saint george for england-第49章

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his　knights；　he　rallied　them　and　renewed　the　fight。

While　this　battle　was　raging；　a　not　less　obstinate　fight　was　proceeding　between　the　divisions　of　Lancaster　and　Du　Guesclin。　For　a　long　time　victory　was　doubtful；　and　indeed　inclined　towards　the　side　of　the　French。　The　ranks　of　both　parties　were　broken；　and　all　were　fighting　in　a　confused　mass；　when；　in　the　midst　of　the　melee；　a　body　of　French　and　Spaniards　poured　in　upon　the　banner　of　Chandos。　He　was　struck　to　the　ground；　and　a　gigantic　Castilian　knight　flung　himself　upon　him　and　strove　to　slay　him　as　he　held　him　down。　Chandos　had　lost　sword　and　battle…axe；　but　drawing　his　dagger；　he　held　with　one　hand　his　opponent's　sword…arm；　and　at　last；　after　repeated　strokes　with　his　dagger；　he　found　an　undefended　part　of　his　armour　and　pierced　him　with　his　dagger　to　the　hilt。　The　Spaniard　relaxed　his　hold；　and　Chandos；　throwing　him　off；　struggled　to　his　feet　and　rejoined　his　friends；　who　had　thought　him　dead。　They　now　fought　with　more　enthusiasm　than　ever；　and　at　last；　driving　back　the　main　body　of　the　French　knights；　isolated　a　body　of　some　sixty　strong；　and　forced　them　to　surrender。　Among　these　were　Du　Guesclin　himself；　the　Marshal　D'Audenham；　and　the　Bigue　de　Vilaines。

As　these　were　the　leaders　of　the　division；　the　main　body　lost　spirit　and　fought　feebly；　and　were　soon　completely　routed　by　Lancaster　and　Chandos。　These　now　turned　their　attention　to　the　other　part　of　the　field　where　the　battle　was　still　raging；　and　charged　down　upon　the　flank　of　Don　Henry's　army；　which　was　already　wavering。　The　Spaniards　gave　way　at　once　on　every　side；　and　ere　long　the　whole　were　scattered　in　headlong　rout；　hotly　pursued　by　the　English。　The　greater　portion　fled　towards　the　town　of　Najarra；　where　they　had　slept　the　previous　night；　and　here　vast　quantities　were　slaughtered　by　the　English　and　Gascons。　A　number　of　prisoners　were　taken；　and　the　palace　and　town　sacked。　The　pursuit　was　kept　up　the　whole　day；　and　it　was　not　until　evening　that　the　leaders　began　once　more　to　assemble　round　the　banner　of　the　Prince　of　Wales。　Among　the　last　who　arrived　was　Don　Pedro　himself。　Springing　from　his　charger　he　grasped　the　hand　of　the　Prince　of　Wales；　thanking　him　for　his　victory；　which　he　felt　would　restore　him　to　his　throne。

〃Give　thanks　and　praise　to　God；　and　not　to　me；〃　the　prince　replied；　〃for　from　Him；　and　not　from　me；　you　have　received　victory。〃

About　8000　men　fell　in　the　battle；　the　loss　of　the　English；　French；　and　Spaniards　being　nearly　equal；　but　many　thousands　of　the　latter　fell　in　the　pursuit；　and　as　many　more　were　drowned　in　endeavouring　to　cross　the　river　Ebro。　　Don　Henry　escaped　after　fighting　till　the　last；　and　reaching　the　French　territory　in　safety　took　refuge　in　the　Papal　court　of　Avignon。

Upon　the　morning　after　the　battle　Don　Pedro　requested　the　Black　Prince　to　give　him　up　all　the　Castilian　prisoners；　in　order　that　he　might　put　them　to　death。　　The　prince；　however；　was　always　opposed　to　cruelty；　and　asked　and　obtained　as　a　boon　to　himself　that　the　lives　of　all　the　Spanish　prisoners；　with　the　exception　of　one　whose　conduct　had　been　marked　with　peculiar　treachery；　should　be　spared；　and　even　induced　Pedro　to　pardon　them　altogether　on　their　swearing　fealty　to　him。　Even　Don　Sancho；　Pedro's　brother；　who　had　fought　at　Najarra　under　Don　Henry；　was　received　and　embraced　by　Pedro　at　the　request　of　the　Prince　of　Wales。　　The　city　of　Burgos　at　once　opened　its　gates；　and　the　rest　of　the　country　followed　its　example；　and　resumed　its　allegiance　to　Pedro；　who　remounted　his　throne　without　further　resistance。

As　Walter　had　fought　by　the　side　of　the　Black　Prince　his　desire　to　cross　swords　with　Du　Guesclin　was　not　satisfied；　but　his　valour　during　the　day　won　for　him　the　warm　approbation　of　the　prince。　Opposed　to　them　were　many　of　the　great　companies；　and　these　men；　all　experienced　soldiers　and　many　of　them　Englishmen；　had　fought　with　great　stubbornness。　Walter　had　singled　out　for　attack　a　banner　bearing　the　cognizance　of　a　raven。　The　leader　of　this　band；　who　was　known　as　the　Knight　of　the　Raven；　had　won　for　himself　a　specially　evil　notoriety　in　France　by　the　ferocity　of　his　conduct。　Wherever　his　band　went　they　had　swept　the　country；　and　the　most　atrocious　tortures　had　been　inflicted　on　all　well…to…do　persons　who　had　fallen　into　their　hands；　to　extract　from　them　the　secret　of　buried　hoards　or　bonds；　entailing　upon　them　the　loss　of　their　last　penny。

The　Knight　of　the　Raven　himself　was　said　to　be　as　brave　as　he　was　cruel；　and　several　nobles　who　had　attempted　to　oppose　his　band　had　been　defeated　and　slain　by　him。　He　was　known　to　be　English；　but　his　name　was　a　mystery；　and　the　Black　Prince　and　his　knights　had　long　wished　to　encounter　a　man　who　was　a　disgrace　alike　to　chivalry　and　the　English　name。　When；　therefore；　Walter　saw　his　banner　in　the　king's　division　he　urged　his　horse　towards　it；　and；　followed　by　Ralph　and　some　thirty　men…at…arms；　hewed　his　way　through　the　crowd　until　he　was　close　to　the　banner。

A　knight　in　gray　armour　spurred　forward　to　meet　him；　and　a　desperate　conflict　took　place。

Never　had　Walter　crossed　swords　with　a　stouter　adversary；　and　his　opponent　fought　with　as　much　vehemence　and　fury　as　if　the　sight　of　Walter's　banner；　which　Ralph　carried　behind　him；　had　aroused　in　him　a　frenzy　of　rage　and　hate。　　In　guarding　his　head　from　one　of　his　opponent's　sweeping　blows　Walter's　sword　shivered　at　the　hilt；　but　before　the　Gray　Knight　could　repeat　the　blow　Walter　snatched　his　heavy　battle…axe　from　his　saddle。　The　knight　reined　back　his　horse　for　an　instant；　and　imitated　his　example；　and　with　these　heavy　weapons　the　fight　was　renewed。　The　Knight　of　the　Raven　had　lost　by　the　change；　for　Walter's　great　strength　stood　him　in　good　stead；　and　presently　with　a　tremendous　blow　he　beat　down　his　opponent's　axe　and　cleft　through　his　helmet　almost　to　the　chin。

The　knight　fell　dead　from　his　horse；　and　Walter；　with　his　band　pressing　on；　carried　confusion　into　the　ranks　of　his　followers。　When　these　had　been　defeated　Walter　rode　back　with　Ralph　to　the　spot　where　the　Knight　of　the　Raven　had　fallen。

〃Take　off　his　helmet；　Ralph。　Let　me　see　his　face。　　Methinks　I　recognized　his　voice；　and　he　fought　as　if　he　knew　and　hated　me。〃

Ralph　removed　the　helmet。

〃It　is　as　I　thought；〃　Walter　said；　〃it　is　Sir　James　Carnegie；　a　recreant　and　villain　knight　and　foul　enemy　of　mine；　a　disgrace　to　his　name　and　rank；　but　a　brave　man。　So　long　as　he　lived　I　could　never　say　that　my　life　was　safe　from　his　machinations。　Thank　God；　there　is　an　end　of　him　and　his　evil　doings！〃

Walter　was　twice　wounded　in　the　fight；　but　upon　neither　occasion　seriously；　and　he　was　soon　able　to　take　part　in　the　tournaments　and　games　which　the　Prince　of　Wales　instituted　partly　to　keep　his　men　employed；　partly　for　the　amusement　of　the　citizens　of　Burgos；　outside　whose　walls　his　army　lay　encamped。

The　prince　was　now　obliged　to　remind　the　king　of　his　promise　to　pay　his　troops；　but　nothing　was　farther　from　the　mind　of　the　treacherous　monarch　than　to　carry　out　the　promises　which　he　had　made　in　exile。　He　dared　not；　however；　openly　avow　his　intentions；　but；　trusting　to　the　chapter　of　accidents；　he　told　the　prince　that　at　Burgos　he　could　not　collect　a　sufficient　sum；　but　if　the　army　would　march　into　Leon　and　take　up　their　quarters　near　Valladolid；　he　himself　would　proceed　to　Seville；　and　would　as　soon　as　possible　collect　the　money　which　he　had　bound　himself　to　furnish。　The　plan　was　adopted。　Edward　marched　his　troops　to　Valladolid；　and　Don　Pedro　went　to　Seville。

Some　time　passed　on　without　the　arrival　of　the　promised　money；　and　the　prince　was　impatient　to　return　to　Aquitaine。　　Don　Henry　had　gathered　a　force　in　France；　secretly　assisted　by　the　French　king；　and　had　made　an　inroad　into　Aquitaine；　where　he　obtained　several　successes；　and　was　joined　by　many　of　the　disinterested　nobles　of　that　province。

〃You　were　right；〃　the　prince　said　to　Walter　one　day；　〃this　treacherous　king；　who　owes　his　kingdom　to　us；　intends　to　break　his　plighted　word。　I　know　not　what　to　do；　my　men　are　clamorous　for　their　pay；　and　I　am　unable　to　satisfy　them。　　Don　Pedro　still　sends　fair　promises；　and　although　I　believe　in　my　heart　that　he　has　no　intention　of　keeping　them；　yet　I　can　hardly　march　against　him　as　an　enemy；　for；　however　far　from　the　truth　it　may　be；　his　pretext　that　the　treasury　has　been　emptied　by　his　brother；　and　that　in　the　disturbed　state　of　the　kingdom　no　money　can　be　obtained；　may　yet　be　urged　as　valid。〃

Scarcely　had　the　army　encamped　before　Valladolid　when　a　terrible　pestilence　attacked　the　army。　For　a　while　all　questions　of　pay　were　forgotten；　and　consternation　and　dismay　seized　the　troops。　Neither　rank　nor　station　was　of　avail；　and　the　leaders　suffered　as　severely　as　the　men。　Every　day　immense　numbers　died；　and　so　sudden　were　the　attacks；　and　so　great　the　mortality；　that　the　soldiers　believed　that　Don　Pedro　had　poisoned　the　wells　in　order　to　rid　himself　of　the　necessity　of　fulfilling　his　obligations。

The　Black　Prince　himself　was　prostrated；　and　lay　for　some　time　between　life　and　death。　A　splendid　constitution　enabled　him　to　pull　through；　but　he　arose　from　his　bed　enfeebled　and　shattered；　and　although　for　some　years　he　lived　on；　he　received　his　death…blow　at　Valladolid。　His　personal　strength　never　came　to　him　again；　and　even　his　mind　was　dulled　and　the　brightness　of　his　intellect　dimmed　from　the　effects　of　the　fever。　When　he　recovered　sufficiently　to　inquire　into　the　state　of　his　forces；　he　was　filled　with　sorrow　and　dismay。　Four…fifths　of　the　number　were　either　dead　or　so　weakened　as　to　be　useless　for　service　again。　　The　prince　wrote　urgently　to　Don　Pedro　for　the　money　due；　but　the　king　knew　that　the　English　were　powerless　now；　and　replied　that　he　had　not　been　able　to　collect　the　money；　but　would　forward　it　to　Aquitaine；　if　the　prince　would　return　there　with　his　army。　Edward　knew　that　he　lied；　but　with　only　6000　or　7000　men；　many　of　whom　were　enfeebled　by　disease；　he　was　not　in　a　position　to　force　the　claim；　or　to　punish　the　base　and　ungrateful　king。　Again；　therefore；　he　turned　his　face　north。

Charles　of　Navarre　had　now　allied　himself　with　Don　Henry；　and　refused　to　allow　the　remnants　of　the　army　to　pass　through　his　dominions；　although　he　granted　permission　to　the　prince　himself　and　his　personal　attendants　and　friends。　　The　southern　route　was　barred　by　the　King　of　Arragon；　also　an　ally　of　Don　Henry；　but　with　him　the　prince　was　more　successful。　He　had　a　personal　interview　with　the　monarch；　and　so　influenced　him　that　he　not　only　obtained　permission　for　his　troops　to　pass　through　his　dominions；　but　detached　him　from　his　alliance　with　Don　Henry；　and　induced　him　to　enter　into　a　friendly　treaty　with　Pedro。

A　greater　act　of　magnanimity　was　never　performed。　In　spite　of　the　base　ingratitude　with　which　he　had　been　treated；　and　the　breach　of　faith　which　saddled　him　with　enormous　liabilities　and　debts；　which　weighed　him　down　and　embittered　the　rest　of　his　life；　Edward　remained　faithful　to　the　cause　of　his　father's　ally；　and　did　his　best　to　maintain　him　in　the　position　which　English　valour　had　won　for　him。　He　himself　with　a　few　companions　passed　through　Navarre；　and　arrived　safely　in　Bordeaux；　where　his　wife　awaited　him；　and　where　he　was　received　with　rejoicings　and　festivities　in