THE SCOTS RAID ENGLAND - THE BATTLE OF CRESSY - THE SURRENDER OF CALAIS
The first passage from
his chronicle is taken from the work of Jean le Bel who was in England in 1327 . Throughout the reign of Edward II, and especially after Bannockburn, the Scots constantly
raided the northern English counties.
Edward III went to war with France in 1338; nominally to assert his title to the French crown. After several campaigns
in which, nothing of importance was accomplished, a truce was followed by an English invasion. Edward marched almost
to Paris, but then retreated towards the territory of Flanders. A great French army overtook him, but was defeated
at the battle of Cressy in 1346 . In the Year after Cressy, Edward compelled Calais to surrender, and the town
remained in English hands for a little more than. two centuries. A truce after the fall of Calais ceded the duchy
of Aquitaine to Edward. War broke out again, and the Black Prince won the brilliant victory of Poictiers, taking
the French king prisoner. France continued a struggle winch seemed desperate, but at last in 1360 Edward accepted
the terms of the treaty of Bretigny.Unofficial warfare went on constantly on the borders of England and Scotland.A
Scottish attempt to recapture Berwick, which at the time of Edward III's death was held by the English .
THE SCOTS RAID ENGLAND
The Englishmen could hear no tidings of the Scots till they were come to the entry of the said country. The Scots were passed this river so privily, that they of Carlisle nor yet of Newcastle knew nothing thereof, for between the said towns it was XXIIII. English miles. These Scottish men are right hardy, and sore travelling in harness and in wars; for when they will enter into England, within a day and a night they will drive their whole host XXIIII. miles, for they are all on horseback, without it be the traundals and laggers of the host who follow after, afoot. The knights and squires are well horsed, and the common people and other on little hackneys and geldings and they carry with them no carts nor chariots, for the diversities of the mountains that they must pass through, in the country of Northumberland. They take with them no purveyance of bread or wine, for their usage and soberness is such in time of war, that they will pass in the journey a great long time, with flesh half sodden, without bread, and drink of the river water without wine: and they neither care for pots nor pans, for they seethe beasts in their own skins. They are ever sure to find plenty of beasts [ cattle ] in the country that they will pass through. Therefore they carry with them none other purveyance, but on their horse: between the saddle and the pummel they truss a broad plate of metal, and behind the saddle they will have a little sack full of oatmeal, to the intent that when they have eaten of the sodden flesh, then they lay this plate on the fire, and temper a little of the oatmeal : and when the plate is hot, they cast of the thin paste thereon, and so make a little cake in manner of a craknell, or biscuit, and that they eat to comfort withal their stomachs. Wherefore it is no great marvel, though they make greater journeys than other people do. And in this manner were the Scots entered into the said country, and wasted and brent all about as they went, and took great number of beasts. They were to the number of III.M men of arms, knights and squires, mounted good horses, and other men of war armed after their guise, right hardy and fierce, mounted on little hackneys, the which were never tied nor kept at hard meat, but let go to pasture in the fields and bushes. They had two good captains, for king Robert of Scotland who in his days had been hardy and prudent, was as then of great age, amid sore grieved with the great sickness but he had made one of his captains a gentle prince, and a valiant in arms, called the earl of Morrell [Moray], bearing in his arms silver three oreylles gules, and the other was the lord William [James] Douglas, who was reputed for the most hardy knight, and greatest adventurer in all the realm of Scotland, and he bare azure a cheff silver. These two lords were renowned as chief in all deeds of arms, and great prowess in all Scotland.
THE BATTLE OF CRESSY
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The Englishmen who were in three battles lying on the ground to rest them, as soon as they saw the Frenchmen approach, they rose upon their feet fair and easily without any haste, and arranged their battles the first, which was the prince's battle, the archers there stood in manner of a hearse [ harrow ] and the men of arms in the bottom of the battle. The earl of Northampton, and the earl of Arundel with the second battle were on a wing in good order, ready to comfort the prince's battle, if need were. The lords and knights of France came not to the assembly together in good order, for some came before and some after, in such haste and evil order, that one of them did trouble another. When the French king saw the Englishmen, his blood changed; and he said to his marshals, " Make the Genoese go on before, and begin the battle in the name of God and Saint Denis." There were of the Genoese cross-bows about a fifteen thousand; but they were so weary of going afoot that day a six leagues armed with their crossbows, that they said to their constables, |
"We be not well ordered to fight this day, for we be not in the ease to do any great deed of arms, we have more need of rest." These words came to the earl of Alencon, who said, "A man is well at ease to be charged with such a sort of rascals, to be faint and fail now at most need." Also the same season fell a great rain and an eclipse with a terrible thunder, and before the rain there came flying over both battles a great number of crows, for fear of the tempest coming. Then anon the air began to wax clear, and the sun to shine fair and bright, the which was right in the Frenchmen's eyes and on the Englishmen's backs. When the Genoese were assembled together, and began to approach, they made a great leap and cry to abash the Englishmen ; but they stood still and strayed not for all that. Then the Genoese again the second time made another leap and fell cry, and stepped forwards a little, and the Englishmen removed not one foot. Thirdly again they leapt and cried, and went forth till they came within shot: then they shot fiercely with their crossbows. Then the English archers stepped forth one pace, and let fly their arrows so wholly and so thick, that it seemed snow. When the Genoese felt the arrows piercing through heads, arms and breasts, many of them cast down their crossbows and did cut their strings and returned discomfited. When the French king saw them fly away, he said, "Slay these rascals, for they shall let and trouble us without reason." Then ye should have seen the men of arms dash in among them and kill a great number of them and ever still the Englishmen shot whereas they saw thickest place : the sharp arrows ran into the men of arms and into their horses, and many fell, horse and men, among the Genoese, and when they were down, they could not rally again, the press was so thick that one overthrew another. And also among the Englishmen there were certain rascals that went afoot with great knives, and they went in among the men of arms, and slew and murdered many as they lay on the ground, both earls, barons, knights, and squires whereof the king of England was after displeased, for he had rather they had been taken prisoners. The valiant king of Bohemia, called Charles of Luxemburg, son of the noble emperor Henry of Luxemburg, for all that he was near blind, when he understood the order of the battle, he said to them about him, " Where is the lord Charles my son ? " His men said, ''Sir, we can not tell, we think he be fighting." Then he said, " Sirs, ye are my men, my companions, and friends in this journey, I require you bring me so far forward, that I may strike one stroke with my sword." They said they would do his commandment, and to the intent that they should not lose him in the press, they tied all their reins of their bridles each to other and set the king before to accomplish his desire, and so they went on their enemies. The lord Charles of Bohemia his son, who wrote himself king of Almaine, and bare the arms, he came in good order to the battle: but when he saw that the matter went awry on their party, he departed I can not tell which way.
The king his father was so far forward, that he struck a stroke with his sword, yea and more than four, and fought valiantly and so his company and they adventured themselves so forward, that they were there all slain, and, the next day they were found in the place about the king, and all their horses tied each to other. The earl of Alencon came to the battle right ordinarily and fought with the Englishmen and the earl of Flanders also on his part; these two lords with their companies coasted the English archers, and came to the prince s battle and fought valiantly long. The French king would fain have come thither when he saw their banners, but there was a great hedge of archers before him. The same day the French king had given a great black courser to Sir John of Hainault, and he made the lord John of Fussels to ride on him, and to bear his banner. The same horse took the bridle in his teeth, and brought him through the crowds of the Englishmen, and as he would have returned again, he fell in a great dyke and was sore hurt, and had been there dead, if his page had not been; who followed him through all the battles and saw where his master lay in the dyke, and had none other let but for his horse, for the Englishmen would not issue out of their battle, for taking of any prisoner then the page alighted and relieved his master; then he went not back again the same way that they had come, there were too many in his way. This battle between Broy and Cressy this Saturday was right cruel and fell, and many a feat of arms done that came not to my knowledge. In the night divers knights and squires lost their masters, and sometimes came on the Englishmen, who received them in such wise, that they were even nigh slain ; for there was none taken to mercy nor to ransom, for so the Englishmen were determined. In the morning of the day of the battle certain Frenchmen and Almaines perforce opened the archers of the prince's battle, and came and fought with the men of arms hand to hand. Then the second battle of the Englishmen came to succour the Prince's battle ; the which was time, for they had as then much ado; and they with the prince sent a messenger to the king, who was on a little windmill hill. Then the knight said to the king, "Sir, the earl of Warwick, and the earl of Oxford, Sir Reynold Cobham and other, such as be about the prince your son, are fiercely fought withal and are sore handled, wherefore they desire you that you and your battle will come and aid them ; for if the Frenchmen increase, as they doubt they will, your son and they shall have much ado. T
hen the king said, " Is my son dead or hurt, or on the earth fell ?" " No sir," quoth the kinght, "but he is hardly matched, wherefore he hath need of your aid." " Well, " said the king, "return to him and to them that sent you hither, and say to them that they send no more to me for any adventure that falleth, as long as my son is alive; and also say to them that they suffer him this day to win his spurs ; for if God be pleased, I will that this journey be his and the honours thereof, and to them that be about him." Then the knight returned again to them, and shewed the king's words, the which greatly encouraged them, and they repented that they had sent to the king as they did. Sir Godfrey of Harcourt would gladly that the earl of Harcourt his brother might have been saved; for he heard say by them that saw his banner, how that he was there in the field on the French party, but Sir Godfrey could not come to him betimes, for he was slain ere he could come at him, and so was also the earl of Aumale, his nephew. In another place, the earl of Alencon, and the earl of Flanders, fought valiantly, every lord under his own banner ; but finally they could not resist against the pursuance of the Englishmen, and so there they were also slain, and divers other knights and squires. Also the earl Lewis of Blois, nephew to the French king, and the Duke of Lorraine fought under their banners, but at last they were closed in among a company of Englishmen and Welshmen, and there were slain, for all their powers. Also there was slain the earl of Ausser, the earl of Saint Pol and many others.
In the evening the French king, who had left about 110 more than a threescore persons, one and other, whereof Sir
John of Hainault was one, who had remounted once the king, for his horse was slain with an arrow then he said to
the king, "Sir, depart hence, for it is time ; lose not yourself wilfully ; if ye have loss at this time,
ye shall recover it again another season. And so he took the king's horse by the bridle, and led him away in a
manner perforce. Then the king rode till he came to the castle of Broy. The gate was closed, because it was by
that time dark then the king called the captain, who came to the walls and said, "Who is it that calleth there
this time of night ?" Then the king said, "Open your gate quickly, for this is the Fortune of France."
The captain knew that it was the king, and opened the gate, and let down the bridge; then the king entered, and
he had with him but five barons, Sir John of Hainault, Sir Charles of Montmorency, the lord of Bayeux, the lord
of Daubigny, and the lord of Montfort, The king would not tarry there, but drank and departed thence about midnight,
and so rode by such guides as knew the country, till he came in the morning to Amiens, and there he rested. This
Saturday, the Englishmen never departed from their battles for chasing of any man, but kept still their field,
and ever defended themselves against all such as came to assail them. This battle ended about evensong time.
THE SURRENDER OF CALAIS
After that the French king was thus departed from Sandgate, they within Calais saw well how their succour failed them, for the which they were in great sorrow. Then they desired so much their captain Sir John of Vien, that he went to the walls of the town and made a sign to speak with some person of the host. When the king heard thereof, he sent thither Sir Gaultier of Manny and Sir Basset then Sir John of Vien said to them, "Sirs, ye be right valiant knights in deeds of arms, and ye know well how the king my master hath sent me and other to this town, and commanded us to keep it to his behalf in such wise that we take no blame nor to him no damage; and we have done all that lieth in our power. Now our succour hath failed us, and we be so sore strained that we have not to live withal but that we must all die or else enrage for famine, without the noble and gentle king of yours will take mercy on us the which to do we require you to desire him, to have pity on us and let us go and depart as we be, and let him take the town and castle and all the goods therein the which is great abundance." Then Sir Gaultier of Manny said, "Sir, we know somewhat of the intention of the king our master for he hath shewn it to us ; surely know for truth it is not his mind that ye nor they within the town should depart so, for it is his will that ye all should put yourselves into his pure will, to ransom all such as pleaseth him and to put to death such as he list for they of Calais hath done him such contraries and disputes, and hath caused him to spend so much and to lose so many of his men, that he is sore grieved against them." Then the captain said, "Sir, this is too hard a matter to us ; we are here within, a small sort of knights and squires, who have truly served the king our master as well as ye serve yours in like case, and we have endured much pain and uneasiness but we shall yet endure as much pain as ever knights did rather than to consent that the worst lad in the town should have any more evil than the greatest of us all ; therefore, sir, we pray you that of our humility, yet that ye will go and speak to the king of England and desire him to have pity on us, for we trust in him so much gentleness, that by the grace of God his purpose shall change." Sir Gaultier of Manny and Sir Basset returned to the king and declared to him all that had been said. The king said he would none otherwise but that they should yield them up simply to his pleasure. Then Sir Gaultier said, "Sir, saving your displeasure in this, ye may be in the wrong, for ye shall give by this an evil example: if ye send any of us your servants into any fortress, we will not be very glad to go if ye put any of them in the town to death after they be yielded, for in likewise they will deal with us if the case fall like" : the which words divers other lords that were there present sustained and maintained. Then the king said, " Sirs, I will not be alone against you all therefore, Sir Gaultier of Mamtny, ye shall go and say to the captain that all the grace that he shall find now in me is that they let six of the chief burgesses of the town comec out bareheaded, barefooted and barelegged, and in their shirts, with halters about their necks, with the keys of the town and castle in their hands, and let them six yield themselves purely to my will, and the residue I will take to mercy." Then Sir Gaultier returned and found Sir John of Vien still on the wall abiding for an answer then Sir Gaultier shewed him all the grace that he could get of the king. "Well," quoth Sir John, " Sir, I require you tarry here a certain space till I go into the town and shew this to the commons of the town to sent me thither." Then Sir John went into the market place and sounded the common bell. Then incontinent men and women assembled there; then the captain made report of all that he had done, and said, "Sirs, it will he none otherwise ; therefore now take advice and make short answer." Then all the people began to weep and make much sorrow, that there was not so hard a heart if they had seen them but that would have had great pity of them ; the captain himself wept piteously. At last the most rich burgess of all the town, called Eustace of Saint Pierre, rose up and said openly, "Sirs, great and small, great mischief it should he to suffer to die such people as be in this town, either by famine or otherwise, when there is a means to save them I think he or they should have great merit of our Lord God that must keep them from such mischief; as for my part, I have so good trust in our Lord God, that if I die in the quarrel to save the residue, that God would pardon me; wherefore, to save them, I will be the first to put fly life in jeopardy." When he had thus said, every man worshipped him, and divers kneeled down at his feet with sore weeping and sore sighs. Then another honest burgess rose and said, "I will keep company with my gossip Eustace" he was called John Dayre. Then rose up Jacques of Wyssant, who was rich in goods and heritage he said also that he would hold company with his two cousins in likewise so did Peter of Wyssant his brother and then rose two others; they said they would the same. Then they went and apparelled them as the king desired. Them the captain went with them to the gate there was great lamentation made of men women and children at their departing then the gate was opened and he issued out with the VI burgesses and closed the gate again, so that they were between the gate and the barriers. Then he said to Sir Gaultier of Manny, "Sir I deliver here to you as captain of Calais, by the whole consent of all the people of the town, these six burgesses and I swear to you truly that they be and were today most honourable, rich and most notable burgesses of all the town of Calais wherefore, gentle knight I require you pray the king to have mercy on them, that they die not." Quoth, Sir Gaultier, " I cannot say what the king will do but I shall do for them the best I can." Then the barriers were opened, the six burgesses went towards the king, and the captain entered again into the town. When Sir Gaultier presented these burgesses to the king, they kneeled down and held up their hands arid said, "Gentle king, behold here we six who were burgesses of Calais and great merchants: we have brought to you the keys of the town and the castle and we submit ourselves clearly to your will and pleasure, to save the residue of the people of Calais, who have suffered great pain. Sir, we beseech your grace to have mercy and pity on us through your high nobleness " then all the earls and barons, and other that were there, wept for pity.
The king looked fell on them, for greatly he hated the people of Calais, for the great damages and displeasures
they had done for him, on the sea before, Then he commanded their heads to be stricken off. Then every man required
the king for mercy, but he would hear noman in that behalf. Then Sir Gaultier of Manny said, "Ah! noble king,
for God's sake, refrain your courage; ye have the name of sovereign noblesse, therefore now do not a thing that
should blemish your renown, nor to give cause to some to speak of your villainy every man will say it is a great
cruelty to put to death such innocent persons, who by their own wills put themselves into your grace to save their
company." Then the king wryed away from him and commanded to send for the hangman, and said, "They of
Calais have caused many of my men to be slain, wherefore these shall die in likewise." Then the queen, being
great with child, kneeled down and sore weeping, said, "Oh gentle sir, since I passed the sea in great peril
I have desired nothing of you therefore now I humbly require you, in the honour of the Son of the Virgin Mary and
for the love of me, that ye will take mercy of these six burgesses." The king beheld the queen and stood still
in a study a space, and then said, "Oh dame, I would ye had been as now in some other place, ye make such
a request to me that I cannot deny you wherefore I give them to you, to do your pleasure with them." Then
the queen caused them to be brought into her chamber, and made the halters to be taken from their necks, and caused
them to be new clothed, and gave them their dinner at their leisure and then she gave each of them six nobles and
made them to be brought out of the host in safeguard and set at their liberty.
