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and Knights of inferior degree fat at other tables; and during fupper the Prince of Wales would fuffer no perfon to ferve the King but himself, notwithstanding his Majefty's intreaties to the contrary. He endeavoured to raise the spirits of his royal Prifoner, by treating him in the most hum ble and respectful manner; and when he still perceived by the King's countenance that he continued dejected, with a benevo lence and generofity not to be paralleled he thus addreffed him: "There is no caufe,

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Sir, that fo brave and valiant a Monarch "fhould be thus troubled and pensive, although at this time your arms have not been favoured by the great Difpofer of 4 events; fuccefs does not always attend * defert; but your valour is acknowledged, your dignity ftill preferved, and your Majefty held facred: your great Progenitors have atchieved many glorious enterprizes both by fea and land; the trophies of every part of Europe have pro"claimed the victories of France; and in

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the Eaft, the faith and grandeur of the * Christian name have been propagated and ❝ defended by your Predeceffors against the "moft puiffant Captains of the Infidels :

perhaps among fo many triumphs a few battles have proved unfuccessful; the "well-known inftability of Fortune, which fometimes baffles the force of multitudes, has fo ordered it; but it lies in your own 66 power to fupport yourself under your prefent adverse fate, and to keep your mind ftill unconquered: nor fhall this day detract any thing from your glory; as the realm of France has produced and nourished many of my Progenitors, it "shall ever find me grateful, and mindful

of my origin; and your Majesty shall always meet in me, if you will permit me to glory in the title, an humble and respectful Kinsman. There are many

"reasons which render a friendly union " between your Majefty and the King my "Father defirable: I truft they will prove efficacious; for, as I well know the most

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fecret thoughts and affections of his mind, "I am fatisfied you will eafily come to an ❝ accommodation with him: for my own "part, may he refufe to acknowledge me "for his Son, when I cease to hold you in "the fame degree of honour and respect I "owe to his facred perfon * "

Thus did this godlike Prince endeavour to difpel the melancholy which clouded the brow of his illuftrious Prisoner; and by re-, calling to his remembrance the warlike deeds of his Ancestors, ftrive to take off his attention from the present adverse state to which he was reduced. With an exemplary

*The fubftance of this confolatory addrefs is given in Du Chefne, p. 678, Paul Amy, p. 287, and Holling fhead's Eng. Chron. p. 960, which leaves no room to doubt of its authenticity. The Prince's youth, his triumphant fituation, and the uncommon delicacy of fentiment it contains, may otherwife lead us to attribute it to that propenfity of many of the ancient Hiftorians, to infert in their works romantic fpeeches and actions, which have no real foundation, and are only credible as they correfpond with the manners of the age.

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greatnefs of mind he forbore to make mention of his own glorious atchievements, though it is natural to fuppofe he was not at that time cooled from the fury of the battle, and must be elated with the greatest fuccefs that ever crowned the arms of any Genéral. The ambitious views of his Father on the crown of France were loft in the present wish to give comfort to the dejected poffeffor of it: the partial diftinctions of friend and foe were extirpated both from his difcourfe and behaviour, by that truly. chriftian benevolence which no Prince ever poffeffed in a more eminent degree, and without which his character might have been indifcriminately mingled with the herd of Conquerors, born only for the destruction of mankind.

This courteous demeanour had a visible effect on the grateful mind of the French Monarch, who has been no lefs celebrated for his many virtues than for his misfor tunes though vanquifhed and a prifoner,

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he did not forget that he was a King; he thanked the Prince for the attention he paid to his diftreffes, and affured him that he thought it no diminution of his honour to be conquered by fo brave and noble an enemy His Majefty fpoke but feldom

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*This courteous behaviour of the Prince of Wales towards his royal prifoner, being reprefented to the Pope by the Cardinal of Perigort, his Holinefs wrote two letters to the Prince; from one of which the following extract is taken, and confirms the general account of his moderation and clemency: "Innocent the Bishop, fervant "of the fervants of God, to Edward Prince of Wales, "eldest Son of our most dear Son in Chrift, the illuf"trious King of England, greeting, and apoftolic bene"diction. Our reverend Brother Talarand, Bishop of << Alby, Nuncio of the apoftolic See, wrote unto us by "his letters, that you confirming and enhancing the "nobility which you derive from your flock, by your ge "nerofity of foul, and the exercife of your virtues, have "entertained him with fuch honours and fuch favours

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as became a Son to exhibit to his Father in Chrift; and that (which is greater than all thefe) preparing your mind equally for all events, and not being puffed

up with any profperity of fucceffes, but always more "humble in the fight of the Lord your God, attributing "all unto him from whom you have received all, you "do graciously allow to our dear Son in Chrift, John

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