The boy's Froissart

by Jean Froissart

ALL this year of the truce, the kings remained at peace. But Lord William Douglas, and the Scots, who had taken refuge in the forest of Jedworth, carried on the war against the English, wherever they could meet with them. Those in Gascony, Poitou, and Saintonge, as well French as English, did not observe the truce any better, but conquered towns and castles from each other, by force or intrigue, and ruined and destroyed the country, day and night. There were frequently gallant deeds of arms performed, with alternate success.

Poor rogues took advantage of such times, and robbed both towns and castles; so that some of them, becoming rich, constituted themselves captains of bands of thieves. There were among them those worth forty thousand crowns. Their method was, to mark out the particular towns or castles, a day or two’s journey from each other: they then collected twenty or thirty robbers, and, travelling through by-roads in the night-time, entered the town or castle they had fixed on about daybreak, and set one of the houses on fire. When the inhabitants perceived it, they thought it had been a body of forces sent to destroy them, and took to their heels as fast as they could. The town of Donzere was treated in this manner; and many other towns and castles were taken, and afterwards ransomed. Among other robbers in Languedoc, one had marked out the strong castle of Cobourne in Limosin, which is situated in a very strong country. He set off in the night-time, with thirty companions, and took and destroyed it. He seized also the Lord of Cobourne, whom he imprisoned in his own castle, and put all his household to death. He kept him in prison until he ransomed himself for twenty-four thousand crowns, paid down. The robber kept possession of the castle and dependencies, which he furnished with provisions, and thence made war upon all the country round about. The King of France, shortly afterwards, was desirous of having him near his person. He purchased the castle for twenty thousand crowns, appointed him his usher at arms, and heaped on him many other honors. The name of this robber was Bacon; and he was always mounted on handsome horses, of a deep roan color, or on large palfreys, apparelled like an earl, and very richly armed; and this state he maintained as long as he lived.

There were similar disorders in Brittany; and robbers carried on the like methods of seizing and pillaging different towns and castles, and then selling them back again to the country at a dear rate; by which means many of their leaders became very rich. Among others there was one of the name of Croquart, who was originally but a poor boy, and had been page to the Lord d’Ercle in Holland. When this Croquart arrived at manhood, he had his discharge, and went to the wars in Brittany, where he attached himself to a man at arms, and behaved very well. It happened, that in some skirmish his master was taken and slain; when, in recompense for his prowess, his companions elected him their leader, in the place of his late master. He then made such profit by ransoms, and the taking of towns and castles, that he was said to be worth full forty thousand crowns, not including his horses, of which he had twenty or thirty, very handsome and strong, and of a deep roan color. He had the reputation of being the most expert man at arms of the country, was chosen to be one of the thirty that engaged against a similar number, and was the most active combatant on the side of the English. King John of France made him the offer of knighting him, and marrying him very richly, if he would quit the English party, and promised to give him two thousand livres a year; but Croquart would never listen to it. It chanced one day, as he was riding a young horse which he had just purchased for three hundred crowns, and was putting him to his full speed, that the horse ran away with him, and, in leaping a ditch, stumbled into it, and broke his master’s neck. Such was the end of Croquart.

CHAPTER LXVIII.
Sir Aymery de Pavie plots with Sir Geoffry de Chargny to sell the Town of Calais.

AT this time Sir Geoffry de Chargny was stationed at St. Omer, to defend the frontier; and in every thing touching war he acted as if he had been king. He bethought himself, that as Lombards are very poor, and by nature avaricious, he would attempt to recover the town of Calais by means of Aymery de Pavie the governor; and as, from the terms of the truce, the inhabitants of the towns of St. Omer and Calais might go to each place to sell their different merchandises, Sir Geoffry entered into a secret treaty with Sir Aymery, and succeeded so far that he promised to deliver up the town on receiving twenty thousand crowns. The King of England, however, got intelligence of it, and sent to Aymery the Lombard orders to cross the sea immediately, and come to him at Westminster. He obeyed; for he could not imagine that the king knew of his treason, it had been so secretly carried on. When the king saw the Lombard, he took him aside, and said, “Thou knowest that I have intrusted to thee what I hold dearest in this world, except my wife and children: I mean the town and castle of Calais, which thou hast sold to the French, and for which thou deservest death.” The Lombard flung himself on his knees, and said, “Ah, gentle king, have mercy on me, for God’s sake! All that you have said is very true; but there is yet time to break the bargain, for hitherto I have not received one penny.” The king had brought up this Lombard from a child, and much loved him: he replied, “Aymery, it is my wish that you continue on this treaty: you will inform me of the day that you are to deliver up Calais, and on these conditions I promise you my pardon.” The Lombard then returned to Calais, and kept every thing secret. In the mean time Sir Geoffry de Chargny thought himself sure of having Calais, and issued out privately his summons for five hundred lances. The greater part were ignorant where he intended to lead them, for it was only known to a few barons. I do not believe he had even informed the King of France of his plan, as he would have dissuaded him from it on account of the truce. The Lombard had consented to deliver up the town to him the last night of the year, with which he made the King of England acquainted by means of his brother.

CHAPTER LXIX.

The Battle of Calais, between the King of England, under the Banner of Sir Walter Manny, with Sir Geoffry de Chargny and the French.

When the King of England was informed of this, and knew that the day was for a certainty fixed, he set out from England with three hundred men at arms and six hundred archers. He embarked at Dover, and came so privately to Calais, that no one knew of his being there. He placed his men in ambuscade in the rooms and towers of the castle, and said to Sir Walter Manny, “Sir Walter, I will that you be the chief of this enterprise; and I and my son will fight under your banner.” Sir Geoffry de Chargny had left St. Omer the latter end of December, with all the forces he had collected; and arrived near to Calais about midnight, the last day of the month. He halted there for his rear to come up, and sent forward two of his squires, who found Sir Aymery waiting for them. They asked if it were time for Sir Geoffry to advance: the Lombard answered that it was. The two squires upon this returned to Sir Geoffry, who marched his men in battle-array over the bridge of Nieullet. He then sent forward twelve of his knights, with one hundred men at arms, to take possession of the castle of Calais; for he thought, if he had possession of the castle, he should soon be master of the town, considering what strength he had with him; and in a few days time he could have as much more, should there be occasion. He gave orders for twenty thousand crowns to be delivered to Sir Odoart de Renty, who was in this expedition, for him to pay to the Lombard; and Sir Geoffry remained in the plain in silence, his banner displayed before him, with the rest of his army; for his intention was to enter the town by one of its gates, otherwise he would not enter it at all.

The Lombard had let down the drawbridge of the castle, and opened one of the gates, through which his detachment entered unmolested; and Sir Odoart had given him the twenty thousand crowns in a bag,—who said he supposed they were all there, for he had not time to count them, as it would be day immediately. He flung the bag of crowns into a room, which he locked, and told the French he would conduct them to the great tower that they might the sooner be masters of the castle: in saying this he advanced on, and, pushing back the bolt, the door flew open. In this tower was the King of England with two hundred lances, who sallied forth, with swords and battle-axes in their hands, crying out, “Manny, Manny, to the rescue! What! do these Frenchmen think to conquer the castle of Calais with such a handful of men!” The French saw that no defence could save them, so they surrendered themselves prisoners; and scarcely any of them were wounded. They were made to enter this tower, whence the English had sallied, and there shut in. The English quitted the castle, and, forming themselves in array, mounted their horses (for they knew the French were mounted), and made for the gate leading to Boulogne. Sir Geoffry was there with his banner displayed (his arms were three escutcheons argent on a field gules), and he was very impatient to be the first that should enter Calais. He said to those knights who were near him, that, if this Lombard delayed opening the gate, they should all die with cold. “In God’s name,” replied Sir Pepin de Werre, “these Lombards are a malicious sort of people: perhaps he is examining your florins, lest there should be any false ones, and to see if they be right in number.” During this conversation the King of England and his son advanced, under the banner of Sir Walter Manny. There were many other banners also there, such as the Earl of Suffolk’s, the Lord Stafford’s, Lord John Montacute’s (brother to the Earl of Salisbury), the Lord John Beauchamp’s, the Lord Berkeley’s, the Lord de la Waae. All these were barons having banners; and no more than these were in this expedition.

The great gates were soon opened, and they all sallied out. When the French saw this, and heard the cries of “Manny to the rescue!” they found they had been betrayed; and Sir Geoffry said to those around them, “Gentlemen, if we fly, we shall lose all: it will be more advantageous for us to fight valiantly, in the hopes that the day may be ours.”—“By St. George,” said some of the English, who were near enough to hear it, “you speak truth: evil befall him who thinks of flying!” They then retreated a little, and dismounted, driving their horses away, to avoid being trampled on. When the King of England saw this, he halted the banner under which he was, and said, “I would have the men drawn up here in order of battle; and let a good detachment be sent toward the bridge of Nieullet, for I have heard that there is posted a large body of French on horseback and on foot.” Six banners and three hundred archers left his army, and made for the bridge of Nieullet, where they found the Lord Moreau de Fiennes, and the Lord of Crequi, who guarded it. There were also posted, between the bridge and Calais, the crossbow-men from St. Omer and Aire, who had that day sharp work. More than six hundred were slain or drowned; for they were immediately discomfited, and pursued to the river. It was then scarcely daybreak. The knights of Picardy maintained this post some time, and many gallant actions were performed; but the English kept increasing from the town, when, on the contrary, the French fell off: so that, when they found they could not longer keep the bridge, those that had horses mounted them, and betook themselves to flight. The English immediately pursued them, and many were overthrown: but those that were well mounted escaped; among them were the Lords de Fiennes, de Crequi, de Sempy, de Lonchinleich, and the Lord of Namur. Many were taken through their own hardiness, who might otherwise have saved themselves. When it was broad daylight, that each could see the other, some knights and squires collected themselves together, and vigorously attacked the English, insomuch that several of the French made good prisoners, that brought them much profit.