CHAP. the country; and above fifty thousand fouls are XVI faid to have perifhed by it in London alone 2.

1350.

This malady first discovered itself in the north of Afia, was spread over all that country, made its progrefs from one end of Europe to the other, and fenfibly depopulated every state through which it paffed. So grievous a calamity, more than the pacific difpofition of the princes, fervéd to maintain and prolong the truce between France and England.

DURING this truce, Philip de Valois died, without being able to re-establish the affairs of France, which his bad fuccefs against England had thrown into extreme diforder. This monarch during the first years of his reign, had obtained the appellation of Fortunate, and acquired the character of prudent; but he ill maintained either the one or the other; lefs from his own fault, than because he was overmatched by the fuperior fortune and fuperior genius of Edward. But the incidents in the reign of his fon John, gave the French nation caufe to regret even the calamitous times of his predeceffor. John was distinguished by many virtues, particularly a fcrupulous honor and fidelity; He was not deficient in perfonal courage: But as he wanted that masterly prudence

2

Stowe's Survey, p. 478. There were buried 50,000 bodies in one church-yard, which Sir Walter Manny had bought for the ufe of the poor. The fame author fays, that there died above 50,000 perfons of the plague in Norwich, which is quite incredible.

XVI.

France.

and forefight, which his difficult fituation required, c HAг. his kingdom was at the fame time difturbed by inteftine commotions, and oppreffed with foreign wars. The chief fource of its calamities, was 1354. Charles king of Navarre, who received the State of epithet of the bad or wicked, and whofe conduct fully entitled him to that appellation. This prince was defcended from males of the blood royal of France; his mother was daughter of Lewis Hutin; he had himself efpoufed a daughter of king John: But all these ties, which ought, to have connected him with the throne, gave him only greater power to shake and overthrow it. With regard to his perfonal qualities, he was courteous, affable, engaging, eloquent; full of infinuation. and addrefs; inexhaustible in his refources; active and enterprifing. But thefe fplendid accomplishments were attended with fuch defects, as rendered them pernicious to his country, and even ruinous to himself: He was volatile, inconftant, faithlefs, revengeful, malicious: Reftrained by no principle or duty: Infatiable in his pretenfions: And whether fuccefsful or unfortunate in one enterprife, he immediately undertook another, in which he was never deterred from employing the most criminal and most dishonorable expedients.

THE Conftable of Eu, who had been taken prifoner by Edward at Caen, recovered his liberty, on the promise of delivering as his ranfom, the town of Guifnes, near Calais, of which he was fuperior lord: But as John was offended at this ftipulation, which, if fulfilled, opened ftill

XVI.

CHAP. farther that frontier to the enemy, and as he fufpected the conftable of more dangerous connexions with the king of England, he ordered him to be seized, and without any legal or formal trial, put him to death in prifon. Charles de la Cerda was appointed constable in his place ; and had a like fatal end: The king of Navarre ordered him to be affaffinated; and fuch was the weakness of the crown, that this prince, instead of dreading punishment, would not even agree to afk pardon for his offence, but on condition that he should receive an acceffion of territory: And he had also John's fecond fon put into his hands, as a fecurity for his perfon, when he came to court, and performed this act of mock penitence. and humiliation before his fovereign'.

1355.

THE two French princes feemed entirely reconciled; but this diffimulation, to which John fubmitted from neceffity, and Charles from habit, did not long continue; and the king of Navarre knew, that he had reason to apprehend the most fevere vengeance for the many crimes and treafons, which he had already committed, and the ftill greater, which he was meditating. To enfure himself of protection, he entered into a fecret correfpondence with England, by means of Henry earl of Derby, now earl of Lancaster, who at that time was employed in fruitlefs negociations for peace at Avignon, under the mediation of the pope. John detected this correfpondence; and

Froiffard, liv. I. chap. 144.

XVI.

1355.

to prevent the dangerous effects of it, he fent c HA P. forces into Normandy, the chief feat of the king of Navarre's power, and attacked his caftles and fortreffes. But hearing that Edward had prepared an army to fupport his ally, he had the weakness to propofe an accommodation with Charles, and even to give this traiterous fubject the fum of a hundred thousand crowns, as the purchase of a feigned reconcilement, which rendered him fill more dangerous. The king of Navarre, infolent from paft impunity, and defperate from the dangers which he apprehended, continued his intrigues; and affociating himself with Geoffrey d'Harcourt, who had received his pardon from Philip de Valois, but perfevered ftill in his factious difpofition, he increased the number of his partifans in every part of the kingdom. He even feduced by his addrefs, Charles, the king of France's eldeft fon, a youth of feventeen years of age, who was the first that bore the appellation of Dauphin, by the re- union of the province of Dauphiny to the crown. But this prince, being made fenfible of the danger and folly of these connexions, promised to make atonement for the offence by the facrifice of his affociates; and in concert with his father, he invited the king of Navarre, and other noblemen of the party, to a feaft at Rouen, where they were betrayed into the hands of John. Some of the moft obnoxious were immediately led to execution; the king of Navarre was thrown into prifon': But this stroke

9

XVI.

13-55.

CHAP. of severity in the king, and of treachery in the Dauphin, was far from proving decifive in maintaining the royal authority. Philip of Navarre, brother to Charles, and Geoffrey d'Harcourt, put all the towns and caftles belonging to that prince in a posture of defence; and had immediate recourfe to the protection of England in this defperate extremity.

THE truce between the two kingdoms, which had always been ill observed on both fides, was now expired; and Edward was entirely free to fupport the French malecontents. Well pleased, that the factions in France had at length gained him fome partifans in that kingdom, which his pretenfions to the crown had never been able to accomplish, he purposed to attack his enemy both on the fide of Guienne, under the command. of the prince of Wales, and on that of Calais, in his own perfon.

YOUNG Edward arrived in the Garonne with his army, on board a fleet of three hundred fail, attended by the earls of Warwic, Salisbury, Oxford, Suffolk, and other English noblemen. Being joined by the vaffals of Gascony, he took the field; and as the prefent diforders in France prevented every proper plan of defence, he carried on with impunity his ravages and devaftations, according to the mode of war in that age. He reduced all the villages and feveral towns in Languedoc to afhes: He prefented himself before Touloufe; paffed the Garonne, and burned the fuburbs of Carcaffonne; advanced even to Nar