News of their intentions was carried to the besiegers, who marched as secretly as possible to meet them, and made so sharp an attack on the English that they were driven from their boats, and lost twelve hundred of their men in killed and taken. When Saltviton witnessed this defeat, fearing it was impossible to recover the boats, he broke gallantly through the french army with only sixty lances, and saved himself for the moment in one of the outworks of the castle. Finding that he could not long maintain himself in his present post, he marched away with his men, thinking to regain Bayonne; but the bastard de Foix, knowing his departure, immediately pursued him, and made him and the greater part of his men prisoners. On the morrow, the castle surrendered, and all the country between Dax and Bayonne,--in which were from fifteen to sixteen strong places, that surrendered to the count de Foix. When these forts had been sufficiently garrisoned, the count's army was marched home. The siege of Honfleur was commenced with great courage on the 17th day of January, while the king remained at Jamieges, by his lieutenant general, the count de Dunois, and the other lords before named. The franc archers, who had been sent by these lords in advance ten or twelve days before, to skirmish with the english garrison of Honfleur, did their duty well. When the blockade was completed, the king left Jamieges, and fixed his quarters at the abbey of Grestain, two leagues from Honfleur. On his arrival, the approaches and trenches were pushed forward with vigour, and many cannons and bombards were pointed against the walls, to the astonishment of those within the town. The governor of the place was called master Courson[71], having a garrison of three or four hundred English who exerted themselves valiantly in their defence with cannons and other missile weapons. By their means was killed a gallant Frenchman, named Regnault William, le Bourgognon, then bailiff of Montargis, which was a great loss. At length, the English were so overpowered by fear and want of provision that they were constrained to demand a parley, to arrange terms of capitulation; and they agreed to surrender the town and castle on the 18th day of February, unless there should appear a force sufficient to relieve them, by conquering the French, and gave hostages for its due performance, on which they were to march away with their effects in safety. The French now fortified their camp, and made preparations for a combat, but the English did not appear; for the duke of Somerset dared not leave Caen ungarrisoned, and, besides, they were not strong enough to expect success without great reinforcements from England. The place was therefore surrendered according to the terms of the capitulation, and the English marched to other parts under their obedience.