Prince of Wales to set the French warrior at liberty. "Sir,"
said he, "Bertrand is a right loyal knight, but he is not a rich man, or
in estate to pay much money; he would have good need to end his captivity
on easy terms." "Let be," said the prince; "I have no care to take aught
of his; I will cause his life to be prolonged in spite of himself: if he
were released, he would be in battle again, and always a-making war."
After supper, Hugh, without any beating about the bush, told Bertrand the
prince's answer. "Sir," he said, "I cannot bring about your release."
"Sir," said Bertrand, "think no more of it; I will leave the matter to
the decision of God, who is a good and just master." Some time after,
Du Guesclin having sent a request to the Prince of Wales to admit him to
ransom, the prince, one day when he was in a gay humor, had him brought
up, and told him that his advisers had urged him not to give him his
liberty so long as the war between France and England lasted. "Sir,"
said Du Guesclin to him, "then am I the most honored knight in the world,
for they say, in the kingdom of France and elsewhere, that you are more
afraid of me than of any other." "Think you, then, it is for your
knighthood that we do keep you?" said the prince: "nay, by St. George;
fix you your own ransom, and you shall be released." Du Guesclin proudly
fixed his ransom at a hundred thousand francs, which seemed a large sum
even to the Prince of Wales. "Sir," said Du Guesclin to him, "the king
in whose keeping is France will lend me what I lack, and there is not a
spinning wench in France who would not spin to gain for me what is
necessary to put me out of your clutches." The advisers of the Prince of
Wales would have had him think better of it, and break his promise; but
"that which we have agreed to with him we will hold to," said the prince;
"it would be shame and confusion of face to us if we could be reproached
with not setting him to ransom when he is ready to set himself down at so
much as to pay a hundred thousand francs." Prince and knight were both
as good as their word. Du Guesclin found amongst his Breton friends a
portion of the sum he wanted; King Charles V. lent him thirty thousand
Spanish doubloons, which, by a deed of December 27, 1367, Du Guesclin
undertook to repay; and at the beginning of 1368 the Prince of Wales set
the French warrior at liberty.

The first use Du Guesclin made of it was to go and put his name and hi