The king of France, having received full information of the warfare carried on by the English against Scotland, which was included in the truce, and of that against the Spaniards by sea, who were also included in it, as well as that on his own subjects of Dieppe, la Rochelle, and elsewhere, ever since the signing of the truce, without making any restitution whatever for the damages done by them, more especially in the capture of Fougeres from the duke of Brittany, for which they refused to make any reparation, although often summoned by the king so to do, as well by ambassadors to king Henry as to those who had the government of Normandy: having, therefore, maturely deliberated on all these grievances in his council, and knowing that he had fully acquitted himself of his duty in endeavouring to preserve peace, he declared war against England by sea and land. During the truce, the english garrisons of Mantes, Verneuil, and Laigny had gone on the high roads between Orleans and Paris, and had robbed and murdered all passengers and merchants that fell in their way. In like manner did the English of Neufchâtel, Gournay, and Gerberoy, on the roads between Paris, Abbeville, and Amiens: they also made inroads over the country, seizing all they could lay hands on, and murdering gentlemen in their beds, who had sworn allegiance to the king of France; such as the lord de Maillebois, the lord de St Remy, Olivier de Noirequerque, and several more. On the other hand, such tradesmen and labouring farmers as had, on the faith of the truce, returned to their occupations, houses, and villages, were continually harrassed and put to death by the English, who called them false Armagnac-traitors. These were the fine exploits of the English during the existence of the truce. They were called Vizards, from wearing masks and frightful disguises over their other clothes, when they went on any such expeditions, to prevent them being discovered. To put an end to all these deceitful proceedings of the English, the king of France assembled a large body of men at arms, as did the duke of Brittany, on their frontiers. The garrison of Fougeres made a sally on these last,--but they were repulsed so valiantly that they lost upwards of six score in killed and taken. At this time a miller in the town of Varneuil[1] was beaten by an Englishman going the rounds. In revenge, he went to the bailiff of Evreux, and promised, on certain conditions, to admit him and his men into the town. In consequence of this, sir Pierre de Brésé, seneschal of Poitou, the said bailiff of Evreux, Jacques de Clermont and others, collected their men with all haste, and appeared before the walls of Verneuil by break of day on the 29th day of July.