the inhabitants; and they called aloud
for a capitulation. Somerset, unable to resist at once both the enemies
within one from without, retired with his garrison into the palace and
castle; which, being places not tenable he was obliged to surrender:
he purchased a retreat to Harfleur by the payment of fifty-six thousand
crowns, by engaging to surrender Arques, Tancarville, Caudebec,
Honfleur, and other places in the higher Normandy, and by delivering.
hostages for the performance of articles.[*]

{1450.} The governor of Honfleur refused to obey his orders; upon
which the earl of Shrewsbury, who was one of the hostages, was detained
prisoner; and the English were thus deprived of the only general capable
of recovering them from their present distressed; situation. Harfleur
made a better defence under Sir Thomas Curson, the governor; but was
finally obliged to open its gates to Dunois. Succors at last appeared
from England, under Sir Thomas Kyriel, and landed at Cherbourg: but
these came very late, amounted only to four thousand men, and were
soon after put to rout at Fourmigni by the count of Clermont.[**] This
battle, or rather skirmish, was the only action fought by the English
for the defence of their dominions in France, which they had purchased
at such an expense of blood and treasure. Somerset, shut up in Caen,
without any prospect of relief, found it necessary to capitulate:
Falaise opened its gates, on condition that the earl of Shrewsbury
should be restored to liberty: and Cherbourg, the last place of Normandy
which remained in the hands of the English, being delivered up, the
conquest of that important province was finished in a twelvemonth
by Charles, to the great joy of the inhabitants, and of his whole
kingdom.[***]

* Monstrelet, vol. iii. p. 21. Grafton, p. 643.

** Holing, p. 631.

*** Grafton, p. 646.

A like rapid success attended the French arms in Guienne; though the
inhabitants of that province were, from long custom, better inclined to
the English government. Dunois was despatched thither, and met with
no resistance in the field, and very little from the towns. Great
improvements had been made during this age in the structure and
management of artillery, and none in fortification; and the art of
defence was by that means more unequal, than either before or since,
to the art of attack. After all the small places about Bordeaux were
reduced, that city agreed to submit, if not re