King Edward III, in 1347, besieged Calais and the French king,
very unwilling to lose his town, sought to come to the help
of his people, but in vain. King Edward refused to grant any
conditions of peace. The people were hunger-bitten because of
the protracted siege. The unrelenting king said, “You must give
up yourselves to be dealt with as I will. Let six of the chief
citizens of the town come to me with halters around their necks,
their heads and feet bare, and the keys of the town and castle
in their hands. With these I will deal as I please.” Accordingly
these six, led by the governor, came to the king. Dropping on
their knees before him, they implored him to spare their lives.
King Edward refused to grant them mercy and ordered their
instant death. His chief counselors and governor entreated him
to spare these brave and valiant men, but his purpose was fixt.
No merit that they might plead could cause him to change his
mind, until finally, his consort, Queen Philippa knelt before
him and said: “I pray you, sire, for the love that you bear me,
to have mercy upon the men.” Then the king relented, saying: “I
can not refuse the thing which you ask in this way. I give you,
therefore, these men to do with them as you please.” The men
were then taken to clean apartments to be well clothed and fed.
(Text.)
(2000)
=Medical Missionaries=--See GOD SENDS GIFTS; INDIA, MEDICAL
OPPORTUNITIES IN; MISSIONARIES, MEDICAL; SURGERY IN KOREA.