‘ Monpaziers is on the edge of English territory and has always been fortified. It is known as the ‘Pearl of England’. I have been asked to run my eye over their defences.’
John Stanley-19th May 1355
He knew that the songs and poems were usually an offbeat commentary on the events of the day, and so every night he practised in his head, usually as he was going to sleep. Yesterday he had practised whilst drying out after the river crossing. Quickly he pulled his thoughts together, pushed his way to the centre of the group and took a deep breath.
When a river we are asked to ford,
It’s a good idea to praise the Lord.
We might choose Lord James or God Almighty —
Is the god of nature Aphrodite?
Please, please keep us very dry;
Prayers do not always get a prompt reply.
Yesterday our guardians let us down;
There was a chance that we might drown.
The rivers here are oh so fleet,
Some of us lost our feet.
When we reached the bank we were wet and damp,
Some of us had got the cramp.
Then Lord James shocked us all;
From the water’s edge, we heard him call.
Two more crossings we must make,
Hours and hours that would take.
Lord James insisted it was right;
It could be done before the night.
He said it would make us very skilled;
He promised no one would be killed.
But then the Prince gave his command;
Camp at once here on the sand.
We lit a fire and soon were fed —
A far better fate than being dead.
So here’s to the Prince and his consideration;
A perfect man to lead our nation.
The crowd roared with laughter, applause and even a few cheers.
Lord James came and put his arm around John’s shoulder.
‘Am I really such a bully?’
Piers appeared, smiling. ‘That was really quite good. Where did you learn to do that?’
Later, John bumped into Ewan as they were both moving towards their tents.
Ewan spat on the ground and then snarled ‘Do you specialise in making a fool of yourself? That was just doggerel.’
John shrugged his shoulders. ‘Isn’t it all?’
The next morning, John found Piers grooming the Earl’s horse. ‘Do you know where he is? I have decided I want to tell him about the tramp.’
Piers frowned but didn’t reply.
John tried again ‘It’s what he asked us to do. Report anything unusual.’
Piers frowned again. ‘Hmmm, you’re right, but this? Well, he is down by the store tent. Getting ready for another trip.’
Together they hunted down the Earl, though Piers was far from enthusiastic and trailed behind.
John attracted the Earl’s attention. ‘Milord, I need to talk to you.’
The Earl continued rummaging through a large chest. ‘Yes, John.’
‘While Piers and I were in town, the day before yesterday, a commotion took place in the town square…’
The Earl called out to another soldier. ‘I’ll be with you shortly.’
John waited until he was sure he had the Earl’s attention. ‘Err … tables were knocked over and a dog was attacked—’
‘Get to the point.’
‘The culprit, a red-haired tramp, I’m sure I noticed him several days earlier at Marmande.’
The Earl stopped dead in his tracks. ‘Tell me about the shape of his face; what about the length of his arms?’
‘I can’t tell you, Milord. I did not get a close look, and he did not seem important. It is only when I saw him a second time that I paid any attention.’ He hesitated, desperately trying to remember something, anything. ‘He looked like a tramp; dirty, scruffy.’
‘I did not notice him at all in Marmande,’ Piers admitted.
The Earl scowled. ‘You should have told me earlier and John… having noticed him you should have reviewed any noticeable characteristics. There is a possibility that this man is known to me. If so… we are sworn enemies; what he is doing here I cannot imagine, but he will be up to no good.’
Aiguillon was an important strong point on the river and the Prince and Earl spent two days examining plans for the construction of additional defences.
John continued to attend to Lord James whereas Piers spent the time swimming in the river. John tried hard to accept the situation but continued to grumble gently to himself. When he had any spare time, John looked for Piers and together they spent time discreetly searching for the tramp. They compared notes every hour, seeking to identify anything unusual and, in this way, improve their observation skills. They did not want to leave the Earl dissatisfied again.
They found no sign of the tramp. To John’s disappointment, they did not see their waitress either.
When they made their report, the Earl was apologetic. ‘Thank you for your efforts. Perhaps I was a little brusque. He smiled. ‘Now, something else. I have now sent Ewan ahead to carry a message to the city elders of Toulouse. At the same time I wish to leave the expeditionary force for two, possibly three, days and I want you two to come with me to provide extra security.’
He smiled at John and winked. ‘I have already told Lord James you will no longer be available for him.’
John could not keep the smile from his face, and neither could Piers.
‘Here, put these on. Neither of the places we are visiting will understand our travelling incognito!’ Laying over the back of the chair were two tabards emblazoned with a quartered shield. Two green eagles on a gold background were emblazoned on the top right of the shield and three red diamonds on a silver background decorated the top left and bottom right. Leaning against the chairs were two swords and two lances. John glanced at Piers as he donned first the tabard and then attached the sword to the belt around his waist. He saw in his friend’s eyes the same excitement he felt himself.
The Earl then led them to his own enclosure within the stable and indicated that they should mount two of his own horses. All three horses wore caparisons, which also carried the Earl’s blazon.
As they wheeled the horses around and headed north, away from the river, the Earl told them more about their mission. ‘It will take us about three hours at a canter to get to Monpazier. I intend to lunch there and then leave for Clermont-Dessous, which is approximately the same distance.
‘There is a company of Routiers active around here. They are cowards and will not attack a group of three of us, especially as you are now indistinguishable from any other mounted knight, but I might have been vulnerable if I had made the trip on my own.’
‘What is special about Monpazier?’ asked Piers.
‘It arose during the examination of the defences of Aiguillion. Monpazier is on the edge of English territory and has always been fortified. It is known as the ‘Pearl of England’ and I have been asked to run my eye over their defences. It is somewhat isolated and is considered to be vulnerable. The Routiers are a real threat to the inhabitants.’
Piers looked puzzled. ‘So people who live there are under continual risk of attack? Who would choose to live there?’
The Earl smiled. ‘The castles which are scattered across England and Wales are a sign that the peace we enjoy is but a recent phenomenon. The land at Monpazier is fertile and the climate is kind. Lots of people are prepared to take a chance. It is a good opportunity for me to visit an old family retainer, who was granted land there. But as I said, I must be back at Clermont by late afternoon, so we cannot spend long.’
They enjoyed their ride through the pleasant rolling countryside, verdant green fields splashed with yellow and purple and row upon row of fruit trees. Monpazier nestled serenely in one of the folds in the landscape. Even though the town was fortified, John thought it looked as though it had been specifically designed to complement its surroundings.
The mayor of the town greeted them and took them on a tour.
‘This is good,’ the Earl pronounced from the church tower, a part of the fortification. ‘There is a clear view of all the roads for nearly a league in every direction.’ He chuckled. ‘I see that the surrounding fields are all surrounded by substantial hedges in the English fashion. It would take an adventurous rider to depart from the roads and take a direct route. He would have to have a good horse and be a very skilled rider to jump all the hedges which would bar his way.’
The mayor responded enthusiastically. ‘In the event of any unusual movement in the surrounding countryside, a brazier is lit, the church bell is rung, and a trumpet is sounded. Those working in the fields will rush back into the town or hide in the hedgerows and ditches. The gates will be securely closed. We are not too concerned about an extended siege either. We are blessed with a benign climate and every day throughout the year farm produce is sent to La Réole for shipping down the river to the markets of Bordeaux. Two days without a shipment from Monpazier and units of the Gascon army based in La Réole would be on their way to investigate.’
The Earl nodded his assent. ‘I am impressed. It all seems complete and you have pursued a good strategy.’
The party retired for lunch in the shade of the arches of the arcade which surrounded the square. The Earl’s old retainer, Henry Gilbert, his children and grandchildren joined them. John learned that Henry had been a yeoman farmer on the Montacute lands near Salisbury, but had been granted lands in and around Monpazier ten years earlier.
The mayor was in a relaxed and expansive mood.
‘The whole system was tested only a week ago. A band of Routiers laid siege to the town. We have good reserves of food and water and they had no siege equipment. They camped outside for a couple of days and went away. There was nothing they could do. They knew that had they persisted we would be relieved from La Réole.’
The Earl smiled and nodded his agreement. They rose, said their goodbyes and the three crossed the square, but while mounting his horse the Earl stopped and sank back to the ground. He rushed back across the square and accosted the mayor. ‘I have a sixth sense, nurtured by years of protecting the Prince, that something is not quite right. I wish to examine the defences again.’
It was a very hot day and John could not imagine what could be gained by revisiting every part of the town.
Piers reminded the Earl of his appointment in Clermont.
The Earl would not be hurried and he did not finish until mid-afternoon.
‘The weakness is the workers in the fields’ he told the Mayor. ‘Make sure you train them in what to do if you come under threat.’
