Saint George for England

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"Sir Thomas," demanded the king, "is my son killed, overthrown, or wounded
beyond help?"

"Not so, sire," replied the knight, "but he is in a rude fight, and much
needs your aid."

"Go back, Sir Thomas, to those who sent you and tell them from me that
whatsoever happens they require no aid from me so long as my son is in
life. Tell them also that I command them to let the boy win his spurs,
for, God willing, the day shall be his, and the honour shall rest with him
and those into whose charge I have given him."

The prince and those around him were filled with fresh ardour when they
received this message. Each man redoubled his efforts to repel the forces
that were incessantly poured down upon them by the French. On all sides
these pressed around them, striving desperately, but ever in vain, to break
through the solid ranks of the English. The French men-at-arms suffered,
moreover, terribly from the attacks of the Welsh infantry. These men, clad
in thick leather jerkins, nimble of foot, accustomed to a life of activity,
were armed with shortened lances and knives, mingled fearlessly among the
confused mass of French cavalry, creeping beneath the horses' bellies,
standing up when they got a chance, and stabbing horses and men with their
knives and pikes. Many were trampled upon or struck down, but numbering, as
they did, 6000, they pervaded the whole mass of the enemy, and did terrible
execution, adding in no small degree to the confusion caused by the shower
of arrows from the archers within the circle of the men-at-arms. The
instant a French knight fell, struck from his horse with a battle-axe or
arrow, or by the fall of a wounded steed, the half-wild Welsh were upon
him, and slew him before he could regain his feet.

The slaughter was immense. The Count of Harcourt, with his nephew the Count
D'Aumale and his two gallant sons, fell together, and at last Charles of
Luxembourg, seeing his banner down, his troops routed, his friends slain,
and the day irreparably lost, and being himself severely wounded in three
places, turned his horse and fled, casting off his rich emblazoned surcoat
to avoid recognition. In the meantime Prince Charles's father, the veteran
King of Bohemia, once one of the most famous warriors of Europe, but now
old and blind, sat on horseback at a little distance from the fight; the
knights around him told him the events as they happened, and the old
monarch soon saw that the day was lost. He asked them for tidings of his
son Charles of Luxembourg, but they were forced to reply that the banner of
the King of the Romans was no longer in sight, but that, doubtless, he was
somewhere engaged in the melee.

"Lords," said the old man, "you are my vassals, my friends, and my
companions, and on this day I command and beseech you to lead me forward so
far that I may deal one blow of my sword in the battle."

His faithful friends obeyed him, a number of knights arranged themselves
around him, and lest they should lose him in the fight they tied their
horses together by the bridles and charged down into the fray. Advancing
directly against the banner of the Prince of Wales, the blind monarch was
carried into the midst of the thickest strife.

There the little group of knights fought gallantly, and after the battle
was over, the bodies of the king and his friends were found lying together,
their dead horses still linked by the bridles.

During this terrible battle, which had been raging since three o'clock,
Phillip had made strenuous efforts to aid his troops engaged in the front
by continually sending fresh bodies to the assault. It was now growing
dark, terror and confusion had already spread among the French, and many
were flying in all directions, and the unremitting showers of English
arrows still flew like hail among their ranks. As the king made his way
forward, surrounded by his personal attendants to take part himself in the
fight, his followers fell thick around him, and his horse was slain by an
arrow. John of Hainault, who had remained by his side during the whole day,
mounted upon a fresh horse and urged him to fly, as the day was lost.
Phillip, however, persisted, and made his way into the melee, where he
fought for some time with extreme courage, until almost all around him were
slain, the royal standard bearer killed, and himself wounded in two places.
John of Hainault then seized his bridle exclaiming "Come away, sire, it is
full time; do not throw your life away foolishly; if you have lost this day
you will win another," and so almost forced the unwilling king from the
field. Phillip, accompanied by the lords of Montmorency, Beaujeu, Aubigny,
and Mansault, with John of Hainault, and sixty men-at-arms, rode to the
Castle of Broye, and there halted for a few hours. At midnight he again set
out, and in the morning arrived safely at Amiens.

The Black Prince held his station until night without yielding a single
step to all the efforts of the French. Gradually, however, the assailants
became less and less numerous, the banners disappeared, and the shouts of
the leaders and the clang of arms died away, and the silence which
prevailed over the field at once announced that the victory was complete
and the enemy in full flight. An immense number of torches were now lighted
through the English lines, and the king, quitting for the first time his
station on the hill, came down to embrace his gallant son. Edward and his
host rejoiced in a spirit of humility over the victory. No songs of
triumph, no feastings or merriment were permitted, but a solemn service of
the church was held, and the king and his soldiers offered their thanks to
God for the victory He had given them. The English army lay all night under
arms, and a number of scattered parties of the French, wandering about in
the darkness, entered the lines and were slain or taken prisoners.

The dawn of the next morning was thick and foggy, and intelligence coming
in that a large body of the enemy were advancing upon them, the Earls of
Northampton, Warwick, and Norfolk, with 500 men-at-arms and 2000 archers,
went out to reconnoitre, and came in the misty twilight upon an immense
force composed of the citizens of Beauvais, Rouen, and some other towns,
led by the Grand Prior of France and the Archbishop of Rouen, who were
approaching the field.

By some extraordinary accident they had not met any of the fugitives flying
from Cressy, and were ignorant that a battle had been fought. The English
charged them at once. Their advance-guard, consisting of burghers, was
easily overthrown. The second division, which was composed of men-at-arms,
fought bravely, but was unable to withstand the charge of the triumphant
English, and was completely broken and defeated. The Grand Prior was killed
and a vast number of his followers slain or captured. During the whole of
the morning detached parties from Edward's army scoured the country,
dispersing and slaughtering bands of French who still remained together,
and towards night the Earl of Northampton returned to the camp with the
news that no enemy remained in the vicinity that could offer a show of
resistance to the English force.

It is said that a far greater number of French were killed upon the second
day than upon the first. This can be accounted for by the fact that on the
first day but a small portion of the English army were engaged, and that
upon the second the English were fresh and vigorous, and their enemy
exhausted and dispirited.

The greater number of the French nobles and knights who fell, died in their
attempts to break through the Black Prince's array. Besides the King of
Bohemia, nine sovereign princes and eighty great nobles were killed, with
1200 knights, 1500 men-at-arms, and 30,000 foot; while on the English side
only three knights and a small number of men-at-arms and infantry were
killed.

The body of the King of Bohemia and those of the other great leaders were
carried in solemn pomp to the Abbey of Maintenay. Edward himself and his
son accompanied them as mourners. On the Monday following Edward marched
with his army against Calais, and summoned the town to surrender. John of
Vienne, who commanded the garrison, refused to comply with the demand. The
fortifications of the town were extremely strong and the garrison numerous,
and Edward perceived that an assault would be very unlikely to succeed, and
would entail great loss, while a repulse would have dimmed the lustre of
the success which he had gained. He therefore determined to reduce it by
famine, and the troops were set to work to build huts. So permanently and
strongly were these constructed that it seemed to the enemy that King
Edward was determined to remain before Calais even should he have to stay
there for ten years.

Proclamations were issued in England and Flanders inviting traders to
establish stores and to bring articles of trade of all kinds, and in a
short time a complete town sprang up which was named by Edward "New-Town
the Bold". The English fleet held complete possession of the sea, cutting
off the besieged from all succour by ship, and enabling abundant supplies
for the army to be brought from England and Flanders. Strong parties were
sent out in all directions. The northern provinces of France were scoured,
and the army was amply provided with necessaries and even luxuries.

After the first terrible shock caused by the crushing defeat of Cressy,
King Phillip began at once to take measures for the relief of Calais, and
made immense efforts again to put a great army in the field. He endeavoured
by all means in his power to gain fresh allies. The young Count of
Flanders, who, at the death of his father at Cressy, was sixteen years of
age, was naturally even more hostile to the English than the late prince
had been, and he strove to win over his subjects to the French alliance,
while Phillip made them magnificent offers if they would join him. The
Flemings, however, remained stanch to the English alliance, and held their
prince in duresse until he at last consented to marry the daughter of
Edward. A week before the date fixed for the nuptials, however, he managed
to escape from the vigilance of his guards when out hawking, and fled to
the court of France.

In Scotland Phillip was more successful, and David Bruce, instead of
employing the time given him by the absence of Edward with his armies in
driving out the English garrisons from the strong places they still held in
Scotland, raised an army of 50,000 men and marched across the border into
England plundering and ravaging. Queen Philippa, however, raising an army,
marched against him, and the Scotch were completely defeated at Neville's
Cross, 15,000 being killed and their king himself taken prisoner.

Walter's conduct at the battle of Cressy gained him still further the
favour of the Black Prince. The valour with which he had fought was
conspicuous even on a field where all fought gallantly, and the prince felt
that more than once he would have been smitten down had not Walter's sword
interposed. Ralph too had fought with reckless bravery, and many French
knights and gentlemen had gone down before the tremendous blows of his
heavy mace, against which the stoutest armour availed nothing. After the
battle the prince offered to make him an esquire in spite of the absence of
gentle blood in his veins, but Ralph declined the honour.

"An it please you, Sir Prince," he said, "but I should feel more
comfortable among the men-at-arms, my fellows. In the day of battle I
trust that I should do no discredit to my squirehood, but at other times I
should feel woefully out of my element, and should find nought for my hands
to do, therefore if it so pleases your Royal Highness, I would far rather
remain a simple man-at-arms.

Ralph did not, however, refuse the heavy purse which the prince gave him,
although indeed he, as well as all the soldiers, was well supplied with
money, so great were the spoils which the army had gathered in its march
before Cressy, and which they now swept off in their raids among the
northern provinces of France.

One evening Walter was returning from a banquet at the pavilion of the
Prince of Wales, with Ralph as usual following at a little distance, when
from a corner of the street a man darted suddenly out and struck a dagger
with all his force between his shoulders. Well was it for Walter that he
had taken Geoffrey's advice, and had never laid aside the shirt of mail,
night or day. Fine as was its temper, two or three links of the outer fold
were broken, but the point did not penetrate the second fold, and the
dagger snapped in the hand of the striker. The force of the sudden blow,
however, hurled Walter to the ground. With a loud cry Ralph rushed
forward. The man instantly fled. Ralph pursued him but a short distance
and then hastened back to Walter.

"Are you hurt, Sir Walter?" he exclaimed.

"In no way, Ralph, thanks to my shirt of mail. Well, indeed, was it for me
that I was wearing it, or I should assuredly have been a dead man. I had
almost begun to forget that I was a threatened man; but I shall be on guard
for the future."

"I wish I had followed the fellow," Ralph said. "I would not have slain him
could I have helped it, but would have left it for the hangman to extort
from him the name of his employer; but, in truth, he struck so hard, and
you fell so straight before the blow, that I feared the mail had given way,
and that you were sorely wounded if not killed. You have oft told me that I
was over-careful of you, but you see that I was not careful enough,
however, you may be assured that if another attempt be made those who
attempt it shall not get off scot free. Do you think of laying a complaint
before the provost against him you suspect?"

"It would be useless, Ralph. We may have suspicion of the man from whom the
blow came, but have no manner of proof. It might have been done by any
ruffian camp- follower who struck the blow only with the hope of carrying
off my chain and purse. The camp swarms with such fellows, and we have no
clue which could lead to his detection, unless," he added, stooping and
picking a piece of steel which lay at his feet, "this broken dagger may
some day furnish us with one. No; we will say nought about it. Sir James
Carnegie is not now in camp, having left a week since on business in
England. We exchange no words when we meet, but I heard that he had been
called away. Fortunately the young prince likes him not, and I therefore
have seldom occasion to meet him. I have no doubt that he credits me with
the disfavour in which he is held by the prince; but I have never even
mentioned his name before him, and the prince's misliking is but the
feeling which a noble and generous heart has, as though by instinct,
against one who is false and treacherous. At the same time we must grant
that this traitor knight is a bold and fearless man-at-arms; he fought well
at La Blanche Tache and Cressy, and he is much liked and trusted by my lord
of Northampton, in whose following he mostly rides; 'tis a pity that one so
brave should have so foul and treacherous a heart. Here we are at my hut,
and you can sleep soundly tonight, Ralph, for there is little fear that the
fellow, who has failed tonight, will repeat his attempt for some time. He
thinks, no doubt, that he has killed me, for with a blow so strongly struck
he would scarcely have felt the snapping of the weapon, and is likely
enough already on board one of the ships which ply to and fro from England
on his way to acquaint his employer that I am removed from his path."

The next morning Walter mentioned to the Black Prince the venture which had
befallen him, and the narrow escape he had had of his life. The prince was
extremely exasperated, and gave orders that an inquisition should be made
through the camp, and that all men found there not being able to give a
good account of themselves as having reasonable and lawful calling there
should be forthwith put on board ship and sent to England. He questioned
Walter closely whether he deemed that the attack was for the purpose of
plunder only, or whether he had any reason to believe that he had private
enemies.

"There is a knight who is evilly disposed toward me, your highness," Walter
said; "but seeing that I have no proof whatever that he had a hand in this
affair, however strongly I may suspect it, I would fain, with your leave,
avoid mentioning his name."

"But think you that there is any knight in this camp capable of so foul an
action?"

"I have had proofs, your highness, that he is capable of such an act; but
in this matter my tongue is tied, as the wrong he attempted was not against
myself, but against others who have so far forgiven him that they would
fain the matter should drop. He owes me ill-will, seeing that I am aware of
his conduct, and that it was my intervention which caused his schemes to
fail. Should this attempt against me be repeated it can scarce be the
effect of chance, but would show premeditated design, and I would then,
both in defence of my own life, and because I think that such deeds should
not go unpunished, not hesitate to name him to you, and if proof be wanting
to defy him to open combat."

"I regret, Sir Walter, that your scruples should hinder you from at once
denouncing him; but seeing how grave a matter it is to charge a knight with
so foul a crime, I will not lay stress upon you; but be assured that should
any repetition of the attempt be made I shall take the matter in hand, and
will see that this caitiff knight receives his desserts.

A short time afterwards Walter accompanied the prince in an excursion which
he made with a portion of the army, sweeping the French provinces as far as
the river Somme. Upon their way back they passed through the village of
Pres, hard by which stood a small castle. It was situated some forty miles
from Calais, and standing upon rising ground, it commanded a very extensive
view over the country.

"What say you, Sir Walter?" the prince said to the young knight who was
riding near him. "That castle would make a good advanced post, and a
messenger riding in could bring news of any large movements of the enemy."
Walter assented. "Then, Sir Walter, I name you chatelain. I shall be sorry
to lose your good company; but the post is one of peril, and I know that
you are ever longing to distinguish yourself. Take forty men-at-arms and
sixty archers. With that force you may make shift to resist any attack
until help reaches you from camp. You may be sure that I shall not be slack
in spurring to your rescue should you be assailed."

Walter received the proposal with delight. He was weary of the monotony of
life in New Town, and this post in which vigilance and activity would be
required was just to his taste; so, taking the force named by the prince,
with a store of provision, he drew off from the column and entered the
castle.

CHAPTER XV: THE SIEGE OF A FORTALICE

Walter's first step on assuming the command was to examine thoroughly into
the capabilities of defence of the place, to see that the well was in good
order, and the supply of water ample, and to send out a foraging party,
which, driving in a number of beasts and some cart-loads of forage, would
supply his garrison for some time. The castle he found was less strong than
it looked. The walls were lightly built, and were incapable of
withstanding any heavy battering. The moat was dry, and the flanking towers
badly placed, and affording little protection to the faces of the walls;
however, the extent of the defences was small, and Walter felt confident
that with the force at his command he could resist any sudden attack,
unless made in overwhelming force, so that all the faces of the wall could
be assaulted at the same time. He had a large number of great stones
brought in to pile against the gate, while others were brought into the
central keep, similarly to defend the door should the outer wall be
carried. He appointed Ralph as his lieutenant, and every day, leaving him
in charge of the castle, rode through the country for many miles round,
with twenty men-at- arms, to convince himself that no considerable force of
the enemy were approaching. These reconnaissances were not without some
danger and excitement, for several times bodies of the country people,
armed with scythes, axes, and staves, tried to intercept them on their
return to the castle, and once or twice Walter and his men had to fight
their way through their opponents. Contrary to the custom of the times,
Walter gave orders to his men not to slay any when resistance had ceased.

"They are but doing what we ourselves should do did French garrisons hold
our castles at home, and I deem them in no way to be blamed for the efforts
which they make to slay us. In self-defence, of course, we must do our
best, and must kill in order that we may not ourselves be slain; but when
they are once routed, let them go to their homes. Poor people, the miseries
which this war has brought upon them are great, and there is no wonder that
they hate us."

This leniency on Walter's part was not without good effect. When the
country people found that the garrison of the castle of Pres did not carry
fire and sword through the villages around, that they took only sufficient
for their needs, and behaved with courtesy to all, their animosity to a
great extent subsided. No longer did the women and children of the little
villages fly to the woods when they saw the gleam of Walter's approaching
spears, but remained at their avocations, and answered willingly enough the
questions which he asked them as to whether they had heard aught of the
movements of French troops. So far as possible, Walter refrained from
seizing the cattle or stores of grain of the poorer classes, taking such as
he needed from the lands of the wealthy proprietors, all of whom had left
the country, and were either with the French army or sheltering in Paris.
Five of his best mounted men Walter chose as messengers, and one rode each
day to New Town with the news which had been gathered, returning on the
following day, and then resting his horse for three days before again
setting out.

Night and day sentries were placed on the walls, for although Walter heard
nothing of any body gathering in his immediate vicinity, a force might at
any moment issue from Amiens and appear suddenly before the place. Such was
indeed what really took place, and at daybreak one morning Walter was
aroused by the news that the sentinels saw a large body of men rapidly
approaching. The horse of the messenger next on duty stood, as usual,
saddled and bridled in readiness, and without a moment's delay Walter
ordered the man to mount and ride to the prince, and to give news that the
castle was assailed, but by how large a force he could not as yet say.

The instant the messenger had started through the gates Walter ascended to
the walls; he saw at once that the party was a strong one; for although
still at some distance, and but dimly seen in the gray morning light, he
judged that it must contain at least a thousand men-at-arms. At this moment
a call from the sentry on the other side of the castle was heard, and
hastening thither, Walter saw that another body nearly as numerous as the
first were approaching from the side of Calais, having made a detour so as
to place themselves between the castle and the army, to which news would
naturally be sent of their coming. Walter watched his messenger, who had
now ridden half a mile towards the approaching body. Suddenly he saw him
turn his horse and ride off at right angles to the road.

"He sees them," he said, "and is going to try to ride round them. I fear
that there is but little hope of his escaping, seeing that they are between
him and Calais, and that assuredly some among them must be as well or
better mounted than himself." As he spoke a party of horsemen were seen to
detach themselves from the flank of the French column and to gallop off at
full speed to intercept the messenger; the latter diverged more and more
from his course, but he was constantly headed off by his pursuers, and at
last, seeing the impossibility of getting through them, he again turned his
horse's head and galloped off towards the castle, which he reached a few
hundred yards only in advance of his foes.

"I could not help it, Sir Walter," he said, as he galloped in at the gate.
"I found that although Robin is fast, some of those horsemen had the turn
of speed of me, and that it was impossible that I could get through; so
deeming that I should do more service by coming to strike a blow here than
by having my throat cut out in the fields, I made the best of my way
back."

"Quite right, Martin!" Walter said. "I should have been grieved had you
thrown your life away needlessly. I saw from the first that your escape was
cut off. And now, men, each to his place; but first pile up the stones
against the gate, and then let each man take a good meal, for it is like
enough to be long before we get a chance of doing so again."

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