The White Company · Chapter
How Agostino Pisano Risked His Head explained
Alleyne and Ford, now squires at the Prince's court in Bordeaux, explore the bustling, dangerous streets at night.
What happens
Alleyne and Ford, now squires at the Prince's court in Bordeaux, explore the bustling, dangerous streets at night. They encounter a lame old man and a young girl being harassed by drunken English archers. Alleyne and Ford intervene, and are joined by Aylward and Hordle John, who disperse the attackers. The grateful old man, Agostino Pisano, invites them to his home, revealing that the precious object he carried was a sculpted head.
Themes in this chapter
Camaraderie and Brotherhood
Alleyne and Ford stand together to protect strangers, and Aylward and Hordle John quickly come to their aid, demonstrating the bonds of the White Company.
Clash of Worlds: Monastery vs. World
Alleyne, fresh from the monastery of Beaulieu, is confronted with the chaotic, violent, and morally ambiguous life of a martial city, highlighting his transition.
Characters to notice
- Alleyne Edricson
Now a squire at the Prince's court, he shows youthful energy and a protective instinct, intervening to defend a stranger from drunken archers.
- Walter Ford of Botley
Alleyne's fellow squire; he joins Alleyne in confronting the archers and defending the old man and the girl.
- Samkin Aylward
The veteran bowman of the White Company; he arrives with Hordle John to help Alleyne and Ford, using his reputation to calm the situation.
- Hordle John
The huge forester accompanies Aylward; his imposing presence helps deter the drunken archers from further violence.
Key passages
“Roasted peacocks, with the feathers all carefully replaced, so that the bird lay upon the dish even as it had strutted in life, boars' heads with the tusks gilded and the mouth lined with silver foil, jellies in the shape of the Twelve Apostles, and a great pasty which formed an exact model of the king's new castle at Windsor—these were a few of the strange dishes which faced him.”
Alleyne was amazed by the extravagant dishes at the squires' table, including peacocks served with their feathers, gilded boar heads, apostle-shaped jellies, and a pasty shaped like Windsor Castle.
Highlights the luxury and novelty of the court's cuisine compared to Alleyne's previous simple life.
“Take a Goth, a Hun, and a Vandal, mix them together and add a Barbary rover; then take this creature and make him drunk—and you have an Englishman.”
The old Italian man, Agostino Pisano, bitterly compares drunken Englishmen to a mixture of the worst barbarians, expressing his fear and contempt.
Reveals the cultural tensions and the old man's perspective on the English soldiers.