Barfleur was about equal in importance to Sandwich and Carentan
to Leicester, Saint-Lo greater than Lincoln, and Caen greater
than any city in England except London.

Then the king went toward Caen, the which was a greater town and full
of drapery and other merchandise, and rich burgesses, noble ladies and
damosels, and fair churches, and specially two great and rich abbeys,
one of the Trinity, another of Saint Stephen; and on the one side of
the town one of the fairest castles of all Normandy, and captain
therein was Robert of Wargny, with three hundred Genoways, and in the
town was the earl of Eu and of Guines, constable of France, and the
earl of Tancarville, with a good number of men of war. The king of
England rode that day in good order and lodged all his battles
together that night, a two leagues from Caen, in a town with a little
haven called Austrehem, and thither came also all his navy of ships
with the earl of Huntingdon, who was governour of them.


The constable and other lords of France that night watched well the
town of Caen, and in the morning armed them with all them of the town:
then the constable ordained that none should issue out, but keep their
defences on the walls, gate, bridge and river, and left the suburbs
void, because they were not closed; for they thought they should have
enough to do to defend the town, because it was not closed but with
the river. They of the town said how they would issue out, for they
were strong enough to fight with the king of England. When the
constable saw their good wills, he said: 'In the name of God be it, ye
shall not fight without me,' Then they issued out in good order and
made good face to fight and to defend them and to put their lives in
adventure.