Under the Flag of France: A Tale of Bertrand du Guesclin
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CHAPTER XII
Crowning an Enemy
The news of the king's presence flew from mouth to mouth, and stirredthe whole garrison to a tumult of joyful surprise, for it had till thenbeen a secret to all but a chosen few. In a flash of that chivalrousdaring which was so marked a feature of his strangely mingledcharacter, Edward and his renowned son, the Black Prince, had come overfrom England in disguise, to fight as simple knights under the bannerof Sir Walter de Manny; and while the English made the air ring withshouts at a feat so much after their own heart, the gallant Frenchknights who had been made prisoners had at least the comfort of feelingthat they had been overcome by no unworthy hand.
They had even better cause to think so ere the day ended, for Edward'schivalrous courtesy to his captives was one of the few bright spots inthat dark and cruel age. They were bountifully supplied with food,which they sorely needed after that night's terrific struggle, and thelong and hungry march that preceded it. Their wounds were dressed bythe king's surgeons, and the more severely hurt removed to his ownquarters, where they were kindly cared for and furnished with all theyneeded; and one and all, by Edward's special order, were provided withnew clothes in place of their battered armour.
Having attended the public thanksgiving in the great church of thetown, the king summoned to his presence in the castle hall a number ofyoung English esquires who had done bravely in the fight, and knightedthem with his own hand. Among these were, to their great joy and pride,the Claremont twins, who had surpassed themselves that night, and madeprisoner a Flemish captain of note.
"Royal father," said the Black Prince, bowing gracefully, "I pray yourcourtesy to give me leave to attach these two young knights to mytrain, where they will doubtless acquit them as good men and true."
Edward cordially assented, and the prince, turning to the new-madeknights with that frank and manly courtesy to which, even more than tohis splendid feats of arms, he owed his universal popularity, saidpleasantly--
"Fair sirs, ye may have heard that I am a master who never leaveth goodworkmen idle; and such do I hold ye to be. I pray you, then, to hiedown to the shore with such men-at-arms as ye have, and keep heedfulwatch and ward all this day, lest the corsairs who haunt the narrowseas should avail them of the confusion that ever followeth a battle,and land in their boats to rob and kill."
Away went the brothers and their train, rejoicing alike in being sosoon entrusted with that important mission by the prince himself, andat the great warrior's kindly courtesy; but, not wishing to lose sightof their Flemish prisoner--the Flemings of that age being proverbiallya very slippery set--they were fain to take him with them.
That night, by King Edward's special command, his French captives werebidden to a costly banquet in the great castle hall, and those whowaited on them at table were the best knights of England and the BlackPrince himself.
The meal over, into the hall came Edward III. himself, clad in richcloth-of-gold, but with nothing on his head save a twisted chaplet ofpearls.
Up the hall he came, with slow and stately step, halting at last by DeChargny, who was still chafing fiercely at the treachery that had sounexpectedly foiled his enterprise, and brought defeat and captivity onhimself. The king fixed on him a look before which even the haughtynoble's bold eyes sank abashed.
"Sir Geoffrey de Chargny," said Edward, in a tone of stern rebuke, "Ihave little cause to love you, who have thought to filch from me, in atime of truce, the town that I won with such labour and at such cost.Right glad am I that I have thus caught you in the fact. You thought togain the town cheaper than I did, by payment of a bare twenty thousandcrowns; but I thank God that He has enabled me to foil you."
He passed on, while the fierce De Chargny, dumb with shame and fury,muttered through his clenched teeth a fearful vow of vengeance on thetraitor Lombard, who, in a solitary chamber overhead, was greedilycounting the Judas-wages for which he had bartered his honour and hissoul. That vow was terribly redeemed a year later, when a shudderingcrowd thronged the market-place of St. Omer, to see Aymery of Paviatorn limb from limb by wild horses.
But when the king neared his late adversary, De Ribeaumont, his frownvanished at once, and a smile like a sunbeam broke over his noble face.
"I give you greeting, good Sir Eustace," said he, frankly holding outhis hand, "as the best knight of all; for never met I one who gave meso much to do, body to body, as ye have done this day; therefore give Iyou the prize of valour above all the knights of my court, by rightsentence."
So saying, he untwined the string of pearls from his head, and put itabout the neck of his gallant enemy.
"Bear this chaplet for love of me, noble sir, till a year be gone, andwherever ye come, tell all men I did give it you for your prowess thisday; and on these terms I quit you your ransom, and ye shall departfreely on the morrow."
The brave Frenchman acknowledged with a courteous bow a compliment sotruly in the noblest spirit of chivalry; and the king passed on to theother prisoners, for each of whom he had a kind word. Then back he cameto the centre of the hall, and, standing between his son and SirEustace, said aloud--
"One debt have I yet to pay, and it befits every man to hold a justaccompt at the outset of a new year. Ho there! let some one call hitherDick Greenleaf, an archer of Nottingham."
In came honest Dick, slouching into the brilliant circle with a veryunwonted shyness and confusion on his bold, sun-browned face.
The king fixed a piercing glance on him, and said, with a well-feignedair of harshness, in such English as he could command--
"Hark ye, Master Greenleaf, I have somewhat to say to thee. Dost thoubear ill-will to me, thy king, only because I speak not thy tongue aseasily as mine own?"
"It was your grace's own self, then, who spake through yon loophole,and not the foul fiend in your likeness!" cried the stout yeoman, withintense relief. "St. George be my speed, but I am right glad on't; for,since better may not be, I had rather, after all, fall into yourgrace's hands than the claws of the devil!"
At this equivocal compliment a laugh, which even the king's presencecould not wholly repress, billowed through the listening ring.
"Gramercy for thy courtesy, good fellow," said the king, laughing asheartily as any one; "but if I talk like a Frenchman, thou hast seenthat I can fight like an Englishman--ha?"
"Ay, marry, that have I!" said the archer, grinning gleefully. "'Fegs!it was a goodly sight to see your grace at cuffs with yon bigFrenchman, whose sword fell on your crest like my old father's hammeron the anvil! But he found your grace too hard for him--no offence toyou, Master Frenchman," added he, suddenly recognizing Sir Eustace, whoreplied with a kindly smile.
This time the laugh was universal, even the guards at the door joiningin; and Edward himself (who, like other kings of that despotic age,vastly enjoyed an occasional lapse from the rigid etiquette thatfettered his ordinary life) chuckled as he said, with a verytransparent show of sternness--
"For all this, Master Dickon, our own ears have heard thee speak ill ofus and our dignity. What say'st thou to that?"
"I say," replied the bold archer, sturdily, "that if your grace be theman I take you for, you will bear me no grudge for having an Englishtongue in my head, and speaking my mind as a free Englishman should do."
"Well spoken!" cried the king, heartily. "Thou hast judged me aright,friend; and hadst thou spoken yet worse treason than to say I have notan English tongue in my head, thy good service on the causewayyesternight had atoned it all. Hold out thy hand."
The soldier extended a palm as broad and hard as a trencher, and Edwardheaped it with gold pieces from his own purse.
"Now, may God bless and keep your grace!" said the archer warmly, as hewithdrew; "and Heaven send your grace many more such goodly frays, andever an archer of Merry England to back you in 'em all!"