38. THE FAILURE OF THE BARDI (1345).

National disgraces must be recorded along with pational victories, and the action of Edward III. in disclaiming his debt to the Bardi of Florence falls among English disgraces. The Italians were the first who promoted international trade in modern times, and this they did both by their manufactures and their banking system. The prevalence of false money was alone enough to hamper foreign commerce until Florence in 1252 minted a gold coin, the florin, which was good for its face value wherever it went. At the beginning of the Hundred Years' War the Bardi were the leading bankers in Europe, and Edward III., already deep in their debt, kept borrowing more and more as his necessities increased. He gave different kinds of security, but ordinarily a claim on the customs of large ports like Sandwich or Southampton. The crisis came in 1345. The Bardi had their own creditors, and failing to get payment from Edward and the Sicilian king went into bankruptcy. John Villani, the Florentine statesman and chronicler, was among those ruined, and puts the blame on the greed of his countrymen.

dishonesty.

SOURCE.-Historie Fiorentine.

But that does not excuse the king's

Giovanni Villani (1275 ?-1348). Muratori, Rerum Ital. Script. Vol. xiii., p. 934. Trans. C. W. Colby.

Of the failure of the great and powerful company of the Bardi.

In January of the said year 1345, the Company of the Bardi, who had been the greatest merchants of Italy, failed. And the reason was that they had lent money (as had the Peruzzi and others) to Edward, King of England, and to the King of Sicily. So much that the Bardi were found to have owing them from the King of England, between capital and interest and gifts promised by him, 900,000 gold florins; and this, on account of his war with the King of France, he could not pay. And the King of Sicily owed 100,000 gold florins. And to the Peruzzi the King of England owed 600,000 gold florins, and the King of Sicily 100,000 gold florins. Whence

1 The original Florentine coin weighed about fifty-four grains.

it came about that citizens and foreigners alike failed, to whom the Bardi alone were indebted for more than 550,000 gold florins. And in turn many other smaller companies and individuals who had their property in the Bardi and in the Peruzzi and in the other bankrupts, were ruined, and on this account failed. By this failure of the Bardi and the Peruzzi, and Acciajuoli, and the Bonaccorsi, the Cocchi, the Antellesi, the Corsini, those of Uzzano, the Perondoli, and other small com panies and individual manufacturers who failed in these times, and especially by the burdens of the commune and by the excessive loans made to the kings (of which mention has already been made, but not of all because there are too many to count), was our city of Florence brought to greater ruin and distress than ever before; if the reader considers well, the damage caused by such great loss of treasure or the money lost by our citizens, and through avarice loaned to the kings. O! cursed and greedy wolf, full of the vice of avarice, reigning in our blind and mad citizens of Florence, who through lust of gain from the kings gave their property and others' money in loan only to lose power and sway, and to strip our Republic of all might; so that no specie remains among our citizens save among certain manufacturers or money lenders, who with their usury consume and sweep together booty from the scattered poverty of our citizens and destroy it. But not without cause do the hidden judgments of God come upon states to punish sins committed, as Christ in his own words says, "Ye shall die in your sins," etc. The Bardi gave up their possessions to their creditors and settled with them for 9s. and 3d. in the £ which did not actually return 6s. in the £. And the Peruzzi compounded for 4s. in the £ on their possessions, and 16s. in the £ on the debts of the aforesaid kings; and if they had received their due from the kings of England and Sicily or a part of it, they would have remained lords of great power and wealth. Let this suffice, and perhaps I have said too much about this shameful business, but one ought not to conceal the truth, because notable things as they occur are recorded in order to give posterity warning, that it may be the better on its guard.

39. THE BATTLE OF CRECY (1346).

Froissart, born at Beaumont, near Valenciennes, in 1337, was hardly ten years old when the battle of Crecy took place. His Flemish origin explains his use of the French language, and his intimacy with Queen Philippa explains his

G

English sympathies. He travelled much, questioned people who had been prominent in affairs and consulted the chronicles of his predecessors. Despite these excellent methods of collecting facts he is not very accurate, and for purposes of sober historical writing must be quoted with caution. His strong

point is charm of manner. He has entertained generation upon generation of readers, and few have equalled him in surrounding the past with an atmosphere of reality. When he wrote, the memory of Crecy was still fresh, and he had known many survivors. We may assume that he presents the main features correctly, and at any rate he gives the setting of a fourteenth century battle.

SOURCE.-Chroniques.

Froissart (1337-1410? ). Trans. T. Johnes.

London, 1855. Vol. i., p. 164.

The English, who were drawn up in three divisions and seated on the ground, seeing their enemies advance, rose undauntedly up, and fell into their ranks. That of the prince was the first to do so, whose archers were formed in the manner of a portcullis or harrow, and the men-at-arms in the rear. The Earls of Northampton and Arundel who commanded the second division, had posted themselves in good order on his wing to succour the prince, if necessary.

You must know that these kings, earls, barons and lords of France did not advance in any regular order, but one after the other, or any way most pleasing to themselves. As soon as the King of France came in sight of the English his blood began to boil, and he cried out to his marshals, "Order the Genoese forward, and begin the battle, in the name of God and St. Denis!" There were about fifteen thousand Genoese crossbowmen; but they were quite fatigued, having marched on foot that day six leagues, completely armed and with their crossbows. They told the constable they were not in a fit condition to do any great things that day in battle. The Earl of Alençon, hearing this, said, "This is what one gets by employing such scoundrels, who fall off when there is any need for them". During this time a heavy rain fell, accompanied by thunder and a very terrible eclipse of the sun; and before this rain a great flight of crows hovered in the air over all those battalions, making a loud noise. Shortly afterwards it cleared up, and

1 He was particularly indebted to the chronicle of Jean le Bel,

the sun shone very bright; but the Frenchmen had it in their faces, and the English at their backs. When the Genoese were somewhat in order, and approached the English, they set up a loud shout in order to frighten them; but they remained quite still, and did not seem to attend to it. They then set up a second shout, and advanced a little forward; but the English never moved.

They hooted a third time, advancing with their crossbows presented, and began to shoot. The English archers then advanced one step forward, and shot their arrows with such force and quickness that it seemed as if it snowed. When the Genoese felt these arrows, which pierced their arms, heads and through their armour, some of them cut the strings of their crossbows, others flung them on the ground, and all turned about and retreated quite discomfited. The French had a large body of men-at-arms on horseback, richly dressed, to support the Genoese. The King of France, seeing them thus fall back, cried out, "Kill me those coundrels, for they stop up our road without any reason". Then you should have seen the above-mentioned men-at-arms lay about them, killing all they could of these runaways.

The English continued shooting as vigorously and quickly as before. Some of their arrows fell among the horsemen, who were sumptuously equipped, and, killing and wounding many, made them caper and fall among the Genoese, so that they were in such confusion they could never rally again. In the English army there were some Cornish and Welshmen on foot, who had armed themselves with large knives; these, advancing through the ranks of the men-at-arms and archers, who made way for them, came upon the French when they were in this danger, and, falling upon earls, barons, knights and squires, slew many, at which the King of England was afterwards much displeased. The valiant King of Bohemia was slain there. was called Charles of Luxembourg, for he was the son of the gallant king and emperor Henry of Luxembourg. Having heard the order of the battle, he inquired where his son the Lord Charles was his attendants answered that they did not know, but believed he was fighting. The king said to them, "Gentlemen, you are all my people, my friends and brethren at arms this day therefore, as I am blind, I request of you to lead me so far into the engagement that I may strike one stroke with my sword". The knights replied they would directly lead him

1 The Emperor Henry VII.

He

forward; and, in order that they might not lose him in the crowd, they fastened all the reins of their horses together, and put the king at their head, that he might gratify his wish, and advanced toward the enemy. The Lord Charles of Bohemia, who already signed his name as King of Germany,1 and bore the arms, had come in good order to the engagement; but, when he perceived that it was likely to turn against the French, he departed, and I do not well know what road he took. The king his father rode in among the enemy, and made good use of his sword; for he and his companions fought most gallantly. They advanced so far that they were all slain; and on the morrow they were found on the ground with their horses all tied together. The Earl of Alençon advanced in regular order upon the English to fight with them, as did the Earl of Flanders in another part. These two lords with their detachments, coasting, as it were, the archers, came to the prince's battalion, where they fought valiantly for a length of time. The King of France was eager to march to the place where he saw their banners displayed; but there was a hedge of archers before him. He had that day made a present of a handsome black horse to Sir John of Hainault, who had mounted on it a knight of his called Sir John de Fusselles, that bore his banner; which horse ran off with him and forced his way through the English army, and, when about to return, stumbled and fell into a ditch, and severely wounded him. He would have been dead if his page had not followed him round the battalions, and found him unable to rise: he had not, however, any other hindrance than from his horse, for the English did not quit the ranks that day to make prisoners. The page alighted and raised him up; but he did not return the way he came, as he would have found it difficult from the crowd. This battle, which was fought on the Saturday between La Broyes and Crecy, was very murderous and cruel, and many gallant deeds of arms were performed that were never known. Toward evening many knights and squires of the French had lost their masters: they wandered up and down the plain, attacking the English in small parties. They were soon destroyed; for the English had determined that day to give no quarter, or hear of ransom from any one.

Early in the day some French, Germans and Savoyards had broken through the archers of the prince's battalion, and had engaged with the men-at-arms; upon which the second battalion

1 The Emperor Charles IV.