I doubt not that in two or three years he
will be one of our lord's esquires, and if he has a chance of displaying
his courage and skill, may be back among us a dubbed knight before many
years have passed over our heads. France is a rare place for gaining
honours, and so it may well be, for I see not that we gain much else by
our king's possessions there."
"There was plenty of spoil brought over, dame, after Cressy and Poitiers."
"Ay, but it soon goes; easy come, easy go, you know; and though they say
that each man that fought there brought home a goodly share of spoil, I
will warrant me the best part went down their throats ere many months had
passed."
"'Tis ever so, dame; but I agree with you, and deem that it would be
better for England if we did not hold a foot of ground in France, and if
English kings and nobles were content to live quietly among their people.
We have spent more money than ever we made in these wars, and even were
our kings to become indeed, as they claim, kings of France as well as
England, the ill would be much greater, as far as I can see, for us all.
Still there may be things, dame, that we country folks don't understand,
and I suppose that it must be so, else Parliament would not be so willing
to vote money always when the kings want it for wars with France. The wars
in France don't affect us as much as those with Scotland and Wales. When
our kings go to France to fight they take with them only such as are
willing to go, men-at-arms and archers; but when we have troubles such as
took place but five or six years ago, when Douglas and Percy and the Welsh
all joined against us, then the lords call out their vassals and the
sheriffs the militia of the county, and we have to go to fight willy-
nilly.
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