Cal Ay Se Sal Ge Rae Wea aleN Teeeome RinleeeS: SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD Story of a Condottiere aN, 2 a Dy bp Uma) Cae a ena ei gollen easwww. forgotienbooks. org ISBN 9781440087653Rorgotten Books This is a Forgotten Books Library high-quality e-book from www.forgottenbooks.org Thank you for supporting Forgotten Books by purchasing this e-book. This e-book may not be distributed. If you wish to share this e-book with friends or other people, please give them the free low-quality version from www.forgottenbooks.org This book is also available in print as high-quality paperback from www.amazon.comVERTICAL LINES The vertical black lines appearing on most pages are deliberate. This is required to stop people from selling printed copies of our e-books. Our own printed books do not have these watermarks. TERMS & CONDITIONS This e-book may not be distributed. This e-book may not be modified in any way. This e-book may be printed for personal use only. 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However, this |from a scan of the original, jarantee that it is free from i content of the original. a nen sks pnnghe progr. © 2010 Forgotten Books www. forgottenbooks. org© 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org© 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. orgSIR JOHN HAWKWOOD. © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. orgOnly Five hundred) copies have deen printed of Sir John Hawkwood,| owe hundred reservcd for presentation ta the Public Libraries, the Press, and Friends ; and Four Asmired numbered copies for the Public of which this is Fiat. Uae rr as © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org© 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org© 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. orgJOHN I U STORY OF TRANSLATE JOUN TEMPLE-LEADIR. LU. T. FILS a6, ra [ae SIR AWKWOOD ACUTO). A CONDOTTIERE: D FROM HO ITALIAN ou Fag. & Sie. GIUSEPPE MARCOTS ay DER scorr. ondsr, HER TXNWIN FHRYOKTEI FQMARE. 8a, rights rrarrvctt,) © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org© 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. orgPREFACE, Alias atio pt tng omnier, tnovudre potest, Acaoxreg. The history uf the mercenary companies in Italy vo flanger ro radins to be told; it Loving boon pwublishet in IStt ly Evcule Rigutti: however, several successive monographs ou the sane suljedt fla produecd such » wealth ef information from uew sources that} Hi- colti's work, estimable ay it i, shnogt requires Lo Le rewritten. | ‘The Archivio Storico ttutiano has olready vecoguised this hy fodicat- ing av entire volume to Documents for the history of Malian wakfarc from the 18° to the 16° centuries collected by Ginaeppe Caneatrini. Vhese axe of great importiace: but even taking into accoant all we owe to them, aml to all that luter historical resemrches have brought. to light, the theme is not yer exhausted; truth is Ifke happiness] and thoagh as we approsch we see it chining more jotensely, wat beconi- ing clearer in oatline, yet we ean nevor feel, that we bace ebutiuad full possession of it, One of the avet. evlobvated eoodattige) waa the Englishman Soho Hawhwood, or as contunporary Italian chronichats put it * Gioyanui Acate;" who Filippo Villani proclains ay ‘grand ivaster of War.” Giovio with elegant Jacaniam detines hing averrimus Lellatur et |eun- elutor egregius, wile Muratori recuguines bim soy e "brave and Weary capbiia,? qualitying praise however by addiug “a brigand of the fast vouk:" and Anmirsto ssys "by orapy pruvs ho showed hisaself valiant aud courageous in his own person, astute in reaping sfean tages, and a man who could wait Lhe results of action without hyary- ing tu ubtain ferns.” As for popular tradition, we Lavo the deslimony of Hyance [Sac ehetti, who (in bis 51 Novella) tells the stary of certain imoaks © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org2 DREFAUE, seha gave Hawkwoud the grocting of * Pease * on whicl be replied : “May the Lord take away your abns.? Thr alarmed mew Wanzelves, by saying they "smeaut anly to be kind,’ phined: * Do yan not know that Live by war, and Uh P be tay undoing? and she storysteller adds: “H. eestainly 1 ka excused ad he cace would uc dnt. Hawkwwood fought in Italy longer than avy other man ever fonght, and nearly every part of it became trilmtary to bien: 2g wel dint bi tinge hia afeins that there was Little pence in Holy in i teriatic: slovy wes parapbe Latin: De 0o qui pavi gant paupert nikit dare vetuit. (Fucesic di Filitimo Exncties, yior hy (ade, in penec his cesnpntion was gone, ‘This traly charac hia day arom 18 10- 6H). Th way said that if le had wished, be might « have ont a principality aut of Tuseany for himwelf, or perbayy have of the whote provivee,—a uw Castraccio or Lgnrcion givola ;— hut either he lncked the ambition, oy else he kne and (lo tines well enongh to 1 been to found a lasting dynasty. become Tord della Fuge nv the plaice lige how iimpossilde jt) would have Ln any way he was fur muse than thirty years one fof (he ines effective Jomimitors of Italian fairs, and O: bey history, — military. politicnl, avd social,—he Nyaves a2 9 personage whose character ant actions have an importaace more than sn@icieut to justify curiosity of Liegraphicsl andition, It is now evident shat there is more than a fittle to} 24 vectify ie hiv history; and — taking into avcount aeveral i: the simple dd, 2 nd to dD do- eaments corrohgcatimg that which has, it is true, heen already nar- rated, though neither clearly nor precisely — it rroulil neem monograph of Tobi Mawkwood may well be attempted. Paolo Giovio gave 4 place to the English Conutottier, gia virorun dellice virtde Hastricn ; luis more thetorie than biography in it— more vomnnce thal that s mew in the Rie ib is a short) record with Wistory; it is a sketch in fine Vatin prose with an ugly woodeut, pnd two nue happy verses by Giulia Kesaldo; and as to truth, the farreus bishop of Coma alienys hud (since Menedetto Varehi shewed up Pa olo Giovio’s errors in history) the mast juslifialle reputation of giving it yuite a secondary imywrtance. Vorenico Maria Manni eallected many valuable frets edited and inedited, and formed a praiseworthy biography (yublighed in 176), jn Yo). 11 of the appeudia to Herum HHalicarum Scrilores), but it was incomplete and not always exact. From the literary correspondence in 1610-1641 betwaca Sir W m Hoawell English ainbassador to the Hague, and J. de Lact of Leiden (Lritish Museum, additional LSS. 6895) it rosults that Mr. John © 2010 Forgotten Books www. forgottenbooks. orgPREFACE. 8 Mavsice had compiled, aud sition in English, a life of Siv Joho Hawkwood, profiting yy the Tealion authors esisting in tbe awhuewa- dor's library, and Ly Sir William Boswall’s wo olscrvations. TL in possible Umat this is the MS. biography of Huwhkwood, which ia pre- served in the Asliolewn Collection of Oxford (No 709), Tr votsistn of 100 pages Foliv, amt diverges from Qe subject in long digression on yeneral eodomporary histery, compinently dusting Taeftus aud other Latin writers, The xathur thus metnphorically anvouncer his cubject on page 21: "Tuawe applic wy selfe 10 ry inended theme, life of the vatinnt aud fun’d Sir dobo Havkwucl, or rnthier wre ral pavengus «af own hue, and th few discourses, cousidevations, and observations ou sev hiv tile, aud sets, tor these we have yoowing: at tb’ other must chieHly be imported from forrnins yarts where they grow tuo thine.” Jn any cage the hovk woald only have » very liutited Viographieal value were i¢ wot for the dociuenty which ware furnished by the Italian arebives, Thos if ovr qubject is uot without yrucmdeng, neither i exhausted. Fov thy rest, iu narrating ond Aocwnenting the Tife of this soldier of fortano, it is cnomgh merely to indieato, and out reprodnee cntic those general faets of the me which ave well known, or an in acceudited histor) Oar labours refer to the career of the clazsical Condottiere in the mklst of his soldicrs, and to bis relations with the princes and cxpublics to whan he sul bis eword, and i. will euGeuw for this, if we throw some of the snodern Jights an the sucial and wk fitary conditiuns of Maly, during the second balf of the Le century, yak found To siapllfy chrenolege we have iuicsted the dates by wargical wmrutors. States OF ite eld Ktorentine aod Pisan etyles hare been sedaced 10 molern style, © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org© 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. orgTHE HAWRWOOD FAMILY. — FIRST ENGAUEDNENTS ON F Dloxasr, List of Boxer (166) whieh cites tho feurla) vemistore of the Earls o CaMoLs's Brilevaie — Feania, Wortkiot af Sagtend (1868) — Brows, Lwo of Gillor Stawekreaod exioting 16 cho Horteyan Chords $1, 1.6, pub. in Magasms. Vol $8, p 14U1 — Fatyweo ViGLASE, Cromea — Amasnano, Toto fine ~ Sasves Sutra, Life and Asdowr — Matteo Viraxt. Cr Adsenbaraus bites ~ Lanotertn Uédtignmaira unierad tue &: Chronnues — Comzesva DE Kanon, CSronien — Pouarey, Mistoite de Pl On the Jeft bank of the little river Calne in E: RANCE, Oxtord Je = Will lendlerna a's pe Foréne } Usexna, FBOIsEART, ucts] sex, in the pariah of Sible Hedingham uot far from the proce! city of Colchestor, there still cxists an oli house en stato named Hawkwood Manor,— ones a fendal dependipes on the Castle of Hodingham belonging to the Favls of Dxford, and which was in tho possossion of the Hawkwoodg aa far hack as the reigns of Jon Lack-Land and Edwa: Tradition says that our John Hawkwood was hor and we have no reason to doubi if, Tho epoch of his hirth is not proved; we onl that ha died vary old in 1394, and that in 360 alroady a capiain of agsured reputaiion ; we may th IUr. in Lere, kuow @ Wax erefore conclude that he camo into the world in the beginning of Edward the ‘Lird’s reign, about the year 1820 Jobn’s father wos named Gilberi and he was b; 8 tanner; a fact perfectly compatible with his w condition as a landowner. ‘There are not wauting fabricators of marvallou: slogies, which make Hawkwoad's ancestry origina! © 2010 Forgotten Books trade 1-to-do geme- a seith ‘www. forgottenbooks. org6 AIS FATHER'S WILL, | Memprecins King of the Frisians. On tha other hand Pi- lippo Villani and Awunirato beliove Hawkwood to be « porsoual cognomon, rather thon a family surname, recount. ing that “the mother being about to give Virth to a child, had hersolf carriad into a forest, end here the boy was born,” -—heucs the name Aah and ood. Tho Florentine Jistoriaus wers bettcr informed in say- ing that his parents * were well bora although not of grand lincage (geutil’ huomini mercatanti ¢ antichi borghe- si.” The fact that they used the aristocratic particle “do,” and thac thoy postessed Inuds, goods, and moncy, is proved by some English documents, among whieh is the Will of Gilbert de Hawkwood himso)f* Tn thig bis last testament Gilbert de Hawkwood declares his wish to be buried in the church of Sible Hedingham; then im the first place he leaves 2 solidi to the building fand of St. Panl’s in London; thon 17 marks LO solidi for his obsequies on the doy of the funeral, and on the soventh aud thictioth doys after it. He had three sons: John the elder, John the younger, and Nicholas. ‘Tho elder no doubt inhexiwod, by right of seniority, the Manor of Hedingham Sible, of which tho Will mekos no weution, it being ouly a serics of legacies in money, goods or furniturg : to John senior 10 pounds, the cart and six borsos, two oxen, 10 quartors of wheat and LO of oats; to John junior 20 pounds and 10) solidi ; to Nicholas 10 marks: to each 5 quarters of whont, 4 of oats, maintenance for a year. ‘There were besides four daughters: Agnes and Jane, married ; Alico and Murgaret still spinsters, to etch of ith bed and * Tomenasco, in his Comments on the Letters of Sé Cathorine of Siena, hag romanced lag rauels in aiéritnting to * Aento* te title of Count. © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org,TAILOR OR NOT? ? them Gilbert left 100 solid’ and to the two spinsters 1) pounds besides, with bed and inaintenance for a year. Then follows a long list of petty lcgncics to priests, menvervants, and maidseryants, nbbosses, aud nuns; with au general Ingncy of * all the remainder” to his exevutars to be employed in charity aud prayers for his saul. The executors were his sons, the two Johns, and tho Vicar of Gosfield : this indicates that thosn two sona were both ab home in 1340; in fact they obtained, after Gil- bert’s death in that same year, the official Rccumeuty giving them legal pussossion and power of administration of the property mentioned in the Will. Of the three sons, the least favored, Nicholas, embraced the ecclesiastical career, with such suecess that in 1363 we find him in holy orders, and holding a territarin) benefice of such value Lhat it placed him ou an equal rank with John soniar, who ag head of tho family was Squire of Sible Hediagham. Tho other cadet John junior, being provided with bis 20 pounds and 100 solid? (in those times a cousiderable stun), lived for a year at bis brother's oxpenso, as legally ou- joined, — ho might ovon haye prolonged the visit ia fre ternol fashion, — but after thet be began to think, as eadets mab do, of making a career for himself. Now as that time there was war in Hrauce, and thither went many Englishmen to seok their fortunes, aud gain money, Iands, and titles, while King Edward IIT on bis part appropriated whole provinces, — and thess teuptations induced cur hero to become a soldier. This seems the most probable version of his sory ; nevertheless the tradition was generally accepted in Fngland that John’s first weapons were needle aul scissors, and that they were wielded during an apprenticerhip to a London tailor. Fuller gives this as a fact addiug: “ Now that mean men bred in manual and mechanick wades, may © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org8 JEAN DE LAIGUILE arrive ot great skill in maytiall perfor waod, though au eminent, is not th our English nation.” hanuces, Ehat Hawk- le oulyy instanco of On this account a popular modern writer, Siniles, re- gistered Hewkwood sioong tho illustri ng classes in his Life and Labour. us men of the work- It is also noteworthy that somo French authors give John Hawkwood the coguomen ol Jea all this is not at all anthentie, and de L’Aignille. But ccords ill with the condition of the family de Hawkwopd, As to the real Jean do L'Aiguille, Matteo Villani is he say's that “after having shewn of great spirit in feate of arms, Gion| our best informant: meself 9 brave man ni deHz Guglia, En- glish tailor, iu the summer of 1359, got together a com- pany of English plinderers end sw pilleging open lauds or protecting mate 4 great fortune in a few months, allegienco to the King of England pl: tho wealth Le had accurmlated at his rdsmen; and oither hem for monoy,, he and returning to bis ced a great part of overcign’s disposal.* When in lator times Hawkwood fppeured a5 hero of the Tuscan wars, Filippo Villani, wh continnad Matteo’s history, whilo trying to throw light pn the origin of the Coniottiere, does not even dream of aAcuto with Gianni delle Guglin: and F identifying Giovanni roissnrt, on his side, aasures us that in 1360, Giovanni Tpeoale was still "a poor knight, having gained nothing Skippon, an English writer, on the namo of Johsnues Acutus,* trans| * The aumhorierd variations in {he apelliny ut bis spurs.” cading in Florence ated it literally into of this name in ancient Aocumirile, conteanporanzcus ehrauielos, ond falgr Historians is iacrodille, Every pnscile cuthination of the letter whieh Bo or fly nob colnpose I, au feng na thoy apeoximated te the sound of 7 upon by neeratarics, ond authers, learned or pop antoneds signing for hiny fay we roe ba several Teflon indulged in tho mast fantastic ahorrations af orsh: to give nung List, coffice il to staca that wean ring ath tho ol coed, Weeo experimented lar. ven hia own piia- in tho Archives of Meutuat caphy. He would be useless gOS hetww enn Aguio Ad Kaaphirote and thst HK Antonina sonatdetly calls him Agatiao. © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. orgJOUN SHALP, 9 English as “John Sharp,” without even suspecting that it referred to) Hawkwoad. Some mistake of this sort may have given tise to the metamorphose of "Acuto™ into Giovanni delllAgo, aud thonce to tho legend of his exploit in @ tailor's shop. Te has been frequently asserted that Hawhweod was snrolled by Ypres wong, bul it has also been said that he rande his own|choicc of the career of arws, and that he was educated for it by bis uncle who was en expert warrior. Some declare that his first campaign in France iu 1243 wag mado ag|a vassal of Jolin de Vere, 7 earl of Oxford; and it is probablo that he fought in the fumaus battles of Cressy and Poitiers, for it is an accepted tradition, that he so distinguished himsclf in those actions, as to win the favour of thp Black Vriuce, and receive from the King the honor of |knighthood. All considered however, there ix much less documentary proof for tho| story of his early carecr than evcu that of his origin; while the history of his vocation ay Cuptain of Mercenariqs is on the contrary sufficiently recounted by the Frendh chronicles. During the war, many companies of mercenary adven- turers had min on the disputed soil of France, some fighting on their own account, others for belligerent po- tentates. The peace| of Bretigny being concluded, 4 great number of the troops| were dismissed and returned to their homes across the sct. Many of the Knglishmen however wore to much acgustomed to the exeitemout of fighting and setting ransoms in an enemy's country, to willingly xetura to paaceful ogcupations in their own; thoy preferred follow- ing up the |career, and finding mumerous adherents, — Germans, men of Brabant, Flemings, Gascons, and French, they formed into companies both great. and small, known © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org0 TNE TARDE- VENUS. by the common name of Turds-venns, to distingui: fh them: from other troops which had preceded them, cr to jexpress that they gleancd the little thaé was left in Franed, which bod alrendy been devastated by so many years o English captains of the higher rauk being lad spoil aud full of honors, after victorious campaiguy wars a with fought for the right; obcyed the proclamation of peage, and declined to mix themselves up with the Turds-ven » who therefore elocted new leaders, ” choosing,” says Froissart, "the worsl among them.” * John Hawkwood inay have been * & poor knigh i> but. ha must have won reputation as a man of war, fhecouse one of those companies placed him at their hed. n. “CHE ENGLISH IN PIEDDIOZ THY DEATH OF COUNT LAXNDO. Avigann = Manraya, Pesaures rei, Hf — Chrontais de S000: Crameca — Tho shwughter af Savigliaus iu tle Ardila Storieo Ltallono| vo AT — Gereursa, Histciee ginéntoztque de ka mulion te Saved) The Tarls-venus under Bernarde de }a Salo, afcor desolnted Charopague and Burgundy, and made 2] T,— THE * CONTE VERDES , Coroniques — Marre Viniasi, Conien — Bauzio, Hatory of fon Popes at = Aram Tat orton, having rendeg- * The hgeuvous latin of the chrouielur Guilolmus do Nangislia worthy of quulation. Peace proclnined, ho weiles, yrtudebans gical onagt exceptin forsitan itis yiei tn tempore gitrraraar et im farkis worn, deallbna, repeviint wage fuera, sieat sunt armifuctorey, of uBiqui at merite alife pare gai se pldas Wicitne ot opren nefavite in Call tempore, Dei Cmrare portposite, euphuet erectire, dt de vebtis stom gic eva roplern avtraupie Nisane Juste ; del din indliest Metvietam vin nportebit redhterd eationvnt.. dew diversi mutionibne, nan bahettes Ubsliim aliguanr neqee ceuaam aligned wiad pwogeia wota wine neguttta affectata enl ape deprediandi. Perrin would give its (o Understand thet the uncles of } panics was cumposod of Gaseana and Norinaas, who ld serv ail hones tho namo of English. But from thoir own doenments {1 And thatthe clement of reat Anglish blood axisted. especially in {1 antl constables, © 2010 Forgotten Books guitar in eurvevernal flid Refiul ef eteF Miyns, ridatiers mul? gueprataves dr ineadendi, hean corm Eugtana n Kaly we ne Me igte www. forgottenbooks. orgTHE OREAT COMPANY. vous at Lyons, deseond the Rhono by lon chés, surprise the bridge aud fort of S take it by assault, thereby gaining both wt establishing themselves there they cont river, and menace Aviguon itelf!; John great assistance in this entorprisc. Pope Innocent V1 to defend bimnself| anus temporal, spiriuval and moyal: he f proclaims a crusade with liberal indulge Coule Verde atleke ¢ difansore della Chiesa salpine princess, that they may oppose and prevent their paseage: for alroady a ther by tho Countess of Harcourt to ave: of her hugbaud by tho King of France, w hes recourse to titles Avignon, hices, writes to and other tran- the companies, troop got toge- ge the inurcder id another large u nocturnal yoac- 1250. int Fsprit, and accom. x6. mon and spoil; and the whole lawkwood giver Pebynary- company of Englishmen are hastening fo uew prey in Provence. The Cardinal of Ostia succeeds in collec but they do not yemein staunch, on the 0 orcr to the enemy. ing a dew men: ontrary soveral Not being able to brave the storm, chp Pope carefully takes the opportunity of turning it asido| hand in his purse. He comes 40 an unders Marquis of Montferrat who reqaircs soldier the Visconti: wp by the money of the Chureh, tho Ma his pay the larger part of the greav com venus as well as tho brigand-paladins of in all GO00 horse. hy putting bie ancing with the tofight against #0 comuselled by Conve Verde,” and backed rqais takes into pany of Tards- he Countess, — How much did this financial operation cost the Pope, besides tho plenary indnigence ? Froissart 3 * Lord of Suvey and snoumtur af ble revel umily of thes he advancad 60,000/fr: lady. in gold,** {Fransintor) 77 Th must be specified chat i omsiont tires two Hinds of feanes were ased in Franea; ik¢ silvar one of teranty toldi, und the|goldua one of six Fo- rentine lire, “The Klorentine Aozin of that opoeh haa]sn intrinsic value of about eleven of tho modera france © 2010 Forgotten Books www. forgottenbooks. orga2 RATTLE OF BRIGNAIS, wel. of which 10,000 were paid to Hawkwood's brigade. Ba luzio telks of 30,000, Matteo Villani of 100,000 florins but Marteno’s documont proves only one of the payments —that of 14,500 florins to be consigned to the Marquis et per cumdem mavohionem avinigeris qué Macxa Socreras doo dicebantur. Hore thau we bohold the great Euglish band marching towards the sea; attempting in vein to take Marseilles, they set fire to her auburbs, and pass by the Rivicra t Nice; cross tha Maritime Alps by the feudal estates o Blalaspina, favored by Simon Toccanegra doge of Gonos, apd enemy to tho Visconti; aud thus descend inte ty valley of tho Po. And did Hawhwood go with them? It seeing that he did like the Covntoss of Harcourt, who after conduatin. hor brigade into Piedmont, veturued directly into Franco, for Froisgart assures ug that our Condottiere was one o| the chiefs in commond of the English bands, who under Jacques de Bourbon at Brigmnis vanquished the troops 9 the Fronch King. Tho battle of Brigusis, which was a pitched battle, ima, took place on April 6, 1362" | The English, superior in uuwher, had the extra a ventega of prudence. Thoy.dissimulated the roal exten} of their forces 29 as to mislead Bourbon’s spies, and they also occupied the best positions. The Franch troops attempted an assanlt by au open march, but they were first thrown into confusion by storm of larga stones aimed with singular vigonr ant precision (the English were oxpert slingsmen as well a archers), then they woro shaken in the flank by a compa a Ae + 7 Froissard, it 18 trua, gives tho date April 12, 1461, bul Siaweon Liver, € loarned aditor of the famons Pronch chronieler, las shown this te he [a chronalegien] error. © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. orgENGLISHMAN ITALIANIZED. as vmass, bristling with lances six fect long, and finally, routed and disbanded with great loss, they left many important prisoners on the fiold} Bonrbon, mortally wounded, hardly succecded in flying to Lyovs to die, consoled as well as may be, by tho tears| of tho Lyouese daines and maidens. In fact we perceilyo by this cormbet thas the French had learned little from the terrible lessons of Cressy and Poitiers, and that the English were possessod of very tip- enod tactics for those/times; even iu brigaudage they were artists of war. Aftor this sigual |vietory the.companies diffused vhom- solyes without obstaples,— some stayed in France, some surned towards the Rhenish provinces, to such cffect that Radolph of Hapsburg hed to longue eleven imperial cities, io oppose the damuges und deviccs of * those villaius vul- garly called English; a good many more pussod or repassed into Italy und among theso John Hawkwood. Vay racogli ove orate nun lai, Spiega | ugue: F italia ti do. (Go, »wp where thou hast not awed, Spread thy clawa: Italy L give thee.) The maritime Alps passed, tho English lef behind them in Fravco thoir name of Turds-venus. It is not certain, however, that they formed immediately, as is geucrally believed, tet single * White Company.” or Com- ragnite Biunea, as Mattoo Villani calla the largest of the Finglish bands in 1340. The ancicnt "Chronique de Savoie” speaks of eucwnes compageies Y Angélois which had for leaders Robert Canolie, John Arguth, and Abuechin de Boogurden. As to tho last name it is equivocal: Bongarden came with Count Conrad Lando (or Landau) bringing from Apulia two troops of Hungpriaus and Gormaus, who ware first in the pay of the Meas of Montferrat, nnd then hired © 2010 Forgotten Books www.forgottenbooks. org“4 {NCAR by the Conte Verde: final of the Visconti, Lando fir expedition into Apulia. KATE DEVIL. ly they passed into the service t, and Bongardou after a new Qn the other hand, Azavio, a most valuable contempora- neous eye and cae witness panics took as general lead: so velorous in the field, ag (qui vivtuosus ad puysam on necessary to have o captai was now to themselves, and¢ ecrtifies that the Euglish com- re german, Albert Sterz, a man to inspire atherg with courage nes alios facit. virtuosos). It was . wha knew the country, which btexx suited tham, not only for his military qualities, but ospecially because he spoke English The fact remains that Huugarians, the Germans, Piedmout was dovastated by the and lastly by the newly arrived English, and it is difficult to say which were the worst, the cruel horrors of the first, or the equal horrors proof of which Azavio gi Tt is not true that the| tho Alps the plague, of w laughter eal Saviglane by the pervctrated by Lhe others, in jos the names of many witnesses. English bronght from beyond ich 77,000 people died in Blilan alone (?); the pest was already in Piedmont, as it was in Provence, — but they brought violation, burning, extortion, raping, mmrder, and tortur of their husbands, and fache , insing women in the presence rs, and then demanding ransom 3 putting men into irons, apd arowning those who were not prompt to pay the money The only thing in wh than the Hungarians ond mutilating their victims. to call them perfid? and lanots), and from their e the ol proverb figlese itd (An Englishman italianizet demanded. ch the English wera less brutal IGormans wag in not roasting or Azario, however, does not omit apelerntesini (perfidions and vil- trance into Italy they justified Jianato 4 we diavols tacarneto.” d is au incarnate dovil.) vf this uroverh XVS century when Serdonati regi is uot knowu, it dates from bofore the tors il in bid MS. collection with 4 note © 2010 Forgotten Books www. forgottenbooks. org