EMORY UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THE LIFE AND TIMES OF Bertrand du Guesclin, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN: A History of the Fourteenth Century. BY D. F. JAMISON, OK SOUTH CAROLINA. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. CHARLESTON JOHN RUSSELL. MDCCCLXIV. Entered according to the Act of Congress of the Confederate States of America, BY JOHN RUSSELL, In the District Court for the District of South Carolina. IRS^H^^^^^ >ri Bsi^^^^^Kln > iy-*^^^^^|mCS-^l| 3 | ?• 1 p^f^'A^^^^^^^J-n- r '4 M» »^^5ft:'^^>^ ^fljl aS/vJii^tiijQy^ *^Pritt^ ^tt ^^^8Sa lSK^^^>ii ftiC MMftM^^^^^^nS^ CONTENTS OF VOL. IL PAGE CHAPTER L Triumphal progress of Henry from Toledo to Seville. Sir Matthew Goumay at the Portuguese court. Henry discharges the Free Companies I CHAPTER II. Edward the Black Prince. He warmly espouses the cause of Peter the Cruel. Negotiates successfully with Charles the Bad, the king of Navarre, for crossing the Pyrenees at the Pass of Roncesvalles. Makes ample preparation of men and money for the expedition into Spain 9 CHAPTER IIL Henry prepares to resist the invasion of Castille. Bertrand du Guesclin returns to France for additional troops. The Prince of Wales commences his march across the Pyrenees. The Count de Forx 22 CHAPTER IV. The Black Prince crosses the Pyrenees into Spain. Henry resolves, against the advice of Bertrand du Guesclin, to give battle to the invaders. First successes gained by the Castrlians. Battle of Navarrata, or Najaro. Defeat of Henry. Bertrand du Guesclin is taken prisoner 38 CHAPTER V. Trial of the Marechal d' Audeneham, for the breach of a military oath, before a jury of knights. Cruelty and bad faith of Peter after the battle of Navarrata. Quarrel between him arid the Black Prince. Edward leaves Spain in disgust. Henry escapes into Franca obtains aid from Charles V., and returns to Castille 54 vi Contents. PAGE CHAPTER VI. Bertrand du Guesclin is released from captivity on payment of a large ransom. Ha collects troops, and assists the Duke of Anjou in taking the town of Tarascon, in Provence. He crosses the Pyrenees with five hundred lances, and joins Henry at his camp near Toledo 7' CHAPTER VII. Battle of Monteil. Defeat and death of Peter the Cruel 87 CHAPTER VIIL Charles V. is anxious to provoke a quarrel with the English. He entertains an appeal of the nobles of Gascony, who refused to pay a tax imposed on them by the Black Prince 96 CHAPTER IX. Charles V. cites the Black Prince to appear before the Chamber of Peers at Paris, on the appeal of the Gascon nobles. Irritation of the Prince on receiving the summons. Charles declares war against England 108 CHAPTER X. A change in the fortunes of Edward III. The death of Sir John Chandos. Bertrand du Guesclin is recalled from Spain. His first exploits after his return to France 118 CHAPTER XL The sack of Limoges by the Black Prince. Bertrand du Guesclin is created Constable of France 131 CHAPTER XIL Bertrand du Guesclin, vrpon assuming the office of Constable, collects troops and marches against the English. The battle of •Pontvalarn 140 CHAPTER XIII. Results to the French of their success at Pontvalarn. The Black Prince leaves Franca and goes to England. The siege of Mont- Contents. vii PAGE paon. Successes of Bertrand du Guesclin in Poitou and Auvargne. Death of Tiphaine Ravenel, wife of the constable 149 CHAPTER XIV. Saa-fight off Rochalle. The English are unsuccessful both on sea and land. The king of Franca orders new levies of troops. The constable marches into Poitou, and takes the strong castle of Montcontour. St. Severe is carried by storm 161 CHAPTER XV. Voluntary surrender of the city of Poitiers to the French. Capture and imprisonment of the Captal de Buch. Important conquests of the French in Poitou, Saintonge, and Angoumois. Surrender ofRochelle 178 CHAPTER XVI. The constable takes the castles of Banon, Marant, and Surgieres, near Rochelle, and the town of Fontanay-la-Comte. Secret negotiations between the Duke of Brittany and the king of England. The constable lays siege to Thouars. Unsuccessful attempt of Edward III. to relieve it 193 CHAPTER XVII. The constable invades Brittany. Campaign of 1373. Battle of Chizey. Defeat and capture of Sir John Deveraaux. The con­ stable takes Niort. Flattering reception of the constable, by both king and people, on his return to Paris 204 CHAPTER XVIII. The king of France resolves to drive the Duke of Brittany from his duchy. The constable invades Brittany with a large force, and compels tha duke to take refuge in England. The sieges of Brest and Darval . 217 CHAPTER XIX. Invasion of France by the English, under the Dukes of Lancaster and Brittany. The king of France adopts a policy wholly defensive. Fruitless results of the expedition 230 viii Contettts. PAGE CHAPTER XX. Efforts of the Pope to make peace between the kings of France and England. Success of the French under the constable in Gascony. The Duke of Brittany obtains troops from Edward IIL, and returns to his duchy. Narrow escape of De Clisson and other Breton lords 241 CHAPTER XXI. The legates of the Pope prolong the truce between France and England for another year. Death of Edward the Black Prince. Charles V- prepares to invade England by sea. Death of Edward III. Coronation of Richard II. Success of tha French arms in Picardy and Aquitaine 259 CHAPTER XXII. Charles V. resolves to drive the king of Navarre out of his posses­ sions in Normandy. Assassination of Evan of Wales. Unsuc­ cessful attempt of the English to invade France, under the Duke of Lancaster and the Earl of Cambridge. The constable lays siege to Cherbourg 273 CHAPTER XXIII. The king of France resolves to annex the duchy of Brittany to the domains of the crown.. He obtains a decree of the Parliament of Paris against the Duke of Brittany. Opposition of the Bretons to the measure 291 CHAPTER XXIV. The king of France entertains suspicions of the loyalty of the constable. Indignation of the constable at the imputation that he was an adherent of tha Duke of Brittany. He tenders to the king the sword of his office. He is sent to the south of France. His death 006 CHAPTER I. TriumpJtal progress of Henry from Toledo to Seville. Sir Matthew Goumay at the Portuguese court. Henry discharges the Free Companies. HE passage of Henry into Andalucia was a triumphal march. At Cordova he was received with great demonstrations of joy ; and the pre­ parations for his reception at Seville were on so grand a scale, that, although he arrived very early in the morning at the gates of the city, so great was the crowd assembled from all quarters to do him honour, that it was past three o'clock in the afternoon before he was able to enter the palace. The example of Cordova and Seville, in their manifestations of respect and submission, was followed by all the other towns of Andalucia, and even Mohammed, the Moorish king of Granada, the friend and ally of Peter, sent to offer willing terms of peace.* Henry hearing, while at Seville, that Peter had entered the kingdom of Portugal, was anxious to know upon what terms he had been received at the Portuguese court; where­ upon he was advised by Bertrand du Guesclin to send an envoy to Lisbon, and learn, from the king of Portugal him­ self, if he designed to give aid to Peter in the pending quarrel. This suggestion was adopted; and Sir Matthew * Ayala, Cronica del Rey Don Pedro, p. 421. VOL. II. 2 Life and Times of [Chap. i. Gournay, an English knight in the service of Henry, was, at his own instance, appointed on the embassy. Gournay made speedy preparations for the expedition, and set out, with a retinue of ten persons, for Lisbon. Upon his arrival at that city, he learnt from his host, at an inn, that Peter the Cruel had already passed through Portugal into Galicia, and gone to seek the aid of the Prince of Wales. Sir Matthew, however, repaired to the palace, where he was recognised by a squire attached to the court, who had served with him at the battle of Poitiers, and who intro­ duced him to the king. He found the latter making prepara­ tions for celebrating the nuptials of a noble knight with one of his own kinswomen. At this interview the king opened the conversation by a kind inquiry about Bertrand du Gues­ clin, the Begue de Villaines, and the Mardchal d'Audeneham ; and expressed the opinion that Peter had been wrongfully driven from his kingdom. The English knight maintained the contrary, and then exposed the object of his mission, which was to know if the king of Portugal designed to aid Peter in his contest with Henry for the crown of Castille. To this inquiry the king replied that he had determined not to involve himself in any war, or to mix himself in Peter's affairs. Sir Matthew, having expressed his satisfaction at this resolution of the king, was seated at table, where he was very courteously treated and served. At the sumptuous entertainment which followed this interview, his more cul­ tivated taste being offended at the noise made by the musicians, Sir Matthew Gournay said to the king, with a smile :— " The minstrels in France and England are not so merry as these." " I have two minstrels," quickly replied the king, " the like of whom are not to be found in the east. The king of Chap.