saint george for england-第55部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

s；　without　power　of　recall；　the　gift　which　the　prince　had　bestowed　upon　him。　The　prince　was　not　to　be　outdone；　however；　in　liberality；　and　on　hearing　that　Audley　had　assigned　his　present　to　the　brave　men　who　had　so　gallantly　supported　him　in　the　fight；　he　presented　Sir　James　with　another　annuity　of　six　hundred　marks　a　year。



CHAPTER　XXI：　THE　JACQUERIE


ON　the　evening　after　the　battle　of　Poitiers　a　splendid　entertainment　was　served　in　the　tent　of　the　Prince　of　Wales　to　the　King　of　France　and　all　the　principal　prisoners。　John；　with　his　son　and　six　of　his　highest　nobles　were　seated　at　a　table　raised　above　the　rest；　and　the　prince　himself　waited　as　page　upon　the　French　king。　John　in　vain　endeavoured　to　persuade　the　prince　to　be　seated；　the　latter　refused；　saying；　that　it　was　his　pleasure　as　well　as　his　duty　to　wait　upon　one　who　had　shown　himself　to　be　the　best　and　bravest　knight　in　the　French　army。　The　example　of　the　Black　Prince　was　contagious；　and　the　English　vied　with　each　other　in　generous　treatment　of　their　prisoners。　All　were　treated　as　friends；　and　that　night　an　immense　number　of　knights　and　squires　were　admitted　to　ransom　on　such　terms　as　had　never　before　been　known。　The　captors　simply　required　their　prisoners　to　declare　in　good　faith　what　they　could　afford　to　pay　without　pressing　themselves　too　hard；　〃for　they　did　not　wish；〃　they　said；　〃to　ransom　knights　or　squires　on　terms　which　would　prevent　them　from　maintaining　their　station　in　society；　from　serving　their　lords；　or　from　riding　forth　in　arms　to　advance　their　name　and　honour。〃

Upon　the　following　morning　solemn　thanksgivings　were　offered　up　on　the　field　of　battle　for　the　glorious　victory。　Then　the　English　army；　striking　its　tents；　marched　back　towards　Bordeaux。　They　were　unmolested　upon　this　march；　for　although　the　divisions　of　the　Dauphin　and　the　Duke　of　Orleans　had　now　reunited；　and　were　immensely　superior　in　numbers　to　the　English；　encumbered　as　the　latter　were；　moreover；　with　prisoners　and　booty；　the　tremendous　defeat　which　they　had　suffered；　and　still　more　the　capture　of　the　king；　paralysed　the　French　commanders；　and　the　English　reached　Bordeaux　without　striking　another　blow。

Not　long　after　they　reached　that　city　the　Cardinal　of　Perigord　and　another　legate　presented　themselves　to　arrange　peace；　and　these　negotiations　went　on　throughout　the　winter。　　The　prince　had　received　full　powers　from　his　father；　and　his　demands　were　very　moderate；　but　in　spite　of　this　no　final　peace　could　be　arranged；　and　the　result　of　the　conference　was　the　proclamation　of　a　truce；　to　last　for　two　years　from　the　following　Easter。　During　the　winter　immense　numbers　of　the　prisoners　who　had　gone　at　large　upon　patrol；　came　in　and　paid　their　ransoms；　as　did　the　higher　nobles　who　had　been　taken　prisoners；　and　the　whole　army　was　greatly　enriched。　At　the　end　of　April　the　prince　returned　to　England　with　King　John。　The　procession　through　the　streets　of　London　was　a　magnificent　one；　the　citizens　vying　with　each　other　in　decorating　their　houses　in　honour　of　the　victor　of　Poitiers；　who；　simply　dressed；　rode　on　a　small　black　horse　by　the　side　of　his　prisoner；　who　was　splendidly　attired；　and　mounted　on　a　superb　white　charger。　The　king　received　his　royal　prisoner　in　state　in　the　great　hall　of　his　palace　at　Westminster；　and　did　all　in　his　power　to　alleviate　the　sorrows　of　his　condition。　The　splendid　palace　of　the　Savoy；　with　gardens　extending　to　the　Thames；　was　appointed　for　his　residence；　and　every　means　was　taken　to　soften　his　captivity。

During　the　absence　of　the　Black　Prince　in　Guienne　the　king　had　been　warring　in　Scotland。　Here　his　success　had　been　small；　as　the　Scotch　had　retreated　before　him；　wasting　the　country。　David　Bruce；　the　rightful　king；　was　a　prisoner　in　England；　and　Baliol；　a　descendant　of　the　rival　of　Robert　Bruce；　had　been　placed　upon　the　throne。　As　Edward　passed　through　Roxburgh　he　received　from　Baliol　a　formal　cession　of　his　rights　and　titles　to　the　throne　of　Scotland；　and　in　return　for　this　purely　nominal　gift　he　bestowed　an　annual　income　upon　Baliol；　who　lived　and　died　a　pensioner　of　England。　After　Edward's　return　to　England　negotiations　were　carried　on　with　the　Scots；　and　a　treaty　was　signed　by　which　a　truce　for　ten　years　was　established　between　the　two　countries；　and　the　liberation　of　Bruce　was　granted　on　a　ransom　of　100；000　marks。

The　disorganization　into　which　France　had　been　thrown　by　the　capture　of　its　king　increased　rather　than　diminished。　　Among　all　classes　men　strove　in　the　absence　of　a　repressive　power　to　gain　advantages　and　privileges。　Serious　riots　occurred　in　many　parts；　and　the　demagogues　of　Paris；　headed　by　Stephen　Marcel；　and　Robert　le　Coq；　bishop　of　Leon；　set　at　defiance　the　Dauphin　and　the　ministers　and　lieutenant　of　the　king。　Massacre　and　violence　stained　the　streets　of　Paris　with　blood。　General　law；　public　order；　and　private　security　were　all　lost。　Great　bodies　of　brigands　devastated　the　country；　and　the　whole　of　France　was　thrown　into　confusion。　So　terrible　was　the　disorder　that　the　inhabitants　of　every　village　were　obliged　to　fortify　the　ends　of　their　streets；　and　keep　watch　and　ward　as　in　the　cities。　The　proprietors　of　land　on　the　banks　of　rivers　spent　the　night　in　boats　moored　in　the　middle　of　the　stream；　and　in　every　house　and　castle　throughout　the　land　men　remained　armed　as　if　against　instant　attack。

Then　arose　the　terrible　insurrection　known　as　the　Jacquerie。　For　centuries　the　peasantry　of　France　had　suffered　under　a　bondage　to　which　there　had　never　been　any　approach　in　England。　Their　lives　and　liberties　were　wholly　at　the　mercy　of　their　feudal　lords。　Hitherto　no　attempt　at　resistance　had　been　possible；　but　the　tremendous　defeat　of　the　French　at　Poitiers　by　a　handful　of　English　aroused　the　hope　among　the　serfs　that　the　moment　for　vengeance　had　come。　The　movement　began　among　a　handful　of　peasants　in　the　neighbourhood　of　St。　Leu　and　Claremont。　These　declared　that　they　would　put　to　death　all　the　gentlemen　in　the　land。　　The　cry　spread　through　the　country。　The　serfs；　armed　with　pikes；　poured　out　from　every　village；　and　a　number　of　the　lower　classes　from　the　towns　joined　them。　Their　first　success　was　an　attack　upon　a　small　castle。　They　burned　down　the　gates　and　slew　the　knight　to　whom　it　belonged；　with　his　wife　and　children　of　all　ages。　　Their　numbers　rapidly　increased。

Castle　after　castle　was　taken　and　stormed；　palaces　and　houses　levelled　to　the　ground；　fire；　plunder；　and　massacre　swept　through　the　fairest　provinces　of　France。

The　peasants　vied　with　each　other　in　inventing　deaths　of　fiendish　cruelty　and　outrage　upon　every　man；　woman；　and　child　of　the　better　classes　who　fell　into　their　hands。　　Owing　to　the　number　of　nobles　who　had　fallen　at　Cressy　and　Poitiers；　and　of　those　still　captives　in　England；　very　many　of　their　wives　and　daughters　remained　unprotected；　and　these　were　the　especial　victims　of　the　fiendish　malignity　of　the　peasantry。　Separated　in　many　bands；　the　insurgents　marched　through　the　Beauvoisis；　Soissonois；　and　Vermandois；　and　as　they　approached　a　number　of　unprotected　ladies　of　the　highest　families　in　France　fled　to　Meaux；　where　they　remained　under　the　guard　of　the　young　Duke　of　Orleans　and　a　handful　of　men…at…arms。

After　the　conclusion　of　the　peace　at　Bordeaux；　Sir　Walter　Somers　had　been　despatched　on　a　mission　to　some　of　the　German　princes；　with　whom　the　king　was　in　close　relations。　　The　business　was　not　of　an　onerous　nature；　but　Walter　had　been　detained　for　some　time　over　it。　He　spent　a　pleasant　time　in　Germany；　where；　as　an　emissary　of　the　king　and　one　of　the　victors　of　Poitiers；　the　young　English　knight　was　made　much　of。　When　he　set　out　on　his　return　he　joined　the　Captal　De　Buch；　who；　ever　thirsting　for　adventure；　had　on　the　conclusion　of　the　truce　gone　to　serve　in　a　campaign　in　Germany；　with　him　was　the　French　Count　de　Foix；　who　had　been　also　serving　throughout　the　campaign。

On　entering　France　from　the　Rhine　the　three　knights　were　shocked　at　the　misery　and　ruin　which　met　their　eyes　on　all　sides。　Every　castle　and　house　throughout　the　country；　of　a　class　superior　to　those　of　the　peasants；　was　destroyed；　and　tales　of　the　most　horrible　outrages　and　murders　met　their　ears。

〃I　regret；〃　the　Count　de　Foix　said　earnestly；　〃that　I　have　been　away　warring　in　Germany；　for　it　is　clear　that　every　true　knight　is　wanted　at　home　to　crush　down　these　human　wolves。〃

〃Methinks；〃　the　Captal　rejoined；　〃that　France　will　do　well　to　invite　the　chivalry　of　all　other　countries　to　assemble　and　aid　to　put　down　this　horrible　insurrection。〃

〃Aye；〃　the　Count　said　bitterly；　〃but　who　is　to　speak　in　the　name　of　France？　　The　Dauphin　is　powerless；　and　the　virtual　government　is　in　the　hands　of　Marcel　and　other　ambitious　traitors　who　hail　the　doings　of　the　Jacquerie　with　delight；　for　these　mad　peasants　are　doing　their　work　of　destroying　the　knights　and　nobles。〃

The　villages　through　which　they　passed　were　deserted　save　by　women；　and　in　the　small　towns　the　people　of　the　lower　class　scowled　threateningly　at　the　three　knights；　but　they　with　their　following　of　forty　men…at…arms；　of　whom　five　were　followers　of　Walter；　fifteen　of　the　Captal；　and　twenty　of　the　Count　de　Foix；　ventured　not　to　proceed　beyond　evil　glances。

〃I　would；〃　de　Foix　said；　〃that　these　d