saint george for england-第46部分

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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