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141
(From Essential English for Foreign students by C.S. Eckersley)
* * *
Edward was not only king of England. He was duke of Aquitaine and as such ruled a French province that
stretched from the Charente to the Pyrenees and at one time had constituted nearly half the area of France.
Inherited from his great-grandmother, Henry ll's queen, much of it had been ceded in the past half century to
the kings of France, as a result partly of war and partly of legal processes brought by their lawyers. But with its
famous vineyards and export of wine and corn, what remained – known as the duchy of Gascony – was still one
of the richest fiefs in Europe. Though nominally subject to the French king, for nearly all practical purposes it
was an independent domain and Edward's rule so long as he could command the allegiance of its turbulent
nobility and prosperous burghers. He had governed it as his father's viceroy in his youth and on his way home
from the crusade had spent a winter in its capital, Bordeaux, settling its troubled affairs and internecine wars.
But it was now twelve years since he had visited it. Having conquered Wales and restored order in London, he
sailed from Dover for Calais in May 1286 with his queen, chancellor and a splendid train.
At Paris, on his way south, Edward did homage to the new seventeen-year-old king, his cousin Philip the
Fair, receiving back his fief from his hands according to the rules of feudal tenure. He safeguarded his rights
and the limitation of his allegiance by the non-committal phrase he had
used while doing homage to the young
king's father, Philip the Bold, after his own accession twelve years before: «My lord king, I become your man
for all the lands I ought to hold of you according to the form of the peace made between our ancestors». For
now, as then, he was resolved to offer no loophole to the cunning jurists of the parliament of Paris who were
always trying to enlarge their master's rights by whittling down those of his feudatories. He even succeeded in
extracting from his royal cousin a promise that no more encroachments on his territories should be made by the
French courtsduring his life-time, even when their verdictwas against him.
(From The Age of Chivalry by Arthur Bryant)
The country mouse and the city mouse
Once upon a time a city mouse visited his cousin in the country. The country mouse shared his simple but
wholesome food. Peas, barley, tasty roots were stored in the mouse's home in the field – and another store of
food in the big farmer's barn – for when it rained.
«I find the countryside charming,» the city mouse said to this open-hearted cousin, «but your food is so
plain, and your home quite dreary.»
«Do come to the city and live with me, we shall play in my luxurious home – and will have a banquet each
day – all the delicacies your heart desires.»
So they left the blossoming green country-side to the busy, yes, even frightening city. The noise, the traffic,
the hurrying, bustling crowds jostling each other was almost too much for the simple country mouse.
«Here we are at last,» said the sophisticated city mouse as they entered into a huge towering mansion.
The house was elegant... chandeliers, deep carpets, plush furniture – and a pantry that was full of the best
food ever seen. Swiss cheese, salty bacon, delicious fruits, colourful vegetables, jellies and fresh biscuits – all
were there, ready to eat.
Hungry from long journey, the city mouse and the country mouse began their feast, tasting one mouth-
watering bit of food after another.
Suddenly a heavy door slammed, loud footsteps of big boots were heard – the threatening deep purr of an
angry cat chilled the air.