saint george for england-第28部分

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The　Count　of　Valentinois；　who　commanded　the　garrison　of　Vannes；　supported　the　siege　with　great　courage　and　fortitude；　knowing　that　Charles　of　Blois　and　the　King　of　France　were　collecting　a　great　army　for　his　relief。　Uniting　their　forces　they　advanced　towards　the　town。　Before　the　force　of　the　French；　40；000　strong；　the　Earl　of　Norfolk　had　fallen　back　and　rejoined　the　king；　but　even　after　this　junction　the　French　forces　exceeded　those　of　Edward　fourfold。　They　advanced　towards　Vannes　and　formed　a　large　entrenched　camp　near　that　of　the　English；　who　thus；　while　still　besieging　Vannes；　were　themselves　enclosed　by　a　vastly　superior　force。　　The　King　of　France　himself　arrived　at　the　French　camp。　The　French；　although　so　greatly　superior；　made　no　motion　toward　attacking　the　English；　but　appeared　bent　upon　either　starving　them　out　or　forcing　them　to　attack　the　strongly　entrenched　position　occupied　by　the　French。

Provisions　were　indeed　running　short　in　the　English　camp；　and　the　arrival　of　supplies　from　England　was　cut　off　by　a　strong　fleet　under　Don　Louis；　which　cruised　off　the　coast　and　captured　all　vessels　arriving　with　stores。　At　this　moment　two　legates；　the　Cardinal　Bishop　of　Preneste　and　the　Cardinal　Bishop　of　Tusculum；　arrived　from　the　pope　and　strove　to　mediate　between　the　two　sovereigns　and　to　bring　about　a　cessation　of　hostilities；　pointing　out　to　them　the　scandal　and　desolation　which　their　rivalry　caused　in　Christendom；　the　waste　of　noble　lives；　the　devastation　of　once　happy　provinces；　and　the　effusion　of　innocent　blood。　　Going　from　camp　to　camp　they　exhorted；　prayed；　and　reproached　the　rival　sovereigns；　urging　that　while　Christians　were　shedding　each　other's　blood　in　vain；　the　infidels　were　daily　waxing　bolder　and　more　insolent。　Their　arguments　would　have　been　but　of　little　use　had　either　of　the　monarchs　felt　sure　of　victory。　King　Edward；　however；　felt　that　his　position　was　growing　desperate；　for　starvation　was　staring　him　in　the　face；　and　only　by　a　victory　over　an　immensely　superior　force　in　a　strongly　entrenched　position　could　he　extricate　himself。　　Upon　the　part　of　the　French；　however；　circumstances　were　occurring　which　rendered　them　anxious　for　a　release　from　their　position；　for　they　were　not　without　their　share　of　suffering。　While　the　English　army　lay　on　a　hill　the　French　camp　was　pitched　on　low　ground。　An　unusually　wet　season　had　set　in　with　bitterly　cold　wind。　The　rain　was　incessant；　a　pestilence　had　destroyed　a　vast　number　of　their　horses；　and　their　encampment　was　flooded。　Their　forces　were　therefore　obligated　to　spread　themselves　over　the　neighbouring　fields；　and　a　sudden　attack　by　the　English　might　have　been　fatal。

Thus　distress　pressed　upon　both　commanders；　and　the　pope's　legates　found　their　exertions　at　last　crowned　with　success。　A　suspension　of　hostilities　was　agreed　to；　and　the　Dukes　of　Burgundy　and　Bourbon　on　the　one　side　and　the　Earls　of　Lancaster；　Northampton；　and　Salisbury　on　the　other；　met　as　commissioners　and　agreed　to　a　convention　by　which　a　general　truce　was　to　be　made　from　the　date　of　the　treaty　to　the　following　Michaelmas；　and　to　be　prolonged　from　that　day　for　the　full　term　of　three　years。　It　was　agreed　that　the　truce　should　embrace　not　only　the　sovereigns；　but　all　the　adherents　of　each　of　them。　The　truce　was　to　hold　good　in　Brittany　between　all　parties；　and　the　city　of　Vannes　was　to　be　given　into　the　hands　of　the　cardinals　to　dispose　of　as　they　chose。　It　was　specially　provided　that　in　the　case　of　any　of　the　adherents　of　either　party　in　the　Duchies　of　Gascony　and　Brittany　waging　war　against　each　other；　neither　of　the　monarchs　should　either　directly　or　indirectly　meddle　therewith；　nor　should　the　truce　be　at　all　broken　thereby。

Immediately　the　treaty　was　signed；　on　the　19th　of　January；　1343；　the　King　of　France　dismissed　his　army；　and　Edward　sailed　for　England　with　the　greater　part　of　his　troops。　　The　Countess　of　Montford　and　her　son　accompanied　him；　and　the　possessions　of　her　husband　in　Brittany　were　left　to　the　guardianship　of　her　partisans；　with　a　small　but　choice　body　of　English　troops。

The　towns　which　had　fallen　into　their　hands　and　still　remained　were　Brest；　Quimper…Corentin；　Quimperle；　Redon；　and　Guerande；　Vannes　was　handed　over　to　them　by　the　cardinals；　and　Hennebon；　of　course；　remained　in　their　possession。

Walter　returned　to　England　with　Sir　Walter　Manny；　and　on　reaching　London　was　received　with　delight　by　his　old　friends　Geoffrey　Ward　and　Giles　Fletcher；　who　were　never　tired　of　listening　to　his　tales　of　the　wars。　Dame　Vernon　also　received　him　with　great　kindness；　and　congratulated　him　warmly　upon　the　very　favourable　account　which　Sir　Walter　Manny　had　given　of　his　zeal　and　gallantry。

The　time　now　for　a　while　passed　very　quietly。　Walter　and　the　other　young　squires　practised　diligently；　under　the　instructions　of　Sir　Walter；　at　knightly　exercises。　Walter　learned　to　bear　himself　well　on　horseback　and　to　tilt　in　the　ring。　He　was　already　a　skilful　swordsman；　but　he　spared　no　pains　to　improve　himself　with　his　weapons。　The　court　was　a　gay　one；　and　Walter；　as　a　favoured　esquire　of　one　of　the　foremost　knights　there；　was　admitted　to　all　that　took　place。　His　courtly　education；　of　course；　included　dancing；　and　when　he　went　down；　as　he　often　did；　for　a　long　chat　with　his　old　friends；　Geoffrey　often　said；　laughing；　that　he　was　growing　such　a　fine　gentleman　that　he　hardly　liked　to　sit　in　his　presence；　but　although　changed　in　manner；　Walter　continued　to　be；　as　before；　a　frank；　manly　young　fellow；　and　free　from　the　affectations　which　were　so　general　among　the　young　men　of　the　court。



CHAPTER　XI：　A　STORMY　INTERVIEW


Soon　after　Walter's　return　from　France　Dame　Vernon　returned　to　her　country　estate；　and　a　year　passed　before　he　again　saw　her。　During　this　time　the　truce　which　had　been　established　between　England　and　France　had　remained　unbroken。　It　was　certain；　however；　that　ere　long　the　two　powers　would　again　come　to　blows。　　The　King　of　England　had　honourably　observed　the　terms　of　the　treaty。　　Upon　his　return　home　he　had　entirely　disbanded　his　army　and　had　devoted　his　whole　attention　to　increasing　the　trade　and　prosperity　of　the　country。　The　measures　which　he　took　to　do　this　were　not　always　popular　with　the　people　of　England；　for　seeing　how　greatly　they　excelled　the　English　manufacturers　Edward　encouraged　large　numbers　of　Flemings　and　other　foreign　workmen　to　settle　in　London；　and　gave　them　many　privileges　to　induce　them　to　do　so；　this　the　populace　strongly　resented。　There　was　a　strong　ill　feeling　against　the　Flemings　and　serious　popular　riots　took　place；　for　the　English　traders　and　workmen　considered　that　these　foreigners　were　taking　the　bread　from　their　mouths。　The　king；　however；　was　wiser　than　his　people；　he　saw　that　although　the　English　weavers　were　able　to　produce　coarse　cloths；　yet　that　all　of　the　finer　sort　had　to　be　imported　from　the　Continent。　He　deemed　that　in　time　the　Flemings　would　teach　their　art　to　his　subjects；　and　that　England　would　come　to　vie　with　the　Low　Countries　in　the　quality　of　her　produce。　　Such　was　indeed　afterwards　the　case；　and　England　gained　greatly　by　the　importation　of　the　industrious　Flemings；　just　as　she　afterwards　profited　from　the　expulsion　from　France　of　tens　of　thousands　of　Protestant　workmen　who　brought　here　many　of　the　manufactures　of　which　France　had　before　the　monopoly。　The　relations　between　England　and　the　Flemings　were　at　this　time　very　close；　for　the　latter　regarded　England　as　her　protector　against　the　ambition　of　the　King　of　France。

But　while　King　Edward　had　laid　aside　all　thought　of　war；　such　was　not　the　case　with　Phillip　of　Valois。　He　had　retired　after　the　signature　of　the　treaty　full　of　rage　and　humiliation；　for　hitherto　in　all　their　struggles　his　English　rival　had　had　the　better　of　him；　and　against　vastly　superior　forces　had　foiled　all　his　efforts　and　had　gained　alike　glory　and　military　advantage。　King　Edward　had　hardly　set　sail　when　Phillip　began　to　break　the　terms　of　truce　by　inciting　the　adherents　of　Charles　of　Blois　to　attack　those　of　De　Montford；　and　by　rendering　assistance　to　them　with　money　and　men。　He　also　left　no　means　untried　to　detach　Flanders　from　its　alliance　with　England。　Several　castles　and　towns　in　Brittany　were　wrested　from　the　partisans　of　De　Montford；　and　King　Edward；　after　many　remonstrances　at　the　breaches　of　the　conditions　of　the　truce；　began　again　to　make　preparations　for　taking　the　field。　Several　brilliant　tournaments　were　held　and　every　means　were　taken　to　stir　up　the　warlike　spirit　of　the　people。

One　day　Walter　had　attended　his　lord　to　the　palace　and　was　waiting　in　the　anteroom　with　many　other　squires　and　gentlemen；　while　Sir　Walter；　with　some　other　noblemen；　was　closeted　with　the　king；　discussing　the　means　to　be　adopted　for　raising　funds　for　a　renewal　of　a　war　with　France；　when　a　knight　entered　whom　Walter　had　not　previously　seen　at　court。

〃Who　is　that？〃　he　asked　one　of　his　acquaintances；　〃methinks　I　know　his　face；　though　it　passes　my　memory　to　say　where　I　have　seen　it。〃

〃He　has　been　away　from　England　for　some　two　years；〃　his　friend　answered。　〃That　is　Sir　James　Carnegie；　he　is　a　cousin　of　the　late　Sir　Jasper　Vernon；　he　left　somewhat　suddenly　a　short　time　after　Dame　Vernon　had　that　narrow　escape　from　drowning　that　you