In vain Rohan and Laval rallied round him with the flower of the
Breton knights; the prince was a prisoner, and an English soldier
despatched him by plunging a dagger into his throat. Du Guesclin sustained
all the force of the fight with his heavy steel mace, his battle-axe and
his sword; but his mace was broken, the handle of his axe carried away,
his sword shivered, and he had no other weapon left but his gauntlets, and
was nearly overpowered by numbers, when Chandos, who fought with a
battle-axe, entreated him to surrender, "Messire Bertrand, rendez-vous,
cette journee n'est pas votre; il faut ceder a la fortune, une autre fois
vous serez plus heureux." Convinced of the truth of Chandos' words, Du
Guesclin surrendered to him the handle of his sword. Beaumanoir was among
the prisoners; and Clisson, who never left the field, lost an eye in the
conflict.

A hair shirt was found, with thick knotted cords round the waist, upon the
body of Charles, for he delighted in deeds of mortification. He often used
to place pebbles in his shoes, and once walked two leagues barefoot in the
snow to visit the relics of St. Ives, in consequence of which he was laid
up for three months. He was buried at Guingamp, and his widow and children
desired his canonisation; but de Montfort, fearing such a step would
render him unpopular in Brittany, persuaded Pope Gregory XI. to refuse it.

Du Guesclin, after he recovered his liberty, was destined, three years
later, to be a second time the prisoner of the English at Navarrete, when
the Black Prince replaced on his throne the cruel, perfidious Don Pedro.
When Sir Hugh Calverley asked for the freedom of Du Guesclin, he was met
by the reply, "Il ne faut pas lacher ce dogue de Bretagne, si fatal aux
Anglais." It was represented to the Black Prince that report ascribed his
detention to fear or jealousy; upon which he sent for Du Guesclin, who
told him he was tired of listening to the squeaking of the mice in his
prison, and longed to hear the nightingales of Brittany. He named his own
ransom at 100,000 florins, the Black Prince reduced it to 60,000; and the
Princess of Wales contributed 20,000. It was paid by Charles V. "Had it
been ten millions," says his biographer, "France would have paid it all."
In the Musee des Archives at Paris is preserved an order of Charles V. to
his treasurer, to prepare 30,000 Spanish doublons, to be paid to the
Prince of Wales for the ransom of Du Guesclin, adding, "il t