Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 31.djvu/289

 to the support of Chandos on the left wing, and by his valour contributed largely to the victory (, i. 304;, Pol. Songs, i. 95, 108). On 2 May we hear of Knolles at Burgos (Fœdera, iii. 825). He returned with the prince to France, and soon after went back to Brittany.

When in 1369 the war broke out anew in Aquitaine, Knolles equipped a small force, and, embarking at Conq in April, landed at Rochelle and joined the Prince of Wales at Angoulême. The prince received him warmly, made him master of his household, and entrusted him with the command of a strong force. Knolles's first exploit was to induce Perducas d'Albret to rejoin the English; the free companies under other leaders then evacuated Cahors and fortified the priory of Duravel, where Knolles besieged them. Chandos came to join him, but the priory was so strongly fortified, and the weather so bad, that they had to raise the siege. Domme was next besieged for fifteen days without success, but after sending for reinforcements they captured Gramat, Fons, Rocamadour, and Villefranche. In July Chandos was recalled, and Knolles, refusing to remain without him, returned to Angoulême. He then went to Poitou and served with the Earls of Cambridge and Pembroke at the capture of Roche-sur-Yon. In January 1370 he was at Angoulême, and took part in the operations for the relief of Belleperche. In March he returned to Derval (, vii. 139–50, 215, 370).

Knolles had scarcely been at Derval a month when he was summoned to England, and, landing at St. Michael's Mount, rode to Windsor (ib. vii. 220). The French were contemplating an invasion of Wales, and Edward III had therefore decided on two counter expeditions to France. One of these was to land at Calais, and Knolles had been chosen as its commander. After three months spent in preparation, the expedition, consisting of fifteen hundred men-at-arms and four thousand archers, sailed from Dover early in July (Fœdera, iii. 892, 894, 895–8; many references to the preparations will be found in, Issue Rolls, see index, s. v. ‘Knolles’). Leaving Calais about 22 July, Knolles marched to Terouenne, which was too strong for attack; Arras, where he sacked the suburbs; and so through Artois into Picardy and Vermandois. The English supported themselves by plunder, and the country people fled before them into the fortresses. Knolles, whose policy was to do as much damage as possible, did not attempt any sieges, and contented himself with the exaction of heavy ransoms. He vainly offered battle before Noyon, and, after crossing the Oise and Aisne, made a demonstration before Rheims. Thence he directed his steps by the valley of the Marne and Seine towards Paris, in the hope that he might induce the French to fight. On 22 Sept. he encamped near Athis-Mons and Ablon, and on the 24th drew up in order of battle between Villejuif and Paris. But though the English army was so near that the smoke of the burning villages was visible from Paris, Charles V would not permit the French to offer battle. On the 25th the English marched off towards Normandy, and on the 29th sacked St. Gervais de Seez. Knolles was much hampered by dissensions in his army. The young nobles thought it a slight to be under the orders of one whom they regarded as an adventurer. Sir John de Menstreworth stirred up this feeling by calling Knolles ‘the old brigand’ (vetus vispilio), and eventually a considerable portion of the army broke away from its leader under Grandson and Menstreworth. Knolles thereupon decided to withdraw to Brittany; he marched by Chartres and Chateaudun, and spent November in subduing various small places in the valley of the Loire (, viii. p. iv, note 4; the account given by Froissart is inaccurate). Meantime Bertrand du Guesclin had been hastily summoned back from Aquitaine, and was marching in pursuit. Knolles, who was now in the marches of Brittany, determined to give battle. He summoned Sir Hugh de Calveley from St. Maur-sur-Loire, and ordered Grandson to rejoin him. Grandson was on his way when he was totally defeated by Du Guesclin at Pont Vallain on 4 Dec. (ib. viii. p. vi). Further action was now impossible, and the English dispersed to the neighbouring fortresses, Knolles going to his own castle of Derval (, vii. 223–45, viii. 1–4;, i. 310; , ii. 123–4, 145–50, 185).

Although the expedition had ended disastrously, it had not been ineffectual; the invasion of Wales was averted, and the recall of Du Guesclin had relieved the English in Aquitaine. Menstreworth, however, on his return made the partial failure the ground of an accusation, and Knolles felt it necessary to send home two squires to represent his case. Sir Alan Buxhull [q. v.] also supported his late commander, and Knolles was fully acquitted on the ground that his ill-success was due to the pride and disobedience of his followers. Menstreworth fled over sea, and in 1377 was captured and executed as a traitor. Walsingham, however, adds that Edward III withdrew many presents which he had bestowed on Knolles (cf., vi. 282),