Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Bastard of Glarains vs. Perrot de Lignais, 1375

The bastard of Glarains was the same Savoyard bastard that Froissart renders as Clarins in his account of the combats at Vannes. Perrot Lignais, a Gascon of the English party, had accused the French lord of Montravel, who had been his prisoner, of bad faith. Glarains took up the quarrel, although, he said "I am neither a friend nor relative of the lord of Montravel" offering to fight with the condition that the loser would become the prisoner of the winner.

...and Lignais found his fine tent set up in the lists, to disarm in and receive his companions who had come with him, and Glarains likewise, and each had a chair. And while they were in their chairs they asked them if they had anything more to say, and they said not. Immediately they had the heralds cry "Do your duty!" (Faites vos devoirs)

And they came together doing their arms splendidly, four strokes the one on the other, after throwing the lance, with the sword. But the bastard of Glarains drove his adversary Perrot de Lignais back a good six paces while fighting with the sword. And the strong bastard threw down his sword and went to seize the Englishman Lignais with his hands. And holding him strongly the bastard carried him to the ground and threw himself upon him, and lifted his visor, and gave him three blows in the face with his gauntlet. And when the Englishman felt himself struck and in a bad way, he surrendered, shouting so loudly that he could easily be heard. Nonetheless, Glarains drew the Englishman's sword, and wanted to kill him, when the duke of Bourbon said that it was sufficient, and he had done enough.

Orronville, Jean d', and A.-M. Chazaud. 1876. La chronique du bon duc Loys de Bourbon. Paris: Renouard. Ch. 34, p.99 Translation copyright Will McLean 2012

2 comments:

Dave said...

By 'bad faith', is the accused charged with being a bad friend, or of not upholding the Christian faith?

Will McLean said...

It was implied that Montravel had broken a promise regarding his ransom.