A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 521 pages of information about A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 2.

A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 521 pages of information about A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 2.

Let us add a still more striking example of the absence of all publicly recognized power at this period, and of the necessity to which the population was nearly everywhere reduced of defending itself with its own hands, in order to escape ever so little from the evils of war and anarchy.  It was a little while ago pointed out why and how, after the death of Marcel and the downfall of his faction, Charles the Bad, King of Navarre, suddenly determined upon making his peace with the regent of France.  This peace was very displeasing to the English, allies of the King of Navarre, and they continued to carry on war, ravaging the country here and there, at one time victorious and at another vanquished in a multiplication of disconnected encounters.  “I will relate,” says the Continuer of William of Nangis, “one of those incidents just as it occurred in my neighborhood, and as I have been truthfully told about it.  The struggle there was valiantly maintained by peasants, Jacques Bonhomme (Jack Goodfellows), as they are called.  There is a place pretty well fortified in a little town named Longueil, not far from Compiegne, in the diocese of Beauvais, and near to the banks of the Oise.  This place is close to the monastery of St. Corneille-de-Compiegne.  The inhabitants perceived that there would be danger if the enemy occupied this point; and, after having obtained authority from the lord-regent of France and the abbot of the monastery, they settled themselves there, provided themselves with arms and provisions, and appointed a captain taken from among themselves, promising the regent that they would defend this place to the death.  Many of the villagers came thither to place themselves in security, and they chose for captain a tall, fine man, named William a-Larks (aux Alouettes).  He had for servant, and held as with bit and bridle, a certain peasant of lofty stature, marvellous bodily strength, and equal boldness, who had joined to these advantages an extreme modesty:  he was called Big Ferre.  These folks settled themselves at this point to the number of about two hundred men, all tillers of the soil, and getting a poor livelihood by the labor of their hands.  The English, hearing it said that these folks were there and were determined to resist, held them in contempt, and went to them, saying, ’Drive we hence these peasants, and take we possession of this point so well fortified and well supplied.’  They went thither to the number of two hundred.  The folks inside had no suspicion thereof, and had left their gates open.  The English entered boldly into the place, whilst the peasants were in the inner courts or at the windows, a-gape at seeing men so well armed making their way in.  The captain, William a-Larks, came down at once with some of his people, and bravely began the fight; but he had the worst of it, was surrounded by the English, and himself stricken with a mortal wound.  At sight hereof, those of his folk who were still in the courts, with

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A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 2 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.