When the people of Calais saw that they were deserted by their king,
hope suddenly fled from their hearts. Longer defence meant but deeper
misery. Nothing remained but surrender. Stout-hearted John de Vienne,
their commander, seeing that all was at an end, mounted the walls with a
flag of truce, and made signs that he wished to speak with some person
of the besieging host. Word of this was brought to the English king, and
he at once sent Sir Walter de Manny and Sir Basset as his envoys to
confer with the bearer of the flag. The governor looked down upon them
from the walls with sadness in his eyes and the lines of starvation on
his face.
"Sirs," he said, "valiant knights you are, as I well know. As for me, I
have obeyed the command of the king, my master, by doing all that lay in
my power to hold for him this town. Now succor has failed us, and food
we have none. We must all die of famine unless your noble and gentle
king will have mercy on us, and let us go free, in exchange for the town
and all the goods it contains, of which there is great abundance."
"We know something of the intention of our master," answered Sir Walter.
"He will certainly not let you go free, but will require you to
surrender without conditions, some of you to be held to ransom, others
to be put to death.
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