At Agincourt | Page 8

at least all men of condition, are well-nigh forced to
take one side or the other. The plea that I am a baron of England will be
of no avail, for both sides would turn against me and be glad of an
excuse for pillaging and confiscating my estate. At present, then, I must
regard myself solely as a French noble, for Villeroy has passed into the
hands of France, just as for a while it passed into the hands of England,
and if this war goes on we shall have to take a side."
"And to which side do your thoughts incline, Sir Eustace, if I may ask
you?"
"I love not either side, Guy, and would fain, if it could be so, that my
sword should remain in its sheath. I fear that I shall have to go with
Burgundy, for he is all-powerful in Artois; but had I been altogether
free to choose, I should have sided with Orleans. In the first place, it is
certain that the last duke was foully murdered by Burgundy, who
thereby laid the foundation for the present troubles. There were
jealousies before, as there have always been between the great nobles,
but that act forced almost all to take sides. The Dukes of Berri and
Brittany, who had been of the party of the late Duke of Burgundy, were
driven by this foul act of his son to range themselves with Orleans.
Armagnac is very powerful in the south, Berri's dukedom is in the north,
that of Orleans to the north-east. Burgundy's strength lies in his own
dukedom,--which has ever been all but independent of France,--in
Flanders, in Artois, and in Paris; thus, generally, it is the north and east
of France against the south and west. This is broadly the case, but in a

civil war provinces and countships, neighbours, ay, and families,
become split up into factions, as interest, or family ties, or the desire to
increase an estate by annexing another next to it, may influence the
minds of men.
"So long as it is but a war between the great dukes and princes of
France we smaller men may hope to hold aloof, but, as it goes on, and
evil deeds are done on both sides, men's passions become heated, the
spirit spreads until every man's hand is against his neighbour, and he
who joins not against one or the other finds both ready to oppress and
rob him. I should not have cared to bring out an English following with
me had we been forced to march any distance through France; but as
Villeroy is but a few miles from the frontier, and of that distance
well-nigh half is through my own estates, we can reach the castle
almost unnoticed. Once there, the fact that I have strengthened my
garrison will keep me from attack, for either party would be chary in
attacking one who can defend himself stoutly. I was minded to leave
your lady and the two younger children in England, but in truth she
begged so hard to accompany me that I could not say her nay."
The Castle of Villeroy was somewhat larger than the one in which Guy
had been born and brought up. The plan, however, was very similar:
there was the central keep, but, whereas at home this was the
dwelling-house of the family, it was here used as a storehouse, and the
apartments of the count and countess were in the range of buildings that
formed an inner court round the keep. In point of luxury the French
were in advance of the English, and they had already begun to combine
comfort with strength in their buildings. The apartments struck Guy as
being wonderfully spacious in comparison to those with which he was
accustomed. On the ground floor of one side of the square was the
banqueting-hall. Its walls were decorated with arms and armour, the
joists that supported the floor above were carved, the windows large
and spacious, for, looking as they did into the inner court, there was no
occasion for their being mere loopholes. Above the banqueting-hall
was a room where Lady Margaret sat with her maids engaged in
working at tapestry; here the priest gave such slight instruction as was
then considered necessary to Agnes and Charles; Henry had already

passed out of his hands.
Next to this room was the knight's sleeping apartment, or closet as it
was then called, a room which would now be considered of ridiculously
straitened dimensions; and close to it were the still smaller closets of
the children. Beyond were a series of guest-chambers. Another side of
the court-yard contained the apartments of the castellan, Jean Bouvard,
a sturdy soldier of long experience, and those of the other officers of