XV. CHAP. whom were Edward Keith, earl Marefchal, and Sir Thomas Charteris, chancellor: And the king Captivity of himself was taken prisoner, with the earls of Southerland, Fife, Monteith, Carric, lord Dou glas, and many other noblemen **1. the king of Scots. 1347. 114 113 PHILIPPA, having fecured her royal prifoner in the Tower croffed the fea at Dover; and was received in the English camp before Calais with all the triumph due to her rank, her merit, and her fuccefs. This age was the reign of chi valry and gallantry: Edward's court excelled in thefe accomplishments as much as in policy and arms And if any thing could juftify the obfequious devotion then profeffed to the fair sex, it must be the appearance of fuch extraordinary women as fhone forth during that period. THE town of Calais had been defended with Calais taken. remarkable vigilance, conftancy, and bravery by the townfmen, during a fiege of unufual length: But Philip, informed of their diftreffed condition, determined at last to attempt their relief; and he approached the English with an immenfe army, which the writers of that age make amount to 200,000 men. But he found Edward fo furrounded with moraffes, and fecured by intrenchments, that, without running on inevitable deftruction he concluded it impoffible to make an attempt on the English camp. He had no other resource than to fend his rival a vain challenge to meet him in the open field, which being refufed, he CHA P. was obliged to decamp with his army, and dif perfe them into their feveral provinces JOHN OF VIENNE, governor of Calais, now faw the neceffity of furrendering his fortrefs, which was reduced to the laft extremity, by famine and the fatigue of the inhabitants. He appeared on the walls, and made a fignal to the English centinels that he defired a parley. Sir, Walter Manny was fent to him by Edward., Brave knight," cried the governor, "I have "been intrusted by my fovereign with the com "mand of this town: It is almost a year fince. you belieged me, and I have endeavoured, "as well as thofe under me, to do our duty.. "But you are acquainted with our prefent con"dition: We have no hopes of relief; we are "perishing with hunger; I am willing therefore "to furrender, and defire, as the fole condition, to infure the lives and liberties of these brave men, who have fo long fhared with me every danger and fatigue 116 )) MANNY replied, that he was well-acquainted with the intentions of the king of England; that that prince was incenfed against the townfmen of Calais for their pertinacious refiftance, and for the evils which they had made him and his fubjects fuffer; that he was determined to take exemplary vengeance on them; and would not receive the Avesbury, p. 161, 162. Froiffard, liv. 1. chap. 144, 145. 116 XV. 1347 XV. 1347. CHAP. town on any condition which should confine him in the punishment of thefe offenders. "Confider, replied Vienne, "that this is not the treatment to "which brave men are entitled: If any English knight had been in my fituation, your king "would have expected the fame conduct from "him. The inhabitants of Calais have done for "their fovereign what merits the esteem of every "prince; much more of fo gallant a prince as "Edward. But I inform you, that, if we must perish, we shall not perifh unrevenged; and "that we are not yet fo reduced, but we can fell our lives at a high price to the victors. It "is the intereft of both fides to prevent these "defperate extremities; and I expect, that you yourfelf, brave knight, will interpofe your good offices with your prince in our behalf. MANNY was ftruck with the juftness of these fentiments, and reprefented to the king the danger of reprifals, if he fhould give fuch treatment to the inhabitants of Calais. Edward was at last perfuaded to mitigate the rigor of the conditions demanded: He only infifted, that fix of the most confiderable citizens fhould be fent to him to be difpofed of as he thought proper; that they should come to his camp carrying the keys of the city in their hands, bareheaded and barefooted, with ropes about their necks: And on thefe conditions, he promised to fpare the lives of all the remainder 117 117 Froiffard, liv. 1. chap. 146. XV. 1347. WHEN this intelligence was conveyed to Calais, c HAP. it ftruck the inhabitants with new confternation. To facrifice fix of their fellow-citizens to certain deftruction, for fignalizing their valor in a common cause, appeared to them even more fevere than that general punishment, with which they were before threatened; and they found them felves incapable of coming to any refolution in fo cruel and diftrefsful a fituation. At laft one of the principal inhabitants called Euftace de St. Pierre, whofe name deferves to be recorded, stepped forth, and declared himself willing to encounter death for the fafety of his friends and companions: Another, animated by his example, made a like generous offer: A third and a fourth prefented themselves to the fame fate; and the whole number was foon completed. Thefe fix heroic burgeffes appeared before Edward in the guife of malefactors, laid at his feet the keys of their city, and were ordered to be led to execution. It is furprizing, that fo generous a prince fhould ever have entertained fuch a barbarous purpose against fuch men; and ftill more that he fhould seriously perfift in the refolution of executing it But the entreaties of his queen faved his memory from that infamy: She threw herfelf on her knees before him, and with tears in her eyes begged the lives of thefe citizens. Having obtained her requeft, fhe carried them into her tent, ordered a repaft to be fet before them, and after making 128 See note [G] at the end of the volume. CHAP. them a prefent of money and clothes, difmiffed them in fafety "1. XV. 4th Auguft. 1348. 119 THE king took poffeffion of Calais; and immediately executed an act of rigor, more juftifiable because more neceffary, than that which he had before refolved on. He knew, that, notwithftanding his pretended title to the crown of France, every Frenchman regarded him as a mortal enemy: He therefore ordered all the inhabitants of Calais to evacuate the town, and he peopled it anew with English; a policy which probably preferved fo long to his fucceffors the dominion of that important fortrefs. He made it the staple of wool, leather, tin, and lead; the four chief, if not the fole commodities of the kingdom, for which there was any confiderable demand in foreign markets. All the English were obliged to bring thither thefe goods: Foreign merchants came to the fame place in order to purchase them: And at a period, when pofts were not established, and when the communication between states was fo imperfect, this inftitution, though it hurt the navigation of England, was probably of advantage to the kingdom. THROUGH the mediation of the pope's legates, Edward concluded a truce with France; but even during this ceffation of arms, he had very nearly loft Calais, the fole fruit of all his boafted victories. The king had intrufted that place to Aimery de Pavie, an Italian, who had discovered |