Geñoefe but hurry, terror, and difmay, The young prince of Wales had prefence of mind to take advantage of their confufion, and to lead on his line to the charge. The French cavalry, however, commanded by the count Alençon, wheeling round fuftained the combat, and began to hem the English in. The earls of Arundel and Northampton, now came to afflift the prince, who appeared foremost in the very fhock; and wherever he appeared turning the fortune of the day. The thickest of the battle was now gathered round him, and the valour of a boy filled even veterans with aftonishment; but their furprize at his courage could not give way to their fears for his fafety. Being apprehenfive that fome mifchance might happen to him in the end, an officer was difpatched to the king, defiring that fuccours might be fent to the prince's relief. Edward, who had all this time, with great tranquility, viewed the engagement from a wind-mill, demanded with feeming deliberation if his fon were dead; but being anfwered that he ftill lived, and was giving aftonishing inftances of valour; "then tell my generals, cried the king, that he fhall have no assistance from me; the honour of this day fhall be his, let him fhew himself worthy the profeffion of arms, and let him be indebted to his own merit alone for victory." This fpeech,. being reported to the prince and his attendants, it infpired them with new courage; they made a fresh attack upon the French cavalry, and count Alençon, their bravest commander, was flain. This was the begining of their total overthrow the French being now without a competent leader, were thrown into confufion; their whole army took to flight, and were put to the fword by the purfuers without mercy, till night ftopped the carnage. Never was a victory more feasonable, or lefs bloody to the English than this. Notwithstanding the great flaughter of the

enemy,

enemy, the conquerors loft but one efquire, three knights, and a few of inferior rank.

But this victory was attended with ftill more fubftantial advantages; for Edward, as moderate in conqueft, as prudent in his methods to obtain it, refolved to fecure an eafy entrance into France for the future. With this view he laid fiege to Calais, that was then defended by John de Vienne, an experienced commander, and fupplied with every thing neceffary for defence. Thefe operations, though flow, were at lengh fuccefsful. It was in vain that the governor made a noble defence, that he excluded all the useless mouths from the city, which Edward gener oufly permitted to pafs. Edward refolved to reduce it by famine, and it was at length taken after a twelvemonth's fiege, the defendants having been reduced to the laft extremity. He refolved to punish the obftinacy of the townfmen, by the death of fix of the most confiderable citizens, who offered themselves, with ropes round their necks, to fatiate his indignation; but he fpared their lives, at the interceffion of the queen,

While Edward was reaping victories upon the continent, the Scotch, ever willing to embrace a favour able opportunity of rapine and revenge, invaded the frontiers with a numerous army, headed by David Bruce their king. This unexpected invafion, at fuch a juncture, alarmed the English, but was not capable of intimidating them. Lionel, Edward's fon, who was left guardian of England during his father's ab fence, was yet too young to take upon him the com. mand of an army; but the victories on the. continent seemed to infpire even women with valour: Philippa, Edward's queen, took upon her the conduct of the field, and prepared to reA. D. pulfe the enemy in perfon. According ly, having made lord Percy general under , 1346. her, the met the Scots at a place called Nevill's Cross near Durham, and offered them bat

tle. The Scotch king was no lefs impatient to engage; he imagined that he might obtain an eafy victory against undisciplined troops and headed by a woBut he was miferably deceived. His army was quickly routed and driven from the field. Fifteen thousand of his men were cut to pieces; and he himfelf, with many of his nobles and knights, were taken prisoners, and carried in triumph to London.

man.

A victory gained by the Black Prince near Poitiers followed not long after, in which John king of France was taken prifoner, and led in triumph through London amidst an amazing concourfe of fpectators. Two kings prifoners in the fame court, and at the fame time, were confidered as glorious atchievements; but all that England gained by them was only glory. Whatever was won in France, with all the dangers of war, and the expence of preparation, was fucceffively, and in a manner filently, loft, without the mortification of a defeat.

The English, by their frequent fupplies, had been quite exhaufted, and were unable to continue an army in the field. Charles, who had fucceeded his father John, who died a prifoner in the Savoy, on the other hand, cautiously forbore coming to any decifive engagement; but was contented to let his enemies waste their ftrength in attempts to plunder a fortified country. When they were retired, he then was fure to fally forth, and poffefs himself of such places as they were not ftrong enough to defend. He first fell upon Ponthieu; the citizens of Abbeville opened their gates to him; thofe of St. Valois, Rue, and Crotoy, imitated the example; and the whole country was, in a little time, reduced to total fubmiffion. The fouthern provinces were, in the fame manner, invaded by his generals with equal fuccefs; while the Black Prince, deftitute of fupplies from England, and wafted by a cruel and confumptive diforder, was obliged to return to his native coun

try

try, leaving the affairs of the fouth of France in a most desperate condition.

But what of all other things ferved to gloom the latter part of this fplendid reign, was the approaching death of the Black Prince, whofe conftitution fhewed but too manifefty the fymptoms of a speedy diffolution. This valiant and accomplished prince died in the forty-fixth year of his age, leaving behind him a character without a fingle blemish; and a degree of forrow among the people, that time could fcarcely alleviate.

The king was moft fenfibly affected with the lofs of his fon; and tried every art to allay his uneafinefs. He removed himself entirely from the duties and burdens of the ftate, and left his kingdom to be plundered by a fet of rapacious minifters. He did not furvive the confequences of his bad conduct; but died about a year after the prince, at Shene, in Surry, deferted by all his courtiers, even by those who had grown rich by his bounty. He expired in the fixty-fifth year of his age and fifty-first of his reign, 1377; a prince more admired than beloved by his fubjects, and more an object of their applause, than their forrow.

It was in this reign that the order of the A. D. garter was inftituted; the number was to 1340. confift of twenty four perfons befide the king. A ftory prevails, but unfupported by any ancient authority, that the countefs of Salisbury, at a ball, happening to drop her garter, the king took it up, and prefented it to her with these words, "Honi foit qui mal y penfe;" Evil be to him that evil thinks. This accident it is faid gave rife to the order and the motto.

Edward left many children by his queen Philippa of Hainault: his eldest son, the Black Prince, died before him, but he left a fon, named Richard, who fucceeded to the throne.

CHAP.

R

CHAP. XV.

RICHARD II.

ICHARD II. was but eleven years old when he came to the throne of his grandfather, and found the people difcontented and poor, the nobles proud and rebellious. As he was a minor, the government was vefted in the hands of his three uncles, the dukes of Lancafter, York, and Gloucester ; and as the late king had left the kingdom involved in many dangerous and expenfive wars, which demanded large and conftant fupplies, the murmurs of the people encreased in proportion. The expences of armaments to face the enemy on every fide, and a want of œconomy in the administration, entirely exhausted the treasury; and a new tax of three groats on every person above fifteen, was granted by parliament as a fupply. The indignation of the people had been for fome time encreasing; but a tax fo unequitable, in which the rich paid no more than the poor, kindled the refentment of the latter into flame. It began in Effex, where a report was induftriously spread, that the peasants were to be deftroyed, their houfes burned, and their farms plundered. A blackfmith, well known by the name of Wat Tyler, was the first that excited them to arms. The tax gatherers coming to this man's house while he was at work, demanded payment for his daughter, which he refufed, alledging fhe was under the age mentioned in the act. One of the brutal collectors infisted on her being a full grown woman; and immediately attempted a very indecent proof of his affertion. This provoked the father to fuch a degree, that he inftantly ftruck him dead with a blow of his hammer. The ftanders by applauded his fpirit, and, one and al,

refolved