In 1386, a few days after Christmas, a huge crowd gathers at a Paris monastery to watch the two men fight a duel to the death meant to "prove" which man's cause is right in God's sight. The dramatic true story of the knight, the squire, and the lady unfolds during the devastating Hundred Years' War between France and England, as enemy troops pillage the land, madness haunts the French court, the Great Schism splits the Church, Muslim armies threaten Christendom, and rebellion, treachery, and plague turn the lives of all into toys of Fortune. At the heart of the tale is Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight who returns from combat in Scotland to find his wife, Marguerite, accusing Jacques Le Gris, her husband's old friend and fellow courtier, of brutally raping her. The knight takes his cause before the teenage King Charles VI, the highest judge in France. …
In 1386, a few days after Christmas, a huge crowd gathers at a Paris monastery to watch the two men fight a duel to the death meant to "prove" which man's cause is right in God's sight. The dramatic true story of the knight, the squire, and the lady unfolds during the devastating Hundred Years' War between France and England, as enemy troops pillage the land, madness haunts the French court, the Great Schism splits the Church, Muslim armies threaten Christendom, and rebellion, treachery, and plague turn the lives of all into toys of Fortune. At the heart of the tale is Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight who returns from combat in Scotland to find his wife, Marguerite, accusing Jacques Le Gris, her husband's old friend and fellow courtier, of brutally raping her. The knight takes his cause before the teenage King Charles VI, the highest judge in France. Amid Le Gris's vociferous claims of innocence and doubts about the now pregnant Marguerite's charges (and about the paternity of her child), the deadlocked court decrees a "trial by combat" that leaves her fate, too, in the balance. For if her husband and champion loses the duel, she will be put to death as a false accuser. Carrouges and Le Gris, in full armor, eventually meet on a walled field in Paris before a massive crowd that includes the king and many nobles of the realm. A fierce fight on horseback and then on foot ensues during which both combatants suffer wounds, but only one is fatal. The violent and tragic episode was notorious in its time owing to the nature of the alleged crime, the legal impasse it provoked, and the resulting trial by combat, an ancient but increasingly suspect institution that was thereafter abolished. - Jacket flap.
This was very well written and engaging, but I wondered how rigorous it was. It would have been nice to have a clearer idea of which details were historical and which were from the author's imagination.
I would have appreciated more of the broader historical context, and a better explanation of why the duel was approved.
The author wrote as if it were certain that Le Gris was guilty. I kind of wondered if this is his legitimate take, or if it was a literary device based on the outcome of the duel.
In 1386, Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight, fought a duel with his former friend and fellow knight, Jacques Le Gris. This was no normal duel - it was a trial by combat with the life and reputation of Jean's wife Marguerite (and her unborn baby) at stake. Marguerite claimed that while Jean was away fighting in France, Jacques took advantage of his absence to rape her. To make matters worse, Marguerite is now pregnant with her first child, whose father is supposedly Jean. Not surprisingly, there are doubts about the child's paternity. Jean supports his wife, even though Jacques accuses her of lying and insists on his innocence. Jacques is wealthier and has better connections than Jean, and the odds are definitely in his favor. When the court is deadlocked, it is decided that the matter will be handled with trial by combat. If Jacques loses, he dies. If …
In 1386, Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight, fought a duel with his former friend and fellow knight, Jacques Le Gris. This was no normal duel - it was a trial by combat with the life and reputation of Jean's wife Marguerite (and her unborn baby) at stake. Marguerite claimed that while Jean was away fighting in France, Jacques took advantage of his absence to rape her. To make matters worse, Marguerite is now pregnant with her first child, whose father is supposedly Jean. Not surprisingly, there are doubts about the child's paternity. Jean supports his wife, even though Jacques accuses her of lying and insists on his innocence. Jacques is wealthier and has better connections than Jean, and the odds are definitely in his favor. When the court is deadlocked, it is decided that the matter will be handled with trial by combat. If Jacques loses, he dies. If Marguerite loses, she will be executed for making false accusations. This case was notorious in its day due to the alleged crime, the legal complications, and the trial by combat, which was already considered dated in the late 14th century.
Eric Jager does an excellent job of chronicling this tragic affair based on original sources. He traveled to Normandy and Paris, where he researched chronicles, legal records, and other documents. My common complaint about history books is that they can often be dry and boring. The authors stick to the facts, but do not how to convey those facts in an interesting and accessible manner, which is what Eric Jager does in this book. I had read about this episode in a history book many years ago, but there were few details and no mention of who won the duel or what happened to the survivors. Therefore, I went into this without knowing exactly what had happened. "The Last Duel" kept me interested until the very end. It is a short book and I read it in one evening.
