art," says Froissart, "she made it not
like a disconsolate woman, but like a proud and gallant man. She showed
to her friends and soldiers a little boy she had, and whose name was
John, even as his father's, and she said to them, 'Ah! sirs, be not
discomforted and cast down because of my lord whom we have lost; he was
but one man; see, here is my little boy, who, please God, shall be his
avenger. I have wealth in abundance, and of it I will give you enow, and
I will provide you with such a leader as shall give you all fresh heart.'
She went through all her good towns and fortresses, taking her young son
with her, re-enforcing the garrisons with men and all they wanted, and
giving away abundantly wherever she thought it would be well laid out.
Then she went her way to Hennebon-sur-Mer, which was a strong town and
strong castle, and there she abode, and her son with her, all the
winter." In May, 1242, Charles of Blois came to besiege her; but the
attempts at assault were not successful. "The Countess of Montfort, who
was cased in armor and rode on a fine steed, galloped from street to
street through the town, summoned the people to defend themselves
stoutly, and called on the women, dames, damoisels, and others, to pull
up the roads, and carry the stones to the ramparts to throw down on the
assailants." She attempted a bolder enterprise. "She sometimes mounted
a tower, right up to the top, that she might see the better how her
people bore themselves. She one day saw that all they of the hostile
army, lords and others, had left their quarters and gone to watch the
assault. She mounted her steed, all armed as she was, and summoned to
horse with her about three hundred men-at-arms who were on guard at a
gate which was not being assailed. She went out thereat with all her
company and threw herself valiantly upon the tents and quarters of the
lords of France, which were all burned, being guarded only by boys and
varlets, who fled as soon as they saw the countess and her folks entering
and setting fire. When the lords saw their quarters burning and heard
the noise which came therefrom, they ran up all dazed and crying,
'Betrayed! betrayed!' so that none remained for the assault. When the
countess saw the enemy's host running up from all parts, she re-assembled
all her folks, and seeing right well that she could not enter the town
again without too great loss, she went off by another road to the castle
of Brest [or, mor