On their return to the town the knights executed a number of theburghers who had joined the peasants, and the greater part of the townwas burned to the ground as a punishment for having opened the gates tothe peasants and united with them.
The knights and ladies then started for Paris. On nearing the city theyfound that it was threatened by the forces of the Dauphin. Marcel hadstrongly fortified the town, and with his ally, the infamous King ofNavarre, bade defiance to the royal power. However, the excesses of thedemagogue had aroused against him the feeling of all the better classof the inhabitants. The King of Navarre, who was ready at all times tobreak his oath and betray his companions, marched his army out ofthe town and took up a position outside the walls. He then secretlynegotiated peace with the Duke of Normandy, by which he agreed to yieldto their fate Marcel and twelve of the most obnoxious burghers, whileat the same time he persuaded Marcel that he was still attached tohis interest. Marcel, however, was able to bid higher than the Duke ofNormandy, and he entered into a new treaty with the treacherous king, bywhich he stipulated to deliver the city into his hands during the night.Everyone within the walls, except the partisans of Marcel, upon whosedoors a mark was to be placed, were to be put to death indiscriminately,and the King of Navarre was to be proclaimed King of France.
Fortunately Pepin des Essarts and John de Charny, two loyal knights whowere in Paris, obtained information of the plan a few minutes beforethe time appointed for its execution. Arming themselves instantly,and collecting a few followers, they rushed to the houses of the chiefconspirators, but found them empty, Marcel and his companions havingalready gone to the gates. Passing by the hotel-de-ville, the knightsentered, snatched down the royal banner which was kept there, andunfurling it mounted their horses and rode through the streets, callingall men to arms. They reached the Port St. Antoine just at the momentwhen Marcel was in the act of opening it in order to give admission tothe Navarrese. When he heard the shouts he tried with his friends tomake his way into the bastille, but his retreat was intercepted, and asevere and bloody struggle took place between the two parties. StephenMarcel, however, was himself slain by Sir John de Charny, and almost allhis principal companions fell with him. The inhabitants then threw opentheir gates and the Duke of Normandy entered.
Walter Somers had, with his companions, joined the army of the duke,and placed his sword at his disposal; but when the French prince enteredParis without the necessity of fighting, he took leave of him, and withthe Captal returned to England. Rare, indeed, were the jewels whichWalter brought home to his wife, for the three hundred noble ladiesrescued at Meaux from dishonour and death had insisted upon bestowingtokens of their regard and gratitude upon the rescuers, and as many ofthem belonged to the richest as well as the noblest families in Francethe presents which Walter thus received from the grateful ladies were ofimmense value.
He was welcomed by the king and Prince of Wales with great honour, forthe battle at Meaux had excited the admiration and astonishment of allEurope. The Jacquerie was considered as a common danger in all civilizedcountries; for if successful it might have spread far beyond theboundaries of France, and constituted a danger to chivalry, and indeedto society universally.
Thus King Edward gave the highest marks of his satisfaction to theCaptal and Walter, added considerable grants of land to the estates ofthe latter, and raised him to the dignity of Baron Somers of Westerham.
It has always been a matter of wonder that King Edward did not takeadvantage of the utter state of confusion and anarchy which prevailedin France to complete his conquest of that country, which there is noreasonable doubt he could have effected with ease. Civil war and strifeprevailed throughout France; famine devastated it; and without leadersor concord, dispirited and impoverished by defeat, France could haveoffered no resistance to such an army as England could have placed inthe field. The only probable supposition is that at heart he doubtedwhether the acquisition of the crown of France was really desirable, orwhether it could be permanently maintained should it be gained. To themonarch of a country prosperous, flourishing, and contented, the objectof admiration throughout Europe, the union with distracted and dividedFrance could be of no benefit. Of military glory he had gained enoughto content any man, and some of the richest provinces of France werealready his. Therefore it may well be believed that, feeling secure verymany years must elapse before France could again become dangerous, hewas well content to let matters continue as they were.
King John still remained a prisoner in his hands, for the princes andnobles of France were too much engaged in broils and civil wars to thinkof raising the money for his ransom, and Languedoc was the only provinceof France which made any effort whatever towards so doing. War stillraged between the Dauphin and the King of Navarre.
At the conclusion of the two years' truce Edward, with the mostsplendidly-equipped army which had ever left England, marched throughthe length and breadth of France. Nowhere did he meet with anyresistance in the field. He marched under the walls of Paris, but tookno steps to lay siege to that city, which would have fallen an easyprey to his army had he chosen to capture it. That he did not do so isanother proof that he had no desire to add France to the possessions ofthe English crown. At length, by the efforts of the pope, a peace wasagreed upon, by which France yielded all Aquitaine and the town ofCalais to England as an absolute possession, and not as a fief of thecrown of France; while the English king surrendered all his captures inNormandy and Brittany and abandoned his claim to the crown of France.With great efforts the French raised a portion of the ransom demandedfor the king, and John returned to France after four years of captivity.
At the commencement of 1363 Edward the Black Prince was named Princeof Aquitaine, and that province was bestowed upon him as a gift by theking, subject only to liege homage and an annual tribute of one ounceof gold. The prince took with him to his new possessions many of theknights and nobles who had served with him, and offered to Walter a highpost in the government of the province if he would accompany him. ThisWalter begged to be excused from doing. Two girls had now been addedto his family, and he was unwilling to leave his happy home unless theneeds of war called him to the prince's side. He therefore remainedquietly at home.
When King John returned to France, four of the French princes of theblood-royal had been given as hostages for the fulfilment of the treatyof Bretigny. They were permitted to reside at Calais, and were atliberty to move about as they would, and even to absent themselves fromthe town for three days at a time whensoever they might choose. The Dukeof Anjou, the king's second son, basely took advantage of this libertyto escape, in direct violation of his oath. The other hostages followedhis example.
King John, himself the soul of honour, was intensely mortified at thisbreach of faith on the part of his sons, and after calling together thestates-general at Amiens to obtain the subsidies necessary for payingthe remaining portion of his ransom, he himself, with a train of twohundred officers and their followers, crossed to England to make excusesto Edward for the treachery of the princes. Some historians representthe visit as a voluntary returning into captivity; but this was notso. The English king had accepted the hostages in his place, and wasresponsible for their safe-keeping, and had no claim upon the Frenchmonarch because they had taken advantage of the excess of confidencewith which they had been treated. That the coming of the French king wasnot in any way regarded as a return into captivity is shown by thefact that he was before starting furnished by Edward with letters ofsafe-conduct, by which his secure and unobstructed return to his owncountry was expressly stipulated, and he was received by Edward as anhonoured guest and friend, and his coming was regarded as an honour andan occasion for festivity by all England.
At the same time that John was in London the King of Cyprus, the Kingof Denmark, and the King of Scotland were also there, and the meetingof four monarchs in London was the occasion of extraordinary festivitiesand rejoicing, the king and his royal guests being several timesentertained at sumptu
ous banquets by the lord-mayor, the ex-mayor HenryPickard, and several of the aldermen.
Six weeks after John's arrival in London he was seized with illnessat the palace of the Savoy, and died on the 8th of April, 1364. TheDauphin, Charles, now succeeded him as Charles V, and the war betweenthe houses of Navarre and Valois was carried on with greater fury thanever. The armies of Navarre were commanded by the Captal de Buch, whowas a distant relation of the king; while those of Charles were headedby the Marechal de Boucicault and Bertrand du Guesclin, one of the mostgallant of the French knights. A great battle was fought near Cocherel.Contrary to the orders of the Captal, his army, which consistedprincipally of adventurers, descended from the strong position he hadchosen, and gave battle in the plain. They were completely defeated, andthe Captal himself taken prisoner.
In Brittany John of Montford and Charles of Blois had renewed theirstruggle, and King Charles, seeing the danger of Brittany falling intothe hands of De Montford, who was a close ally of England, interfered infavour of Charles of Blois, and sent Du Guesclin to his assistance.
This was a breach of the treaty of Bretigny, and De Montford at oncesent to the Black Prince for assistance. The Prince did not treat theconduct of Charles as a breach of the treaty, and took no part himselfin the war, but permitted Sir John Chandos, who was a personal friend ofDe Montford, to go to his aid. De Montford's army, after the arrival ofChandos with 200 spears, amounted to but 1600 men-at-arms and from800 to 900 archers, while Charles of Blois had 4000 men-at-arms and aproportionate number of infantry. De Montford tried to negotiate.He offered to divide the dukedom, and to agree that in case he diedchildless it should revert to the family of Charles. Charles, however,refused all terms, even to grant his adversary's request to put offthe battle until the morrow, so as to avoid violating the Sabbath; andhaving given orders that all prisoners taken in the battle should behung, he advanced upon De Montford.
Both forces were divided in four bodies. The first on De Montford's sidewas commanded by Sir Robert Knolles, the second by Oliver de Clisson,the third by Chandos and De Montford, the fourth by Sir Hugh deCalverley. Du Guesclin led the front division of Charles's army, theCounts of Auxerre and Joigny the second, Charles himself the third, andthe Lords of Roye and Rieux the reserve. The ducal arms of Brittany weredisplayed on both sides.
By slow degrees the two armies closed with each other in deadly strife.Both parties had dismounted and fought on foot with lances shortenedto five feet. Du Guesclin and his division attacked that of Knolles.Auxerre fell upon De Clisson, while the divisions of the two rivalprinces closed with each other. After desperate fighting numbersprevailed. De Montford was driven back, but Calverley advanced to hisaid, fell upon the rear of the French, threw them into disorder, andthen having rallied De Montford's men, retired to his former position inreadiness to give succour again where it might be needed.
In the meantime Clisson had been engaged in a desperate struggle withthe Count of Auxerre, but was obtaining no advantage. Clisson himselfhad received the blow of a battle-axe which had dashed in the vizor ofhis helmet and blinded for ever one of his eyes. He was still leadinghis men, but the enemies' superior numbers were pressing him back,when Chandos, the instant the assistance of Calverley had relieved DeMontford's division, perceiving his danger, drew off a few men-at-arms,and with them fell upon the rear of the Count of Auxerre, and dashingall who opposed him to the ground with his battle-axe, cleft his way tothe very centre of the enemy. Pressed by De Clisson in front and brokenby the sudden attack of Chandos in the rear, the French division gaveway in every direction. Auxerre was desperately wounded, and he andJoigny both taken prisoners.
Chandos then returned to De Montford, who had gallantly followed up theadvantage gained by the confusion into which Charles's division had beenthrown by the attack of Calverley. Charles was routed; he himself struckdown and slain by an English soldier, and the division defeated withgreat slaughter. De Montford's whole force now gathered round DuGuesclin's division, which now alone remained, and after fightinggallantly until all hope was gone, the brave French knight and hiscompanions yielded themselves as prisoners.
The battle of Auray terminated the struggle between the houses of Bloisand Montford. More than 1000 French men-at-arms died on the field, amongwhom were many of the noblest in Brittany. Two counts, 27 lords, and1500 men-at-arms were made prisoners. De Montford now took possession ofthe whole of Brittany, and at the suggestion of King Edward himselfdid homage to Charles V for the duchy, which he afterwards ruled withwisdom.
CHAPTER XXII: VICTORY AND DEATH
While the Black Prince was with difficulty governing his provinceof Aquitaine, where the mutual jealousies of the English and nativeofficers caused continual difficulties, King Edward turned all hisattention to advancing the prosperity of England. He fostered trade,commerce, and learning, was a munificent patron of the two universities,and established such order and regularity in his kingdom that Englandwas the admiration of all Europe. Far different was the state of France.The cessation of the wars with England and the subsequent disbandment oftroops had thrown upon their own resources great numbers of men who hadbeen so long engaged in fighting that they had no other trade to turnto. The conclusion of the struggle in Brittany after the battle of Aurayand the death of Charles of Blois still further added to the number,and these men gathered in bands, some of which were headed by men ofknightly rank, and scattered through France plundering the country andextracting heavy sums from the towns.
These "great companies," as they were called, exceeded 50,000 men innumber, and as almost all were trained soldiers they set the king andhis nobles at defiance, and were virtually masters of France. The mosttempting offers were made to them to lay down their arms, and thepope sent legates threatening excommunication, but the great companieslaughed alike at promises and threats. At last a way of deliveranceopened to France. Pedro, named the Cruel, of Castile, had alienatedhis people by his cruelty, and had defeated and driven into exile hishalf-brother, Henry of Trastamare, who headed an insurrection againsthim. Pedro put to death numbers of the nobles of Castile, despoiledthe King of Arragon, who had given aid to his brother, plundered andinsulted the clergy, and allied himself with the Moors.
His quarrel with the clergy was the cause of his ruin. The pope summonedhim to appear before him at Avignon to answer to the crimes laid to hischarge. Pedro refused to attend, and the pope at once excommunicatedhim. The King of Arragon and Henry of Trastamare were then summoned toAvignon, and a treaty of alliance was concluded between them, and thepope declared the throne of Castile vacant owing to the excommunicationof Pedro, and appointed Henry to it.
These measures would have troubled Pedro little had it not been thatFrance groaned under the great companies, and the French king and thepontiff at once entered into negotiations with them to support Henry inhis war against his brother. It was necessary that a leader in whomthe companies should have confidence should be chosen, and Du Guesclin,still a prisoner of Chandos, who had captured him at Auray, wasselected, and the pope, the King of France, and Don Henry, paid betweenthem the 100,000 francs demanded for his ransom. Du Guesclin on hisrelease negotiated with the leaders of the great companies, and as thepope and king promised them large gratuities they agreed to marchupon Spain. They were joined by a great number of French knights andmen-at-arms.
The expedition was under the nominal command of John of Bourbon, but thereal guidance was in the hands of Du Guesclin. As the army marched pastAvignon they worked upon the terrors of the pope until he paid them200,000 francs in gold. France was filled with joy at the prospect of ariddance of the free companies which had so long been a prey upon them.They were, too, eager to avenge upon the cruel King of Spain the murderof his queen, who was a princess of France. The same feeling animatedthe people of Aquitaine, and Calverley, D'Ambrecicourt, Sir WalterHewitt, Sir John Devereux, Sir John Neville, and several otherdistinguished knights, with a large train of men-at-arms, joined theadventurers. The great army moved through A
rragon, whose king in everyway facilitated their progress. As they entered Castile the wholepeople declared in favour of Henry, and Pedro, deserted by all, fled toBordeaux and besought aid from the Prince of Wales.
Between Pedro and the English court a firm alliance had existed fromthe time when the former so nearly married the Princess Joan, andimmediately the king heard of the expedition against him he issuedorders that no English knights should take part in it. The order,however, came too late. The English knights had already marched intoSpain with Du Guesclin. As for the English who formed no inconsiderableportion of the great companies, they had already declined to obey theking, when, at the insistence of the pope and the King of France, he hadordered them to disband.
On Pedro's arrival at Bordeaux with his three daughters and his son,they were kindly received by the Black Prince, courtesy and kindnessto those in misfortune being among the leading characteristics ofhis nature. Pedro, cruel and ruthless as he was, was a man of greateloquence and insinuating manners, and giving his own version ofaffairs, he completely won over the prince, who felt himself, moreover,bound in some degree to support him, inasmuch as he, an ally of England,had been dethroned by an army composed partly of English. Pedro made themost magnificent promises to the prince in return for his aid, cedinghim the whole of the province of Biscay, and agreeing to pay the Britishtroops engaged in his service when he regained his throne, the BlackPrince engaging to pay them in the meantime.
King Edward aided his son by raising an army in England, which sailedfor Bordeaux under the command of the prince's brother, John of Gaunt,Duke of Lancaster. Walter formed part of this expedition. The king hadissued his writs to him and other barons of the southern counties, andthe Black Prince had himself written to ask him to join him, in memoryof their former deeds of arms together.
As it was now some years since he had taken the field, Walter did nothesitate, but with thirty retainers, headed by Ralph, joined the army ofJohn of Gaunt.
The Black Prince's first step was to endeavour to recall the Englishmenof the free companies, estimated to amount to at least 30,000 men.The news that he was taking up arms and would himself command the armycaused Calverley and the whole of the other English knights to returnat once, and 10,000 of the English men-at-arms with the great companiesalso left Don Henry and marched to Aquitaine. The road led through theterritory of the King of Navarre, and the Black Prince advanced 56,000florins of gold to pay this grasping and treacherous king for the rightof passage of the army.
By Christmas, 1366, the preparations were complete, but the severity ofthe weather delayed the advance for some weeks. Fresh difficulties wereencountered with Charles the Bad, of Navarre, who, having obtained theprice for the passage, had now opened negotiations with Don Henry, andthe governors of the frontier towns refused to allow Sir Hugh Calverleyand the free companies, who formed the advance, to pass. These werenot, however, the men to stand on ceremony, and without hesitationthey attacked and captured the towns, when the King of Navarre at onceapologized for his officers, and renewed his engagements. As, however,the Black Prince had received intelligence that he had formed a planfor attacking the English as they passed through the terrible pass ofRoncesvalles, he compelled him to accompany the army. The invitationwas couched in language which was friendly, but would yet admit of nodenial.
On the 17th of February the English army, 30,000 strong, reached thepass. It marched in three divisions, the first commanded by the Duke ofLancaster and Lord Chandos, the second by the Black Prince, the thirdby the King of Majorca and the Count of Armaguac. The divisions crossedover on different days, for the pass was encumbered by snow and theobstacles were immense. Upon the day when the prince's division werepassing a storm burst upon them, and it was with the greatest difficultythat they succeeded in crossing. On the 20th of February, however, allarrived safe on the other side of the Pyrenees. Du Guesclin, who, seeingthe storm which was approaching from Aquitaine, had returned to Franceand levied a French army, was nigh at hand, and kept within a few milesof the English army as it advanced, avoiding an engagement until thearrival of Don Henry, who was marching to join him with the greatcompanies and 60,000 Spanish troops.
Du Guesclin kept up secret communications with the King of Navarre, whowas still forced to accompany the English army. The latter accordinglywent out from the camp under pretence of hunting and was captured by adetachment of French troops.
On the 1st of April, the Spanish army having joined the French, theBlack Prince sent letters to Don Henry, urging him in mild but dignifiedlanguage to return to obedience, and to resign the throne he hadusurped, offering at the same time to act as mediator between himand his brother, and to do all in his power to remove differences andabuses. Henry, confident in his strength, replied haughtily and preparedfor battle.
The forces were extremely unequal. The Black Prince had under him 30,000men; while under Don Henry were 3000 men-at-arms on mail-clad horses,20,000 men-at-arms on horses not so protected, 6000 light cavalry,10,000 crossbow-men, and 60,000 foot armed with spear and sword.
The night before the battle the Black Prince lodged in the littlevillage of Navarretta, which had been deserted by its inhabitants.Walter had been his close companion since he started, and occupied thesame lodging with him in the village.
"This reminds me," the prince said, "of the day before Cressy. Theyoutnumber us by more than three to one.
"There were greater odds still," Walter replied, "at Poitiers, and Idoubt not that we shall make as good an example of them."
"They are more doughty adversaries," the prince replied. "There are nigh20,000 English in their ranks--all veterans in war--and they are led byDu Guesclin, who is a host in himself."
"Their very numbers will be a hindrance to them," Walter repliedcheerfully; "and never did I see a better army than that which you haveunder you. I would we were fighting for a better man, for Don Pedro isto my mind treacherous as well as cruel. He promises fairly, but Idoubt if when he has gained his end he will keep his promises. He speaksfairly and smoothly, but his deeds are at variance with his words."
"It may be, my lord," the prince replied, "that I am somewhat of youropinion, and that I regret I so quickly committed myself to hiscause. However, he was my father's ally, and having fulfilled all hisengagements had a right to demand our assistance. I am a bad hand,Walter, at saying no to those who beseech me."
"It is so, Sir Prince," Walter said bluntly. "Would that your hearthad been a less generous one, for your nobleness of disposition is everinvolving you in debts which hamper you sorely, and cause more troubleto you than all your enemies!"
"That is true enough," the Black Prince said with a sigh. "Since I wasa boy I have ever been harassed with creditors; and though all Aquitaineis mine, I verily believe that there is not a man in my father'sdominions who is so harassed and straitened for money as I."
"And yet," Walter said, smiling, "no sooner do you get it than you giveit away."
"Ah!" the prince laughed, "I cannot deny it. It is so much pleasanter togive than to pay, that I can never find heart to balk myself. I am eversurrounded by suitors. Some have lost estates in my cause, others haverendered brilliant services in the field, some have burdened themselveswith debts to put their retainers in arms--all have pleased to urge,and for the life of me I cannot say them nay. I trust, though," he addedmore seriously, "that Don Pedro will fulfil his promises to pay my army.I have bound myself to my soldiers for their wages, besides advancinglarge sums to Pedro, and if he keeps not his engagements I shall indeedbe in a sore strait."
"There is one thing," Walter said; "if he fail to keep his promises, wewill not fail to oblige him to do so. If we win a kingdom for him, wecan snatch it from him again."
"We have not won it yet," the prince said.
"We will do so tomorrow," Walter rejoined confidently. "I hope thefortunes of the day may bring me face to face with Du Guesclin. I amthrice as strong as when I fought at Cressy, and I should like to try myhand against this doughty
champion."
The next morning the two armies prepared for battle, the Black Princedividing his army as before. The divisions were commanded as in thepassage of the Pyrenees, and each numbered 10,000 men.
Don Henry had also divided his force in three parts. In the firstdivision, commanded by Du Guesclin, were 4000 veteran French knights andmen-at-arms with 8000 foot-soldiers; the second was led by the prince'sbrother, Don Tillo, with 16,000 horse; while he himself commanded thethird, in which were a multitude of soldiers, making up the gross totalof 100,000 men.
As on the night preceding the battle of Poitiers, the English army hadlain down supperless. Soon after midnight the trumpets sounded, and thetroops soon moved forward. At sunrise the prince and his forces reachedthe summit of a little hill, whence was visible the approaching host ofSpain. The first division, under the Duke of Lancaster and Lord Chandos,immediately quickened its pace and charged the division of Du Guesclin,which received it with great steadiness, and a desperate conflictensued. The Black Prince charged the division of Don Tillo, which gaveway at the first attack, and its commander, with 2000 horse, at oncefled. The remainder of the division resisted for some time, but wasunable to withstand the steady advance of the English, who withoutmuch difficulty dispersed and scattered it from the field. The King ofMajorca now joined his division with that of the Black Prince, and thetwo advanced against the great division led by Don Henry.
The Spanish slingers opened upon the advancing force and for a timeannoyed them greatly, but when the English archers arrived withinbow-shot and opened fire they speedily dispersed the slingers, and themen-at-arms on both sides advanced to the attack. The conflict waslong and desperate, and both sides fought with great gallantryand determination. Don Pedro--who, although vicious and cruel, wasbrave--fought in the ranks as a common soldier, frequently cutting hisway into the midst of the Spaniards, and shouting to Don Henry to crossswords with him. Henry on his part fought with great valour, although,as he had the burden of command upon him, he was less able todistinguish himself by acts of personal prowess. Though fighting in thethickest of the press, he never lost his grasp of the general purpose ofthe battle. Three times, when his troops wavered before the assaults ofthe Black Prince and his knights, he rallied them and renewed the fight.
While this battle was raging, a not less obstinate fight was proceedingbetween the divisions of Lancaster and Du Guesclin. For a long timevictory was doubtful, and indeed inclined towards the side of theFrench. The ranks of both parties were broken, and all were fighting ina confused mass, when, in the midst of the melee, a body of French andSpaniards poured in upon the banner of Chandos. He was struck to theground, and a gigantic Castilian knight flung himself upon him andstrove to slay him as he held him down. Chandos had lost sword andbattle-axe, but drawing his dagger, he held with one hand his opponent'ssword-arm, and at last, after repeated strokes with his dagger, he foundan undefended part of his armour and pierced him with his dagger tothe hilt. The Spaniard relaxed his hold, and Chandos, throwing him off,struggled to his feet and rejoined his friends, who had thought himdead. They now fought with more enthusiasm than ever, and at last,driving back the main body of the French knights, isolated a body ofsome sixty strong, and forced them to surrender. Among these were DuGuesclin himself, the Marshal D'Audenham, and the Bigue de Vilaines.
As these were the leaders of the division, the main body lost spirit andfought feebly, and were soon completely routed by Lancaster and Chandos.These now turned their attention to the other part of the field wherethe battle was still raging, and charged down upon the flank of DonHenry's army, which was already wavering. The Spaniards gave way at onceon every side, and ere long the whole were scattered in headlong rout,hotly pursued by the English. The greater portion fled towards thetown of Najarra, where they had slept the previous night, and here vastquantities were slaughtered by the English and Gascons. A number ofprisoners were taken, and the palace and town sacked. The pursuit waskept up the whole day, and it was not until evening that the leadersbegan once more to assemble round the banner of the Prince of Wales.Among the last who arrived was Don Pedro himself. Springing from hischarger he grasped the hand of the Prince of Wales, thanking him for hisvictory, which he felt would restore him to his throne.
"Give thanks and praise to God, and not to me," the prince replied, "forfrom Him, and not from me, you have received victory."
About 8000 men fell in the battle, the loss of the English, French, andSpaniards being nearly equal; but many thousands of the latter fell inthe pursuit, and as many more were drowned in endeavouring to cross theriver Ebro. Don Henry escaped after fighting till the last, and reachingthe French territory in safety took refuge in the Papal court ofAvignon.
Upon the morning after the battle Don Pedro requested the Black Princeto give him up all the Castilian prisoners, in order that he might putthem to death. The prince, however, was always opposed to cruelty,and asked and obtained as a boon to himself that the lives of all theSpanish prisoners, with the exception of one whose conduct had beenmarked with peculiar treachery, should be spared, and even induced Pedroto pardon them altogether on their swearing fealty to him. Even DonSancho, Pedro's brother, who had fought at Najarra under Don Henry, wasreceived and embraced by Pedro at the request of the Prince of Wales.The city of Burgos at once opened its gates, and the rest of the countryfollowed its example, and resumed its allegiance to Pedro, who remountedhis throne without further resistance.
As Walter had fought by the side of the Black Prince his desire to crossswords with Du Guesclin was not satisfied; but his valour during theday won for him the warm approbation of the prince. Opposed to them weremany of the great companies, and these men, all experienced soldiers andmany of them Englishmen, had fought with great stubbornness. Walter hadsingled out for attack a banner bearing the cognizance of a raven. Theleader of this band, who was known as the Knight of the Raven, had wonfor himself a specially evil notoriety in France by the ferocity of hisconduct. Wherever his band went they had swept the country, and the mostatrocious tortures had been inflicted on all well-to-do persons whohad fallen into their hands, to extract from them the secret of buriedhoards or bonds, entailing upon them the loss of their last penny.
The Knight of the Raven himself was said to be as brave as he wascruel, and several nobles who had attempted to oppose his band had beendefeated and slain by him. He was known to be English, but his namewas a mystery; and the Black Prince and his knights had long wished toencounter a man who was a disgrace alike to chivalry and the Englishname. When, therefore, Walter saw his banner in the king's divisionhe urged his horse towards it, and, followed by Ralph and some thirtymen-at-arms, hewed his way through the crowd until he was close to thebanner.
A knight in gray armour spurred forward to meet him, and a desperateconflict took place.
Never had Walter crossed swords with a stouter adversary, and hisopponent fought with as much vehemence and fury as if the sight ofWalter's banner, which Ralph carried behind him, had aroused in him afrenzy of rage and hate. In guarding his head from one of his opponent'ssweeping blows Walter's sword shivered at the hilt; but before the GrayKnight could repeat the blow Walter snatched his heavy battle-axefrom his saddle. The knight reined back his horse for an instant,and imitated his example, and with these heavy weapons the fight wasrenewed. The Knight of the Raven had lost by the change, for Walter'sgreat strength stood him in good stead, and presently with a tremendousblow he beat down his opponent's axe and cleft through his helmet almostto the chin.
The knight fell dead from his horse, and Walter, with his band pressingon, carried confusion into the ranks of his followers. When these hadbeen defeated Walter rode back with Ralph to the spot where the Knightof the Raven had fallen.
"Take off his helmet, Ralph. Let me see his face. Methinks I recognizedhis voice, and he fought as if he knew and hated me."
Ralph removed the helmet.
"It is as I thought," Walter said; "it is Sir James Carnegie, a recreantand vil
lain knight and foul enemy of mine, a disgrace to his name andrank, but a brave man. So long as he lived I could never say that mylife was safe from his machinations. Thank God, there is an end of himand his evil doings!"
Walter was twice wounded in the fight, but upon neither occasionseriously, and he was soon able to take part in the tournaments andgames which the Prince of Wales instituted partly to keep his menemployed, partly for the amusement of the citizens of Burgos, outsidewhose walls his army lay encamped.
The prince was now obliged to remind the king of his promise to pay histroops; but nothing was farther from the mind of the treacherous monarchthan to carry out the promises which he had made in exile. He dared not,however, openly avow his intentions; but, trusting to the chapter ofaccidents, he told the prince that at Burgos he could not collect asufficient sum; but if the army would march into Leon and take up theirquarters near Valladolid, he himself would proceed to Seville, and wouldas soon as possible collect the money which he had bound himself tofurnish. The plan was adopted. Edward marched his troops to Valladolid,and Don Pedro went to Seville.
Some time passed on without the arrival of the promised money, and theprince was impatient to return to Aquitaine. Don Henry had gathered aforce in France, secretly assisted by the French king, and had madean inroad into Aquitaine, where he obtained several successes, and wasjoined by many of the disinterested nobles of that province.
"You were right," the prince said to Walter one day; "this treacherousking, who owes his kingdom to us, intends to break his plighted word. Iknow not what to do; my men are clamorous for their pay, and I am unableto satisfy them. Don Pedro still sends fair promises, and although Ibelieve in my heart that he has no intention of keeping them, yet I canhardly march against him as an enemy, for, however far from the truth itmay be, his pretext that the treasury has been emptied by his brother,and that in the disturbed state of the kingdom no money can be obtained,may yet be urged as valid."
Scarcely had the army encamped before Valladolid when a terriblepestilence attacked the army. For a while all questions of pay wereforgotten, and consternation and dismay seized the troops. Neither ranknor station was of avail, and the leaders suffered as severely as themen. Every day immense numbers died, and so sudden were the attacks, andso great the mortality, that the soldiers believed that Don Pedrohad poisoned the wells in order to rid himself of the necessity offulfilling his obligations.
The Black Prince himself was prostrated, and lay for some time betweenlife and death. A splendid constitution enabled him to pull through,but he arose from his bed enfeebled and shattered, and although forsome years he lived on, he received his death-blow at Valladolid. Hispersonal strength never came to him again, and even his mind was dulledand the brightness of his intellect dimmed from the effects of thefever. When he recovered sufficiently to inquire into the state of hisforces, he was filled with sorrow and dismay. Four-fifths of the numberwere either dead or so weakened as to be useless for service again. Theprince wrote urgently to Don Pedro for the money due; but the king knewthat the English were powerless now, and replied that he had not beenable to collect the money, but would forward it to Aquitaine, if theprince would return there with his army. Edward knew that he lied, butwith only 6000 or 7000 men, many of whom were enfeebled by disease,he was not in a position to force the claim, or to punish the base andungrateful king. Again, therefore, he turned his face north.
Charles of Navarre had now allied himself with Don Henry, and refused toallow the remnants of the army to pass through his dominions, althoughhe granted permission to the prince himself and his personal attendantsand friends. The southern route was barred by the King of Arragon, alsoan ally of Don Henry; but with him the prince was more successful. Hehad a personal interview with the monarch, and so influenced him thathe not only obtained permission for his troops to pass through hisdominions, but detached him from his alliance with Don Henry, andinduced him to enter into a friendly treaty with Pedro.
A greater act of magnanimity was never performed. In spite of the baseingratitude with which he had been treated, and the breach of faithwhich saddled him with enormous liabilities and debts, which weighed himdown and embittered the rest of his life, Edward remained faithful tothe cause of his father's ally, and did his best to maintain him in theposition which English valour had won for him. He himself with a fewcompanions passed through Navarre, and arrived safely in Bordeaux, wherehis wife awaited him, and where he was received with rejoicings andfestivities in honour of his glorious campaign in Spain.
His health was now irreparably injured. Troubles came thick upon him inAquitaine, and he had no longer the energy to repress them. Risingstook place in all directions, and the King of France renewed the war.In addition to his own troubles from the debts he had incurred, and theenemies who rose against him, he was further shaken by the death of hismother Philippa, whom he tenderly loved. His friend Chandos, too, waskilled in a skirmish. Unhappily, while thus weakened in mind and bodythe treachery of the bishop and people of Limoges, who, having boundthemselves by innumerable promises to him, surrendered their city to theFrench, caused him to commit the one act of cruelty which sullied thebrightness of an otherwise unspotted career, for at the recapture of thetown he bade his soldiers give no quarter.
This act, although common enough at the time, is so opposed to theprinciples of mercy and humanity which throughout all the previous actsof his life distinguished the conduct of the Black Prince that it cannotbe doubted that his brain was affected by the illness which was fasthurrying him to the grave. Shortly afterwards he returned to England,and busied himself in arranging the affairs of the kingdom, which hisfather's failing health had permitted to fall into disorder. For theremaining four years of life he lived in seclusion, and sank on the 8thof June, 1376.
Walter, Lord Somers, returned home after the conclusion of the campaignin Spain, and rode no more to the wars.
Giles Fletcher and his wife had died some years before, but the goodcitizen Geoffrey the armourer, when he grew into years, abandoned hiscalling, and took up his abode at Westerham Castle to the time of hisdeath.
In the wars which afterwards occurred with France Walter was representedin the field by his sons, who well sustained the high reputation whichtheir father had borne as a good and valiant knight. He and his wifelived to a green old age, reverenced and beloved by their tenantsand retainers, and died surrounded by their descendants to the fourthgeneration.
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