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
Among the circumstances connected with the battle, none is more
interesting than this:--When the fate of the night was decided, Sir
Matthew Redman, an Englishman, and governor of Berwick, spurred his horse
from the field, but was hotly pursued by the Scottish knight, Sir James
Lindsay, and he could not escape, for his panting charger fell under him.
Lindsay dismounted, and the two knights fought well and chivalrously, the
Scotsman with his axe (the favorite weapon of the nation), and the English
knight with his sword. The axe prevailed, and Redman surrendered himself,
rescue or no rescue. He wished to go to Newcastle, and his master (for
such, as we have often seen, was the title of a knight who held another
captive,) permitted him to depart, on his pledging his word of chivalry,
that within three weeks he would meet him at Edinburgh. The knights then
separated; but as Lindsay was returning to the Scottish host, priding
himself on his success, he was surrounded by the Bishop of Durham and a
numerous troop. Some hours before, they had marched purposely to the
succour of Percy; but the clangour of the mêlée had terrified them into a
retreat. They possessed sufficient bravery, however, to take a single and
battle-worn knight. He was led to Newcastle, where he met Sir Matthew
Redman; and these two gallant cavaliers dined right merrily together, and,
after quaffing many a cup of rich wine, to the honour and health of their
mistresses, they arranged with the bishop the conditions of each other's
liberation.[82]
* * * * *
[Sidenote: Reign of Henry IV. Chivalric parley between him and the Duke of
Orleans.]
The reign of Henry IV. of England was not altogether void of chivalric
interest. While Duke of Lancaster he had chosen Louis, Duke of Orleans,
for his brother in chivalry. Each had promised to the other that they
would live in the warmest affection of true friendship. Each vowed to be a
friend and well-wisher to the friends and well-wishers of the other, and
an enemy to his enemies, as became the honour and reputation of both; and
that at all times, and in all places, they would by words and deeds assist
each other in the defence of his person, honour, and estate. These
chivalric engagements between the two Dukes had been made known to the
world in an instrument called a letter of alliance, dated the 17th of
June, 1396.
The friendship lasted during the remainder of the reign of Richard II.;
but the deposition of that monarch was so odious a circumstance, in the
eyes of the court of France, the daughter of whose sovereign Richard had
married, that although no open rupture of the existing truce between the
two nations took place, yet many high-spirited French noblemen made
private war upon the English king.