The History of Chivalry; Or, Knighthood and Its Times, Volume 2 (of 2) — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The History of Chivalry; Or, Knighthood and Its Times, Volume 2 (of 2)
John Stuart Mill · en
Then the Lombard kneeled down, and said, "Noble King, I cry you mercy: it
is true what you say; but, Sir, the bargain may well be broken, for as yet
I have received never a penny."
The King, who had warmly loved the governor, replied, "Amery, I will that
thou goest forward in thy bargain, and the day that thou appointest to
deliver the town, let me have knowledge thereof before; and on this
condition I forgive thee thy trespass."
Accordingly Amery returned to Calais, and continued the negotiation with
Lord Geffray Charney. It was finally agreed between them that the
surrender of Calais should take place on the night of the new year; and
the governor, faithful to his allegiance, communicated the progress of the
plot to Edward. The King immediately rode from London to Dover, with three
hundred men-at-arms, and six hundred archers, and, crossing the sea, he
reached Calais in the evening, and secretly lodged his men in the chambers
and towers of the castle. He did not wish to head the emprise himself; and
selecting Sir Walter Manny from his gallant band, as the prowest
chevalier, he told him that he and his son, the Prince, would fight under
his banner.
When the time for surrendering Calais approached, the Lord Geffray, having
heard from Amery that matters were ripe, advanced from Arras, and sent
before him twelve knights, and an hundred men-at-arms, to take possession
of the castle. Amery admitted them over the bridge of the postern,
receiving, at the same time, a bag containing twenty thousand crowns, the
price of his treachery. He led the soldiers towards the donjon of the
castle; and immediately King Edward and an hundred men, with swords and
axes, furiously poured from it, shouting the war-cry, "Manny, Manny, to
the rescue!" The Frenchmen were panic-struck by this wild sweep of war,
and incontinently yielded themselves prisoners. Edward advanced to the
Boulogne gate, where he found the Lord Geffray, who was anxiously
expecting it to be opened; and his companions were driving away the
tedious moments, by supposing that Amery, like a subtle and suspicious
Lombard, was busy in counting his crowns.
The cry, "Manny to the rescue!" disturbed their jocularity, and grasping
their swords they saw a band of armed men issuing from the gate. In an
instant the King, the Black Prince, the Staffords, the Suffolks, the
Salisburys, the Beauchamps, the Berkeleys, all the pride and flower of
English chivalry stood before them. The Frenchmen did not decline the
combat; and it was chivalrously maintained till a winter's return of morn.
The English were finally victors. Of the single combats in which the
cavaliers signalised their valiancy, the fiercest occurred between the
King and the Lord Eustace of Rybamount, a strong and hardy knight. Twice
was Edward struck on his knees; but at last Eustace was worsted; and he
yielded his sword to the King, saying, not knowing his royal quality, "Sir
Knight, I yield me your prisoner."