"My lord," said the
count of Foix, "as we are all gathered here, we shall go into battle against your enemies."
They followed this advice, arming themselves immediately and organising their men, of whom there were around twelve hundred with helmets and six thousand foot soldiers. The
count of Foix led the vanguard and charged the king of Spain and his men in their quarters. There followed a long and furious battle and more than ten thousand
Spaniards were killed. The
count of Foix captured the son and brother of the king of Spain and sent them before his lord
Sir Gaston de Béarn who commanded the rearguard. The
Spanish were so thoroughly routed there that the
count of Foix pursued them as far as the port of
Santander in
Viscaya. The king of Spain took refuge in the abbey, donning a monk's habit; otherwise he would have been captured. Those who were able took to their vessels to save themselves, and set out to sea.'
'Then the
count of Foix returned and came before my lord
Gaston de Béarn who received him joyfully. He was right to do so for he had protected his honour and the country of
Béarn which would otherwise have been lost. The battle and defeat of the
Spanish and the capture by the count of Foix of the king of Spain's son and brother led to peace with the
lord of Béarn on the terms which he dictated.'
'On his return to
Orthez,
Sir Gaston de Béarn, in front of all the barons of
Foix and
Béarn who were present, took his son the
count of Foix and said,
"Dear son, you are my good and loyal son, and you have secured for all time my honour and the honour of my country. The
count of Armagnac, who has my eldest
daughter, excused himself in my time of great need and did not come to the defence of the inheritance in which he had a share.
I therefore declare him forfeit of the share of it he would have expected from my
daughter, his wife. I invest you with the whole of the territory of
Béarn as your inheritance upon my death, you and all your heirs in perpetuity thereafter. I request and command all of my subjects to agree with me and seal this inheritance which I now bestow on you, fair son of
Foix."
They all responded, "My lord, we will gladly do this."'
'And so, just as I am telling you, the former counts of Foix became the lords of
Béarn bearing the arms, the battle cry, the name and the profit thereof. However, it has not stopped the
Armagnacs claiming rights they say they are entitled to. This, as you see, is the cause of the quarrel and war between
Armagnac,
Foix and
Béarn.'
'By my faith,' I exclaimed, then, to the
knight, 'you have expounded it all very well. I have never heard tell of it before, but now that I have, I shall commit it to perpetual memory, if God grants me to return to my country. But there is one more thing I would gladly ask, if I might be so bold: What caused the death of the
son of the
count of Foix?'
The
knight considered for a moment then said, 'It is too woeful a matter and I do not wish to speak of it. When you arrive in
Orthez you are sure to find someone who will tell you if you ask.'
I let matters be for the moment, and so we rode on and came to
Morlaàs.
SHF 3-19 sync
Third Book, Chapter 13 [1388-(1373)-(1380)]
Of the immense wealth and prosperity of the count of Foix, and of the wretched manner of the death of Gaston, the son of the count of Foix.
We left the next day and reached
Mongerbiel Bougarber in time for dinner, then mounted again, stopping for refreshment in
Arthez and arriving at
Orthez at sundown. The
knight went to his own house and I found lodging at the
Inn of the Moon kept by one of the
count's squires named
Arnauton du Pin, who made me very welcome because I was French-speaking.
pb 219 v