St. George for England: A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers — John Shaqi
St. George for England: A Tale of Cressy and PoitiersHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
St. George for England: A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Great Britain -- History -- Edward III, 1327-1377 -- Fiction
"The ill-feeling between Edward and Philip of Valois had gone on
increasing ever since the former had been compelled to take the oath of
allegiance to the latter, but outwardly the guise of friendship was kept
up, and negotiations went on between the two courts for a marriage
between the little Prince of Wales and Joanna, daughter of the French
king.
"The aid which Philip gave to Bruce increased the bad feeling, and
Edward retaliated for Philip's patronage of Bruce by receiving with the
greatest honor and courtesy Robert of Artois, a great feudatory of
France, who had been banished by King Philip. For a time, although both
countries were preparing for war, peace was not broken, as Edward's
hands were full in Scotland, where Baliol having bestowed immense
possessions upon the English nobles who had assisted him, the country
again rose in favor of Bruce. During the three years that followed King
Edward was obliged several times to go to Scotland to support Baliol,
who held the crown as his feudal vassal. He was always successful in the
field, but directly his army recrossed the frontier the Scotch rose
again. In 1330 a new crusade was preached, and in October of that year
King Philip solemnly received the cross and collected an immense army
nominally for the recovery of Jerusalem. Whether his intentions were
honest or not I cannot say, but certainly King Edward considered that
Philip's real aim in creating so great an army was to attack England.
Whether this was so or not would need a wiser head than mine, Walter, to
tell. Certainly Philip of Valois invited Edward to coöperate with him in
the crusade. The king in reply stated his belief that the preparations
were intended for war in Europe rather than in Asia; but that if the
King of France would agree to conclude a firm league of amity between
the two countries, to restore the castles and towns of Aquitaine, whose
surrender had been frequently promised, but never carried out, and would
bind himself by oath to give no assistance, direct or indirect, to
Scotland, he would join him in his war for the delivery of the Holy
Land.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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