tained many tender expreffions from the King, and done homage for his dominions, he made preparations to pass the seas to take poffeffion of them: the remainder of the year was employed in preparing a retinue equal to his dignity, which, by the acquifition of fo rich a principality, required the pomp and ftate of royalty. After Christmas the King and Queen, with their whole family, went to visit the Prince and Princess at Berkhemstead, a manor belonging to the Prince in Hertfordfhire, where they continued feveral Days* * Sir John Froiffart, who was prefent at the Prince's court during this association of the royal family, gives an account of the hospitality with which they were received, and at the fame time relates a prophecy which was then the fubject of converfation: "That neither the Prince "of Wales nor any of King Edward's Sons fhould ever "come to the crown, but that the realm of England fhould, after a while, devolve to the House of Lan"cafter." This happened to prove true; but perhaps the ambitious fpirit of John of Gaunt, afterwards Duke of Lancaster, whofe Son by indirect methods mounted the throne, began to fhew itself at this early period, and rendered fuch an event probable. during which time the King held many confultations with his Son on public affairs, as he alway paid great refpect to the Prince's judgment, not only in the concerns of war, but also thofe of civil government: the remainder of the time was spent in fplendid entertainments, and in fuch diverfions as could give pleasure to their royal guefts; the Prince and Princefs by their hofpitality, affable behaviour, and tender affection for each other, increafing that esteem and veneration in which they were before held by the English court. In the beginning of the February following the Prince went on board his fleet, of which the Earl of Warwick was Admiral, and arrived in four days at Rochelle, at which place he, and his Princefs who accompanied him, were received with joyful acclamations: on the fifth day after his arrival he fet out with a princely train for Poitiers, where the Nobility of that province met him with great respect, and cheerfully cheerfully paid him homage. Thus, near the spot on which he vanquished the powers of France, he reaped the firft fruits of his conqueft. From Poitiers he went to Bourdeaux, where he kept his court with all the fplendor of a Monarch: thither the Nobles of Gascoigné came to render him fealty; he received them graciously, and behaved towards them in all points with fo much honour, graced by fuch a noble, generous, and affable deportment, that they rejoiced in the exchange of Sovereigns, and promised themselves much profperity under his government. Among those who came to pay him homage were the Earls of Foix and Armagnac, Lords of great power, and nearly allied by blood, but there fubfifted a great animofity between them: this had broke out into a war, which the French King durft not undertake to compofe, for fear of difobliging the King of England, whofe yaffals they now were; but the Prince of Wales Wales took the opportunity of their meeting at his court to make peace between them, his obliging carriage and convincing arguments bringing them to reason, though before they were not inclinable to admit of an accommodation. peace But it was not in the power of the Prince to reconcile the minds of all his new fubjects to this change of government. Some of the towns transferred transferred to the English Monarch by the late treaty of expreffed extreme reluctance against submitting to the dominion of the English: the King of France therefore took a refolution of coming over himself to England, in order to adjust thefe differences with the greater readinefs: his Council endeavoured to diffuade him from this rafh defign, and probably advised him to make this a pretext for breaking a treaty fo disadvantageous to his nation; but the King, among many other virtues, poffcffed a nice fense of honour, and a fcrupulous punctuality in ful filling filling every obligation he had entered into: he confequently told them, “That "though good faith was banished from the “reft of the earth, the ought notwithstand"ing to retain her habitation in the breafts "of Princes." A declaration which will ever do him honour, and, exclufive of his valour and humanity, will make his name: refpected *. On his arrival in England he was received by King Edward with the greatest cordiality, and had the Savoy palace again allotted for his refidence; but he lived not long enough either to enjoy the hofpitable reception of Edward, or to finish the bufi * Some Historians, unwilling to allow the French King the merit of such a noble conduct,impute his readiness to vifit England not to his punctuality but to Love: they affert, that being enamoured with a Lady of that kingdom during his abode there, he made thefe difputes a pretext for paying her a vifit. But this appears improbable from the age of that Prince, who was now in his fiftyfixth year, when it is natural to fuppofe the violence of paffion must be moderated by Reafon and Prudence. nefs |