pb 225 vWe held Anse, Saint Clement, l'Arbresle, La-Terrasse, Brignais, Saint-Denis, l'Hôpital-sous-Rochefort and more than sixty fortresses in the Mâconnais, in Forez, Velay and Lower Burgundy, and all along the Loire. We would ransom the whole countryside, and they could not be rid of us, whether they paid us well or otherwise. We took La Charité by night assault and held it for a good year and a half. Everything belonged to us from above the Loire to Puy in the Auvergne (for Sir Séguin de Badefol had left Anse and was holding Brioude in the Auvergne where he made a huge profit, gaining then and there one hundred thousand francs), and from there to below the Loire as far as Orléans, along the entire river Allier. The Archpriest, who was the governor of Nevers and in those days a good Frenchman, could do nothing about it; however, he knew a good number of the companions, so something was done for him at his request. The Archpriest did much good in the Nivernais by having the city of Nevers fortified; otherwise it would have been ransacked many times over, because we held more than twenty-seven towns and castles in the surrounding area and there was never a knight, nor a squire, nor yet a rich man who, had he not signed an agreement with us and duly paid up, would so much as dare to leave his house. And we pursued this war according to the wishes and in the name of the king of Navarre.'
SHF 3-24 sync Third Book, Chapter 16 [1388-(1363)] How several English captains and other men of the free companies were defeated by the French outside the town of Sancerre.'Then came the battle of Cocherel where the Captal was in command on behalf of the king of Navarre. Many knights and squires joined his ranks in search of some better fighting. On our side Sir James Plantin and Sir John Jouel took two hundred loyal lance to serve him. At that time I held a castle called Le Bec d'Allier quite near to La Charité if you are going towards the Bourbonnais. I was in command of forty lance and just then making very good gains in the Moulins region and around Saint Pourçain and Saint-Pierre-le Moûtier. When news reached me that my master, the Captal, was in the Cotentin assembling a large force, I was more than eager to see him again so I left my fortress with twelve lance and joined the company of Sir John Jouel and Sir James Plantin. We reached the Captal safely and without any dangerous encounters. I expect that you have a blow by blow account of the battle in your history.'
'Indeed I do,' I said. 'The Captal was captured there and Sir John Jouel and Sir James Plantin were killed.'
'That is correct', replied the Bascot de Mauléon. 'I was taken prisoner there but luck was on my side. I was captured by a cousin of mine, who was also the cousin of my cousin the Bourc de Caupenne who is sitting here now, and his name was Bernard de Terride. He was later killed in Portugal at the battle of Aljubarrota. Bernard, who was then serving under Sir Amanieu de Pommiers, ransomed me in the field for one thousand francs and allowed me safe conduct to return to my fortress at Le Bec d'Allier. As soon as I reached my fortress, I called one of my varlets, counted out the thousand francs and gave them to him. He carried the money to Paris and brought me back the receipt and release documents.'
'That same season Sir John Amory, an English knight and the greatest captain we had, was out on raids and was riding along the bank of the Loire to reach La Charité. pb 226 r