Most dear sire

More pre-battle of Falkirk stuff, but with a twist.

Pictured is the Chateau d’Ornans, perched upon a rocky ledge above the Loue valley in Burgundy-Franche-Comté (eastern France). In the summer of 1297 Ornans was briefly the centre of the war of the Grand Alliance; a spectacular extravaganza of treachery and incompetence in which almost every ruler of Western Europe stabbed his neighbour in the back.

One of the few exceptions was Jean de Chalon-Arlay, a lord of Franche-Comté in eastern Burgundy. Jean had been at war with Philip le Bel since 1294, but he and his allies couldn’t hope to defeat the might of France on their own. They were only too pleased to accept cash from Edward of England to help fight the French, and to enter into an alliance with Adolf of Nassau, King of Germany. Adolf promptly broke his word to both Edward and the lords of Franché-Comte, and used the English king’s money to fight a private war in Germany. Clever Adolf! Only not really, since the following year he was butchered at Gollheim by a platoon of Welsh archers. The Plantagenets send their regards, mein herr.

Jean kept his word to the English king and in autumn 1297 went into action against the French. On 8 October the League of Franché-Comte climbed the rock of Ornans - shades of the Scots at Edinburgh in 1314 - and broke into the castle. Taken by surprise, most of the French defenders were either killed or captured, save a few miserable wretches who chose to hurl themselves off the rock.

Proud of his exploit, Jean wrote the following letter to Edward on the same day. Unfortunately the letter is in poor condition and only partially legible:

“Most dear sire, this is to inform you, that on Tuesday, the eve of the feast of Saint Denis, myself and my companions of Burgundy captured and razed the castle of Ornans, which was held by Burgundy of the King of France and was the strongest castle in the whole of Burgundy. And know that, I and my other comrades broke down the walls of the castle and forced our way inside, and secured the castle, and took nine prisoners and put a large number to the sword, apart from those who threw themselves down below the rock. And know, my very dear Sire, that we are committed to the business of…of Burgundy, I will come to join your company, if you desire it…that I think…took. May God guard you sire…and grant you victory against your enemies, which is our dearest desire.”