Link LinkThus these great armies were separated, and the siege of Vannes raised. The duke of Normandy retired to Nantes, and took the two cardinals with him: the king of England went to the countess of Montfort at Hennebon. There was an exchange made of the lord of Clisson for the baron of Stafford. When the king of England had been some time at Hennebon with the countess, and had arranged his affairs, he gave her in charge to the two brothers de Spinefort, sir William de Cadoudal, and others, and set out with his knights for England, where he arrived about Christmas1. The duke of Normandy returned into France, and, having disbanded his army, each went to his own home.
Soon afterwards, the lord of Clisson was arrested, upon suspicion of treason, and confined in the prison of the Châtelet in Paris: at which all who heard it were much surprised. The barons and knights of France asked each other what could be the reason, for they could not make out any thing satisfactory; but they imagined it might be occasioned by jealousy, because the king of England had preferred to exchange him for lord Stafford to sir Hervé de Léon, who was still a prisoner: so that the favour the king of England had shown to the lord of Clisson in preference to sir Hervé, his enemies thought had been improperly gained, and grounded upon that the suspicion for which he lost his head at Paris, and which occasioned great grief, for no one could find a sufficient reason for it2. Shortly afterwards, many other knights were accused of similar crimes. The lord of Malestroit and his son, the lord of Avaugour, sir Tibaut de Morillon, and other lords of Brittany, to the number of ten knights and squires, were beheaded at Paris. Four other knights of Normandy, sir William Baron, sir Henry de Malestroit, the lord of Rochetesson, and sir Richard de Persy, were put to death upon reports, whether well founded or not I am ignorant, which caused afterwards great troubles in Brittany and Normandy. The lord of Clisson left behind him a son, named Olivier de Clisson after his father, who withdrew himself immediately to the castle of Montfort, with the countess and her son, who was nearly of the same age with himself, and without a father; for in truth the earl of Montfort had died in the Louvre at Paris3.
