For Martinmas: Philip, the 'fighting bishop' of Beauvais

It is well-known that when Martin was baptized, he left the Roman army. We've had 'fighting bishops', commanders of troops, since then. In 'The Voices Of The Cathedral', Prentice writes:

Not without a distinct loss could the Abbey of S. Yves-de-Braisne be thus despoiled, for here lay Robert II who had fought at Bouvines [near Lille] under Philip Augustus; . . .  another Philip [of Dreux], Bishop of Beauvais, who, obedient to clerical custom, fought with a mace lest episcopal hands shed blood with a sword; . . .

Philip commanded part of the French left wing at the Battle of Bouvines on Sunday morning, July 27, 1214. Another good site on the battle is here.



The battle is memorable (pace Sellar and Yeatman).

Bouvines was the most important battle from a political point of view for a century. Most historians cite the event as 'the battle that made France' and credit France's very existence to the victory of Philip II Auguste. It was a great pitched battle, the greatest of its age, in contrast to the many smaller and briefer engagements of the period. If the French monarch had lost, the Platagenêts might have won back their lost Norman and Angevin territories, and the counts of Flanders might have won freedom from the French king, and the German emperor might have retained Lotharingian territories. Not until the time of the emperor Charles V did France have so many enemies allied against it.

For England, Philippe II's victory of Bouvines more than confirmed the end of Platagenêt claims to Angevin France. It brought king John Lackland to his lowest ebb, and certainly promoted the English barons to revolt and to force upon the monarch the Magna Carta. Further, the English nobles went so far as to invite Philippe II's son, prince Louis, to take the crown of England.

Source: Battle of Bouvines (27 July 1214).

There is a 19th century stained glass window in the parish church of St Pierre in Bouvines, showing the Earl of Salisbury on the ground and the bishop handing him over to Jean de Nivelles, chatelain de Bruges.


The incident is recounted in the Philippiad of William of Breton:

. . . Indeed, the Bishop of Beauvais, having seen the brother of the King of the English, a man of incredible strength whom the English had on this account nicknamed "Longsword," overthrow the men of Dreux and do great harm to his brother's battalion, the bishop became unhappy, and since by chance he happened to have a mace in his hand, hiding his identity of bishop, he hits the Englishman on the top of the head, shatters his helmet, and throws him to the ground forcing him to leave on it the imprint of his whole body. And, since the author of such a noble deed could not remain unnoticed, and since a bishop should not be known to have carried arms, he tries to hide as much as possible and gives orders to John, whom Nesle obeys by the right of his ancestors, to put the warrior in chains and to receive the prize for the deed. Then the bishop, throwing down several more men with his mace, again renounces his titles of honor and his victories in favor of other knights so as not to be accused of having done work unlawful for a priest, as a priest is never allowed to be present at such encounters since he must not desecrate either his hands or his eyes with blood. It is not forbidden, however, to defend oneself and one's people provided that this defense does not exceed legitimate limits . . .

Source: The Battle of Bouvines according to the Philippiad, by William of Breton.

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