While I was reading about William Montague, one of the twenty six founding Knights of the Order of the Garter, an order in which chivalry and honour where held in high esteem, I discovered that the actions by one man, was consider by another, to have "let the side down" so to speak.
According to Medieval Britain in 100 Facts by Matthew Lewis
"In 1429 France was resurgent against the occupying English, lead by Joan of Arc, and the culmination of this renewed conflict came on the 18th June at the Battle of Petay A smaller French force conclusively crushed the English army, who suffered over 2,000 causalities. John Talbot, who was later created Earl of Shewsbury, was captured at Patay and remained a prisoner in France for four years. Sir John Fastolf had lead a portion of the army but escaped. On securing his release, Talbot immediately accused Fastolf of cowardice and he was suspended from the Order of the Garter pending an investigation. Henry VI's uncle and regent, John, Duke of Bedford led the investigation but found no fault in Fastolf's actions,
reinstating him as a member of the Garter."
According to Medieval Britain in 100 Facts by Matthew Lewis
"In 1429 France was resurgent against the occupying English, lead by Joan of Arc, and the culmination of this renewed conflict came on the 18th June at the Battle of Petay A smaller French force conclusively crushed the English army, who suffered over 2,000 causalities. John Talbot, who was later created Earl of Shewsbury, was captured at Patay and remained a prisoner in France for four years. Sir John Fastolf had lead a portion of the army but escaped. On securing his release, Talbot immediately accused Fastolf of cowardice and he was suspended from the Order of the Garter pending an investigation. Henry VI's uncle and regent, John, Duke of Bedford led the investigation but found no fault in Fastolf's actions,
reinstating him as a member of the Garter."
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Fastolf and this event in his life are thought to have inspired Shakespeare to create Sir John Falstaff the cowardly knight
of his Henry IV plays.
of his Henry IV plays.
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