the Memoirs of the brave Constable, Du Guesclin.
The advantage he had obtained, in a skirmish before Rennes, against
William Brembre, an English captain, so preyed on the spirits of William
Troussel, the chosen friend and companion of the latter, that nothing
would satisfy him but a mortal combat with the Constable. The Duke of
Lancaster, to whom Troussel applied for permission to fight the great
Frenchman, forbade the battle, as not warranted by the circumstances.
Troussel nevertheless burned with a fierce desire to cross his weapon with
Du Guesclin, and sought every occasion to pick a quarrel with him. Having
so good a will for it, of course he found a way. A relative of his had
been taken prisoner by the Constable, in whose hands he remained till he
was able to pay his ransom. Troussel resolved to make a quarrel out of
this, and despatched a messenger to Du Guesclin, demanding the release of
his prisoner, and offering a bond, at a distant date, for the payment of
the ransom. Du Guesclin, who had received intimation of the hostile
purposes of the Englishman, sent back word that he would not accept his
bond, neither would he release his prisoner until the full amount of his
ransom was paid. As soon as this answer was received, Troussel sent a
challenge to the Constable, demanding reparation for the injury he had
done his honour, by refusing his bond, and offering a mortal combat, to be
fought three strokes with the lance, three with the sword, and three with
the dagger. Du Guesclin, although ill in bed with the ague, accepted the
challenge, and gave notice to the Marshal d'Andreghem, the king's
lieutenant-general in Lower Normandy, that he might fix the day and the
place of combat. The marshal made all necessary arrangements, upon
condition that he who was beaten should pay a hundred florins of gold to
feast the nobles and gentlemen who were witnesses of the encounter.

The Duke of Lancaster was very angry with his captain, and told him that
it would be a shame to his knighthood and his nation if he forced on a
combat with the brave Du Guesclin at a time when he was enfeebled by
disease and stretched on the couch of suffering. Upon these
representations, Troussel, ashamed of himself, sent notice to Du Guesclin
that he was willing to postpone the duel until such time as he should be
perfectly recovered. Du Guesclin replied, that he could not think of
postponing the combat after all the nobility had received notice of it;