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The lord Neville and the English knights, on the morrow, gave orders for the assault being renewed: the trumpets sounded for the attack, and each company advanced to the fort St. Leger, when it began marvellously fierce. That fort is situated on a rock which cannot easily be approached, and the weakest side is defended by wide ditches. The assailants laboured hard, but got nothing except many killed and wounded. That attack ceased; when they thought it most advisable to fill up the ditches as well as they could, that they might gain more advantage in their next assault. Having filled up the ditches with much difficulty, the Bretons who were within the fort began to be more alarmed than before, and not without reason; so they entered into a treaty. The lords from England, being as anxious to assist the king of Navarre as to recover several places which the Bretons held on the Bourdelois, readily listened to their proposals. The fort of St. Leger was surrendered, on condition that the garrison should depart without danger to themselves or fortunes, and be conducted whither they chose to go. Thus was the fort of St. Leger won by the English; when the principal lords went into Mortain, and found there the souldich de l’Estrade and his party in the manner the herald had described them. He was immediately accommodated suitably to his rank, and the castle re-victualled and reinforced with fresh troops. They then returned by the river Garonne to Bordeaux the same way they had come.
When these knights were recruiting themselves in Bordeaux, they learnt that a baron held a fort called St. Maubert, six leagues distant, in Medoc, from whence he much harassed the country. They embarked on the Garonne great provision of stores and artillery, and, having mounted their horses, marched by land to St. Maubert, with about three hundred spears. The Gascons who accompanied lord Neville in this expedition were, sir Archibald de Greilly, the lords de Roussy, de Duras, and de Tournon. On the arrival of these barons with their forces before St. Maubert, they encamped, and soon after began an assault, which at the onset was very severe; for the Bretons who were in St. Maubert were men of courage, and had for their captain a person called Huguelin, round whom they rallied, and by whose advice they acted with vigour.
These first attacks did no harm to the Bretons; when the English retired to their quarters, and on the morrow erected their engines to cast stones, in order to break through the roof of he tower in which they resided. On the third day they ordered an assault, and said such a ruffianly crew could not hold out much longer. This attack was sharp, and many were slain; for never did men defend themselves better than these Bretons: however, seeing that no assistance was likely to come to them, they entered into a treaty: for they found they would never be left quiet until they were conquered. Treaties were concluded between them and the lords of the army, that they should surrender St. Maubert, and march out without any damage to themselves or fortunes, and should retire into Poitou, or wherever they chose, and be conducted thither.
When lord Neville had gained St. Maubert, he had it repaired, re-victualled, and provided with artillery: he placed therein Gascons to guard it, and appointed a squire from Gascony, called Peter de Prefias, governor, and then returned to Bordeaux. The English at Bordeaux received daily information that Pampeluna in Navarre was besieged, under the conduct of the infant of Castille; but they neither heard from the king of Navarre nor that king from them, which very much displeased him. We will now return to the affairs of Brittany and Normandy, and tell how the siege of St. Malo continued.