nemies. Now a truce existed between their princes, and they had joined
hands under the leadership of the renowned knight Bertrand du Guesclin, at
that time the most famous soldier of France. Sir Hugh de Calverley headed
the English bands, known as the White Company, and made up largely of
men-at-arms, that is, of heavy armed horsemen; but with a strong
contingent of the formidable English archers. The total force comprised
more than twelve thousand men.

"You lead the life of robbers," said Du Guesclin to them. "Every day you
risk your lives in forays, which yield you more blows than booty. I come
to propose an enterprise worthy of gallant knights and to open to you a
new field of action. In Spain both glory and profit await you. You will
there find a rich and avaricious king who possesses great treasures, and
is the ally of the Saracens; in fact, is half a pagan himself. We propose
to conquer his kingdom and to bestow it on the Count of Trastamara, an old
comrade of yours, a good lance, as you all know, and a gentle and generous
knight, who will share with you his land when you win it for him from the
Jews and Moslems of that wicked king, Don Pedro. Come, comrades, let us
honor God and shame the devil."

The Free Companies were ready at a word to follow his banner. Among them
were many knights of noble birth who valued glory above booty, and looked
upon it as a worthy enterprise to dethrone a cruel and wicked king, the
murderer of his queen. As for the soldiers, they cared not against whom
they fought, if booty was to be had.

"Messire Bertrand," they said, "gives all that he wins to his men-at-arms.
He is the father of the soldier. Let us march with him."

And so the bargain was made and the Free Companies marched away, light of
heart and strong of hand, with a promising goal before them, and a chance
of abundance of fighting before they would see their homes again.

Peter the Cruel, King of Castile and Leon, amply deserved to be dethroned.
His reign had been one of massacre. All whom he suspected died by the
dagger of the assassin. He bitterly hated his two half-brothers, Fadrique
and Henry. Fadrique he enticed to his court by a show of friendship, and
then had him brutally murdered at the gate of his palace, the Alcazar of
Seville. But his treatment of his queen was what made him specially odious
to his people. He married a French princess, Blanche of Bourbon, but
deserted her after two days to return to his mist