CHAP. Suffolk, the main body by the prince himself. XVI. The lords Chandos, Audeley, and many other 1356. brave and experienced commanders, were at the head of different corps of his army. JOHN alfo arranged his forces in three divifions, nearly equal: The first was commanded by the duke of Orleans, the king's brother; the fecond by the Dauphin attended by his two younger brothers; the third by the king himfelf, who had by his fide Philip, his fourth fon and favorite, then about fourteen years of age. There was no reaching the English army but through a narrow lane, covered on each fide by hedges; and in order to open this paffage, the marefchals, Andrehen and Clermont, were ordered to advance with a feparate detachment of men at arms. While they marched along the lane, a body of English archers, who lined the hedges, plied them on each fide with their arrows; and being very near them, yet placed in perfect safety, they coolly took their aim against the enemy, and flaughtered them with impunity. The French detachment, much discouraged by the unequal combat, and diminished in their number, arrived at the end of the lane, where they met on the open ground the prince of Wales himself, at the head of a chofen body, ready for their reception. They were discomfited and overthrown: One of the marefchals was flain; the other taken prisoner: And the remainder of the detachment, who were fill in the lane, and expofed to the fhot of the enemy, without being able to make refiftance, XVI. 1356 recoiled upon their own army, and put every CHAR thing into diforder". In that critical moment, the Captal de Buche unexpectedly appeared, and attacked in flank the Dauphin's line, which fell into fome confufiop. Landas, Bodenai, and St. Venant, to whom the care of that young prince and his brothers had been committed, too anxious for their charge or for their own fafety, carried them off the field, and fet the example of flight, which was followed by that whole divifion. The duke of Orleans, feized with a like panic, and imagining all was loft, thought no longer of fighting, but carried off his divifion by a retreat, which foon turned into a flight. Lord Chandos called out to the prince, that the day was won; and encouraged him to attack the divifion, under king John, which, though more numerous than the whole English army, were fomewhat difmayed with the precipitate flight of their companions. John here made the utmoft efforts to retrieve by his valor, what his imprudence had betrayed; and the only resistance made that day was by his line of battle. The prince of Wales fell with impetuofity on fome German cavalry placed in the front, and commanded by the counts of Sallebruche, Nydo, and Nofto: A fierce battle enfued: One fide were encouraged by the near profpect of fo great a victory: The other were ftimulated by the fhame of quitting the field to an enemy fo much inferior: But the three German XVI. 1356. CHAP. generals, together with the duke of Athens conftable of France, falling in battle, that body of cavalry gave way, and left the king himself expofed to the whole fury of the enemy. The ranks were every moment thinned around him: The nobles fell by his fide, one after another: His fon, fcarce fourteen years of age, received a wound, while he was fighting valiantly in defence of his father: The king himself, spent with fatigue, and overwhelmed by numbers, might eafily have been flain; but every English gentleman, ambitious of taking alive the royal prifoner, fpared him in the action, exhorted him to furrender, and offered him quarter: Several who attempted to seize him, fuffered for their temerity. He ftill cried out, Where is my coufin, the prince of Wales? and feemed unwilling to become prisoner Captivity of to any perfon of inferior rank. But being told, that the prince was at a distance on the field, he threw down his gauntlet, and yielded himself to Dennis de Morbec, a knight of Arras, who had been obliged to fly his country for murder. His fon was taken with him ". the king of France. THE prince of Wales, who had been carried away in pursuit of the flying enemy, finding the field entirely clear, had ordered a tent to be pitched, and was repofing himself after the toils of battle; inquiring ftill with great anxiety concerning the fate of the French monarch. He 13 Rymer, vol. vi. p. 72. 154. Froiffard, liv, I. chap. 164. XVI. 1356. dispatched the earl of Warwic to bring him CHA P. intelligence; and that nobleman came happily in time to fave the life of the captive prince, which was expofed to greater danger than it had been during the heat of action. The English had taken him by violence from Morbec: The Gafcons claimed the honor of detaining the royal prifoner: And fome brutal foldiers, rather than yield the prize to their rivals, had threatened to put him to death. Warwic overawed both parties, and approaching the king with great demonstrations of refpect, offered to conduct him to the prince's tent. HERE commences the real and truly admirable heroifm of Edward: For victories are vulgar things in comparison of that moderation and humanity dsplayed by a young prince of twentyfeven years of age, not yet cooled from the fury of battle, ard elated by as extraordinary and as unexpected fuccefs as had ever crowned the arms of any commander. He came forth to meet the captive kng with all the marks of regard and fympathy adminiftered comfort to him amidst his misforunes; paid him the tribute of praise due to hi valor; and afcribed his own victory merely to the blind chance of war or to a fuperior providerce, which controuls all the efforts of human force ancprudence".The behaviour of John fhowed him not unworthy of this courteous treatment: CHAP. His prefent abject fortune never made him forget. XVI. a moment that he was a king: More touched by Edward's generofity than by his own calamities, he confeffed, that, notwithstanding his defeat and captivity, his honor was ftill unimpaired ; and that, if he yielded the victory, it was at leaft gained by a prince of fuch confummate valor and humanity. 1357. EDWARD ordered a repast to be prepared in his tent for the prisoner; and he himself ferved at the royal captive's table, as if he had beer one of his retinue: He stood at the king's back during the meal; constantly refused to take a place at table; and declared, that, being a fubject, he was too well acquainted with the diftance between his own rank, and that of royal majefty, to affume fuch freedom. All his father's preterfions to the crown of France were now buried in oblivion : John in captivity received the hono's of a king, which were refufed him when feated on the throne: His misfortunes, not his title, were refpected; and the French prifoners, conquered by this elevation of mind 16 ALL the English and Gascon knights imitated the generous example fet them by ther prince. 36 Froiffard, liv. 1. chap. 168. |