It has
a hall of justice, (Cour Royale,) an episcopal palace, and a foundry
for cannon. A more dismal dirty looking city, or a more uninteresting
one to a stranger, is seldom to be seen. Few traces remain of its
ancient splendor; the old rampart, which once encompassed it, now
forms a promenade.
Its commerce is considerable, being the entrepot for grain and cattle,
with which it supplies Paris and the Southern Provinces, not so
abundant in their produce. Jane of Flanders, Countess of Montfort,
the most extraordinary woman of her time, resided here, during the
imprisonment of her husband in the palace of the Louvre, by Philippe
de Valois,[5] when Edward the Third of England invaded France.
Hennebon, when attacked by Charles of Blois, was defended by the
Countess, and relieved by Sir Walter Manny, whom Edward had sent with
a body of 6,000 archers to her succour. The garrison, encouraged by
so rare an example of female valour, defended themselves against an
immense army, composed of French, Spaniards, Genoese, and Bretons,
who frequently assaulted it, and were as vigorously repulsed. On one
occasion, Froissart mentions her sallying out at the head of a body of
two hundred cavalry, throwing the enemy into great confusion, doing
great execution among them, and setting fire to the tents and
magazines, which were entirely destroyed.
[Footnote 5: Among the brave knights who engaged in so many battles
and perilous adventures, and other feats of arms, Froissart mentions
Philip, as opposed to those heroes of high renown, Edward of England,
the Prince of Wales his son, the Duke of Lancaster, Sir Reginald Lord
Cobham, Sir Walter Manny of Hainault, Sir John Chandos, Sir Fulk
Harley, and many others recorded in his book for worth and prowess.
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