Hawkwood by David Donachie

Author:David Donachie [Jack Ludlow]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780749019587
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2016-08-16T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

If there was initial exuberance at this triumph, there was, in sober reflection, a question to answer. If less than one-fifth of the strength of the White Company could inflict such a defeat on Pisa’s enemies, what could have been achieved had the whole host been present to follow up on the initial success? Florence had lost a battle and badly; they had been checked, but many had survived and were now securely back behind their walls.

Surely there had existed a chance for total subjugation. That naturally led to enquiries as to why the main body had sat idle in Pisa, not just torpid in their presence but difficult in their conduct. The city fathers, the elected Signoria had seen in their chambers endless supplicants complaining about the behaviour of mercenaries who plagued the citizenry, not it seemed the city’s enemies.

John Hawkwood was received by his fellow captains with a degree of reserve – only Thornbury was open in his praise, his deprecating claims that luck and Florentine stupidity had played as much a part at Incisa as any skill taken as mere flummery, as was his insistence that without the backing of Robert Knowles and his three hundred lances his truncated campaign would have failed.

He was more closely questioned regarding the ransoms he had garnered, for many a Florentine noble had been captured. They were now harassing their relatives to come up with the means to buy their freedom, selling land and possessions to meet the cost. Unlike that which he had taken from the Florentine encampment, and that had produced a stunning bounty for the company, these were not shared but taken as personal profit. The sums gained were remarked on with what sounded like commendation, but seemed just as much prompted by jealousy.

All the captains, Albert Sterz certainly being one, sensed a shifting of the balance of authority: not all had been happy to be stuck in Pisa. If not acting against Florence they should at least have been out plundering bountiful Tuscany and equalling Hawkwood in his acquisitions. Added to that, the contract was coming to an end; would the Pisans renew it and where would that leave the mercenaries if they did not?

The White Company leaders naturally mixed with the leading citizens of the city and many conversations were about mercenary transgressions – women being troubled so much that many were sent away to other towns for safety, taverns being wrecked by drunken mobs, their owners badly beaten as well as the citizens being subjected to rude public behaviour.

Since that victory, expressions of disquiet as to the way the company was operating, up until Incisa mere gentle hints, had become openly expressed dissatisfaction. Meanwhile unbeknown to Hawkwood, Robert Knowles and John Thornbury were quietly canvassing their confrères, and in particular two of his fellow countrymen, to make a case for change. One was Andrew Beaumont, who liked to claim himself a bastard of Prince Edward of Woodstock, the other William Brise, another of those men who had fought in the English army under both Edwards.

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