After the naval victory gained by Edward III. of England, near Ecluse,
that prince presented himself before Tournai. French authors say his
army amounted to a hundred and twenty thousand men, which appears an
immense number for that period; but Edward was assisted by so many
Belgians, and other nations at feud with France, that his forces
were great, though principally composed of foreigners. Proud of his
strength, he feared no obstacles. But Godemar Dufay, the governor of
the city, had prepared for a long defence, and Edward’s plans being
known, Dufay had a numerous and well-disciplined garrison. He was
likewise assured of the good-will of the inhabitants, and was seconded
by the _élite_ of the chivalry of France. Philip VI. soon came himself
to animate his brave subjects, and with several battalions, encamped
between Lille and Douay. As soon as he began operations, Edward became
aware of the rashness of his enterprise; and he sent a challenge to the
French king to fight him in single combat, a hundred against a hundred,
or in a general battle. This letter was addressed to Philip de Valois,
without any other title. Philip replied, “A letter has been brought to
our camp, addressed to Philip de Valois, in which letter were several
requests which you make to the said Philip de Valois. As it is not for
us, we do not reply to it; but we take advantage of the coming of your
herald to remind you that you are our liegeman; that by attacking us,
and raising the cities of Flanders against their count and against us,
their sovereign and yours, you commit an act of rebellion, perjury,
and felony, and for which, with the help of God, we hope to subdue you
and to punish you. Besides, you propose a duel on very unequal terms;
you offer to hazard your own person only against both the kingdom of
France and the person of its king. If you will increase the stake, and
put also the kingdom of England on the issue of that duel, we will,
though the terms would be then very unequal, willingly accept of the
challenge.” All this was intended, no doubt, to stimulate the troops on
both sides; we do not believe that either of these royal heroes was in
earnest. Both sides were tired of the contest, after a siege of about
twelve weeks. The inhabitants grew short of provisions, and Edward’s
forces decreased daily by death and desertion. In this situation, they
listened to the friendly intercession of Joan, countess dowager of
Hainault; a truce was concluded, and Tournai was saved.
Dazzled with the glories of Crecy and Poitiers, we English are
accustomed to be too proud of the reign of Edward III., that “mighty
victor, mighty lord;” whereas few events in our history produced more
or longer-endured misery to two great countries than Edward’s unjust
claim to the crown of France: unjust, because it was in opposition to
the laws of that country, by which all such cases must be settled.
This calamitous war lasted a hundred years, and, we have no doubt, by
the enmity being thus carried down from father to son, created that
unnatural antipathy between two neighbouring nations which is now so
happily being removed by their being united in a good and holy cause.
For our part, we never take up the thin strip of a sword, which is all
time has left of the weapon of this hero, without reflecting on the
evil he did and prepared, and turning, with the poet, to his “funeral
couch, with not one to grace his obsequies!”