John's chance, however, was a desperate one. A fortnight after Easter,
1203, the French King attacked and took Saumur. Moving southward, he
was joined by some Poitevins and Bretons, with whose help he captured
sundry castles in Aquitaine. Thence he went back to the Norman border,
to be welcomed at Alencon by its count, and to lay seige to Conches.
John, who was then at Falaise, sent William the Marshal to Conches, to
beg that Philip would "have pity on him and make peace." Philip
refused; John hurried back to Rouen, to find both city and castle in
flames--whether kindled by accident or by treachery there is nothing
to show. Conches was taken; Vaudreuil was betrayed; the few other
castles in the county of Evreux which had not already passed, either
by cession, conquest, or treason, into Philip's hands shared the like
fate, while John flitted restlessly up and down between Rouen and
various places in the neighborhood, but made no direct effort to check
the progress of the invader. Messenger after messenger came to him
with the same story: "The King of France is in your land as an enemy;
he is taking your castles; he is binding your seneschals to their
horses' tails and dragging them shamefully to prison; he is dealing
with your goods at his own pleasure.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211