saint george for england-第34节

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lf　as　legitimate　King　of　France；　was　established　upon　a　firmer　basis　than　ever。

This　course　had　the　effect　which　he　had　anticipated　from　it。　The　people　of　Flanders　perceived　the　danger　and　disadvantage　which　must　accrue　to　their　trade　from　any　permanent　disagreement　with　England。　They　were　convinced　by　the　events　which　soon　afterwards　happened　in　France　that　the　King　of　England　had　more　power　than　Phillip　of　Valois；　and　could；　if　he　chose；　punish　severely　any　breach　of　faith　towards　him。　They　therefore　sent　over　commissioners　to　express　their　grief　and　submission。　The　death　of　Artevelde　was　represented　as　the　act　of　a　frantic　mob；　and　severe　fines　were　imposed　upon　the　leaders　of　the　party　who　slew　him；　and　although　the　principal　towns　expressed　their　desire　still　to　remain　under　the　rule　of　the　Count　of　Flanders；　they　suggested　that　the　ties　which　bound　them　to　England　should　be　strengthened　by　the　marriage　of　Louis；　eldest　son　of　the　count；　to　one　of　Edward's　daughters。　　More　than　this；　they　offered　to　create　a　diversion　for　the　English　forces　acting　in　Guienne　and　Gascony　by　raising　a　strong　force　and　expelling　the　French　garrisons　still　remaining　in　some　parts　of　the　country。　This　was　done。　　Hugo　of　Hastings　was　appointed　by　the　king　captain…　general　in　Flanders；　and　with　a　force　of　English　and　Flemings　did　good　service　by　expelling　the　French　from　Termond　and　several　other　towns。



The　character　of　Jacob　van　Artevelde　has　had　but　scant　justice　done　to　it　by　most　of　the　historians　of　the　time。　These；　living　in　an　age　of　chivalry；　when　noble　blood　and　lofty　deeds　were　held　in　extraordinary　respect；　had　little　sympathy　with　the　brewer　of　Ghent；　and　deemed　it　contrary　to　the　fitness　of　things　that　the　chivalry　of　France　should　have　been　defied　and　worsted　by　mere　mechanics　and　artisans。　But　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　Artevelde　was　a　very　great　man。　He　may　have　been　personally　ambitious；　but　he　was　a　true　patriot。　　He　had　great　military　talents。　He　completely　remodelled　and　wonderfully　improved　the　internal　administration　of　the　country；　and　raised　its　commerce；　manufactures；　and　agriculture　to　a　pitch　which　they　had　never　before　reached。　　After　his　death　his　memory　was　esteemed　and　revered　by　the　Flemings；　who　long　submitted　to　the　laws　he　had　made；　and　preserved　his　regulations　with　scrupulous　exactitude。

Edward　now　hastened　to　get　together　a　great　army。　　Every　means　were　adopted　to　raise　money　and　to　gather　stores；　and　every　man　between　sixteen　and　sixty　south　of　the　Trent　was　called　upon　to　take　up　arms　and　commanded　to　assemble　at　Portsmouth　in　the　middle　of　Lent。　A　tremendous　tempest；　however；　scattered　the　fleet　collected　to　carry　the　expedition；　a　great　many　of　the　ships　were　lost；　and　it　was　not　until　the　middle　of　July；　1346；　that　it　sailed　from　England。

It　consisted　of　about　500　ships　and　10；000　sailors；　and　carried　4000　men…at…　arms；　10；000　archers；　12；000　Welsh；　and　6000　Irish。

This　seems　but　a　small　army　considering　the　efforts　which　had　been　made；　but　it　was　necessary　to　leave　a　considerable　force　behind　for　the　defence　of　the　Scottish　frontier；　and　England　had　already　armies　in　Guienne　and　Brittany。　　Lionel；　Edward's　second　son；　was　appointed　regent　during　his　father's　absence。　　On　board　Edward's　own　ship　were　Godfrey　of　Harcourt　and　the　Prince　of　Wales。　　Walter；　as　one　of　the　personal　squires　of　the　prince；　was　also　on　board。

The　prince　had　been　greatly　interested　in　the　details　of　Walter's　escape　from　Van　Artevelde's　house；　the　king　himself　expressed　his　approval　of　his　conduct；　and　Walter　was　generally　regarded　as　one　of　the　most　promising　young　aspirants　to　the　court。　His　modesty　and　good　temper　rendered　him　a　general　favourite；　and　many　even　of　the　higher　nobles　noticed　him　by　their　friendly　attentions；　for　it　was　felt　that　he　stood　so　high　in　the　goodwill　of　the　prince　that　he　might　some　day　become　a　person　of　great　influence　with　him；　and　one　whose　goodwill　would　be　valuable。

It　was　generally　supposed；　when　the　fleet　started；　that　Guienne　was　their　destination；　but　they　had　not　gone　far　when　a　signal　was　made　to　change　the　direction　in　which　they　were　sailing　and　to　make　for　La　Hogue　in　Normandy。　Godfrey　of　Harcourt　had　great　influence　in　that　province；　and　his　persuasions　had　much　effect　in　determining　the　king　to　direct　his　course　thither。　There　was　the　further　advantage　that　the　King　of　France；　who　was　well　aware　of　the　coming　invasion；　would　have　made　his　preparations　to　receive　him　in　Guienne。　　Furthermore；　Normandy　was　the　richest　and　most　prosperous　province　in　France。　It　had　for　a　long　time　been　untouched　by　war；　and　offered　great　abundance　of　spoil。　　It　had　made　itself　particularly　obnoxious　to　the　English　by　having　recently　made　an　offer　to　the　King　of　France　to　fit　out　an　expedition　and　conquer　England　with　its　own　resources。



The　voyage　was　short　and　favourable；　and　the　expedition　landed　at　La　Hogue；　on　the　small　peninsula　of　Cotentin；　without　opposition。　Six　days　were　spent　at　La　Hogue　disembarking　the　men；　horses；　and　stores；　and　baking　bread　for　the　use　of　the　army　on　the　march。　A　detachment　advanced　and　pillaged　and　burnt　Barileur　and　Cherbourg　and　a　number　of　small　towns　and　castles。

In　accordance　with　custom；　at　the　commencement　of　the　campaign　a　court　was　held；　at　which　the　Prince　of　Wales　was　dubbed　a　knight　by　his　father。　A　similar　honour　was　bestowed　upon　a　number　of　other　young　aspirants；　among　whom　was　Walter　Somers；　who　had　been　highly　recommended　for　that　honour　to　the　king　by　Sir　Walter　Manny。

The　force　was　now　formed　into　three　divisions　…　the　one　commanded　by　the　king　himself；　the　second　by　the　Earl　of　Warwick；　and　the　third　by　Godfrey　of　Harcourt。　The　Earl　of　Arundel　acted　as　Lord　High　Constable；　and　the　Earl　of　Huntingdon；　who　was　in　command　of　the　fleet；　followed　the　army　along　the　sea…　coast。　Valognes；　Carentan；　and　St。　　Lo　were　captured　without　difficulty；　and　the　English　army　advanced　by　rapid　marches　upon　Caen；　plundering　the　country　for　six　or　seven　leagues　on　each　side　of　the　line　of　march。　An　immense　quantity　of　booty　was　obtained。　As　soon　as　the　news　of　Edward's　landing　in　Normandy　reached　Paris；　Phillip　despatched　the　Count　d'Eu；　Constable　of　France；　with　the　Count　of　Tankerville　and　600　men…at…arms；　to　oppose　Edward　at　Caen。　The　Bishop　of　Bayeux　had　thrown　himself　into　that　city；　which　was　already　garrisoned　by　300　Genoese。　　The　town　was　not　defensible；　and　the　only　chance　of　resistance　was　by　opposing　the　passage　of　the　river　Horn；　which　flowed　between　the　suburbs　and　the　city。　　The　bridge　was　barricaded；　strong　wooden　towers　were　erected；　and　such　was　the　confidence　of　the　inhabitants　and　their　leaders　that　Edward's　promise　of　protection　for　the　person　and　property　of　the　citizens　was　rejected　with　scorn；　and　the　whole　male　population　joined　the　garrison　in　the　defence　of　the　bridge。　　Marching　through　the　deserted　suburbs　the　English　army　attacked　the　bridge　with　such　vehemence　that　although　the　enemy　defended　the　barricades　gallantly　they　were　speedily　forced；　and　the　English　poured　into　the　town。　　Before　the　first　fury　of　the　attack　was　over　near　5000　persons　were　slain。　The　Count　of　Tankerville；　140　knights；　and　as　many　squires　were　made　prisoners。　The　plunder　was　so　enormous　as　to　be　sufficient　to　cover　the　whole　expenses　of　the　expedition；　and　this　with　the　booty　which　had　been　previously　acquired　was　placed　on　board　ship　and　despatched　to　England；　while　the　king　marched　forward　with　his　army。　　At　Lisieux　he　was　met　by　two　cardinals　sent　by　the　pope　to　negotiate　a　truce；　but　Edward　had　learned　the　fallacy　of　truces　made　with　King　Phillip；　and　declined　to　enter　into　negotiations。　Finding　that　Rouen　had　been　placed　in　a　state　of　defence　and　could　not　be　taken　without　a　long　siege　he　left　it　behind　him　and　marched　along　the　valley　of　the　Eure；　gathering　rich　booty　at　every　step。

But　while　he　was　marching　forward　a　great　army　was　gathering　in　his　rear。　The　Count　of　Harcourt　brother　of　Godfrey；　called　all　Normandy　to　arms。　Every　feudal　lord　and　vassal　answered　to　the　summons；　and　before　Edward　reached　the　banks　of　the　Seine　a　formidable　army　had　assembled。

The　whole　of　the　vassals　of　France　were　gathering　by　the　orders　of　the　king　at　St。　Denis。　The　English　fleet　had　now　left　the　coast；　and　Edward　had　only　the　choice　of　retreating　through　Normandy　into　Brittany　or　of　attempting　to　force　the　passage　of　the　Seine；　and　to　fight　his　way　through　France　to　Flanders。　He　chose　the　latter　alternative；　and　marched　along　the　left　bank　of　the　river　towards　Paris；　seeking　in　vain　to　find　a　passage。　The　enemy　followed　him　step　by　step　on　the　opposite　bank；　and　all　the　bridges　were　broken　down　and　the　fords　destroyed。

Edward　marched　on；　burning　the　towns　and　ravaging　the　country　until　he　reached　Poissy。　The　bridge　was　as　usual　destroyed；　but　the　piles　on　which　it　stood　were　still　standing；　and　he　determined　to　endeavour　to　cross　here。　　He　accordingly　halted　for　five　days；　but　despatched　troops　in　all　directions；　who　burned　and　ravaged　to　the　very　gates　of　Paris。　　The　villages　of　St。　Germain；　St。　Cloud；　Bourg　la　Reine；　and　many　others　within　sight　of　the　walls　were　destroyed；　and　the　capital　itself　thrown　into　a　state　of　terror　and　consternation。