A.D. 1372. of Chisec, Melle, and Civray, in Poitou, to the Duke, as a free gift. England and France court the alliance of Negotiations were continued till the summer of 1372, and at last, on the 19th of July, a solemn treaty of alliance was signed between Edward and the Duke, by which the Duke agreed heartily to support the English King in his war with France, but at the cost of Edward. Among other conditions, it was agreed, that if Edward went personally to France, the Duke should accompany him in person, with 1,000 menat-arms, at the wages of 160 francs a year for each man, to be paid by England; but it was also agreed, that Edward should send 300 men-at-arms and 300 bowmen to Brittany, at his own cost till they landed, after which they were to be paid by the Duke. The King also granted to the Duke and his heirs the Earldom of Richmond, which the Duke of Lancaster resigned in his favour.1 The friendship of Scotland was another prize for which both Kings strove. King David Bruce had died on the 22nd February, 1371. He was succeeded Scotland. by his nephew Robert the Second, grandson of Robert the First, whose daughter Marjory married Walter the High Steward. Walter's family name, so far as he had one, was Alan, or rather Fitz Alan, as he was descended from Alan, son of Flahald, but, according to a Scotch custom, he was called by the name of his office;2 and hence it was changed into Steward, or, as it was written after a time, Stewart, and subsequently Stuart, and thus arose the Stuart dynasty, which ultimately succeeded to the English crown. The King of France entered 1 Rymer, vol. iii. pp. 935, 936, 943, 955. 2 In like manner, in England the Marshalls, and in Ireland the Butlers, were so called from their office. CHAP. X. JOHN OF GAUNT MARRIES PEDRO'S DAUGHTER. 193 into a treaty with Robert on October 28th, 1371, but A.D.1372. it did not interfere with that existing between England and Scotland. Spanish secured by France. of Lancas Spain was, again, the greatest source of misfortune to England, and help to of France. Don Pedro's two daughters, Constance and Isabella, who The had been hostages to the Black Prince for the pay- alliance ment of Pedro's debts, had been allowed to return. to their father notwithstanding his failure to perform any of his obligations. They were at this time at Bayonne, whither they had fled on the occasion of his death. The Duke of Lancaster was a widower, and Guichard d'Angle and the other Gascon Lords. suggested to him that he should marry Constance, Marriage urging as one reason for his doing so, that he ter with would thereby become King of Castile. "My Lord," Constance they said, "you are marriageable, and we know and of of a great marriage, by which you or your heir bridge will become King of Castile, and it is a great cha- sister, rity to comfort and advise young girls, and especially daughters of a King; take the eldest in marriage, we advise you." It did not require much persuasion to induce the Duke to act on this advice; Constance became his wife, and his brother the Earl of Cambridge married Isabella with great pomp and feasting. Soon afterwards the two brothers. went to England with their wives. The Duke im 1 Froissart does not mention that the Earl of Cambridge married Pedro's daughter Isabella, but, on the contrary, he states (p. 634, Buchon's ed.) that "it was supposed that Isabel, the younger sister, would marry the Earl of Cambridge on the Duke's return to England," and I cannot find that Froissart anywhere states that the marriage took place. He also says that "about Michaelmas" the Duke talked of returning to England. Walsingham, however (p. 313), says that "in the same year (1372) of Castile, Cam with her A.D. 1372. mediately assumed the title of King of Castile in right of his wife.1 throws Spain into the hands of France. Lancaster leaves Spain. The effect of this marriage and assumption of regal title was of course to make Henry of Trastamare, the actual King of Castile, more intimately allied than before to the King of France; he immediately confirmed the offensive and defensive alliance made with him on November 26th, 1369. The fatal effects were soon seen of thus making Henry a bitterer enemy of England than he had ever been, for it enabled the King of France to make use of the Spanish fleet. That the Duke should leave Aquitaine at so critical a period seems to have been most unwise, but he managed to gain the consent of the nobles to his departure, by alleging that he wished to inform his father of the needs of the province. It is probable that his principal object in returning to England was to get the influence over Edward into his own hands. Before embarking he appointed the Captal de Buch, the Lord of Mucident, and the Lord of Esparre, governors of all the parts of Gascony which they held; he entrusted Poitou to Louis of Harcourt and the Lord of Parthenay, while Saintonge was placed under the protection of Geoffry of Argenton and William of Montendre. the Duke of Lancaster and the Earl of Cambridge, his brother, returned to England with two sisters, daughters of Don Pedro, formerly King of Spain, whom they afterwards married." It is unlikely that the two brothers would take the two sisters to England before they had married them, and Froissart's account is too minute and precise to leave any doubt that Lancaster's marriage took place before his departure for England. On the other hand, Walsingham's statement that Cambridge married the other sister is sufficient evidence of the fact of the marriage, and it seems probable that both marriages took place at the same time, and before their departure from Spain. 1 Walsingham, p. 313. CHAP. XI. DEATH OF SIR WALTER DE MAUNAY. CHAPTER XI. 195 THE DISASTROUS CAMPAIGN OF 1372. unpro THE year 1372 opened with evil prospects for Eng- A.D.1372. land, but the result was worse than could have English been anticipated. It began with the death of two prospects well-known warriors, whose military worth as mising. commanders, it is true, was not of the highest order; but England had need of all her bravery, and could ill spare the services of any long-tried soldier. The first was Sir Walter de Maunay, who Death of came to England with Queen Philippa, and whose de Maunay gallantry had distinguished him in many a well- and the fought field; the other was Humphry Bohun, Earl Hereford. of Hereford, whose second daughter Mary married John of Gaunt's eldest son Henry of Bolingbroke, afterwards Henry IV. Sir Walter Earl of plans for Numerous consultations now took place between English the King and his Council as to the best course to be continuing adopted for the recovery of Aquitaine and the defence the war. of the coast of England. It was decided that two fleets should be got ready for the invasion of France; one by way of Calais to invade Picardy, the other for the conveyance of troops to Aquitaine, which were to land at Rochelle. Great preparations were accordingly made to carry these plans into execution. At the end of the previous year, December 21st, Buchon's Froissart, vol. i. p. 635. Great parations. A.D. 1372. 1371, it had been proclaimed, that, whereas certain merchants had sold ships to foreigners, whereby the enemies of England were greatly helped, no such sales, openly or privately, should take place for the future.1 On the 7th of February orders were sent to naval pre- William of Latimer, the Constable of Dover and guardian of the Cinque Ports, and to the King's officer, "serving the King at arms," in every port from Northumberland round the coast to Lancaster, to seize all ships above twenty tons burthen, and to take care that they were gathered together in the harbours inside the Isle of Wight by the 1st May, and ready for foreign service. But it was necessary to man the ships, and, as the poor fellows endeavoured to escape impressment and continued to follow their vocations, of which fishing was the chief, stringent commands were sent to seize all sailors in the various ports without delay. On the 30th of the same month, in consequence of an alarm that the French were about to invade England, orders were given for the defence of the coast of Kent; on the 8th of June, similar precautions were taken to guard the Isle of Wight; and the usual orders were issued against persons absenting themselves from their dwellings or lands on and near the coast. So great indeed was the alarm, that on the 16th of June all abbots, priors, and other ecclesiastics between the ages of sixteen and sixty were directed to be under arms, and two days afterwards the whole male population between those ages was called out, and regulations were made as to lighting beacon fires. In July similar instructions were given for the defence of Kent and Devonshire. 1 Rymer, vol. iii. p. 930. 2 Ibid p. 933. 3 Ibid. p. 938. 6 Ibid. p. 952. |