A young man of Ghent III
Froissart is so full of great anecdotes, incidents, and quotations. I was inspired to share this one with you just because it's kind of cute and comical, and because it shows that not all knights felt it was always important to stand one's ground against all odds, and not all knights were unforgiving of those who did not stand stoutly to fight. Also because Sir Waflard de la Croix probably comes from what is now Belgium:
So these two earls rode forth by the guiding of sir Waflard de la Croix, who had kept long war against them of Lille, and he knew all the ways of the country and as then was at Ypres. And they of Lille had newly made a great dike, whereas there was never none before: and when sir Waflard had brought them thither and saw how the way was stopped, he said to the earls of England, "Sirs, I see well we cannot pass without the danger of them of Lille: wherefore I counsel, let us turn again and take some other way." Then the lords said, "Nay, sir Waflard, it shall never be said that we will go out of our way for fear of them of Lille; therefore ride on before" [....]
Then sir Waflard said, "Sirs, ye have taken me in this viage to be your guide, and I have been with you all this winter in Ypres, whereof I am much bound to you. But if they of Lille issue out upon us, have no trust that I will abide them, for I will save myself as soon as I can; for if I were taken, it would cost me my life, the which I love better than your company."
Then the lords did laugh at him and said, "Well, an if it be so, we hold you well excused".
And rightly so; for were the English lords not tourists? this was a game to them; whereas for Sir Waflard, the danger was real; he was a local, and the enemy knew him well enough to hate him. And sure enough, in the next paragraph, the dyke contains a "bushment" (an ambush) of French partisans, and there is a fight, and he runs away, whereas the "English lords" fight and are caught and then merely ransomed. There's no doubt of the right action or of honour here; chivalry is far from an absolute creed, especially in our Froissart, in the violent and awkward fourteenth century. Perhaps you see now why I love this book.
So these two earls rode forth by the guiding of sir Waflard de la Croix, who had kept long war against them of Lille, and he knew all the ways of the country and as then was at Ypres. And they of Lille had newly made a great dike, whereas there was never none before: and when sir Waflard had brought them thither and saw how the way was stopped, he said to the earls of England, "Sirs, I see well we cannot pass without the danger of them of Lille: wherefore I counsel, let us turn again and take some other way." Then the lords said, "Nay, sir Waflard, it shall never be said that we will go out of our way for fear of them of Lille; therefore ride on before" [....]
Then sir Waflard said, "Sirs, ye have taken me in this viage to be your guide, and I have been with you all this winter in Ypres, whereof I am much bound to you. But if they of Lille issue out upon us, have no trust that I will abide them, for I will save myself as soon as I can; for if I were taken, it would cost me my life, the which I love better than your company."
Then the lords did laugh at him and said, "Well, an if it be so, we hold you well excused".
And rightly so; for were the English lords not tourists? this was a game to them; whereas for Sir Waflard, the danger was real; he was a local, and the enemy knew him well enough to hate him. And sure enough, in the next paragraph, the dyke contains a "bushment" (an ambush) of French partisans, and there is a fight, and he runs away, whereas the "English lords" fight and are caught and then merely ransomed. There's no doubt of the right action or of honour here; chivalry is far from an absolute creed, especially in our Froissart, in the violent and awkward fourteenth century. Perhaps you see now why I love this book.