 CHAPTER XXI On the evening after the battle of Poitiers, a splendid entertainment was served in the tent of the Prince of Wales, the King of France, and all the principal prisoners. John with his son and six of his highest noblers were seated at a table raised above the rest, and the Prince himself waited as page upon the French King. John and Wayne endeavored 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 vived 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 be declaring 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 honor. 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 toward Bordeaux. They were unmolested upon this march, for although the divisions of the Dauphin and the Duke of Orléans had now re-unniated, 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, paralyzed the French commanders, and the English reached Bordeaux without striking another blow. Not long after they had reached that city, the Cardinal of Périgaux and other legates 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 petrol came in and paid their ransoms, as did the higher noblers 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 wying 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 pointed for his residence, and every means was taken to soften his captivity. During the absence of the Black Prince in Guyenne the King had been worrying 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 Belial, a descendant of the rival of Robert Bruce, had been placed upon the throne. As Edward passed through Roxborough he received from Belial a former session of his rights and titles to the throne of Scotland, and in return for this purely nominal gift he bestowed an annual income upon Belial, who lived and died a pensioner of England. After Edward's return to England negotiations were carried out with the scotch, and a treaty was signed by which a truce of ten years was established between the two countries, and the liberation of Bruce was granted on a ransom of one hundred thousand marks. And this organization into which France had been thrown by a capture of its King increased rather than diminished. Among all classes, man's throw 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 Marcell and Robert Lecoq, Bishop of Lyon, set a defiance to the fawn and the ministers and lieutenant of the King. Terror 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 a 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 word 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 man 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 the bondage to which there had never been any approach in England. Their lives and liberties were wholly at the mercy of their feudal lords. He thereto no attempted resistance had been possible, but the tremendous defeat of the French at Poitiers by a handful of English aroused the hope among the sheriffs that the moment for vengeance had come. The movement began among a handful of peasant in the neighborhood of Saint-Louis and Clermont. These declared that they would put to death all the gentlemen in the land. The cry spread through the country. The sheriffs, armed with pikes, poured out from every village, and the 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 night 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 leveled to the ground. Fire, plunder, and massacres swept through the fairest provinces of France. The peasants swied with each other in inventing debts 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 the nobles, who had fallen at Caissie and Poitiers, and of those still captives in England, many of their wives and daughters remained unprotected, and these were the special victims of the fiendish malignity of the peasantry. Separated in many bands, the insurgents marched through the Bezouvie, Swansonois, and Wermondois, and as they approached, a number of unprotected ladies of the highest families in France fled to Moe, where they remained under the guard of the young Duke of Orléans and a handful of man-at-arms. After the conclusion of the peace at Bordeaux, Sir Walter Summers had been dispatched on a mission to some of the German princes, with whom the king was in close relations. The business was not of an honorous 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 capital de Buche, who, ever thirsting for adventure, had, on the conclusion of the truth, 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 of those of the peasants, was destroyed, and tales of the most horrible outrages and murders met their ears. I regret, de Count de Foix, modernously, that I have been away warring in Germany, for it is clear that every true night is wanted at home to crush down these human wolves. Me thinks, the capital rejoined, that France will do well to invite the chivalry of all other countries to assemble and to aid to put down this horrible insurrection. I, de Count said bitterly, but who is to speak in the name of France? The Dufon 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 saved by women, and in the small towns the people of the lower class cowled 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 capital, and twenty of the Count de Foix, ventured not to proceed beyond evil glances. I would, de Foix said, that these dogs would but lift a hand against us, by Saint Stephen, we would teach them a rough lesson. His companions were all of the same mind, for all were excited to fury by the terrible tales which they heard. All these stories were new to them, for although rumors had reached Germany of the outbreak of a peasant insurrection in France, the movement had just but begun when they started. As far as the frontier they had travelled leisurely, but they had hastened their pace more and more, as they learned how sore was the strait of the nobles and the gentry of the country, and how grievously every good sword was needed. When they reached Chalon they heard much fuller particulars than had before reached them, and learned that the Duchess of Normandy, the Duchess of Orléans, and near three hundred ladies had sowed refuge in Moe, and that they were there guarded but by a handful of men at arms under the Duke of Orléans, while great bands of serfs were pouring in from all parts of the country round, to massacre them. Moe is eighty miles from Chalon, but the three knights determined to press onward with all speed in hopes of averting the catastrophe. The downed their horses an hour or two to rest, they rode forward, and pressing on without halt or delay, safe such as was absolutely needed by the horses, they arrived at Moe late the following night, and found to their delight that the insurgents, although swarming in immense numbers round the town, had not yet attacked it. The arrival of the three knights and their followers was greeted with joy by the ladies. They, with their guard, had taken up their position in the market-house and marketplace, which were separated from the rest of the town by the river Main, which flowed through the city. The consultation was at once held, and it being found that the Duke of Orléans had but twenty men at arms with him, it was determined that it was impossible to defend the city walls. But that upon the following morning they would endeavor to cut their way with the ladies through the peasant-hosts. In the night, however, an uproar was heard in the city. The burgers had risen and had opened the gates to the peasants, who now poured in in thousands. Every hour increased their numbers. The marketplace was besieged in the morning, and an hour or two afterwards a large body of the Ruffians of Paris, under the command of a brutal grocer named Pierre Gilles, arrived to swell their ranks. The attack on the market-house continued, and the Duke of Orléans held a consultation with the three knights. It was agreed that against such a host of enemies the marketplace could not long be defended, and that their best hope lay in selling out and falling upon the assailants. Accordingly, the men at arms were drawn up in order, with the banners of the Duke of Orléans and the can de Foix, and the penance of the capital and Sir Walter's summers displayed, and the gates were opened, and with leveled lances the little party rode out. Hitter to nothing had been heard save yells of anticipated triumph and fears in precautions and threats against the defenders from the immense multitude without. But the appearance of the orderly ranks of the knights and men at arms as they issued through the gate struck a silence of fear through the mass. Without an instant's delay the knights and men at arms, with leveled lances, charged into the multitude. A few attempted to fight, but more strove to fly, as the nobles and their followers, throwing away their lances, fell upon them with sword and battleaxe. Jammed up in the narrow street of a small-walled town, overthrown and impetting each other in their efforts to escape, trampled down by the heavy horses of the men at arms, and tuned down by their swords and battleaxes, the insurgents fell in boss numbers. Multitudes succeeded in escaping through the gates into the fields, but here they were followed by the knights and their retainers, who continued charging among them and slaying till utter weariness compelled them to cease from the pursuit and return to Moe. Not less than seven thousand of the insurgents had been slain by the four knights and fifty men, for ten had been left behind to guard the gates of the marketplace. History has no record of so was the slaughter by so small a body of man. This terrific punishment put a summary end to the jacquerie. Already in other parts several bodies had been defeated, and their principal leader, Caillier, with three thousand of his followers slain near Clémont, but the defeated Moe was the crushing blow which put an end to the insurrection. On their return to the town, the knights executed a number of burgers, who had joined the peasants, and the greater part of the town was burned to the ground, as a punishment for having opened the gates to the peasants and united with them. The knights and the ladies then started for Paris. On air on the city they found that it was threatened by the forces of the Dufon. Marcel had strongly fortified the town, and with his ally, the infamous king of Navarre, bade defiance to the royal power. However, the excesses of the demagogue had aroused against him the feeling of all better classes of the inhabitants. The king of Navarre, who was ready at all times to break his oath and betray his companions, marched his army out of the town and took up a position outside the walls. He then secretly negotiated peace with the Duke of Normandy, by which he agreed to yield to their fate Marcel and twelve of the most obnoxious burgers, while at the same time he persuaded Marcel that he was still attached to his interest. Marcel, however, was able to be hired than the Duke of Normandy, and he entered into the new treaty with the treacherous king, by which he stipulated to deliver the city into his hands during the night. Everyone within the walls, except the partisans of Marcel, upon whose doors a mark was to be placed, were to be put to death indiscriminately, and the king of Navarre was to be proclaimed king of France. Fortunately, Papandes-Essas and Joan de Charny, two loyal kings who were in Paris, obtained information from the plan a few minutes before the time appointed for its execution. Arming themselves instantly, and collecting a few followers, they rushed to the houses of the chief conspirators, but found them empty, Marcel and his companions having already gone to the gates. Passing to the hotel de Ville, the knights entered, snatched down the royal banner which was kept there, and them furling it, mounted their horses and rode through the streets, calling all men to arms. They reached the ports and on to one, just at the moment when Marcel was at the act of opening it, in order to give admission to the Navarys. When he heard a shout, he tried with his friends to make his wait into the best deal, but his retreat was intercepted, and the severe and bloody struggle took place between the two parties. Stephen Marcel, however, was himself slain by Sir Joan de Charny, and almost all his principal companions fell with him. The inhabitants then threw open their gates, and a duke of Normandy entered. Walter Somers had, with his companions, joined the army at the duke, and placed his sword at his disposal, but when the French prince entered Paris without the necessity of fighting, he took leave of him, and with the capital returned to England. Rare indeed were the jewels which Walter brought home to his wife. For the three hundred noble ladies rescued at Moe, from dishonor and death had insisted upon bestowing tokens of their regard and gratitude upon the rescuers, and as many of them belonged to the richest as well of the noblest families in France, the presents which Walter does receive from the grateful ladies were of immense value. He was welcomed by the king and prince of Wales with great honor, for the battle at Moe had excited the admiration and astonishment of all Europe. The jacquerie was considered as a common danger in all civilized countries, for if successful it might have spread far beyond the boundaries of France, and constituted a danger of chivalry, and indeed to society universally. Thus King Edward gave the highest mark of his satisfaction to the capital and Walter, at his considerable grants of land to the estates of the latter, and raised him to the dignity of Baron Summers of Westerham. It has always been a matter of wonder that King Edward did not take advantage of the other state of confusion and anarchy which prevailed in France to complete his conquest of that country, which there is no reasonable doubt he could have affected with ease. Civil warrants' strife prevailed throughout France, famine devastated it, and without leaders or concord, dispirited and empowered by defeat, France could have offered no resistance to such an army as England could have placed in the field. The only probable supposition is that at heart he doubted whether an acquisition of the crown of France was real desirable, or whether it could be permanently maintained should it be gained. To the monarch of a country prosperous, flourishing and contented, the object of admiration throughout Europe, the union with distracted and divided France could be of no benefit. Of military glory he had gained enough to content any man, and some of the richest provinces of France were already his. Therefore, it may be believed that feeling secure very many years must elapse before France could again become dangerous, he was well content to let matters continue as they were. King John still remained a prisoner in his hands. For the princes and nobles of France were too much engaged in broils and civil wars to think of raising the money for his ransom, and Longaduc was the only province of France which made any effort whatever the war so doing. War still raged between the Defawn and the King of Noir. At the conclusion of the two years' truce, Edward, with the most plunderedly equipped army which had ever left England, marched through the lengths and breadth of France. Nowhere did he meet with any resistance in the field. He marched under the walls of Paris, but took no steps to lay siege to that city, which would have fallen an easy prey to his army had he chosen to capture it. That he did not so is another proof that he had no desire to add France to his possession of the English crown. At length, by the efforts of the Pope, a peace was agreed upon, by which France yielded all aquitaine and the town of Calais to England as an absolute possession, and not as a thief of the crown of France. While the English king surrounded all his captors in Normandy and Brittany, and abandoned his claim to the crown of France. With great efforts the French raised a portion of the ransom demanded for the king, and John returned to France after four years of captivity. At the commencement of 1363 Edward the Black Prince was named Prince of Aquitaine, and that province was bestowed upon him as a gift by the king, subjects only to leech homage and an annual tribute of one ounce of gold. The Prince took with him to his new possession many of the knights and nobles who had served with him, and offered to Walter a high post in the government of the province if he would accompany him. This Walter begged to be excused from doing. Two girls had now been added to his family, and he was unwilling to leave his happy home unless the needs of war called him to the Prince's side. He therefore remained quietly at home. When King John returned to France, four of the French princes of the Blood of the Royal had been given as hostages for the fulfilment of the Treaty of Brittany. They were permitted to reside at Calais, and were at liberty to move about as they would, and even to absent themselves from the town for three days at the time whence however they might choose. The Duke of Anjou, the king's second son, basically took advantage of this liberty to escape, in direct violation to his oath. The other hostages followed his example. King John, himself the soul of honour, was intensely mortified at this breach of faith on the part of his sons, and after calling together the State General at Amiens, to obtain the subsidies necessary for paying the remaining portion of his ransom, he himself, with a train of two hundred officers and their followers, crossed to England to make excuses to Edward for the treachery of the princes. Some historians represent the visit as a voluntary returning into captivity, but this was not so. The English king had accepted the hostages in his place, and was responsible for their safekeeping, and had no claim upon the French monarch because they had taken advantage of the excess of confidence with which they had been treated. That the coming of the French king was not in any way regarded as a return into captivity, is shown by the fact that he was before starting, furnished by Edward with letters of safe conduct, by which his secure and unobstructed return to his own country was expressly stipulated, and he was received by Edward as an honoured guest and friend, and his coming was regarded as an honour and an occasion of festivity by all England. At the same time that John was in London, the king of Cyprus, the king of Denmark, and the king of Scotland were also there, and the meeting of four monarchs in London was the occasion of extraordinary festivities and rejoicing, the king and his royal guests being several times entertained by some choose banquets by the Lord Mayor, the ex-mayor Henry Pickard, and several of the older men. Six weeks after John's arrival in London, he was seized with illness at the place of the Savoy, and died on the 8th of April, 1364. The defawn, Charles, now succeeded him as Charles V, and the war between the houses of Navarre and Bollewa was carried on with greater fury than ever. The armies of Navarre were commanded by the capital de Bouch, who was a distant relation to the king, while those of Charles were headed by the Marais Charles de Boussiqueux and Bert Nantes de Guiclone, one of the most gallant of the French knights. A great battle was fought near Caucherelle. Contrary to the orders of the capital, his army, which consisted principally of adventurers, descended from the strong position he had chosen, and gave battle in the plain. They were completely defeated, and the capital himself taken prisoner. In Brittany, John of Montford and Charles of Blois had renewed their struggle, and King Charles, seeing the danger of Brittany falling into the hands of the Montfort, who was a close ally of England, interfered in favour of Charles of Blois, and sent a decline to his assistance. This was a breach of the Treaty of Brittany, and the Montfort at once sent to the Black Prince for assistance. The Prince did not treat the conduct of Charles as a breach of the Treaty, and took no part himself in the war, but permitted Sir John Shandos, who was a personal friend of the Montfort, to go to his aid. The Montfort's army, after the arrival of Shandos with two hundred spears, amounted to one thousand six hundred manate arms, and from eight hundred to nine hundred anchors, while Charles de Blois had four thousand manate arms, and the proportionate number of infantry. The Montfort tried to negotiate. He offered to divide the Dukedom, and to agree that in case he died childless, it should divert to the family of Charles. Charles, however, refused all terms, even to grant his adversary a request to put off the battle until tomorrow, so as to avoid violating the sabbath. And having given orders that all prisoners taken in the battle should be hung, he advanced upon the Montfort. Both forces were divided in four bodies. The first of the Montfort's side was commanded by Sir Robert Knowles, the second by Olivier Duclisson, the third by Shandos and the Montfort, the fourth by Sir Hugh de Cavallet. Dugay cloned at the front the vision of Charles' army. The count of Ousel and Joanie II charged himself the third, and the lords of Roix and Rieu de Reserve. The ducal arms of Brittany were displayed on both sides. By a slow decrease the two armies closed with each other in deadly strife. Both parties had dismounted and felt on foot with Lances shortened to five feet. Dugay cloned and his division attacked Dad of Knowles. Ousel fell upon de Clisson, while the divisions of the two rival princes closed with each other. After desperate fighting, numbers prevailed. The Montfort was driven back, but Calvallet advanced to his aid, fell upon the rear of the French, threw them into disorder, and then having rallied the Montfort's men, retired to his former position in readiness to give succor again where it might be needed. In the meantime Clisson had been engaged in a desperate struggle with the count of Ousel, but was obtaining no advantage. Clisson himself had received the blow of a betalex, which had dashed in the wizard of his helmet, and blinded forever one of his eye. He was still leading his men, but the enemy's superior numbers were pressing him hard, when Shandos, the instant the assistance of Calvallet had relieved the Montfort's division, giving his danger, drew off a few men at arms, and with them fell upon the rear of the count of Ousel, and dashing all who opposed him to the ground with his betalex, cleft his way to the very center of the enemy. Pressed by the Clisson in front and broken by the sudden attack of Shandos in the rear, the French division gave way in every direction. Ousel was desperately wounded, and he and Joanie both taken prisoners. Shandos then returned to the Montfort, who had gallantly followed up the advantage gained by the confusion into which Charles' division had been thrown by the attack of Calvallet. Charles was rooted. He himself struck down and slain by an English soldier, and the division defeated with great slaughter. The Montfort's whole force now gathered round the Guiclons division, which now alone remained, and after fighting gallantly until all hope was gone, the brave French knight and his companions yielded themselves as prisoners. The battle of Orrées terminated the struggle between the houses of Blois and Montfort. More than one thousand French men-at-arms died on the field, among whom were many of the noblest in Brittany. Two counts, twenty-seven lords, and one thousand five hundred men-at-arms were made prisoners. The Montfort now took possession of the whole of Brittany, and at the suggestion of King Edward himself, did homage to Charles V for the douchey, which he afterwards ruled with wisdom. End of Chapter 21. Chapter 22 of St. George for England. This is a Lebovox recording. All Lebovox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Lebovox.org, recording by Bill MacGillivray. St. George for England by G. A. Henty, Chapter 22, Victory and Death. While the Black Prince was with difficulty governing his province of Aquitaine, where the mutual jealousies of the English and native offices caused continual difficulties, King Edward turned all his attention to advancing the prosperity of England. He fostered trade, commerce, and learning, was a municipant patron of the two universities, and established such order and regularity in his kingdom that England was the admiration of all Europe. Far different was the state of France. The cessation of the war with England and the subsequent disbandedment of troops had thrown upon their own resources great numbers of men who had been so long engaged in fighting that they had no other trade to turn to. The conclusion of the struggle in Brittany after the Battle of Aurée and the death of Charles of Blaw still further added to the number, and these men gathered in bands, some of which were headed by men of nightly rank, and scattered through France, plundering the country and extracting heavy sums from the towns. These great companies, as they were called, exceeded 50,000 men in number, and as almost all were trained soldiers, they set the king and his nobles at defiance, and were virtually masters of France. The most tempting offers were made to them to lay down their arms, and the Pope sent legates threatening excommunication. But the great companies laughed alike at promises and threats. At last, a way of deliverance opened to France. Pedro, named the Cruel of Castile, had alienated his people by his cruelty, and had defeated and driven into exile his half-brother, Henry of Tash Tameir, who headed an insurrection against him. Pedro put to death the numbers of the nobles of Castile to spoil the king of Aragon, who had given aid to his brother, plundered and insulted the clergy, and allied himself with the Moors. His quarrel with the clergy was the cause of his ruin. The Pope summoned him to appear before him at Avignon to answer to the crimes laid to his charge. Pedro refused to attend, and the Pope at once excommunicated him. The king of Aragon and Henry of Tash Tameir were then summoned to Avignon, and a treaty of alliance was concluded between them, and the Pope declared the throne of Castile vacant owing to the excommunication of Pedro and appointed Henry to it. These measures would have troubled Pedro little, had it not been that France groaned under the great companies, and the French king and the Pontiff at once entered into negotiations with them to support Henry in his war against his brother. It was necessary that a leader in whom the company should have confidence should be chosen, and Duc Gasline, still a prisoner of Chandeau who had captured him at All-Raye, was selected, and the Pope, the king of France, and Don Henry, paid between them the hundred thousand francs demanded for his ransom. Duc Gasline, on his release, negotiated with the leaders of the great companies, and as the Pope and king promised them large gratuities, they agreed to march upon Spain. They were joined by a great number of French knights and men at arms. The expedition was under the nominal command of John of Bourbon, but the real guidance was in the hands of Duc Gasline. As the army march passed Avignon, they worked upon the terrors of the Pope until he paid them two hundred thousand francs in gold. France was filled with joy at the prospect of riddance of the free companies, which had so long been a prey upon them. They were, too, eager to avenge upon the cruel king of Spain, the murder of his queen, who was a princess of France. The same feeling animated the people of Aquitaine and Calvary, D'Ambresquart, Sir Walter Hewitt, Sir John Devereux, Sir John Neville, and several others distinguished knights, with a large train of men at arms, joined the adventures. The great army moved through Aragon, whose king in every way facilitated their progress. As they entered Castile, the whole people declared in favor of Henry, and Pedro, deserted by all, fled to Bordeaux and besought aid from the Prince of Wales. Between Pedro and the English court, a firm alliance had existed, from the time when the former so nearly married the princess, Joan, and immediately the king heard of the expedition against him. He issued orders that no English knight should take part in it. The order, however, came too late. The English knights had already marched into Spain with Duke Gasline. As for the English who formed no inconsiderable portion of the great companies, they had already declined to obey the king, when, at the insistence of the Pope and the King of France, he had ordered them to disband. On Pedro's arrival at Bordeaux, with his three daughters and his son, they were kindly received by the Black Prince, courtesy and kindness to those in misfortune being among the leading characteristics of his nature. Pedro, cruel and ruthless as he was, was a man of great eloquence and insinuating manners and giving his own version of affairs. He completely won over the Prince, who felt himself more overbound in some degree to support him, in as much as he, an ally of England, had been dethroned by an army composed partly of English. Pedro made the most magnificent promises to the Prince in return for his aid, exceeding him the whole of the province of Biscay, and agreeing to pay the British troops engaged in his service when he regained his throne, the Black Prince engaging to pay them in the meantime. King Edward aided his son by raising an army in England, which sailed for Bordeaux under the command of the Prince's brother, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Walter formed part of this expedition. The King had issued his rites to him and other barons of the southern counties, and the Black Prince had himself written to ask him to join him in memory of their former deeds of arms together. As it was now some years since he had taken the field, Walter did not hesitate, but with thirty retainers headed by Ralph joined the army of John of Gaunt. The Black Prince's first step was to endeavor to recall the Englishmen of the free companies, estimated to amount to at least 30,000 men. The news that he was taking up arms and would himself command the army caused Calvary and the whole of the other English knights to return at once, and 10,000 of the English men at arms with the great companies also left Don Henry and marched to Aquitaine. The road led through the territory of the King of Navarre, and the Black Prince advanced 56,000 florins of gold to Pais's grasping and treacherous King for the right of passage of the army. By Christmas 1366 the preparations were complete, but the severity of the weather delayed the advance for some weeks. Fresh difficulties were encountered with Charles the bad of Navarre, who having obtained the price for the passage had now opened negotiations with Don Henry and the governors of the frontier towns refused to allow Sir Hugh Caverley and the free companies who formed the advance to pass. These were not, however, the men to stand on ceremony and without hesitation they attacked and captured the towns when the King of Navarre at once apologized for his offices and renewed his engagements. As, however, the Black Prince had received intelligence that he had formed a plan for attacking the English as they passed through the terrible pass of Ronsevals, he compelled him to accompany the army. The invitation was couched in language which was friendly, but would yet admit of no denial. On the 17th of February the English army, 30,000 strong, reached the pass. It marched in three divisions, the first commanded by the Duke of Lancaster and Lord Chando, the second by the Black Prince and the third by the King of Mallorca and the count of Amarque. The division crossed over on different days for the pass was encumbered by snow and the obstacles were immense. Upon the day when the Prince divisions were passing a storm burst upon them and it was with the greatest difficulty that they succeeded in crossing. On the 20th of February, however, all arrived safe on the other side of the Pyrenees. Duke Lacine, who seen the storm which was approaching from Aquitaine, had returned to France and levied a French army with nigh at hand and kept within a few miles of the English army as it advanced, avoiding an engagement until the arrival of Don Henry, who was marching to join him with the great companies and the 60,000 Spanish troops. Duke Lacine kept up secret communications with the King of Navarre, who was still forced to accompany the English army. The latter, accordingly, went out from the camp under pretense of hunting and was captured by a detachment of French troops. On the 1st of April, the Spanish army having joined the French, the Black Prince sent letters to Don Henry, urging him in mild but dignified language to return to obedience and to resign the throne he had usurped, offering at the same time to act as mediator between him and his brother and to do all in his power to remove differences and abuses. Henry, confident in his strength, replied heartily and prepared for battle. The forces were extremely unequal. The Black Prince had under him 30,000 men, while under Don Henry were 3,000 men at arms on male clad horses, 20,000 men at arms on horses not so protected, 6,000 light cavalry, 10,000 crossbowmen and 60,000 foot armed with spear and sword. The night before the battle, the Black Prince lodged in the little village of Navarreta, which had been deserted by its inhabitants. Walter had been his close companion since he started and occupied the same lodging with him in the village. This reminds me, the Prince said, of the day before Cressy, they outnumbered us by more than three to one. There were greater odds still, Walter replied, at Partea, and I doubt not that we shall make as good example of them. There are more dotty adversaries, the Prince replied. There are now 20,000 English in their ranks, all veterans in war, and they are led by Duke Lassine, who is a host in himself. Their very numbers will be a hindrance to them, Walter replied, cheerfully. And never did I see a better army than that which you have under you. I would we were fighting for a better man, for Don Pedro is to my mind treacherous as well as cruel. He promises fairly, but I doubt if when he has gained his end, he will keep his promises. He speaks fairly and spooly, but his deeds are at variance with his words. It may be, my Lord, the Prince replied, that I am somewhat of your opinion, and that I regret I so quickly committed myself to his cause. However, he was my father's ally, and having fulfilled all his engagements, had a right to demand our assistance. I am a bad hand, Walter, at saying no to those who beseech me. It is so, Sir Prince, Walter said bluntly, would that your heart had been a less generous one, for your nobleness of disposition is ever involving you in debts which hamper you sorely and cause more trouble to you than all your enemies. That is true enough, the Black Prince said was a sigh. Since I was a boy I have ever been harassed with creditors, and though all aquitaine is mine, I verily believe that there is not a man in my father's dominion who is so harassed and straightened for money as I. And yet, Walter said, smiling, no sooner do you get it than you give it away. Ah, the Prince laughed. I cannot deny it. It is so much pleasanter to give them to pay that I can never find heart to balk myself. I am ever surrounded by suitors. Some have lost estates in my cause. Others have rendered brilliant service in the field. Some have burdened themselves with debts to put their retainers in arms. All have pleased to urge. And for the life of me I cannot say them nay. I trust though, he added more seriously, that Don Pedro will fulfill his promises to pay my army. I have bound myself to my soldiers for their wages, besides advancing large sums to Pedro. And if he keeps not his engagement, I shall indeed be in a sore strait. There is one thing Walter said. If he fails to keep his promise, we will not fail to oblige him to do so. If we win a kingdom for him, we can snatch it from him again. We have not won it yet, the Prince said. We will do so tomorrow, Walter rejoined confidently. I hope the fortunes of the day may bring me face to face with Duke Geisling. I am thrice as strong as when I fought at Cressy, and I should like to try my hand against this dotty champion. The next morning the two armies prepared for battle, the black prince dividing his army as before. The divisions were commanded as in the passage of the Pyrenees, and each numbered ten thousand men. Don Henry had also divided his force in three parts. In the first division commanded by Duke Lassine were four thousand veteran French knights and men-at-arms with eight thousand foot soldiers. The second was led by the prince's brother, Don Tilo, with sixteen thousand horses, while he himself commanded the third, in which were a multitude of soldiers making up the gross total of a hundred thousand men. As on the night proceeding the battle at Partia, the English army had lain down supperless. Soon after midnight the trumpet sounded and the troops soon moved forward. At sunrise the prince and his force reached the summit of a little hill. Wenth was visible, the approaching host of Spain. The first division under the Duke of Lancaster and Lord Chando immediately quickened its pace and charged the division of Duke Lassine, which received it with great steadiness and a desperate conflict ensued. The black prince charged the division of Don Tilo, which gave way at the first attack and its commander with two thousand horses at once fled. The remainder of the division resisted for some time, but was unable to withstand the steady advance of the English, who without much difficulty dispersed and scattered it from the field. The king of Mallorca now joined his division with that of the black prince and the two advanced against the great division led by Don Henry. The Spanish slingers opened upon the advancing force and for a time annoyed them greatly, but when the English archers arrived within both shot and opened fire, they speedily dispersed the slingers and the men at arms on both sides advanced to the attack. The conflict was long and desperate, and both sides fought with great gallantry and determination. Don Pedro, who although vicious and cruel, was brave, fought in the ranks as a common soldier, frequently cutting his way into the midst of the Spaniards and shouting to Don Henry to cross swords with him. Henry on his part fought with great valor, although as he had the burden of command upon him, he was less able to distinguish himself by acts of personal prowess. Though fighting in the thickest of the press, he never lost his grasp of the general purpose of the battle. Three times when his troops waved before the assault of the Black Prince and his knights, he rallied them and renewed the fight. While this battle was raging, a not less obstinate fight was proceeding between the divisions of Lancaster and Duke Lecine. For a long time victory was doubtful, and indeed inclined towards the side of the French. The ranks of both parties were broken, and all were fighting in a confused mass. When, in the midst of the melee, a body of French and Spaniards poured in upon the banner of Chandau, he was struck to the ground, and a gigantic Castilian knight flung himself upon him and strove to slay him as he held him down. Chandau had lost sword and battleaxe, but drawing his dagger, he held with one arm his opponent's sword arm, and at last, after repeated strokes with his dagger, he found an undefended part of his armor and passed him with his dagger to the hilt. The Spaniard relaxed his whole, and Chandau, throwing him off, struggled to his feet and rejoined his friends, who had thought him dead. They now fought with more enthusiasm than ever, and at last, driving back the main body of the French knights, isolated a body of some 60 strong and forced them to surrender. Among these were Duke Lecine himself, the Marshal Dornam, and the Bijou of Vilane. As these were the leaders of the division, the main body lost spirit and fought feebly, and was soon completely routed by Lancaster and Chandau. These now turned their attention to the other part of the field, where the battle was still raging, and charged down upon the flank of Don Henry's army, which was already wavering. The Spaniards gave way at once. On every side, an air long the hole were scattered in headlong route, hotly pursued by the English. A greater portion fled towards the town of Najar, where they had slept the previous night, and here vast quantities were slaughtered by the English and Gaessons. A number of prisons were taken, and the place and town sacked. The pursuit was kept up the whole day, and it was not until evening that the leaders began once more to assemble around the banner of the Prince of Wales. Among the last who arrived was Don Pedro himself, springing from his charger he grasped the hand of the Prince of Wales, thanking him for his victory, which he felt would restore him to his throne. Give thanks and praise to God, and not to me, the Prince replied, for from him and not from me you have received victory. About 8,000 men fell in the battle, the loss of the English, French, and Spaniards being nearly equal. But many thousands of the latter fell in the pursuit, and as many more were drowned in endeavoring to cross the river Ebro, Don Henry escaped after fighting till the last, and reaching the French territory and safety took refuge in the papal court of Avignon. Upon the morning after the battle, Don Pedro requested the Black Prince to give him up all the Castilian prisoners in order that he might put them to death. The Prince, however, was always opposed to cruelty, and asked and obtained as a boon to himself that the lives of all the Spanish prisoners, with the exception of one whose conduct had been marked with peculiar treachery, should be spared, and even induced Pedro to pardon them all together on their swearing fealty to him. Even Don Sancho, Pedro's brother, who had fought at Nejar under Don Henry, was received and embraced by Pedro at the request of the Prince of Wales. The city of Borgo had once opened its gates, and the rest of the country followed its example, and resumed its allegiance to Pedro, who remounted his throne without further resistance. As Walter had fought by the side of the Black Prince, his desire to cross swords with Duke Lassine was not satisfied, but his valor during the day won for him the warm appropriation of the Prince. Opposed to them were many of the great companies, and these men all experienced soldiers, and many of them Englishmen had fought with great stubbornness. Walter had single out for attack a banner bearing the cognizance of a raven. The leader of this band, who was known as the Knight of the Raven, had won for himself a specially evil notoriety in France by the ferocity of his conduct. Wherever his band went, they had swept the country, and the most atrocious torches had been inflicted on all the well-to-do persons who had fallen into their hands to extract from them the secret of buried hordes or bonds, entailing upon them the loss of their last penny. The Knight of Raven himself was said to be as brave as he was cruel, and several nobles who had attempted to oppose his band had been defeated and slain by him. He was known to be English, but his name was a mystery, and the Black Prince and his knights had long wished to encounter a man who was a disgrace to the like, to chivalry and the English name. When, therefore, Walter saw his banner in the King's division, he urged his horse towards it, and, followed by Ralph and some thirty men at arms, hewed his way through the crowd until he was close to the banner. A knight in grey armor spurred forward to meet him, and a desperate conflict took place. Never had Walter crossed swords was a stouter adversary, the opponent fought was as much vehemence and fury as if the sight of Walter's banner, which Ralph carried behind him, had aroused in him a frenzy of rage and hate. In guarding his head from one of his opponents' sweeping blows, Walter's sword shivered at the hilt, but before the grey knight could repeat the blow, Walter snatched his heavy battle axe from a saddle. The knight reigned back his horse for an instant and imitated his example, and with these heavy weapons the fight was renewed. The knight of the raven had lost by the change, for Walter's great strength stood him in good steam, and presently with a tremendous blow, he beat down his opponent's axe and cleft through his helmet almost to the chin. The knight fell dead from his horse, and Walter, with his band pressing on, carried confusion into the ranks of his followers. When these had been defeated, Walter rode back with Ralph to the spot where the knight of the raven had fallen. Take off his helmet, Ralph. Let me see his face. He thinks I recognize his voice, and he fought as if he knew and hated me. Ralph removed the helmet. It is as I thought, Walter said, it is Sir James Carnegie, a requient and violent knight, and foul enemy of mine, a disgrace to his name and rank, but a brave man. So long as he lived, I could never say that my life was safe from his machinations. Thank God there is an end of him and his evil doings. Walter was twice wounded in the fight, but upon neither occasion seriously, and he was soon able to take part in the tournaments in games which the Prince of Wales instituted partly to keep his men employed, partly for the amusement of the citizens of Burgaux, outside whose walls his army lay encamped. The Prince was now obliged to remind the king of his promise to pay his troops, but nothing was further from the mind of the treacherous monarch than to carry out the promises which he had made in exile. He did not, however, openly avow his intentions, but trusting to the chapter of accidents, he told the Prince that at Burgaux he could not collect a sufficient sum, but if the army would march into Lyon and take up their quarters near Valadolid, he himself would proceed to Seville and would as soon as possible collect the money which he had bound himself to furnish. The plan was adopted. Edward marched his troops to Valadolid and Don Pedro went to Seville. Sometime passed on without the arrival of the promised money and the Prince was impatient to return to Aquitaine. Don Henry had gathered a force in France secretly assisted by the French king and had made an inroad into Aquitaine where he obtained several successes and was joined by many of the distressed nobles of that province. You were right, the Prince said to Walter one day. This treacherous king who owes his kingdom to us intends to break his plighted word. I know not what to do. My men are calamorous for their pay and I am unable to satisfy them. Don Pedro still sends fair promises and although I believe in my heart that he has no intentions of keeping them yet I can hardly march against him as an enemy. For however far from the truth it may be his pretext that the treasury has been emptied by his brother and that in the disturbed state of the kingdom no money can be obtained may yet be urged as valid. Scarcely had the army encamped before Valadolid when a terrible pestilence attacked the army. For a while all questions of pay were forgotten and consternation and dismay seized the troops. Neither rank nor station was out of the veil and the leaders suffered as severely as the men. Every day immense numbers died and so sudden were the attacks and so great the mortality that the soldiers believed that Don Pedro had poisoned the wells in order to rid himself of the necessity of fulfilling his obligations. The black prince himself was prostrated and lay for some time between life and death. A splendid constitution enabled him to pull through but he arose from his bed enfeebled and shattered and although for some years he lived on he received his death blow at Valadolid. His personal strength never came to him again and even his mind was dulled and the brightness of his intellect dimmed from the effects of the fever. When he recovered sufficiently to inquire into the state of his forces he was filled with sorrow and dismay. Four-fifths of the number were either dead or so weakened as to be useless for service again. The prince wrote urgently to Don Pedro for the money due but the king knew that the English were powerless now and replied that he had not been able to collect the money but would forward it to Aquitaine if the prince would return there with his army. Edward knew that he lied but with only 6,000 or 7,000 men many of whom were enfeebled by disease. He was not in a position to force the clan or to punish the base and ungrateful king. Again therefore he turned his face north. Charles of Navarre had now allied himself with Don Henry and refused to allow the remnants of the army to pass through his dominions although he granted permission to the prince himself and his personal attendants and friends. The southern route was barred by the king of Aragon also an ally of Don Henry but with him the prince was more successful. He had a personal interview with the monarch and so we influenced him that he not only obtained permission for his troops to pass through his dominions but detached him from his alliance with Don Henry and induced him to enter into a friendly treaty with Pedro. A greater act of magnanimity was never performed. In spite of the base and gratitude with which he had been treated and the breach of faith which saddled him with enormous liabilities and debts which weighed him down and imbitted the rest of his life Edward remained faithful to the cause of his father's ally and did his best to maintain him in the position which English Valar had won for him. He himself with a few companions passed through Navarre and arrived safely in Bordeaux where his wife awaited him and where he was received with rejoicing in festivities in honor of his glorious campaign in Spain. His health was now irreparably injured. Troubles came thick upon him in aquitaine and he had no longer the energy to repress them. Risings took place in all directions and the king of France renewed the war. In addition to his own troubles from the debts he had incurred and the enemies who rose against him he was further shaken by the deaths of his mother, Philippa whom he tenderly loved. His friend Chantos too was killed in a skirmish. Unhappily, while thus weakened in mind and body the treachery of the bishop and the people of LeMolge who having bound themselves by innumerable promises to him surrendered their city to the French caused him to commit the one act of cruelty which sully the brightness of an otherwise unspotted career for at the recapture of the town he bade his soldiers give no quarter. This act, although common enough at the time is so opposed to the principles of mercy and humanity which throughout all the previous acts of his life distinguished the conduct of the black prince that it cannot be doubted that his brain was affected by the illness which was fast hurrying him to the grave. Shortly afterwards he returned to England and busied himself in arranging the affairs of the kingdom which his father's failing health had permitted to fall into disorder. For the remaining four years of life he lived in seclusion and sank on the 8th of June, 1376. Walter, Lord Summers, returned home after the conclusion of the campaign in Spain and rode no more to the wars. Giles Fletcher and his wife had died some years before but the good citizen Jeffrey, the armorer when he grew into years abandoned his calling and took up as a boat at Westerham Castle to the time of his death. In the wars which afterwards occurred with France Walter was represented in the field by his sons who well sustained the high reputation which their father had borne as a good and valiant night. He and his wife lived to a green old age reverenced and beloved by their tenants and retainers and died surrounded by their descendants to the fourth generation. End of chapter 22, recording by Bill McGillivray End of St. George of England by G.A. Henty.