was coming from Bordeaux to Coignac,--for he imagined that it was still under his command as before. In both towns many prisoners were taken.