They are of
Spanish extraction, and French on their mother's side, first cousins to
king Alfonso of Spain. In my youth I served
Sir Louis d'Espagne in the wars of
Brittany for he was always on the side of
St Charles of Blois against the
count of Montfort.'
Here we left off speaking of these matters and arrived that day at
Saint-Gaudens, a fine town belonging to the
count of Foix. The next day we arrived in time to dine at the strong and prosperous town of
Montréjeau belonging to the king of France and
Sir Roger d'Espagne. After dinner, we mounted and left, taking the road to
Lourdes and
Mauvezin. We rode across some moorland stretching a good fifteen leagues towards
Toulouse and known as the
Lande de Bourg, where there are many dangerous passes which would suit villainous people. Amidst the
Lande de Bourg sits the
castle of Lannemezan belonging to the
count of Foix, a good league beyond the town of
Tournay and below
Mauvezin, whose castle the
knight now showed me, saying,
'Look, over there is
Mauvezin. Have you included anywhere in the history you have spoken to me of how the
duke of Anjou, while he was in this region and came before
Lourdes, laid siege to and conquered it, taking as well the
castle of Tuzaguet on the river that we can see in front of us and which belongs to the
lord of la Barthe?'I thought for a moment, then said, 'I do not believe that I have anything in that regard, nor do I believe that I have ever been informed of it. If you would care to recount the affair to me I will listen attentively. But tell me, before I forget, what has become of the
Garonne for I can no longer see it.'
'You are right,' said the
knight, 'it is lost among these mountains; it rises at a spring three leagues from here on the road to
Catalonia, below a castle called
Saint-Béat, the last castle in the realm of
France on the border with the kingdom of
Aragon.
The governor of the castle and of the surrounding land, just now, is a squire by the name of
Arnauton, the Bourc d'Espagne and first cousin to
Sir Roger d'Espagne. If you set eyes on him you will surely say 'this man has every appearance of a man-at-arms'. This
Bourc d'Espagne has wrought more havoc on
Lourdes than all the knights and squires of this country put together. I can tell you that he stands high in the favour of the
count of Foix for he is his brother in arms. I will not say anything more about him now, for quite possibly you will see him for yourself this Christmas at the court of the
count of Foix; I shall speak to you instead of the
duke of Anjou, about how he came to this area and what he did here.'
We rode steadily onwards, and he began his account as follows.
SHF 3-9 sync
Third Book, Chapter 8 [1388-(1373)]
The wars that the duke of Anjou waged on the English, and how he recovered the castle of Mauvezin in Bigorre.
'At the resurgence of war, when territories in
Aquitaine were conquered back from the
English, and
Sir Olivier de Clisson had become a loyal Frenchman, he escorted the
duke of Anjou to
Brittany, as you know, to the estates of
Sir Robert Knolles, which he held, and to the siege of
Derval. I think I am right in saying that you have all this recorded in your history, as well as the treaty that his cousin,
Sir Hugh Browe, made with the
duke of Anjou to surrender the castle, for which he had given hostages, unless someone stronger than the
duke of Anjou who was besieging the castle, came to raise the siege.'
'And when
Sir Robert Knolles had holed up in the
castle of Derval, he was disinclined to abide by any treaty.'
'You are correct, sir.' I said. 'I have all of that.'
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