The Deserts of Southern France; An Introduction to the Limestone and Chalk Plateaux of Ancient Aquitaine

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1894 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXII THE FREE COMPANIES The Livre de Vie of Bergerac--The Oppressors were the Seigneurs of the Country, and the Holders of the Great Fiefs--Letters of Mark--Barbarity of the Fourteenth Century--The Real Scourge of France consisted of French Seigneurs serving England for their own Advantage--Clerical Freebooters--Seguin de Badefol overruns Provence--Excommunication of the Free Companies--Du Guesclin agrees with the Captains--Wrath of the Pope--Seguin poisoned--Arnald de Cervole, the Archpriest--Assists Pope Innocent VI.--Besieges Avignon--The White Company--Battle of Brignais--Assassination of Cervole--Perducat d'Albret: serves the Black Prince; becomes French; then English--At Montauban--The Black Prince launches the Companies on France--The Chateau des Anglais at Autoire--Perducat plunders Quercy and Perigord--Bergerac taken by the French--Perducat in England--His Death--Rodrigo de Villandrando--Starts as a Freebooter--Joined by the Company of Amaury de SeVerac--Character of Rodrigo--Sells his services to the French--Makes a Stronghold in the Causses--Battle of Colombiers--Attempt to capture the Count de Foix--Relief of Lagny--Acquires title of Count of Ribadeo--His Marriage--The Flayers--Capture of Albi--In Spain. Perhaps the most pathetic memorial of that period of desolation, the Hundred Years' War, is a little book which was discovered in the archives of Bergerac in 1871. It is a MS. consisting of eight large folios written on both sides; it is incomplete--the last sheets have been torn away. It affords us, as nothing else could, a peep into feudal life at the close of the fourteenth century (1379-1382). It was entitled " The Book of Life " Lo Libre de Vita). It is the record of the sufferings of the inhabitants of Bergerac and its neighbourhoo...