Victory of Seven French against Seven
English in a Private Combat 1402
Although every private combat which does
not have the goal of the public interest may be accused of temerity, there are,
however, men who engage in these sorts of enterprises, solely to make themselves
a reputation for valor. There were
these that did so: Sir Arnaud Guillain, Sir du Chatel, Bataille, Archambaud de
Villars, Clignet de Brabant, Jean called Champagne, and a certain Carius, all
brave French gentlemen. Desiring to
give splendor to their enterprise, they sent to England a herald of arms to
courteously provoke an equal number of English to swordplay.
The issue of this fight would be to establish, they said, the superiority
of French knights over English knights and
therefore show which of the two nations ought to be considered the bravest. The herald, admitted into the presence of the King of
England, added that the French had chosen a closed field near the city of
Bordeaux, where they proposed to fight to the finish and that they would agree
on each side that whoever admitted themselves vanquished would pay a diamond for
their entire ransom.
This unlooked -for provocation stung the
pride of the English. Whether from
resentment, hate or from shame of refusing such combat, Lord Scales, Sir Aymant
Chotet, John Heron, Richard Boutevale, John Fleury, Thomas Tile and Robert de
Scales, all brave and valiant men, accepted the challenge with the consent of
the king of England.
The Duke of Orleans, brother to the
King, having learned that none of the conditions had been refused, and
considering that the champions were all of his household, resolved to do
abundant alms in many holy places. He
did the same at the church of St. Denis, and asked the monks to pray with fervor
for them. Although wise men
disapproved of this combat as unreasonable, and justifying in the eyes of
foreigners the proverb which accused the French of being the most presumptuous
of all people, the matter for which he made the offerings turned out
successfully in the end.
They returned on one side and the other
to the place designated. So that
all would pass without tumult and without disorder, two noble knights, the
Breton Lord Harpedanne and the English Earl of Rutland were charged to lead and
conduct the champions of both sides with a very large escort of armed men. On
the 19th of May they conducted them to the lists as had been arranged.
They dismounted and entered armed at all points into the field,
encouraged by the cries of their assistants.
They gave the signal for combat. Before
coming hand to hand, the English had resolved to direct their first attack
against Sir du Chatel, Breton, who they knew to be the most redoubtable of their
adversaries; so they sought to knock him down.
They directed at him two vigorous blows with the lance, but he threw them
back on either side with great force. On
both sides all arms were put in use; each was animated by the hope of victory.
I leave it to courtiers and captains to
describe the address and the agility each displayed in this circumstance, the
eagerness and valor with which they aided each other, and the fear that seized
the spectators, as they saw the blood cover those on both sides and the victory
indecisive. I will content myself
with saying that the combat was long and fierce, and they each were mutually
weighed down with injuries. The
English, all striking redoubled strokes with the arm of Hector, sent the French
back in need of a healing broth, and on their side the French reproached their
adversaries with the ignominious end of their King Richard. Finally an English
knight was killed, and the others, who were gravely injured, surrendered.
So, with victory complete, the Lord of
Harpedanne, Breton, led the victors to Paris, where the lords of the court
received them with all sorts of marks of friendship, and many presents, as they
had sustained the dignity and honor of France. The others returned to England
humbled and troubled. This reverse
ought to have taught them to abstain from similar hazards.
But they did not leave off, during the next two years, to attempt the
same proceedings against new adversaries, sometimes of a greater number,
sometimes of a lesser number, and , what merits amazement, with such eagerness,
in spite of how the fight had gone against them. I remember that during that
time many people sought to understand how the French showed such an
extraordinary animosity. I
apprehend that they had conceived an implacable hate against the English because
of the horrible murder of their king and the injurious banishment of the queen,
daughter of the king of France, and that they did not venture to rise up openly
against them, or be seen as having violated the truce, and so they sought an
honorable opportunity for revenging their intolerable injuries.
Chronique du Religieux de Saint-Denys, ed. M.L. Bellaguet, v. 3 Paris: 1842. p.30-35
http://gallica.bnf.fr/scripts/ConsultationTout.exe?E=0&O=N026822
In this year, a valiant knight from the
marches of Guyenne, named Sir Jean de Herpedenne, Lord of Belleville and of
Montegue, who was seneschal of Saintonge for the King, on which marches he often
had fine encounters, and feats of war, made known at Paris at the court of the
King, that he had there some nobles of England, desiring to do arms for the love
of their ladies, and if there were any French who wished to come, they would
receive them with the aforesaid intention. When certain nobles who were near
Paris, particularly at the court of the Duke of Orleans, heard of this they
lifted up their ears, and came to the said Duke of Orleans and begged him to
give them leave to go resist the enterprise of the English, intending to fight
the said English, which were on one side and the other renowned as valiant men
in England and Guyenne. The names
of the English were Lord Scales, Sir Aymon Cloiet, John Heron, Richard Witevalle,
John Fleury, Thomas Trays, and Robert de Scales, valiant men, strong and
powerful in their body and used to arms.
The names of the French were Sir Arnaud
Guillon, Lord of Barbasan, Sir Guillaume de Chastel of lower Normandy,
Archambaud de Villars, Sir Colinet de Brabant, Sir Guillaume Bataille, Carouis
and Champagne, who were all valiant gentlemen, and the Duke of Orleans gave them
leave, confident in their prowess and their valiance. There was some difficulty
made over Champagne, because he had never been at war nor at such work, but he
was one of the best wrestlers that you could find.
And because of this the Lord of Barbasan said to the Duke of Orleans: "My lord, let him come because as soon as he holds his enemy in his
hands and comes to grips with him, he will, by wrestling, throw him down and
discomfit him."And so leave was given to Champagne like the others.
They left for Paris in good order and equipped with armor and other
things necessary in such matters, and they went very diligently in Guyenne to
the said seneschal of Saintonge, and the chief of those seven French was the
Lord of Barbasan, and of the English the Lord Scales.
And the combat was arranged for the 19th
day of May. On this day the parties came together well arrayed, armed and
dressed appropriately. In the
morning they heard mass with great devotion, and received each one the precious
body of Jesus Christ. Grandly and
notably the Lord de Barbasan exhorted them to do well, and to guard their
welfare and honor. Showing them the
true and reasonable quarrel which the king had against this ancient enemies of
England, without having regard to fighting for the ladies nor to acquire the
grace of the world, and only to defend themselves against the enterprise of
their adversaries, with many other good teachings.
As for the English, it's not rightly known what they did, but some say
that while arming themselves they drank and ate very well.
And they came to the field eager to fight well and to show their valor.
And they were haughty and grand , showing proud courage. And the French showed good signs of having a great will to
defend themselves. And the English
were equipped with targes and pavises for the throwing of the lances.
Then the herald made his cry, at the
command of the seneschal of Saintonge, judge ordained with the consent of the
parties, that each was to do his duty.
So they approached each other, and threw their lances without having any
effect, and came to axes. And
because it seemed to the English, that if they were able to strike down Sir
Guillaume de Chastel, who was large and strong, they would be more easily able
to accomplish their intention, they decided to go with two against him. And because they did this, Archambaud found himself alone
without anyone facing him, so that he came to the one who was having to do with
Carouis, who was the first that he found, and gave him a stroke of the axe on
the head so that he fell to earth. This
was the said Robert de Scales, who died. And
as for Champagne, it was as they said it would be.
When he joined with his man, he gave him a wrestling fall so that he fell
beneath him and so surrendered. Archambaud
went to aid Sir Guillaume de Chastel who had much to do. Soon one of the English
near him was constrained to leave de Chastel and to take on Archambaud.
There were many fine arms done on side and the other, and at last the
English surrendered. Sir Guillaume Bataille had much to do, so that he fell and
was thrown to earth by the English, but he was rescued by some of the French .
And to make a long story short, the English were discomfited.
Jean Juvenal des Ursins Histoire de Charles VI, Roy de France in Nouvelle Collection des Memoires pour Servir a l’Histoire de France Paris 1836 Vol. 2 p.421-423
http://gallica.bnf.fr/scripts/ConsultationTout.exe?E=0&O=N030877