When the earl of Montfort found that he had men in plenty, he was advised to go and possess himself, either by violent or gentle means, of all the country, and to subdue his enemies. He sallied out, therefore, from Nantes, with a large army, and drew towards a very strong castle, situated upon the sea-coast, called Brest: sir Walter1 de Clisson was governor of it, a most noble knight, and one of the greatest barons of Brittany. The earl, in his march towards Brest, so conquered all the country, except the fortresses, that the inhabitants followed him, on foot or on horseback, for they dared not leave him: he thereby had a numerous body of men at arms. When he and his army were come before Brest, he ordered sir Henry de Leon to summon the governor, and require of him, in obedience to the earl of Montfort, as duke of Brittany, to surrender to him the castle and town of Brest, as to his liege lord. The governor replied, he would do nothing in the business, until he should have received orders from the lord to whom of right it belonged. The earl then retreated to a small distance, and sent challenges to those of the town and castle. On the morrow, after he had heard mass, he ordered his men to arm, and make an assault upon the castle, which was very strong, and well provided with every thing.
The governor, sir Walter de Clisson, on his part, was not inactive: he armed all the garrison, who were full three hundred good fighting men, and sent every one to the post he had assigned them, taking with him about forty of the bravest, and advanced out of the castle, as far as the barriers. The assailants came there to make their attack, which was very sharp; and many of them were slain and wounded: the governor performed wonders; but at last, such numbers came upon him, the earl urged them on so sharply, and each exerted himself so much, that the barriers were won, and the defenders of them forced to retire towards the castle with great loss; for their opponents had fought lustily: many were killed. The governor, however, comforted them as well as he could, and conducted them in safety to the chief gate. When those who kept the ward of the gate perceived the defeat of the governor’s party, they were afraid of losing their castle, and let fall the portcullis, which shut them out: the knight however defended himself valiantly, though most of his party were killed or wounded: the governor himself, though very badly wounded, would not surrender, in spite of all entreaties. Those within the castle exerted themselves with their cross-bows; and, by throwing large stones upon the assailants, forced them to retire, and gave an opportunity of raising a little the portcullis so that the knight and the remnant of his detachment entered: all of them were dangerously wounded.
The next day, the earl of Montfort ordered machines to be made, and got ready to attack the castle more vigorously; and he declared, that nothing should make him depart, until he had gained possession of it. On the third day he was informed that sir Walter de Clisson was dead of the wounds he had received, which was confirmed. Upon this the earl ordered his men to arm themselves, to renew the attack with vigour, and the machines which had been made to advance, and large beams of timber to be thrown across the trenches, in order to come to the wall of the castle. Those within defended themselves with their cross-bows, and by throwing down upon the assailants stones, firebrands, and pots of hot lime, till towards mid-day, when the earl again summoned them to surrender, promising them indemnity, for what was past, on their acknowledging him as their lawful lord. Upon this they had a long consultation, and the earl ordered a cessation of arms. After they had fully considered the proposal, they freely surrendered themselves, their persons and effects being preserved inviolate. The earl then entered the castle, with a few attendants, and received the fealty of all those of the castlewick. He appointed a knight, in whom he had great trust, as the governor of it, and returned, very well pleased, to his camp.