太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > saint george for england >

第46节

saint george for england-第46节

小说: saint george for england 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



illip of Valois saying that the statements of the French knight and followers were wholly untrue; and begging that a time might be appointed for the meeting of the two knights in the lists。

To this King Phillip replied that he had ordered all private quarrels in France to be laid aside during the progress of the war; and that so long as an English foot remained upon French soil he would give no countenance to his knights throwing away the lives which they owed to France; in private broils。

〃You must wait; Sir Walter; you see;〃 the king said; 〃until you may perchance meet him in the field of battle。 In the mean time; to show how lightly I esteem the foul charge brought against you; and how much I hold and honour the bravery which you showed in defending the castle which my son the prince entrusted to you; as well as upon other occasions; I hereby promote you to the rank of knight…banneret。〃

Events now passed slowly before Calais。 Queen Philippa and many of her ladies crossed the Channel and joined her husband; and these added much to the gaiety of the life in camp。 The garrison at Calais was; it was known; in the sorest straits for the want of food; and at last the news came that the King of France; with a huge army of 200;000 men; was moving to its relief。 They had gathered at Hesdin; at which rendezvous the king had arrived in the early part of April; but it was not until the 27th of July that the whole army was collected; and marching by slow steps advanced towards the English position。

King Edward had taken every precaution to guard all the approaches to the city。  The ground was in most places too soft and sandy to admit of the construction of defensive works; but the fleet was drawn up close inshore to cover the line of sand…hills by the sea with arrows and war machines; while the passages of the marshes; which extended for a considerable distance round the town; were guarded by the Earl of Lancaster and a body of chosen troops; while the other approaches to the city were covered by the English camp。

The French reconnoitering parties found no way open to attack the English unless under grievous disadvantages。  The Cardinals of Tusculum; St。 John; and St。 Paul endeavoured to negotiate terms of peace; and commissioners on both sides met。  The terms offered by Phillip were; however; by no means so favourable as Edward; after his own victorious operations and those of his armies in Brittany and Guienne; had a right to expect and the negotiations were broken off。

The following day the French king sent in a message to Edward saying that he had examined the ground in every direction in order to advance and give battle; but had found no means of doing so。 He therefore summoned the king to come forth from the marshy ground in which he was encamped and to fight in the open plain; and he offered to send four French knights; who; with four English of the same rank; should choose a fair plain in the neighbourhood; according to the usages of chivalry。 Edward had little over 30;000 men with him; but the same evening that Phillip's challenge was received a body of 17;000 Flemings and English; detached from an army which had been doing good service on the borders of Flanders; succeeded in passing round the enemy's host and in effecting a junction with the king's army。 Early the next morning; after having consulted with his officers; Edward returned an answer to the French king; saying that he agreed to his proposal; and enclosed a safe…conduct for any four French knights who might be appointed to arrange with the same number of English the place of battle。

The odds were indeed enormous; the French being four to one; but Edward; after the success of Cressy; which had been won by the Black Prince's division; which bore a still smaller proportion to the force engaging it; might well feel confident in the valour of his troops。 His envoys; on arriving at the French camp; found that Phillip had apparently changed his mind。 He declined to discuss the matter with which they were charged; and spoke only of the terms upon which Edward would be willing to raise the siege of Calais。  As they had no authority on this subject the English knights returned to their camp; where the news was received with great disappointment; so confident did all feel in their power to defeat the huge host of the French。 But even greater was the astonishment the next morning when; before daylight; the tents of the French were seen in one great flame; and it was found that the king and all his host were retreating at full speed。 The Earls of Lancaster and Northampton; with a large body of horse at once started in pursuit; and harassed the retreating army on its march towards Amiens。

No satisfactory reasons ever have been assigned for this extraordinary step on the part of the French king。 He had been for months engaged in collecting a huge army; and he had now an opportunity of fighting the English in a fair field with a force four times as great as their own。 The only means indeed of accounting for his conduct is by supposing him affected by temporary aberration of mind; which many other facts in his history render not improbable。 The fits of rage so frequently recorded of him border upon madness; and a number of strange actions highly detrimental to his own interests which he committed can only be accounted for as the acts of a diseased mind。 This view has been to some extent confirmed by the fact that less than half a century afterwards insanity declared itself among his descendants。

A few hours after the departure of the French the French standard was lowered on the walls of Calais; and news was brought to Edward that the governor was upon the battlements and desired to speak with some officers of the besieging army。  Sir Walter Manny and Lord Bisset were sent to confer with him; and found that his object was to obtain the best terms he could。  The English knights; knowing the determination of the king on the subject; were forced to tell him that no possibility existed of conditions being granted; but that the king demanded their unconditional surrender; reserving to himself entirely the right whom to pardon and whom to put to death。

The governor remonstrated on the severe terms; and said that rather than submit to them he and his soldiers would sally out and die sword in hand。 Sir Walter Manny found the king inexorable。 The strict laws of war in those days justified the barbarous practise of putting to death the garrison of a town captured under such circumstances。 Calais had been for many years a nest of pirates; and vessels issuing from its port had been a scourge to the commerce of England and Flanders; and the king was fully determined to punish it severely。 Sir Walter Manny interceded long and boldly; and represented to the king that none of his soldiers would willingly defend a town on his behalf from the day on which he put to death the people of Calais; as beyond doubt the French would retaliate in every succeeding siege。 The other nobles and knights joined their entreaties to those of Sir Walter Manny; and the king finally consented to yield in some degree。 He demanded that six of the most notable burghers of the town; with bare heads and feet; and with ropes about their necks and the keys of the fortress in their hands; should deliver themselves up for execution。 On these conditions he agreed to spare the rest。 With these terms Sir Walter Manny returned to Sir John of Vienne。

The governor left the battlements; and proceeding to the market…place ordered the bell to be rung。 The famished and despairing citizens gathered a haggard crowd to hear their doom。 A silence followed the narration of the hard conditions of surrender by the governor; and sobs and cries alone broke the silence which succeeded。 Then Eustace St。  Pierre; the wealthiest and most distinguished of the citizens; came forward and offered himself as one of the victims; saying; 〃Sad pity and shame would it be to let all of our fellow… citizens die of famine or the sword when means could be found to save them。〃 John of Aire; James and Peter De Vissant; and another whose name has not come down to us; followed his example; and stripping to their shirts set out for the camp; Sir John of Vienne; who; from a late wound; was unable to walk; riding at their head on horseback。 The whole population accompanied them weeping bitterly until they came to the place where Sir Walter Manny was awaiting them。 Here the crowd halted; and the knight; promising to do his best to save them; led them to the tent where the king had assembled all his nobles around him。 When the tidings came that the burghers of Calais had arrived; Edward issued out with his retinue; accompanied by Queen Philippa and the Black Prince。

〃Behold; Sire;〃 Sir Walter Manny said; 〃the representatives of the town of Calais!〃

The king made no reply while John of Vienne surrendered his sword; and kneeling with the burghers; said; 〃Gentle lord and king; behold; we six who were once the greatest citizens and merchants of Calais; bring you the keys of the town and castle; and give ourselves up to your pleasure; placing ourselves in the state in which you see us by our own free…will to save the rest of the people of the city; w

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的