the yerthe felled? No sir, quoth the knyght, but he is hardely matched, wherfore he hathe nede of your ayde. Well, sayde the kyng, retourne to hym and to them that sent you hyther, and say to them that they sende no more to me for any aduenture that falleth, as long as my sonne is alyue: and also say to them that they suffre hym this day to wynne his spurres, for if God be pleased I woll this iourney be his, and the honoure therof, and to them that be aboute him. Than the knyght retourned agayn to them and shewed the kynges wordes, the which gretly encouraged them, and repoyned in that they had sende to the kynge as they dyd...

Whan the nyght was come, and that th’Englysshmen herd no more noyse of the frenchemen, than they reputed themselfe to haue the vyctorie and the frenchmen to be dysconfited, slayne and fledde away. Than they made great fyers and lyghted vp torchesse and candelles, bycause it was very darke. Than the kyng auayled downe fro the lytell hyll where as he stode, and of all that day tyll than his helme came neuer off on his heed. Than he went with all his batayle to his sonne the prince, and enbrased hym in his armes and kyst hym, and sayde Fayre sonne, God gyue you good perseuerance, ye ar my good son, thus ye haue aquyted you nobly: ye ar worthy to kepe a realme.

30

Froissart's Chronicles

The Burghers of Calais

FTER that the frenche kyng was thus departed fro Sangate, they within Calays sawe well howe their socoure fayled them, for the whiche they were in great sorrow. Than they desyred so moche their captayn sir John of Vyen, that he went to the walles 8 iourney) day

II repoyned) repented

of the towne, and made a sygne to speke with some person of the hoost. Whan the kyng herde therof, he sende thyder sir Gaultier of Manny, and sir Basset. Than sir John of Vyen sayd to them: Sirs, you be right valyant knyghtes in dedes of armes, and you knowe well howe the kynge my maister hath sende me and other to this towne, and commaunded vs to kepe it to his behofe, in suche wyse that we take no blame nor to hym no dammage; and we haue done all that lyeth in oure power. Nowe our socours hath fayled vs, and we be so sore strayned that we haue nat to lyue withall, but that we muste all dye, or els enrage for famyn, without the noble and gentyl kyng of yours woll take mercy on vs; the which to do we requyre you to desyre hym, to haue pytye on vs, and let vs go and depart as we be, and lette hym take the towne and castell and all the goodes that be therin, the whiche is great habundaunce. Than sir Gaultyer of Manny sayde, Sir, we knowe somwhat of the entencyon of the kynge our maister, for he hath shewed it vnto vs. Surely knowe for trouth it is nat his mynde that ye nor they within the towne shulde depart so, for it is his wyll that ye all shulde put your selfes into his pure wyll to ransome all suche as pleaseth hym and to putte to dethe suche as he lyste, for they of Calays hath done hym suche contraryes and despyghtes, and hath caused hym to dyspende soo moche good, and loste many of his menne, that he is sore greued agaynst them. Than the captayne sayde, Sir, this is to harde a mater to vs, we ar here within a small sorte of knyghtes and squyers, who hath trewely serued the kynge our maister, as well as ye serve yours in like case. And we haue endured moche payne and vnease, but we shall yet 30 sorte) company

endure as moche payne as euer knyghts did rather thanne to consent that the worst ladde in the towne shulde haue any more yuell than the grettest of vs all. Therefore sir we pray you that of your humylité yet that you will go and speke to the kynge of Englande, and desyre hym to haue pytie of vs, for we trust in hym so moche gentylnesse, that by the grace of God his purpose shall chaunge. Sir Gaultier of Manny and sir Basset retourned to the kynge, and declared to hym all that hadde ben sayde: the kynge sayde he wolde none other wyse, but that they shulde yelde theym vp symply to his pleasure. Than sir Gaultyer sayde, Sir, sauyng your dyspleasure in this, ye may be in the wronge, for ye shall gyue by this an yuell ensample: if ye sende any of vs your servaunts into any fortresse, we will nat be very gladde to go, if ye putte any of theym in the towne to dethe after they be yelded, for in lykewise they will deale with vs, if the case fell lyke: the whiche wordes dyuerse other lordes that were there present sustayned and maynteyned. Than the kynge sayde, Sirs, I will nat be alone agaynst you all, therefore sir Gaultyer of Manny ye shall goo and say to the capytayne, that all the grace that they shall fynde nowe in me is, that they lette sixe of the chiefe burgesses of the towne come out bare heded, bare foted, and bare legged, and in their shertes, with haulters about their neckes, with the kayes of the towne and castel in their handes, and lette theym sixe yelde themselfe purely to my wyll, and the resydewe I will take to mercy. Than sir Gaultyer retourned and founde sir John of Vyen styll on the wall abydinge for an answere: than sir

Gaultier shewed hym all the grace that he coulde gette of the kynge. Well, quoth sir Johan, Sir, I requyre you tary here a certayne space tyll I go into the towne

and shewe this to the commons of the towne who sent me hyder. Than sir John went vnto the market place and sowned the common bell: than incontynent men and women assembled there: than the captayne made reporte of all that he had done, and sayde, Sirs, it wyll be none otherwyse, therfore nowe take aduyse and make a shorte aunswere. Thanne all the people beganne to wepe and to make such sorowe that there was nat so hard a hert if they had sene them but that wolde haue had great pytie on theym: the captayne hymselfe wepte pyteously. At last the moost riche burgesse of all the towne called Ewstace of saynt Peters rose vp and sayde openly. Sirs, great and small, great myschiefe it shulde be to suffre to dye suche people as be in this towne, other by famyn or otherwyse, whan there is a meane to saue theym. I thynke he or they shulde haue great merytte of our lorde God that myght kepe theym fro suche myschiefe: and for my parte I haue so good truste in our lorde God that if I dye in the quarel to saue the residewe that God wolde pardone me. Wherefore to saue them I wyll be the first to putte my lyfe in ieopardy. Whan he had thus sayde euery man worshypped hym, and dyuers kneled downe at his fete with sore wepyng and sore sighes. Than another honest burgesse rose and sayde I wyll kepe company with my gossyppe Eustace, he was called John Dayre. Than rose up Jaques of Wyssant, who was riche in goodes and herytage: he sayd also that he wolde holde company with his two cosyns in likwyse : so dyd Peter of Wyssant his brother, and thanne rose two other: they sayde they wolde do the same. Thanne they went and aparelled them as the kynge desyred. . . Whan sir Gaultier presented these burgesses to the kyng they kneled downe and helde vp their handes

and sayd, Gentyll kyng, beholde here we sixe who were burgesses of Calays and great marchantes, we haue brought to you the kayes of the towne and of the castell, and we submyt ourselues clerely into your wyll and pleasure, to saue the resydue of the people of Calays, who haue suffred great payne. Sir, we beseche your grace to haue mercy and pytie on us through your hygh nobles: than all the erles & barownes, and other that were there wept for pytie. The kyng loked felly on theym, for greatly he hated the people of Calys, for the gret damages and dyspleasures they had done to hym on the see before. Than he commaunded their heedes to be stryken off. Than euery man requyred the kyng for mercy, but he wolde here no man in that behalfe. Than sir Gaultier of Manny said A, noble kyng, for Goddes sake refrayn your courage, ye haue the name of souerayn nobles, therfore nowe do nat a thyng that shulde blemysshe your renome, nor to gyue cause to some to speke of you villany, euery man will say it is a great cruelty to put to deth suche honest persons, who by their owne wylles putte themselue into your grace to saue their company. Than the kyng wryed away fro hym, and commaunded to sende for the hangman, and sayd they of Calys hath caused many of my men to be slayne, wherfore these shall dye in like wyse. Than the quene beynge great with chylde, kneled downe & sore wepyng sayd: A, gentyll sir, syth I passed the see in great perill I haue desyred nothyng of you, therfore nowe I humbly requyre you in the honour of the son of the virgyn Mary and for the loue of me, that ye will take mercy of these sixe burgesses. The kyng behelde the quene & stode styll in a study a space, and than sayd, A, dame, I wold 10 felly) fiercely 17 nobles) noblesse. 22 wryed) turned

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