In the morning we mounted our horses, set out from Tournay, passed the river Lesse at a ford, and, riding toward the city of Tarbes, entered Bigorre.

I recollected what he had said some days before respecting the country of Larre and Mengeant de Lourde, and, reminding him of them, said, “My lord, you promised that when we came to the country of Larre, you would tell me more of Mengeant de Lourde, and the manner of his death.”—“It is true,” replied the knight: “come and ride by my side, and I will tell it you.” I then pushed forward to hear him the better, when he began as follows:—

“During the time Peter d’Anchin held the castle and garrison of Ortingas, as I have before related, those of Lourde made frequent excursions at a distance from their fort, when they had not always the advantage.

“It was told to the governor of Tarbes, a squire of Gascony, called Ernauton Biffete, how those of Lourde were overrunning and harassing the country; and he sent information of this to the Lord de Benach and to Enguerros de Lane, son of Sir Raymond, and also to the Lord de Barbasan, adding, he was determined to attack them. These knights and squires of Bigorre, having agreed to join him, assembled their men in the town of Tournay, through which the garrison of Lourde generally returned. When those of Lourde heard that the French garrisons were waiting for them at Tournay, they began to be alarmed, and called a council to determine how to conduct their pillage in safety. It was resolved to divide themselves into two parties: one, consisting of servants and pillagers, was to drive the booty, and take by-roads to Lanebourg, crossing the bridge of Tournay, and the river Lesse between Tournay and Malvoisin; the other division was to march in order of battle on the high grounds, and to make an appearance as if they meant to return by the pass of Larre below Marteras, but to fall back between Barbasan and Montgaillard, in order that the baggage might cross the river in safety. They were to meet all together at Montgaillard, from whence they would soon be at Lourde.

“The French, in like manner as those of Lourde, had called a council respecting their mode of acting. Sir Monant de Barbasan and Ernauton Biscete said, ‘Since we know the men of Lourde are bringing home great plunder and many prisoners, we shall be much vexed if they escape us: let us therefore form two ambuscades, for we are enough for both.’ Upon this it was ordered, that Le Bourg d’Espaign, Sir Raymond de Benach, and Enguerros de Lane, with one hundred spears, should guard the passage at Tournay, for the cattle and prisoners must necessarily cross the river; and the Lord de Barbasan and Ernauton Biscete, with the other hundred lances, should reconnoitre, if perchance they could come up with them. They separated from each other; and the Lord de Benach, and the Bourg d’Espaign, placed themselves in ambuscade at the bridge between Tournay and Malvoisin. The other division rode to the spot where we now are, which is called the Larre, and there the two parties met. They instantly dismounted, and, leaving their horses to pasture, with pointed lances advanced, for a combat was unavoidable, shouting their cries, ‘St. George for Lourde!’ ‘Our Lady for Bigorre!’

“They charged each other, thrusting their spears with all their strength, and, to add greater force, urged them forward with their breasts. The combat was very equal; and for some time none were struck down, as I heard from those present. When they had sufficiently used their spears, they threw them down, and with battle-axes began to deal out terrible blows on both sides. When any were so worsted or out of breath that they could not longer support the fight, they seated themselves near a large ditch full of water in the middle of the plain, when, having taken off their helmets, they refreshed themselves: this done, they replaced their helmets, and returned to the combat. I do not believe there ever was so well-fought or so severe a battle as this of Marteras in Bigorre, since the famous combat of thirty English against thirty French knights in Brittany.

“They fought hand to hand; and Ernauton de Sainte Colombe, an excellent man at arms, was on the point of being killed by a squire of the country called Guillonet de Salenges, who had pushed him so hard that he was quite out of breath, when I will tell you what happened: Ernauton de Sainte Colombe had a servant who was a spectator of the battle, neither attacking nor attacked by any one; but, seeing his master thus distressed, he ran to him, and, wresting the battle-axe from his hands, said, ‘Ernauton, go and sit down: recover yourself: you cannot longer continue the battle.’ With this battle-axe he advanced upon the squire, and gave him such a blow on the helmet as made him stagger and almost fall down. Guillonet, smarting from the blow, was very wroth, and made for the servant to strike him with his axe on the head; but the varlet avoided it, and grappling with the squire, who was much fatigued, turned him round, and flung him to the ground under him, when he said, ‘I will put you to death, if you do not surrender yourself to my master.’—‘And who is thy master?’—‘Ernauton de Sainte Colombe, with whom you have been so long engaged.’ The squire, finding he had not the advantage, being under the servant, who had his dagger ready to strike, surrendered on condition to deliver himself prisoner, within fifteen days, at the castle of Lourde, whether rescued or not. Of such service was this servant to his master; and I must say, Sir John, that there was a superabundance of feats of arms that day performed, and many companions were sworn to surrender themselves at Tarbes and at Lourde. Ernauton Biscete and Le Mengeant de Sainte Basile fought hand to hand, without sparing themselves, and performed many gallant deeds, while all the others were fully employed: however, they fought so vigorously that they exhausted their strength, and both were slain on the spot. Thus fell Ernauton Biscete and Le Mengeant de Sainte Basile.”

“By my faith,” said I to the knight, “I have listened to

you with pleasure; and in truth it was a very severe affair for so small a number. But what became of those who conducted the pillage?”—“I will tell you,” replied he. “At the bridge of Tournay, below Malvoisin, where they intended to cross, they found the Bourg d’Espaign in ambuscade, who, on their arrival, sallied out upon them, being in sufficient force. Those of Lourde could not retreat, and were obliged to abide the event. I must truly say that the combat was as severe and as long, if not longer than that at Marteras. The Bourg d’Espaign performed wonders: he wielded a battle-axe, and never hit a man with it but he struck him to the ground. He was well formed for this, being of a large size, strongly made, and not too much loaded with flesh. He took with his own hand the two captains, the Bourg de Cornillac and Perot Palatin de BÉarn.”

“Holy Mary!” said I to the knight, “this Bourg d’Espaign, is he so strong a man as you tell me?”—“Yes, that he is, by my troth,” said he, “and you will not find his equal in all Gascony for vigor of body: it is for this the Count de Foix esteems him as his brother in arms. Three years ago I saw him play a ridiculous trick, which I will relate to you. On Christmas Day, when the Count de Foix was celebrating the feast with numbers of knights and squires, as is customary, the weather was piercing cold; and the count had dined, with many lords, in the hall. After dinner he rose, and went into a gallery, which has a large staircase of twenty-four steps: in this gallery is a chimney where is a fire kept when the count inhabits it, otherwise not; and the fire is never great, for he does not like it: it is not for want of blocks of wood, for BÉarn is covered with wood in plenty to warm him if he had chosen it, but he has accustomed himself to a small fire. When in the gallery he thought the fire too small, for it was freezing, and the weather very sharp; and said to the knights around him, ‘Here is but a small fire for this weather.’ Ernauton d’Espaign instantly ran down stairs (for, from the windows of the gallery which looked into the court, he had seen a number of asses with billets of wood for the use of the house), and seizing the largest of these asses, with his load, threw him over his shoulders, and carried him up stairs, pushing through the crowd of knights and squires who were around the chimney, and flung ass and load, with his feet upward, on the dogs of the hearth; to the delight of the count, and the astonishment of all, at the strength of the squire, who had carried, with such ease, so great a load up so many steps.”

This feat of strength did I hear; and all the histories of Sir Espaign du Lyon gave me such satisfaction and delight, I thought the road was much too short.