One Hundred Merrie And Delightsome Stories Part 5

"Where is your safe-conduct?" asked the Englishman.

"It is not far off," replied the Frenchman. With that he took the safe-conduct, which was in a little box hung at his belt, and handed it to the Englishman, who read it from one end to the other. And, as is customary, there was written on the safe-conduct, "Forbidden to carry any implements of warfare."

The Englishman noted this, and saw that there were _esguillettes_ on the Frenchman's doublet. (**) He imagined that these straps were real implements of war, so he said,

"I make you my prisoner, because you have broken your safe-conduct."

"By my faith, I have not," replied the Frenchman, "saving your grace.

You see in what condition I am."

"No! no!" said the Englishman. "By Saint John you have broken your safe-conduct. Surrender, or I will kill you."

The poor Frenchman, who had only his page with him, and was quite unprovided with weapons, whilst the other was accompanied by three or four archers, did the best thing he could, and surrendered. The Englishman led him to a place near there, and put him in prison.

(*) It had virtually finished, and the English only retained the town of Calais when this tale was written (about 1465) but they had not relinquished their claim to the French Crown, and hostilities were expected to recommence.

(**) _Esguillettes_ were small straps or laces, used to fasten the cuira.s.s to the doublet.

The Frenchman, finding himself thus ill-treated, sent in great haste to his captain, who when he heard his man's case, was greatly and marvellously astonished. Thereupon he wrote a letter to Lord Talbot, and sent it by a herald, to ask how it was that one of his men had been arrested by one of Lord Talbot's men whilst under that general's safe-conduct.

The said herald, being well instructed as to what he was to say and do, left his master, and presented the letters to Lord Talbot. He read them, and caused them to be read also by one of his secretaries before many knights and squires and others of his followers.

Thereupon he flew into a great rage, for he was hot-tempered and irritable, and brooked not to be disobeyed, and especially in matters of war; and to question his safe-conduct made him very angry.

To shorten the story, he caused to be brought before him both the Frenchman and the Englishman, and told the Frenchman to tell his tale.

He told how he had been taken prisoner by one of Lord Talbot's people, and put to ransom;

"And under your safe-conduct, my lord, I was on my way to my friends to procure my ransom. I met this gentleman here, who is also one of your followers, who asked me whither I was going, and if I had a safe-conduct? I told him, yes, and showed it to him. And when he had read it he told me that I had broken it, and I replied that I had not, and that he could not prove it. But he would not listen to me, and I was forced, if I would not be killed on the spot, to surrender. I know of no cause why he should have detained me, and I ask justice of you."

Lord Talbot, when he had heard the Frenchman, was not well content, nevertheless when the latter had finished, my Lord turned to the Englishman and asked,

"What have you to reply to this?"

"My lord," said he, "it is quite true, as he has said, that I met him and would see his safe-conduct, which when I had read from end to end, I soon perceived that he had broken and violated; otherwise I should never have arrested him."

"How had he broken it?" asked Lord Talbot. "Tell me quickly!"

"My Lord, because in his safe-conduct he is forbidden all implements of war, and he had, and has still, real implements of war; that is to say he has on his doublet, buckle-straps, which are real implements of war, for without them a man cannot be armed."

"Ah!" said Lord Talbot, "and so buckle-straps are implements of war are they? Do you know of any other way in which he had broken his safe-conduct?"

"Truly, my lord, I do not," replied the Englishman.

"What, you villain!" said Lord Talbot. "Have you stopped a gentleman under my safe-conduct for his buckle-straps? By St. George, I will show you whether they are implements of war."

Then, hot with anger and indignation, he went up to the Frenchman, and tore from his doublet the two straps, and gave them to the Englishman; then he put a sword in the Frenchman's hand, and drawing his own good sword out of the sheath, said to the Englishman,

"Defend yourself with that implement of war, as you call it, if you know how!"

Then he said to the Frenchman,

"Strike that villain who arrested you without cause or reason, and we shall see how he can defend himself with this implement of war. If you spare him, by St. George I will strike you."

Thus the Frenchman, whether he would or not, was obliged to strike at the Englishman with the sword, and the poor Englishman protected himself as best he could, and ran about the room, with Talbot after him, who made the Frenchman keep striking the other, and cried out;

"Defend yourself, villain, with your implement of war!" In truth, the Englishman was so well beaten that he was nearly dead, and cried for mercy to Talbot and the Frenchman. The latter was released from his ransom by Lord Talbot, and his horse, harness, and all his baggage, were given back to him.

Such was the first judgment of Lord Talbot; there remains to be given an account of the other, which was thus.

He learned that one of his soldiers had robbed a church of the pyx in which is placed the Corpus Domini, and sold it for ready money--I know not for how much, but the pyx was big and fine, and beautifully enamelled.

Lord Talbot, who though he was very brutal and wicked in war, had always great reverence for the Church, and would never allow a monastery or church to be set on fire or robbed, heard of this, and he was very severe on those who broke his regulations.

So he caused to be brought before him the man who had stolen the pyx from the church; and when he came, G.o.d knows what a greeting he had.

Talbot would have killed him, if those around had not begged that his life might be saved. Nevertheless, as he would punish him, he said.

"Rascal traitor! why have you dared to rob a church in spite of my orders?"

"Ah, my lord," said the poor thief, "for G.o.d's sake have mercy upon me; I will never do it again."

"Come here, villain," said Talbot; and the other came up about as willingly as though he were going to the gallows. And the said Lord Talbot rushed at him, and with his fist, which was both large and heavy, struck him on the head, and cried.

"Ha! you thief! have you robbed a church?"

And the other cried,

"Mercy my lord! I will never do it again."

"Will you do it again?"

"No, my lord!"

"Swear then that you will never again enter a church of any kind. Swear, villain!"

"Very good, my lord," said the other.

Then Talbot made the thief swear that he would never set foot in a church again, which made all who were present and who heard it, laugh, though they pitied the thief because Lord Talbot had forbidden him the church for ever, and made him swear never to enter it. Yet we may believe that he did it with a good motive and intention. Thus you have heard the two judgments of Lord Talbot, which were such as I have related to you.

STORY THE SIXTH -- THE DRUNKARD IN PARADISE. [6]

By Monseigneur de Lannoy