DU GUESCLI N, du g:i'klax', BmtrnAND A of Eranee, the most celebrated French soldier of his age. lie was born at the Castle of :11otte-I3roons, near Divans, Brittany. and entered the service of (liar', of Blois in 134:1 In 1354 lie was knighted. and NN rut with the lords of Brittany to England to secure the release of his captive master. Ile gallantly relieved Bennes, besieged by the Duke of Lancaster, in 13511, and by his help the city held out until the truce of Bordeaux. in June. 1337. Ile soon took service under the French King. and after several brilliant actions was made Alarshal of Normandy and Count of Longue ville in 1364. At the battle of Anray. in 1361, he was taken prisoner. but was ransomed, and becoming commander of the (rand Companies (see ('ONDOTTIERE) , led them into Spain, where be aided 'Henry of Trastamare in his war against Pedro the Cruel. In 13(17 he was taken prisoner by the Black Prinee, then in alliance with Pedro the Cruel. Being again ransomed, he again
fought for Henry, who received the kingdom in 1:369. In 1370 he was made Constable of France. and for ten year: was active and successful in driving the English from the south and west of the country. In 1373 he seized and held most of the strongholds in the Dimity of Brittany. Ile died while besieging the fortress of Chilteauneuf Random It i; said that before his death the garrison had already promised to capitulate, and that their commander led them out and placed the keys of the castle upon the coffin of the Con stable. Du Gueselin was ugly in appearance, brutal in his manners, and uneducated; but he had great natural abilities, and profited by his long experience. Consult: Froissart, Ch ron ides ; Luce, Ilistoire de Bertrand du Nuesclin el de son epogne iParis. IS7131; Stoddard, Bertrand du Gueselin, Constable of France (London, I597).