generous soul refused to shed the blood of his
brave men in an unequal and desperate struggle, nobly sacrificed himself,
and made an offer to the King of Hungary to settle their quarrel in
single combat. We append the authentic letters that passed between
Joan's husband and Andre's brother.
"Illustrious King of Hungary, who has come to invade our kingdom, we, by
the grace of God King of Jerusalem and Sicily, invite you to single
combat. We know that you are in no wise disturbed by the death of your
lancers or the other pagans in your suite, no more indeed than if they
were dogs; but we, fearing harm to our own soldiers and men-at-arms,
desire to fight with you personally, to put an end to the present war and
restore peace to our kingdom. He who survives shall be king. And
therefore, to ensure that this duel shall take place, we definitely
propose as a site either Paris, in the presence of the King of France, or
one of the towns of Perugia, Avignon, or Naples. Choose one of these
four places, and send us your reply."
The King of Hungary first consulted with his council, and then replied:--
"Great King, we have read and considered your letter sent to us by the
bearer of these presents, and by your invitation to a duel we are most
supremely pleased; but we do not approve of any of the places you
propose, since they are all suspect, and for several reasons. The King of
France is your maternal grandfather, and although we are also connected
by blood with him, the relationship is not so near. The town of Avignon,
although nominally belonging to the sovereign pontiff, is the capital of
Provence, and has always been subject to your rule. Neither have we any
more confidence in Perugia, for that town is devoted to your cause.
"As to the city of Naples, there is no need to say that we refuse that
rendezvous, since it is in revolt against us and you are there as king.
But if you wish to fight with us, let it be in the presence of the
Emperor of Germany, who is lord supreme, or the King of England, who is
our common friend, or the Patriarch of Aquilea, a good Catholic. If you
do not approve of any of the places we propose, we shall soon be near you
with our army, and so remove all difficulties and delays. Then you can
come forth, and our duel can take place in the presence of both armies."
After the interchange of these two letters, Louis of Tarentum proposed
nothing further. The garrison at Aversa had capitulated
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