370 ANNALS OP BOGEB BE HOVEDEN. A.D. 1173. In the meantime, Louis, king of the Franks, and the king of England, the son, laid siege to Verneuil ; but Hugh de Lacy and Hugh de Beauchamp, who were the constables thereof, defended the town of Verneuil boldly and with resolute spirit. In consequence of this, the king of France, after remaining there a whole mouth, with difficulty took a small portion of the town on the side where his engines of war had been planted. There were in Verneuil, besides the castle, three burghs ; each of which was separated from the other, and enclosed with a strong wall and a foss filled with water. One of these was called the Great Burgh, beyond the walls of which were pitched the tents of the king of France and his engines of war. At the end of this month, when the burghers in the Great Burgh saw that food and necessaries were failing them, and that they should have nothing to eat, being compelled by hunger and want, they made a truce for three days with the king of France, for the purpose of going to their lord the king of England, in order to obtain succour of him ; and they made an agreement that if they should not have succour within the next three days, they would surrender to him that burgh. The peremptory day for so doing was appointed on the vigil of Saint Laurence. They then gave hostages to the king of France to the above effect, and the king of France, the king of England, the son, and earl Robert, the brother of the king of France, earl Henry de Trois, Theobald, earl of Blois, and "William, archbishop of Sens, made oath to them, that if they should surrender the burgh to the king of France at the period named, the king of France would restore to them their hostages free and unmolested, and would do no injury to them, nor allow it to be done by others. This composition having been made to the above effect, the burgesses beforementioned came to their lord the king of England, and announced to him the agreement which they had made with the king of France and the king his son. On hearing of this, the king of England collected as large an army as he possibly could from Normandy and the rest of his dominions, and came to Breteuil, a castle belonging to Robert, earl of Leicester, which the earl himself, taking to flight on his approach, left without any protection. This the king entirely reduced to ashes, and the next day, for the purpose of engaging with the king of France, proceeded to a