Introduction To Algorithms Third Edition

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Introduction To Algorithms Third
Edition

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 Introduction To
Algorithms Third Edition

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.
accomplished, and this caused their companions not to labour or
exert themselves in vain. I would not, therefore, he should find me
so great a defaulter in this respect as to banish me from his court,
and, consequently, shall remain here until the eighth day of this
present month of May, ready, with the aid of God, of St George and
of St Anthony, to deliver you, so that your lady and mine may know
that, out of respect to them, I am willing to ease you of your
penance, which, according to the tenor of your letter, you have
suffered a long time, and have sufficient reason for wishing to be
relieved from it.
‘After the above-mentioned period, should you be unwilling to come,
I intend, under God’s pleasure, to return to England, to our ladies,
where I hope to God that knights and esquires will bear witness that
I have not misbehaved toward the god of love, to whom I
recommend my lady and yours, hoping he will not be displeased
with them for any thing that may have happened.—Written at Calais,
and sealed with my arms, the 2d day of May 1401.’

THE ANSWERS THE ARRAGONIAN ESQUIRE SENT TO

THE LETTERS OF THE ENGLISH KNIGHT.
‘To the most noble personage sir John Prendergast, knight,
‘I Michel d’Orris, esquire, native of the kingdom of Arragon, make
known, that from the ardent and courageous desire I have had, and
always shall have so long as it may please God to grant me life, to
employ my time in arms, so suitable to every gentleman; knowing
that in the kingdom of England there were very many knights of
great prowess, who, in my opinion, had been too long asleep, to
awaken them from their indolence, and to make acquaintance with
some of them, I attached to my leg a part of a greve, vowing to
wear it until I should be delivered by a knight of that country, and, in
consequence, wrote my challenge at Paris, the 27th day of May in
the year 1400, and which was carried by the poursuivant Aly, as your
letters, dated the 11th of December, from Calais, testify.
‘I thank you for what is contained at the commencement of your
said letter, since you seem willing to deliver me from the pain I am
in, as your gracious expressions testify; and you declare you have
long been desirous of making acquaintance with some valiant man
of France. That you may not be ignorant who I am, I inform you that
I am a native of the kingdom of Arragon, not that myself nor any
greater person may claim a superior rank from having been born in
France; for although no one can reproach the French with any
disgraceful act, or with any thing unbecoming a gentleman, or that
truth would wish to hide, yet no honest man should deny his
country. I therefore assure you, that I have had, and shall continue
to have, the same desire for the fulfilment of my engagement,
according to the proposals contained in my letter, until it be perfectly
accomplished.
‘It is true that I formed this enterprise while living in Arragon; but
seeing I was too far distant from England for the speedy
accomplishment of it, I set out for Paris, where I staid a very
considerable time after I had sent off my challenge.
‘Business[19] respecting my sovereign lord the king of Arragon forced
me to leave France; and I returned very melancholy to my own
country, and surprised at the dilatoriness of so many noble knights in
the amusement I offered them, for I had not any answer during the
space of two years that I was detained in Arragon from the quarrels
of my friends.
‘I then took leave of my lord, and returned to Paris to learn
intelligence respecting my challenge. I there found, at the hôtel of
the lord de Gaucourt, in the hands of Jean d’Olmedo his esquire,
your letters, which had been brought thither after my departure for
Arragon. Why they were brought hither after I had set out, I shall
not say any thing, but leave every one to judge of the circumstance
as he may please. Your letter has much astonished me, as well as
other knights and esquires who have seen it, considering your good
reputation in chivalry and strict observance of the laws of arms: you
now wish to make alterations in the treaty, without the advice of any
one, yourself choosing the judge of the field, and fixing the place of
combat according to your pleasure and advantage, which, as every
one knows, is highly improper. In regard to the other letters that
were found lying at the hôtel de Gaucourt at Paris, underneath is the
answer to them.’

CONCLUSION OF THE SECOND LETTER OF THE

ARRAGONIAN ESQUIRE.
‘In answer to the first part of your letter, wherein you say you have
sent me letters and a passport to fulfil my engagement in arms, at
the place and on the day that you have been pleased to fix on,—
know for certain, and on my faith, that I have never received other
letters than those given me at the hôtel de Gaucourt the 12th day of
March, nor have I ever seen any passport. Doubtless, had I received
your letters, you would very speedily have had my answers,—for it is
the object nearest my heart to have this deed of arms accomplished;
and for this have I twice travelled from my own country, a distance
of two hundred and fifty leagues, at much inconvenience and great
expense, as is well known.
‘In your letters, you inform me, that you have fixed on Calais as the
place where our meeting should be held in the presence of the noble
and puissant prince the earl of Somerset; and afterward your letters
say, that as he was otherwise occupied, your sovereign lord the king
of England, at your request, had nominated sir Hugh Lutrellier,
lieutenant to the earl of Somerset in his government of Calais, judge
between us, without ever having had my consent, or asking for it,
which has exceedingly, and with just cause, astonished me,—for
how could you, without my permission, take such advantages as to
name the judge of the field and fix on the place of combat?
‘It seems to me, that you are very unwilling to lose sight of your own
country; and yet our ancestors, those noble knights who have left us
such examples to follow, never acquired any great honours in their
own countries, nor were accustomed to make improper demands,
which are but checks to gallant deeds.
‘I am fully aware, that you cannot be so ignorant as not to know that
the choice of the judge, and of the time and place of combat, must
be made with the mutual assent of the two parties; and if I had
received your letters, you should sooner have heard this from me.
‘With regard to what you say, that you are ignorant whether the god
of love have banished me from his court, because I had absented
myself from France, where my first letter was written, and whether
he have caused me to change my mind,—I make known to you, that
assuredly, without any dissembling, I shall never, in regard to this
combat, change my mind so long as God may preserve my life; nor
have there ever been any of my family who have not always acted in
such wise as became honest men and gentlemen. When the
appointed day shall come, which, through God’s aid, it shall shortly,
unless it be by your own fault, I believe you will need good courage
to meet a man whom you have suspected of having retracted his
word. I therefore beg such expressions may not be used, as they are
unproductive of good, and unbecoming knights and gentlemen, but
attend solely to the deeds of arms of which you have given me
hopes.
‘I make known to you, that it has been told me that you entered the
lists at Calais alone as if against me, who was ignorant of every
circumstance, and three hundred leagues distant from you. If I had
acted in a similar way to you in the country where I then was (which
God forbid), I believe my armour would have been little the worse
for it, and my lances have remained as sound as yours were. You
would undoubtedly have won the prize. I must, in truth, suppose,
that this your extraordinary enterprise was not undertaken with the
mature deliberation of friends, nor will it ever be praised by any who
may perchance hear of it. Not, however, that I conclude from this
that you want to make a colourable show by such fictions, and avoid
keeping the promise you made of delivering me;—and I earnestly
entreat you will fulfil the engagement you have entered into by your
letters to me, for on that I rest my delight and hope of deliverance.
‘Should you not be desirous of accomplishing this, I have not a
doubt but many english knights would have engaged so to do, had
you not at first undertaken it. Make no longer any excuses on
account of the letters you have sent me, for I have explained
wherein the fault lay. I am ready to maintain and defend my honour;
and as there is nothing I have written contrary to truth, I wish not to
make any alteration in what I have said.
‘Because I would not be so presumptuous to make choice of a place
without your assent, I offer the combat before that most excellent
and sovereign prince my lord the king of Arragon, or before the
kings of Spain[20], Portugal or Navarre; and should none of these
princes be agreeable to you to select as our judge, to the end that I
may not separate you far from your country, your lady and mine, to
whose wishes I will conform to the utmost of my power, I am ready
to go to Boulogne on your coming to Calais,—and then the
governors of these two places, in behalf of each of us, shall appoint
the proper time and place for the fulfilment of our engagement
according to the terms of my letter, which I am prepared to
accomplish, with the aid of God, of our Lady, of my lord St Michael
and my lord St George.
‘Since I am so very far from my native country, I shall wait here for
your answer until the end of the month of August next ensuing; and
in the mean time, out of compliment to you, I shall no longer wear
the stump of the greve fastened to my leg, although many have
advised to the contrary. The month of August being passed without
hearing satisfactorily from you, I shall replace the greve on my leg,
and shall disperse my challenge throughout your kingdom, or
wherever else I may please, until I shall have found a person to
deliver me from my penance. That you may place greater confidence
in what I have written, I have put to these letters the seal of my
arms, and to the parts marked A, B, C, my sign manual, which parts
were done and written at Paris the 4th day of September 1401.’

THE CHALLENGE OF THE ARRAGONIAN ESQUIRE.

‘In the name of the holy Trinity, the blessed virgin Mary, of my lord
St Michael the archangel, and of my lord St George,—I, Michel
d’Orris, esquire, a native of the kingdom of Arragon, make known to
all the knights of England, that, to exalt my name and honour, I am
seeking deeds of arms.
‘I know full well, that a noble chivalry exists in England,—and I am
desirous of making acquaintance with the members of it, and
learning from them feats of arms. I therefore require from you, in
the name of knighthood, and by the thing you love most, that you
will deliver me from my vow by such deeds of arms as I shall
propose.
‘First, to enter the lists on foot, and perform the deeds specified in
my first letter; and I offer, in order to shorten the matter, to show
my willingness and diligence to present myself before your governor
of Calais within two months after I shall have received your answer
sealed with the seal of your arms, if God should grant me life and
health. And I will likewise send, within these two months, the two
helmets, two saddles, and the measure of the staves to the battle-
axes and spears.
‘I beg of that knight, who, from good will, may incline to deliver me,
to send me a speedy, honourable, and agreeable answer, such as I
shall expect from such noble personages. Have forwarded to me a
good and sufficient passport for myself and my companions, to the
number of thirty-five horses, at the same time with your answer, by
Longueville, the bearer of this letter; and that it may have the
greater weight, I have signed it with my sign manual, and sealed it
with my arms, dated Paris, the 1st day of January, 1402.’

THE FOURTH LETTER OF THE ARRAGONIAN ESQUIRE.

‘To the honour of God, Father of all things, and the blessed virgin
Mary, his mother, whose aid I implore, that she would, through her
grace, comfort and assist me to the fulfilment of the enterprise I
have formed against all english knights,—I Michel d’Orris, a native of
the kingdom of Arragon, proclaim, as I have before done in the year
1400, like as one abstracted from all cares, having only the
remembrance before me of the great glories our predecessors in
former times acquired from the excellent prowess they displayed in
numberless deeds of arms; and longing in my heart to gain some
portion of their praise, I made dispositions to perform some deeds of
arms with such english knight who by his prowess might deliver me
from my vow. My challenge was accepted by a noble and honourable
personage called sir John Prendergast, an english knight, as may be
seen by the letters I have received from him. And that the
conclusion I draw may be clearly seen, I have incorporated my
letters with the last letters the said sir John Prendergast has lately
sent me, as they include every circumstance relative to the fact.
These letters, with my third letter, I sent back by Berry king at arms
to Calais, to be delivered to sir John Prendergast.
‘The herald, on his return, brought me for answer, that he had been
told by the most potent prince the earl of Somerset, governor of
Calais, that he had, within the month of August, sent answers to my
former letters to Boulogne, although the enterprise had not been
completed. In honour, therefore, to this excellent prince, the
governor of Calais, who through humility had taken charge to send
the letters to Boulogne (as reported to me by the king at arms), by
Faulcon king at arms in England, and in honour of chivalry, and that
on no future occasion it may be said I was importunately pressing in
my pursuit, I have waited for the space of one month after the
expiration of the above term, for the delivery of this answer; and
that my willingness and patience may be notorious, and approved by
every one, I have hereafter inserted copies of all my letters. If,
therefore, you do not now deliver me, I shall no more write to
England on this subject,—for I hold your conduct as very
discourteous and ungentlemanly, when you have so often received
my request, as well by the poursuivant Aly, at present called
Heugueville, in the letters delivered by him in England in the year
1401, as by other similar ones presented you by the poursuivant
Graville, reciting my first general challenge, drawn up at the hôtel of
my lord de Gaucourt at Plessis, the 12th day of May 1402, and by
other letters sent by me to you by Berry king at arms, and which
were received by that most potent prince the earl of Somerset,
governor of Calais, written at Paris the 22d day of July 1402, which
is apparent by these presents, and by my other letters written from
Paris the 12th day of June 1403, which are here copied, presented
by the herald Heugueville, to the most potent prince the earl of
Somerset, governor of Calais. To all which letters I have not found
any one knight to send me his sealed answer and acceptance of my
propositions.
‘I may therefore freely say, that I have not met with any fellowship
or friendship where so much chivalry abounds as in the kingdom of
England, although I have come from so distant a country, and
prosecuted my request for nearly two years; and that I must
necessarily return to my own country without making any
acquaintance with you, for which I have a great desire, as is clear
from the tenor of all my letters. Should I thus depart from you
without effecting my object, I shall have few thanks to give you,
considering the pain I am suffering, and have suffered for so long a
time. If I do not receive an answer from you within fifteen days after
the date of this present letter, my intention is, under the good
pleasure of God, of our Lady, of my lords St Michael and St George,
to return to my much-redoubted and sovereign lord the king of
Arragon. Should you, within fifteen days, have any thing to write to
me, I shall be found at the hôtel of my lord the provost of Paris.
‘I have nothing more to add, but to entreat you will have me in your
remembrance, and recollect the pain I am suffering. To add
confidence to this letter, I have signed it with my sign manual, and
sealed it with the seal of my arms. I have also caused copies to be
made of our correspondence, marked A, B, C, one of which I have
retained. Written at Paris, the 10th day of May, 1403.’
In consequence of this letter, Perrin de Loharent, sergeant at arms
to the king of England, calling himself a proxy in this business for the
english knight, sent an answer to the esquire of Arragon, conceived
in such terms as these:
‘To the most noble esquire, Michel d’Orris. I signify to you, on the
part of my lord John Prendergast, that if you will promptly pay him
all the costs and charges he has been at to deliver you by deeds of
arms, according to the proposals in your letter, which deeds have not
been accomplished from your own fault, he will cheerfully comply
with your request; otherwise know, that he will not take any further
steps towards it, nor suffer any knight or esquire, on this side of the
sea, to deliver you, or send you any answer to your letter. If,
however, you send him five hundred marcs sterling for his expenses,
which he declares they have amounted to, I certify that you shall not
wait any length of time before you be delivered by the deeds of
arms offered in your challenge.
‘I therefore advise you as a gentleman, that should you not think
proper to remit the amount of the expenses, you be careful not to
speak slightingly of the english chivalry, nor repeat that you could
not find an english knight to accept of your offer of combat, as you
have said in your last letter; for should that expression be again
used, I inform you, on the part of sir John Prendergast, that he will
be always ready to maintain the contrary in the defence of his own
honour, which you have handled somewhat too roughly, according to
the opinion of our lords acquainted with the truth, who think sir John
has acted like a prudent and honourable man. You will send your
answer to this letter, and what may be your future intentions, by
Châlons the herald, the bearer of these presents; and that you may
have full confidence in their contents, I have signed and sealed them
myself at Paris in the year 1404.’
This affair, notwithstanding the letters that have been reported,
never came to any other conclusion.
 CHAP. III.

GREAT PARDONS[21] GRANTED AT ROME.

During this year, the court of Rome granted many pardons, whither
an infinity of persons went from all parts of Christendom to receive
them. An universal mortality took place about the time, which
caused the deaths of multitudes; and in the number, very many of
the pilgrims suffered from it at Rome.
 [A. D. 1401.]

CHAP. IV.

JOHN OF MONTFORT, DUKE OF BRITTANY, DIES.—THE

EMPEROR DEPARTS FROM PARIS.—ISABELLA QUEEN
OF ENGLAND RETURNS TO FRANCE.

At the beginning of this year, John of Montfort, duke of Brittany,

died, and was succeeded by his eldest son John, married to a
daughter of the king of France, and who had several brothers and
sisters[22]. About the same time, the emperor of Constantinople[23],
who had made a long stay at Paris, at the charges of the king of
France, set out, with all his attendants, for England, where he was
very honourably received by king Henry and his princes; thence he
returned to his own country[24].
Many able ambassadors had, at various times, been sent from
France to England, and from England to France, chiefly to negotiate
with the king of England for the return of queen Isabella, daughter
to the king of France and widow of king Richard II. with liberty to
enjoy the dower that had been settled upon her by the articles of
marriage. The ambassadors at length brought the matter to a
conclusion, and the queen was conducted to France by the lord
Thomas Percy, constable of England, having with him many knights,
esquires, ladies and damsels, to accompany her.
She was escorted to the town of Leulinghem, between Boulogne and
Calais, and there delivered to Waleran count of Saint Pol[25],
governor of Picardy, with whom were the bishop of Chartres and the
lord de Heugueville to receive her. The damsel of Montpensier, sister
to the count de la Marche, and the damsel of Luxembourg, sister to
the count de St Pol, with other ladies and damsels sent by the queen
of France, were likewise present. When both parties had taken leave
of each other, the count de St Pol conducted the queen and her
attendants to the dukes of Burgundy and Bourbon, who with a large
company were waiting for them on an eminence hard by.
She was received by them with every honour, and thence escorted
to Boulogne, and to Abbeville, where the duke of Burgundy, to
celebrate her return to France, made a grand banquet, and then,
taking his leave of her, he went back to Artois. The duke of Bourbon
and the rest who had been at this feast conducted her to the king
and queen, her parents, at Paris. She was most kindly received by
them; but although it was said that she was honourably sent back,
yet there was not any dower or revenue assigned her from England,
which caused many of the french princes to be dissatisfied with the
king of England, and pressing with the king of France to declare war
against him.
 CHAP. V.

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, BY ORDERS FROM THE KING

OF FRANCE, GOES INTO BRITTANY, AND THE DUKE
OF ORLEANS TO LUXEMBOURG.—A QUARREL
ENSUES BETWEEN THEM.

This same year, the duke of Burgundy went to Brittany to take

possession of it in the king’s name for the young duke. The country
soon submitted to him, and he continued his journey to Nantes to
visit the duchess-dowager, sister to the king of Navarre[26], who had
entered into engagements speedily to marry Henry IV. of England.
The duke was her uncle, and treated with her successfully for the
surrender of her dower lands to her children, on condition that she
received annually a certain sum of money in compensation. When
this had been concluded, and the duke had placed garrisons in the
king’s name in some of the strong places of the country, he returned
to Paris, carrying with him the young duke and his two brothers,
who were graciously received by the king and queen.
The duke of Orleans had at this time gone to take possession of the
duchy of Luxembourg[27], with the consent of the king of Bohemia, to
whom it belonged, and with whom he had concluded some private
agreement. Having placed his own garrisons in many of the towns
and castles of this duchy, he returned to France,—when shortly after
a great quarrel took place between the duke of Orleans and his
uncle the duke of Burgundy; and it rose to such a height that each
collected a numerous body of men at arms round Paris. At length, by
the mediation of the queen and the dukes of Berry and Bourbon,
peace was restored, and the men at arms were sent back to the
places whence they had come.
 CHAP. VI.

CLEMENT DUKE OF BAVARIA IS ELECTED EMPEROR OF

GERMANY, AND AFTERWARD CONDUCTED WITH A
NUMEROUS RETINUE TO FRANKFORT.

This year, Clement duke of Bavaria[28] was elected emperor of

Germany, after the electors had censured and deposed the king of
Bohemia. Clement was conducted by them to Frankfort, with an
escort of forty thousand armed men, and laid siege to the town
because it had been contrary to his interests. He remained before it
forty days, during which time an epidemical disorder raged in his
army, and carried off fifteen thousand of his men. A treaty was
begun at the expiration of the forty days, when the town submitted
to the emperor.
The towns of Cologne, Aix, and several more followed this example,
and gave him letters of assurance that his election had been legally
and properly made. He was after this crowned by the bishop of
Mentz; and at his coronation many princes and lords of the country
made splendid feasts, with tournaments and other amusements.
When these were over, the emperor sent his cousin-german the
duke of Bavaria, father to the queen of France, to Paris, to renew
and confirm the peace between him and the king of France. Duke
Stephen was joyfully received on his arrival at Paris by the queen
and princes of the blood,—but the king was at that time confined by
illness.
When he had made his proposals, a day was fixed on to give him an
answer; and the princes told him, that in good truth they could not
conclude a peace to the prejudice of their fair cousin the king of
Bohemia, who had been duly elected and crowned emperor of
Germany. When the duke of Bavaria had received this answer, he
returned through Hainault to the new emperor. He related to him all
that had passed in France, and the answer he had received, with
which he was not well pleased, but he could not amend it.
The emperor, soon after this, proposed marching a powerful army,
under his own command, to Lombardy, to gain possession of the
passes, and sent a detachment before him for this purpose, but his
troops were met by an army from the duke of Milan[29], who slew
many, and took numbers prisoners. Among the latter was sir Girard,
lord of Heraucourt, marshal to the duke of Austria, and several other
persons of distinction. This check broke up the intended expedition
of the emperor.
 CHAP. VII.

HENRY OF LANCASTER, KING OF ENGLAND, COMBATS

THE PERCIES AND WELSHMEN, WHO HAD INVADED
HIS KINGDOM, AND DEFEATS THEM.

About the month of March, in this year, great dissensions arose

between Henry, king of England, and the family of Percy and the
Welsh, in which some of the Scots took part, and entered
Northumberland with a considerable force. King Henry had raised a
large army to oppose them, and had marched thither to give them
battle; but, at the first attack, his vanguard was discomfited. This
prevented the second division from advancing, and it being told the
king, who commanded the rear, he was animated with more than
usual courage, from perceiving his men to hesitate, and charged the
enemy with great vigour. His conduct was so gallant and decisive
that many of the nobles of both parties declared he that day slew,
with his own hand, thirty-six men at arms.
He was thrice unhorsed by the earl of Douglas’s spear, and would
have been taken or killed by the earl, had he not been defended and
rescued by his own men. The lord Thomas Percy was there slain,
and his nephew Henry made prisoner, whom the king ordered
instantly to be put to death before his face. The earl of Douglas was
also taken, and many others. After this victory, king Henry departed
from the field of battle, joyful at the successful event of the day. He
sent a body of his men at arms to Wales, to besiege a town of that
country which was favourable to the Percies[30].
 [A. D. 1402.]

CHAP. VIII.

JOHN DE VERCHIN, A KNIGHT OF GREAT RENOWN,

AND SENESCHAL OF HAINAULT, SENDS, BY HIS
HERALD, A CHALLENGE INTO DIVERS COUNTRIES,
PROPOSING A DEED OF ARMS.

At the beginning of this year, John de Verchin[31], a knight of high

renown and seneschal of Hainault, sent letters, by his herald, to the
knights and esquires of different countries, to invite them to a trial of
skill in arms, which he had vowed to hold, the contents of which
letters were as follows:
‘To all knights and esquires, gentlemen of name and arms, without
reproach, I Jean de Verchin, seneschal of Hainault, make known,
that with the aid of God, of our Lady, of my lord St George, and of
the lady of my affections, I intend being at Coucy the first Sunday of
August next ensuing, unless prevented by lawful and urgent
business, ready on the morrow to make trial of the arms hereafter
mentioned, in the presence of my most redoubted lord the duke of
Orleans, who has granted me permission to hold the meeting at the
above place.
‘If any gentleman, such as above described, shall come to this town
to deliver me from my vow, we will perform our enterprise mounted
on horseback, on war saddles without girths. Each may wear what
armour he pleases, but the targets must be without covering or
lining of iron or steel. The arms to be spears of war, without
fastening or covering, and swords. The attack to be with spears in or
out of their rests; and each shall lay aside his target, and draw his
sword without assistance. Twenty strokes of the sword to be given
without intermission, and we may, if we please, seize each other by
the body.
‘From respect to the gentleman, and to afford him more pleasure,
for having had the goodness to accept my invitation, I promise to
engage him promptly on foot, unless bodily prevented, without
either of us taking off any part of the armour which we had worn in
our assaults on horseback: we may, however, change our vizors, and
lengthen the plates of our armour, according to the number of
strokes with the sword and dagger, as may be thought proper, when
my companion shall have determined to accomplish my deliverance
by all these deeds of arms, provided, however, that the number of
strokes may be gone through during the day, at such intermissions
as I shall point out.
‘In like manner, the number of strokes with battle-axes shall be
agreed on; but, in regard to this combat, each may wear the armour
he pleases. Should it happen (as I hope it will not), that in the
performance of these deeds of arms, one of us be wounded,
insomuch that during the day he shall be unable to complete the
combat with the arms then in use, the adverse party shall not make
any account of it, but shall consider it as if nothing had passed.
‘When I shall have completed these courses, or when the day shall
be ended, with the aid of God, of our Lady, of my lord St George,
and of my lady, I shall set out from the said town, unless bodily
prevented, on a pilgrimage to my lord St James at Compostella.
Whatever gentleman of rank I may meet going to Galicia, or
returning to the aforesaid town of Coucy, that may incline to do me
the honour and grace to deliver me with the same arms as above,
and appoint an honourable judge, without taking me more than
twenty leagues from my strait road, or obliging me to return, and
giving me assurance from the judge, that the combat, with the
aforesaid arms, shall take place within five days from my arrival in
the town appointed for it,—I promise, with the aid of God and my
lady, if not prevented by bodily infirmity, to deliver them promptly on
foot, as soon as they shall have completed the enterprise, according
to the manner specified, with such a number of strokes with the
sword, dagger and battle-axe, as may be thought proper to fix upon.
‘Should it happen, after having agreed with a gentleman to perform
these deeds of arms, as we are proceeding toward the judge he had
fixed upon, that I should meet another gentleman willing to deliver
me, who should name a judge nearer my direct road than the first, I
would in that case perform my trial in arms with him whose judge
was the nearest; and when I had acquitted myself to him, I would
then return to accomplish my engagement with the first, unless
prevented by any bodily infirmity. Such will be my conduct during
the journey, and I shall hold myself acquitted to perform before each
judge my deeds of arms; and no gentleman can enter the lists with
me more than once,—and the staves of our arms shall be of equal
lengths, which I will provide and distribute when required. All the
blows must be given from the bottom of the plate-armour to the
head: none others will be allowed as legal.
‘That all gentlemen who may incline to deliver me from my vow may
know the road I propose to follow, I inform them, that under the will
of God, I mean to travel through France to Bordeaux,—thence to the
country of Foix, to the kingdoms of Navarre and Castille, to the
shrine of my lord St James at Compostella. On my return, if it please
God, I will pass through the kingdom of Portugal,—thence to
Valencia, Arragon, Catalonia, and Avignon, and recross the kingdom
of France, having it understood if I may be permitted to travel
through all these countries in security, to perform my vow, excepting
the kingdom of France and county of Hainault.
‘That this proposal may have the fullest assurance, I have put my
seal to this letter, and signed it with my own hand, in the year of the
incarnation of our Lord, the 1st day of June, 1402.’
The seneschal, in consequence of this challenge, went to Coucy,
where he was received very graciously by the duke of Orleans; but
no one appeared to enter the lists with him on the appointed day. In
a few days, he set out on his pilgrimage to the shrine of St James,
during which he performed his deeds of arms in seven places, during
seven days, and behaved himself so gallantly that those princes who
were appointed judges of the field were greatly satisfied with him.