Eustace+The+Monk

Eustace The Monk (Eustache Busket)



- His father is murdered - Leaves the Monastery to claim his inheritance || - Enters the service of the Count of Boulogne as Seneschal || - Flees Boulogne and has his properties confiscated - Begins a life of piracy in the English Channel || - Enters the service of Prince Louis of France as commander of the fleet || = =
 * **__Pre-1200__ ** || - Serving as a Monk at the Monastery of St. Vulmar
 * **__1200__ ** || - Brings his father's murderer to trial, but is defeated in a trial of champions adjudicated by the Count of Boulogne
 * **__1203__ ** || - Accused of mismanaging the Count's financial affairs
 * **__1205__ ** || - Enters the service of King John of England as a naval commander ||
 * **__1212__ ** || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Flees England when King John enters into an alliance with the Count of Boulogne
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__1215__ ** || <span style="color: #a23963; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Executed aboard his ship during the Battle of Sandwich ||

=__**The Sources<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> **__= The primary source available for the life of Eustace is the ‘Romance of Eustace the Monk’<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[1] which was written in 1284 by an unknown author and through a blend of fact and fiction serves to plot the course of Eustace’s life<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[2]. The Romance plots the progression of Eustace’s life from Monk, to an outlaw (reminiscent of Robin Hood), and finally to naval commander. Due to the apparent level of fiction in the Romance it is necessary to rely on other sources to verify the movements of Eustace in the period. Through historical records like ‘The Treaty of Lambeth’ and a great many other demonstrated by H.L. Cannon in ‘The Battle of Sandwich and Eustace the Monk’ it is possible to establish an outline for the life of Eustace the Monk.

=__Magic__= Through the sources of the period, Eustace is often accused of possessing magical abilities. It is alleged in the’ Romance of Eustace the Monk’ that he travelled to Toledo and “sat at the feet of his master the devil for a summer and a winter<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[3] ”. In John of Canterbury’s ‘//Polistore’// it is alleged that Eustace, leading a French fleet, had cast a spell on his ship to render it invisible. Claims such as these have no contributing evidence, but demonstrate the growth of his legend and the fact that they were still writing about him almost a century after his death shows the fear which he commanded amongst his enemies<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[4].

=__**Renaud de Dammartin (Count of Boulogne)**__= Renaud de Dammartin was the Count of Boulogne from 1190 until 1212 when he had his lands seized by King Phillip. The Count was a man of questionable allegiances, having both lands in England and France made him sworn to both Kings. The Treaty of le Goulet in 1200 effectively saw him return to military service for King Phillip of France after serving King John the previous year<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[5]. It was in the year 1200 that the Count became a major influence on Eustace’s life when he adjudicated the dispute between Eustace and Hainfrois de Meresinguehans over the murder of Eustace’s father. Eustace lost the dispute in a trial of champions but in the same year began to serve the Count as Seneschal<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[6]. Over this period Eustace was involved in the expedition of King Phillip to reclaim territories held by King John of England<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[7] .It is upon his return in 1203, Eustache was accused of mismanaging the Count's financial affairs. Eustace fled from the Count, had his properties confiscated and began a life of piracy in the English Channel<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[8].

=__**Anglo-French War (1202–1214)**__= The Anglo-French War of 1202-1214 centered on the territory of Normandy, a valuable province for both King John of England and King Phillip of France, because it was effectively a necessary staging area for potential naval invasions of England. The loss of Normandy for King John in 1204 necessitated the need for the first significant English navy since the Norman Conquest<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[9] and Eustace being an experienced Pirate/Privateer was called upon to serve in King John’s new navy<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[10]. Much of his seven years’ service to John was made through taking the Channel Islands and establishing a base there from which to launch raids on French ships and territories<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[11]. In 1212 Eustace’s service to the English King came to an end when King John entered into alliance with Eustace’s old enemy the Count of Boulogne, and Eustace fled England into the service of Prince Louis of France as admiral of the fleet<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[12]. In 1215, Eustace attempted an invasion of England which resulted in the Battle of Sandwich<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[13]. The invasion was a failure after Eustace’s ship was captured, and although he offered much gold for his ransom, his previous acts of treason to the English King had secured his fate. Eustace was executed aboard his ship.

<span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[1] ‘Eustache le Moine’ in //University of North Carolina studies in the Romance languages and literatures//, no.126 ed. D.J. Conlon.(North Carolina, 1972) <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[2] ‘The Romance of Eustace the Monk’ in //Eustache the Monk: Introduction//: http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/eustint.htm (accessed 21 August, 2011) <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[3] Keen, M. ‘The Outlaws of Medieval Legend’ in //Studies in Social History//, ed Perkin, H. (London, 1961) (1961), 55 <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[4] Keen (1961), 56 <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[5] ‘The Treaty of Le Goulet’ in //King John//, W.L. Warren. (London, 1961), p.55. <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[6] Keen (1961), 56. The trial is decided by a ‘trial of champions’ which is essentially a battle in which the two feuding parties nominate a person (champion) to fight in their place. The judgment goes to the party of the victor of the duel. <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[7] ‘The Romance of Eustace the Monk’ <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[8] ‘The Romance of Eustace the Monk’ <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[9] I. Friel. ‘The English War at Sea, c.1200-c.1500’ in //War at Sea in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance//, eds. Hattendorf, J.B. and Unger, R.W. (London, 2003) p.70; Friel places the navy of John in 1206 as “forty-seven galleys on station at ports from King’s Lynn to Gloucester, plus another five in Ireland, a massive royal fleet for the Middle Ages”. <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[10] Keen (1961), 54; Keen suggest that the main reason for Eustace’s defection to the English was that the Count had now definitely joined with the King of France. This is confirmed by W.L. Warren. //King John// (London, 1961, p.111) “In February the threat of invasion assumed a more definite shape: King Phillip, adept at getting others to do his work, enlisted the help of Renaud count of Boulogne.” <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[11] Cannon, H.L. ‘The Battle of Sandwich and Eustace the Monk’ in //English Historical Review//, vol.27, iss.108, 1912, p. 652 <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[12] Keen (1961), 54 <span style="font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[13] Cannon (1912), 659-670. Details of the Battle of Sandwich can be found in H.L. Cannon’s article.