that he would halt a moment, whilft he haftened to the Prince of Wales, and en

deavoured to prevent the fpilling fo much Chriftian blood. To this the French Monarch confented, on condition that he would quickly return; which the Cardinal promifed to do, and then haftened to the, Englith Prince, whom he found armed at the head of his men: the Cardinal reprefented to him the danger of his fituation from the great fuperiority of his enemies, and urged him to liften to proposals rather than await a certain deftruction. The Prince, fenfible that the apprehenfions of the Ecclefiaftic were well founded, but at the fame time undaunted and refolute, answered, that he was ready to accept of any conditions which were not inconfiftent with his own honour and that of his country. His Excellency -returned with this compliant anfwer to the French King, and with many arguments prevailed on him to defer the attack till the next day. The Cardinal, as well as all the Prelates of the court of Rome, was ex

tremely

tremely attached to the French intereft; yet the most determined enemy could not have contrived a greater prejudice to their caufe than by this delay, as the Prince during the night had time to ftrengthen the post he had before judicioufly chofen.

The negotiation however proved fruitless; for though the Prince offered to relinquish all the conquefts he had made, to release without ransom all the prisoners he had taken, and also to swear that he would not bear arms in perfon against the French for feven years, yet the King infifted that he fhould furrender himfelf a prifoner, with a hundred of his principal Knights; on thefe conditions only would he fufpend his vengeance, and allow the rest of the English forces to retire unmoleftéd. To thefe difhonourable propofals young Edward replied with an air of indignation, "That "whatever was his fate, he could not fo

far forget the respect that was due to his "Father's dignity and his own honour, as L 4

46 to

"to fave his life on inglorious terms; nor "could he ever confent that England should "be obliged to pay a raufom for him.” He therefore rejected them as worse than death. The Prince delivered this determi nate answer to the Cardinal with all the fire of an exalted mind; whilst his troops, by their cheerful looks, expreffed their approbation, and promised him fupport,

Soon after the Prelate's departure, a battle appearing unavoidable, furrounded by his general officers, the Prince thus harrangued his army: "I have too often, my friends, had experience of your cou

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rage, to doubt it at this time; frequently have I beheld you, infpired by "the fpirit of your great ancestors, per

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form fuch deeds as prove you are not in "the leaft degenerated from them; no la“bour has ever appeared to be painful to

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you, no fortrefs impregnable, no army "invincible, no human power formidable: "I now fee on your faces a generous indig

nation at the contempt with which your enemies treat the defcendants of thofe va"liant heroes, who have often foiled thefe haughty Frenchmen, have won the Ifle of Cyprus, overcome the Saracens, "obliged Scotland to receive their yoke, "Wales to accept of their laws, and Ireland "to become mild and tractable: repay the "infult with your fwords, and let them fee how dangerous it is to provoke the

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truly brave: let not numbers terrify you; "valour and steadinefs will compenfate for

the thinnefs of your ranks, and a few "undaunted hearts may be able to withftand the attacks of a tumultuous hoft: "these brave Knights which furround me will fhare with us in every danger; "therefore follow your ftandards with refolution, and doubt not of winning this day eternal renown."

This fpeech might appear like a bravado from almost any other mouth; but the Prince of Wales's modefty is too well

known

known to permit fuch an interpretation; on this occafion, when his fmall army was in danger of being swallowed up by a multitude of foes, every method of arousing their courage to the top of its bent, and by that means endeavouring to fupply the deficiency of their numbers, was certainly to be pursued. The greatest Generals have allowed, that a recapitulation of the valiant actions of their ancestors, or their own former atchievements, is the most probable mode of exciting an army to gallant deeds, and of raifing up a fpirit of emulation amongst them. It had the defired effect ; every apprehenfion was in a moment difpelled by this animated fpeech, and his men waited with impatience the approach of their enemies.

The fituation which the Prince of Wales had chosen for the prefervation of his little army, fhewed his expertnefs in every military manœuvré: he had drawn up his men on a fmall plain furrounded by vineyards and

inclofures;