Chapter LXXXIV

THE PRINCE OF WALES CONDUCTS THE KING OF FRANCE FROM BORDEAUX TO ENGLAND.

When the season was sufficiently advanced, and every thing was ready for the prince’s departure, he sent for the great barons of Gascony. He then informed them of his intention of going to England; that he should take some of them with him, and the rest he should leave in different parts of the province to guard the frontiers against the French, and should put all the cities and castles under their management, as if they were their own property. After this he nominated four of them as governors of the country until his return,--the Lords d’Albret, de l’Esparre, de Pumiers, and de Rosem. This being done, the prince embarked on board a handsome ship, and took with him a great many Gascons: among them were the Captal de Buch, Sir Aymery de Tarse, the Lord de Tarse, the Lord de Landuras, the Lord de Mucident, the Souldich de la Trane, and many others.

The King of France was in a ship by himself, in order that he might be more at his ease. In the fleet there were five hundred men at arms and two thousand archers to guard against any accidents at sea, and also because the prince had been informed before he left Bordeaux that the three estates who then governed France had raised two large armies, which were posted in Normandy and at Crotoy to meet the English and to carry off the king; but they saw nothing of them. They were eleven days and nights at sea; and on the twelfth they arrived at Sandwich, where they disembarked, and took up their quarters in the town and neighborhood. They remained there two days to refresh themselves, and on the third set out and came to Canterbury.

When the King of England was informed of their arrival, he gave orders for the citizens of London to make such preparations as were suitable to receive so great a prince as the King of France; upon which they all dressed themselves very richly in companies, and the different manufactories of cloth appeared with various pageants. The king and prince remained one day at Canterbury, where they made their offerings to the shrine of St. Thomas. On the morrow they rode to Rochester, where they reposed themselves. The third day they came to Dartford, and the fourth to London, where they were received with every honor and distinction, as indeed they had been by all the chief towns on their road.

The King of France, as he rode through London, was mounted on a white steed with very rich furniture, and the Prince of Wales on a little black hackney by his side. He rode through London, thus accompanied, to the palace of the Savoy, which was part of the inheritance of the Duke of Lancaster. There the King of France kept his household for some time; and there he was visited by the King and Queen of England, who often entertained him sumptuously, and afterwards were very frequent in their visits, consoling him all in their power. The Cardinals de Perigord and St. Vital soon after came to England by command of Pope Innocent VI. They endeavored to make peace between the two kingdoms, which they labored hard to effect, but without success. However, by some fortunate means they procured a truce between the two kings and their allies, to last until St. John the Baptist’s Day, 1359. The Lord Philip de Navarre and his allies, the Countess of Montfort, and the Duchy of Brittany, were excluded from this truce.

Shortly afterwards the King of France and all his household were removed from the Palace of Savoy to Windsor Castle, where he was permitted to hunt and hawk, and take what other diversions he pleased in that neighborhood, as well as the Lord Philip his son. The rest of the French lords remained at London; but they visited the king as often as they pleased, and were prisoners on their parole of honor.