The boy's Froissart

by Jean Froissart

Some knights and squires of the French, who knew the road to the castle, made for it; and the governor, Sir Robert de Blargny, received them all. As the castle was very large, and plentifully victualled, those were safe that could get there.

The English, who were after the runaways, made great havoc; for they spared none. When the constable, and those that had taken refuge with him within the gate of the bridge, looked round them, and saw the great slaughter the English were making (for they gave no quarter), they began to fear lest they should fall into the hands of some of those archers, who would not know who they were. But they perceived a knight who had but one eye, named Sir Thomas Holland (whom they had formerly known in Prussia and Grenada), coming toward them, in company with five or six other knights: they called to him, and asked if he would take them as his prisoners. Sir Thomas and his company advanced to the gate, and, dismounting, ascended to the top, with sixteen others, where he found the above-mentioned knights, and twenty-five more, who surrendered themselves to Sir Thomas.

Having left a sufficient guard over them, he mounted his horse, rode through the streets, and prevented many acts of cruelty; as did also other knights and squires, to whom several of the citizens owed their lives. It was fortunate for the English that it was ebb-tide in the river, which admits large vessels, and the water very still, so that they could pass and repass beside the bridge. Those inhabitants who had taken refuge in the garrets flung down from them in these narrow streets stones, benches, and whatever they could lay hands on, so that they killed and wounded upwards of five hundred of the English; which so enraged the King of England, when he received the reports in the evening, that he ordered the remainder of the inhabitants to be put to the sword, and the town burnt. But Sir Godfrey de Harcourt said to him, “Dear sir, assuage somewhat of your anger, and be satisfied with what has already been done. You have a long journey yet to make before you arrive at Calais, whither it is your intention to go; and there are in this town a great number of inhabitants who will defend themselves obstinately in their houses, if you force them to it: besides, it will cost you many lives before the town can be destroyed, which may put a stop to the expedition to Calais, and that will not redound to your honor. Therefore be sparing of your men, for in a month’s time you will have a call for them; as it cannot otherwise happen but that your adversary King Philip must soon come to give you battle, and you may meet with many difficulties, assaults, and skirmishes, that will find full employment for the number of, and even more if we could get them. We are complete masters of the town, without any more slaughter; and the inhabitants, and all they possess, are at our disposal.” The king replied, “Sir Godfrey, you are our marshal: therefore order as you please; for this time we do not wish to interfere.”

Sir Godfrey then rode through the streets, his banner displayed before him, and ordered in the king’s name that no one should dare, under pain of immediate death, to insult or hurt man or woman of the town, or attempt to set fire to it. Several of the inhabitants, on hearing this proclamation, received the English into their houses; and others opened their coffers to them, giving up their all since they were assured of their lives. However, there were, in spite of these orders, many atrocious thefts and murders committed. The English continued masters of the town for three days. In this time they amassed great wealth, which they sent in barges down the river of Estreham to St. Saveur, two leagues off, where their fleet was. The Earl of Huntington made preparations, therefore, with the two hundred men at arms and his four hundred archers, to carry over to England their riches and prisoners. The king purchased from Sir Thomas Holland and his companions the Constable of France and the Earl of Tancarville, and paid down twenty thousand nobles for them.

CHAPTER L.

The English commit great Depredations in Normandy.—Sir Godfrey de Harcourt encounters the Men at Arms of Amiens, on their Way to Paris, and King Edward marches into Picardy.

When the king had finished his business in Caen, and had sent his fleet to England loaded with cloths, jewels, gold and silver plate, and a quantity of other riches, and upward of sixty knights, with three hundred able citizens, prisoners; he then left his quarters, and continued his march as before, his two marshals on his right and left, burning and wasting all the flat country.

They pushed forward until they came to Poissy, where the bridge was also destroyed; but the beams and other parts of it were lying in the river. The king remained here five days, while they were repairing the bridge, so that his army might pass over without danger. His marshals advanced very near to Paris, and burnt St. Germain-en-Laye, La Montjoie, St. Cloud, Boulogne near Paris, and Bourg la Reine. The Parisians were much alarmed, for Paris at that time was not enclosed. King Philip upon this began to stir; and, having ordered all the pent-houses in Paris to be pulled down, went to St. Denis, where he found the King of Bohemia, the Lord John of Hainault, the Duke of Lorraine, the Earl of Flanders, the Earl of Blois, and great multitudes of barons and knights, ready to receive him. When the Parisians learned that the king was on the point of quitting Paris, they came to him, and, falling on their knees, said, “Ah, sire and noble king, what are you about to do? to leave your fine city of Paris?” The king replied, “My good people, do not be afraid: the English will not approach you nearer than they have done.” He thus spoke in answer to what they had said,—that “our enemies are only two leagues off: as soon as they shall know you have quitted us, they will come hither directly; and we are not able to resist them ourselves, nor shall we find any to defend us. Have the kindness, therefore, sire, to remain in your good city of Paris to take care of us.” The king replied, “I am going to St. Denis, to my army; for I am impatient to pursue the English, and am resolved to fight with them at all events.”

The King of England remained at the nunnery of Poissy to the middle of August, and celebrated there the feast of the Virgin Mary. He sat at table in his scarlet robes without sleeves, trimmed with furs and ermines. He afterwards took the field, and his army marched as before: Sir Godfrey de Harcourt, one of his marshals, had the command of the vanguard, with five hundred men at arms, and about thirteen hundred archers. By accident he fell in with a large party of the citizens of Amiens on horseback, who were going to King Philip at Paris, in obedience to his summons. He immediately attacked them with those under his command; but they made a good defence, as they were very numerous and well armed, and had four knights from Amiens with them. The engagement lasted a long time, and many were slain at the onset; but at last those from Amiens were overthrown, killed, or taken prisoners. The English seized all their baggage and arms, and found many valuables; for they were going to the king excellently well equipped, and had but just quitted their city. Twelve hundred were left dead on the spot. The King of England entered the country of Beauvais, destroying all the flat country; and took up his quarters in a rich abbey called St. Messien, near to Beauvais, where he lodged one night. The morrow, as he was on his march, he by chance turned his head round, and saw the abbey all in flames; upon which he instantly ordered twenty of those who had set fire to it to be hung, as he had most strictly forbidden that any church should be violated, or monastery set on fire. He passed near Beauvais without attacking it,—for he was anxious to be as careful of his men and artillery as possible,—and took up his quarters at a small town called Milly. The two marshals passed so near to Beauvais, that they advanced to attack it, and skirmish with the townsmen at the barriers, and divided their forces into three battalions. This attack lasted until the afternoon; for the town was well fortified and provided with every thing, and the bishop was also there, whose exertions were of more service than those of all the rest. When the English found they could not gain any thing, they set fire to the suburbs, which they burnt quite close to the gates of the town, and then came, toward evening, to where the king was.

The next day the king and his whole army marched forward, burning and wasting all the country as they went, and lay that night at a village called Grandvillier. On the morrow he passed near to Argis: his scouts not finding any one to guard the castle, he attacked and burnt it, and, passing on, destroyed the country, and came to Poix, which was a handsome town with two castles. The lords of both were absent, and no one was there but two handsome daughters of the Lord of Poix. In order more effectually to guard them, they brought them to the king, who, as in honor bound, entertained them most graciously. He inquired whither they would wish to go. They answered, to Corbie, to which place they were conducted in safety. The King of England lay that night in the town of Poix. The inhabitants of Poix, as well as those of the castle, had a conference with the marshals of the army, in order to save the town from being plundered and burnt. They offered to pay, as a ransom, a certain number of florins the ensuing day, as soon as the army should have marched off. On the morrow morning the king and army departed, except some few who remained behind, by order of the marshals, to receive the ransom from the townsmen. When the inhabitants were assembled together, and considered the small number of the English who were left with them, they resolved to pay nothing, told them so, and directly fell upon them. The English defended themselves gallantly, and sent after the army for succor. When Lord Reginald Cobham and Sir Thomas Holland, who commanded the rear-guard, were told of this, they cried out, “Treason! treason!” and returned back to Poix, where they found their countrymen still engaged with the townsmen. Almost all the inhabitants were slain, the town was burnt, and the two castles razed to the ground. The English then followed the king’s army, which was arrived at Airaines, where he had ordered the troops to halt, and to quarter themselves for that night, strictly commanding, under pain of death, that no harm should be done to the town or inhabitants by theft or otherwise; for he wished to remain there a day or two in order to gain information where he could best cross the river Somme,—which he was under the necessity of doing, as you will shortly hear.