Biography of Guichard d'Angle 1st Earl Huntingdon -1380

Archaeologia Volume 22 Section XVI. [April 1377] About that tyme was the Earle of Salisburye & Sir Richard of Anglisisin^o sent into Fraunce to treate of peace, at least a truce of ii yeares or more, but they could not obtayne any longer truce then for a moneth,which they utterly refused. Whereupon they stayed in Fraunce about thes things (& some thinking they might saffely have passed betwixt Callais & Dovar^p) about 50 takynge shype wer forthwith intercepted by the galleys, & wer slayne, only ii men & ii wimen excepted, even yn the syghte of the townes men of Calays, they beinge not able to helpe them; Sr Hugh Cavarley (age 53)^q at the tyme beinge capityne of Callais toke this so greate injury in very evill parte, especially for that it was done while they were yet treatynge for peace, but he coulde not helpe it, but forthe with he toke with hym a number of his best and chosen out men, & purposynge to requite those injuries so don by the French men that troubled the peace, he made a roode in to Fraunce, kylled a great nombar of men, and brought bake with hym a greate booty of artillery & cattaile, the messengers returned into England & brought nothing backe but rumour of warrs.

Note o. Stow calls him "Sir Richard Anglisisin, a Poyton," but his true name was Guichard D'Angle, a distinguished and accomplished knight, according to Froissart, who says that the young King, Richard the Second, was, at his grandfather's death, placed under the tuition "de ce gentil Chevalier, Messire Guichard D'Angle, par l'accord de tout le pais, pour l'instruire en nobles vertus." i.e. "of this noble knight, Sir Guichard d’Angle, by the agreement of the whole country, to instruct him in noble virtues." He was created Earl of Huntingdon, and dying in London, was buried in Austin Friars church. Chaucer the poet (called by Froissart, Geoffroy Caucher) seems to have been also employed in the unsuccessful negociation mentioned in the text.

Note p. The spelling of Dovar in the text (which was by no means uncommon) may furnish an acceptable variation to those persons who are fond of adopting alterations in the names of towns, similar to that by which Dover has lately been transformed into Dovor.

Note q. To shew the unsettled state of the orthography of proper names at this period, I will just remark, that in documents preserved in Rymer's Fœdera, I find the name of this distinguished commander given with not fewer than six variations.