tilent war prevailed between
France and England, and which has not yet finished, (*) it happened,
as was often the case, that a French soldier was taken prisoner by
an Englishman, and, a ransom having been fixed, he was sent under a
safe-conduct, signed by Lord Talbot, to his captain, that he might
procure his ransom and bring it back to his captor.

As he was on his road, he was met by another Englishman, who, seeing he
was a Frenchman, asked him whence he came and whither he was going? The
other told him the truth.

"Where is your safe-conduct?" asked the Englishman.

"It is not far off," replied the Frenchman. With that he took the
safe-conduct, which was in a little box hung at his belt, and handed
it to the Englishman, who read it from one end to the other. And, as is
customary, there was written on the safe-conduct, "Forbidden to carry
any implements of warfare."

The Englishman noted this, and saw that there were _esguillettes_ on
the Frenchman's doublet. (**) He imagined that these straps were real
implements of war, so he said,

"I make you my prisoner, because you have broken your safe-conduct."

"By my faith, I have not," replied the Frenchman, "saving your grace.
You see in what condition I am."

"No! no!" said the Englishman. "By Saint John you have broken your
safe-conduct. Surrender, or I will kill you."

The poor Frenchman, who had only his page with him, and was quite
unprovided with weapons, whilst the other was accompanied by three
or four archers, did the best thing he could, and surrendered. The
Englishman led him to a place near there, and put him in prison.

(*) It had virtually finished, and the English only retained
the town of Calais when this tale was written (about 1465)
but they had not relinquished their claim to the French
Crown, and hostilities were expected to recommence.

(**) _Esguillettes_ were small straps or laces, used to
fasten the cuirass to the doublet.

The Frenchman, finding himself thus ill-treated, sent in great haste
to his captain, who when he heard his man's case, was greatly and
marvellously astonished. Thereupon he wrote a letter to Lord Talbot,
and sent it by a herald, to ask how it was that one of his men had
been arrested by one of Lord Talbot's men whilst under that general's
safe-conduct.

The said herald, being well instructed as to what he was to say and do,
left his master, and presented the letters to Lord Talbot. He