A huge piece of wall fell down, still there
was no surrender; but with night, all resistance ceased, and the French,
entering in the morning, found every one of the garrison lying dead in
the dust and ruins, all their wounds in the face and breast--not
one behind, "to the great honor and praise of chivalry," said their
assailants, who rejoiced in their valor.
Only one feeble attempt had been made by John to succor these noble
and constant men, though no further distant than Rouen, where he was
feasting with his new queen. All his reply to messages of Philippe's
advance was, "Let him alone; I will regain more in a day than he can
take in a year."
Chinon was taken after a gallant defence, and in it Hubert de Burgh, for
whom John seems to have had an unusual regard. For a moment it grieved
him, and he awoke from his festivities to say to his queen:
"There, dame, do you hear what I have lost for your sake?"
"Sire," said Isabella, who had learnt by this time at how dear a price
she had purchased her crown, "on my part, I lost the best knight in the
world for your sake!"
"By the faith I owe you, in ten years' time we shall have no corner safe
from the King of France and his power!"
"Certes! sir," she answered, "I believe you are very desirous of being a
king checkmated in a corner."
She seems to have taken every occasion of showing her contempt for the
mean-spirited wretch to whom she had given her hand: but at present her
treatment only incited the King's ardor of affection: he formed more
schemes of pleasure for her, and turned a deaf ear to all complaints
from his deserted subjects, until Falaise had surrendered, Mont St.
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