TO DAY IN HISTORY

Southland Times, Issue 20537, 13 July 1928, Page 6

TO DAY IN HISTORY

JULY 13. Born: Regnier de Graaf, at Schoenhaven, Holland, 1641; Richard Cumberland, Bishop of Peterborough, 1632. Died: Pope John HI., 1573; Emperor Henry 11., 1924; Bertrand du Guesclin, Constable of France, at Chateau-neuf-Randon, 1380; Sir William Berkley, at Twickenham, 1677; Richard Cromwell, ex Protector of England, Ireland and Scotland, at Cheshqnt, 1712; Elijah Fenton, poet, at East Hampstead, 1730; Dr James Bradley, astronomer, 1762; Jean Paul Marat, French revolutionary leader, assassinated at Paris, 1793; Rev. John Lingard, author of a History of England, at Hornby, Lancaster, 1851. Events: Treaty of Berlin signed, 1878. BERTRAND DU GEUSCLIN. The flower of French chivalry, Bertrand du Geusclin, was of a noble but poor family in Brittany. “Never was there so bad a boy in the world,” said his mother, “he is always wounded, his face disfigured, fighting or being fought; his father and I wish he were peaceably underground.” All the masters engaged to teach him gave up the task in despair, and to the end of his life he could neither read nor write. A tourney was held one day at Rennes to which his father went; his son, then about fourteen, secretly followed him on a miserable pony; the first knight who retired from the lists found the young hero in his hostelry, who, throwing himself at his knees besought him to lend him his horse and arms. The request was granted and du Guesclin, preparing in all haste, flew to the combat, and overthrew fifteen adversaries with such address and good grace as to surprise all the spectators. His father presented himselt to run a course with him, but Bertrand threw down his lance. When persuaded to raise his vizor, the paternal joy knew no bounds, and henceforth every means was taken to ensure his advancement. His first campaign with the French army was made in 1359, where he gave full proof of his rare valour, and from that time he was the much-feared enemy of the English army, until taken prisoner by the Black Prince in the battle of Navarete, in Spain, in 1367. In spite of the repeated entreaties of both French and English nobles, the Prince kept him more than a year at Bordeaux, until it was whispered that he feared his rival too much to let him free. Hearing this, Edward sent for du Guesclin and said, “Messire Bertrand, they pretend that I dare not give you your liberty, because I am afraid of you.” “There are those who say so,” replied the knight, “and I feel myself much honoured by it.” The prince coloured and desired him to name his own ransom. “A hundred thousand florins,” was the reply. “But where can you get so much money.?” “The king of France and Castile, the Pope and the Duke of Anjou will lend it to me, and were I in my own country the women would earn it with their distaffs.” All were charmed with his frankness, and the Princess of Wales invited him to dinner, and offered to pay twenty thousand francs towards the ransom. Du Guesclin, kneeling before her, said: “Madame, I believe myself to be the ugliest knight in the world but now I need not be so displeased with myself.” Many of the English forced their purses on him, and he set off to raise the sum, but on the way he gave with such profusion to all the soldiers he met that all disappeared. On reaching home he asked his wife for the hundred thousand francs he had left with her, but she also had disposed of them to needy soldiers; this her husband approved of, and returning to the Duke of Anjou and the Pope he received from them forty thousand francs, but on his way to Bordeaux these were ail disposed of, and the Prince of Wales, asking if he had brought the ransom, he carelessly replied that he had not a doubloon. “You do the magnificent!” said the prince. “You give to everybody and have not that will support yourself; you must go back to prison.” Du Guesclin withdrew, but at the same time a gentleman arrived from the French king prepared to pay the sum required. Du Guesclin was raised to the highest post in the kingdom, that of Connetable de France, in 1730, amidst the acclamations of joy of the whole nation; yet strange to say, with all his services he lost the confidence of the king a few years afterwards, who listened to his traducers, and wrote a letter most offensive to the hero’s fidelity. Du Guesclin immediately sent back the sword belonging to his office of Connetable; but the cry of the whole nation was in his favour, the supers ority of his military talents, his generosity and modesty had extinguished the feelings of jealousy which his promotion might have created. Charles acknowledged that he had been deceived, and sent the Dukes of Anjou and Bourbon to restore ihe sword and appoint him to the command of the army in the Auvergne, where his old enemies the English were pillaging. He besieged ihe castle of Randan and was there attacked by a mortal disease, which he met with the intrepid firmness which characterized him, and with the sincere piety of a Christian. At the news of his death the camp resounded with groans, his enemies even paying homage to his memory; for they had promised to surrender on a certain day if not relieved, and the commander marched out followed by his garrison, and kneeling beside the bier, laid the keys upon it. The king ordered him to be buried at St. Denis at the foot of the mausoleum prepared for himself. The funeral cortege passed through France amidst the lamentations of the people, followed by princes of the blood and crowds of the nobility. This modest epitaph was placed on his grave: “Ici gist noble homme, Messire Bertrand du Guesclin, Comte du Longueville et Connetable de France, qui trepassa au Chastel neuf de Randan the 13me Jour de Juillet 1380. Priez Dieu pour lui.” A very rare phenomenon was seen after his death—the chief place in the state was vacant and none would take it. The king offered it to Sire de Courci; he excused himself, recommending Du Guesclin’s brother-in-arms, De Clisson; but he and Sancerre both declared that after the grand deeds that had been wrought they could not satisfy the king, and it was only filled up at the beginning of the following reign by Clisson accepting the dignity.