' Then the king answered quickly and said:
'Wherefore? This is a good token for me, for the land desireth to have
me.' Of the which answer all his men were right joyful. So that day
and night the king lodged on the sands, and in the meantime discharged
the ships of their horses and other baggages: there the king made two
marshals of his host, the one the lord Godfrey of Harcourt and the
other the earl of Warwick, and the earl of Arundel constable. And he
ordained that the earl of Huntingdon should keep the fleet of ships
with a hundred men of arms and four hundred archers: and also he
ordained three battles, one to go on his right hand, closing to the
sea-side, and the other on his left hand, and the king himself in the
midst, and every night to lodge all in one field.

Thus they set forth as they were ordained, and they that went by the
sea took all the ships that they found in their ways: and so long they
went forth, what by sea and what by land, that they came to a good
port and to a good town called Barfleur, the which incontinent was
won, for they within gave up for fear of death. Howbeit, for all that,
the town was robbed, and much gold and silver there found, and rich
jewels: there was found so much riches, that the boys and villains of
the host set nothing by good furred gowns: they made all the men of
the town to issue out and to go into the ships, because they would not
suffer them to be behind them for fear of rebelling again. After the
town of Barfleur was thus taken and robbed without brenning, then they
spread abroad in the country and did what they list, for there was not
to resist them. At last they came to a great and a rich town called
Cherbourg: the town they won and robbed it, and brent part thereof,
but into the castle they could not come, it was so strong and well
furnished with men of war. Then they passed forth and came to
Montebourg, and took it and robbed and brent it clean. In this manner
they brent many other towns in that country and won so much riches,
that it was marvel to reckon it. Then they came to a great town well
closed called Carentan, where there was also a strong castle and many
soldiers within to keep it. Then the lords came out of their ships and
fiercely made assault: the burgesses of the town were in great fear of
their lives, wives and children: they suffered the Englishmen to enter
into the town against the will of all the soldiers that were there;
they put all their goods t