induced King Edward to draw his whole army nearer to Paris, when he fent the Duke of Lancaster with his Heralds to challenge the regent, then in the city with a very confiderable force, to battle, affuring him at the fame time, that if the French were victorious he would never after claim or affume any right to the crown of France. Whilft the Duke was on this errand, the King knighted no less than four hundred * young * On these occafions two fpecies of Knights were generally created, Knights-Bachelors, or Knights-Bannerets: the former is the firft degree of military honour; and in time of war or of hafte, the initiation confifted only of a gentle touch on the shoulder with the flat fide of a fword; the latter dignity is fuppofed by Camden to have been inftituted by King Edward himfelf, as a recompence of martial prowess: it was reckoned an intermediate rank between a Baron and a Knight-Bachelor, and might be termed Vexillarius Minor, the leffer banner-bearer, as Before this order was created, the right of carrying a fquare banner belonged only to the Barons. There is alfo a difference between Knights-Bannerets and KnightsBachelors, in the occafions and circumftances of their creations; the Banneret being only created at a time when the King's ftandard is erected, and he bears a banner of his own in the field, whereas the Knight-Bachelor might be young Gentlemen, to encourage them to a valiant behaviour should a battle enfue. But the Duke of Lancaster foon returned with an answer, that the Dauphin declined to accept the defiance; when the King granted Lord Walter Manny leave, on his earnest request, to go at the head of the new-made Knights and a confiderable body of troops to skirmish near the barriers, and to burn what they could of the fuburbs, hoping by this means to provoke the French to iffue out the affault was vigorous and lafted from morning till noon, the French be dubbed at any time. A Knight could not be made a Banneret till he was able to raife and maintain a certain number of men; but a Knight-Bachelor not being able to do this, marched under the banner of fome of the Barons. The ceremony used in making a Banneret is thus: He is brought into the field between two fenior Knights, with trumpets founding before them, and Heralds carrying a banner of his arms called a Penon; in this manner being brought before the King, the tip of his banner is cut off, that of an oblong it might become a fquare, like that of a Baron: his Majesty then having wifhed him fuccefs, he returns to his tent conducted as before. defending defending their ports with great refolution; but the Regent having given peremptory orders that no man, on forfeiture of his life, fhould go beyond the barriers, this defign of Sir Walter proved ineffectual. The King now seeing that no provocations could bring the Dauphin to a battle, and that it was impoffible to reduce the city with fo numerous an army in it, he raised his camp and marched into Bretagné : his intention was to lay wafte the country as he proceeded, and, after having refreshed his troops in that fruitful province, to return to Paris before the harveft was got in; as this plan would prevent the Dauphin from procuring any fresh fupplies of corn, he doubted not of being then able to reduce that city by famine. But whilft he was on his march Embaf fadors followed him with fresh overtures of peace. The Regent, his two Brothers, and their Uncle the Duke of Orleans, hav ing ing in council maturely confidered the miferable fituation of France, occafioned by the ravages of the King of England, they began feriously to wifh for an accommodation: to this purpose they added the Bishop of Terovenne, a prelate of great confequence and judgment, to the negotiators that had been employed during the Easter week, and ordered them to follow King Edward: overtaking him near Gaillardon, they defired him to permit a treaty to be held once more for this falutary end; which he readily granted, appointing his Son the Prince of Wales, with the Duke of Lancaster, to hear their proposals; but at the fame time flackened neither his march or his operations. The negotiation was carried on in this manner for feveral days, but the English Monarch's demands appeared fo unreafonable to the French Commiffioners, that they were obliged to fend an account of their proceedings frequently to the Regent, and to wait a return of his directions, Very 1 Very little progrefs being made in the treaty, as King Edward would not renounce his pretenfions to the crown of France, Henry, called for his heroic and princely virtues the Good Duke of Lancaster, endeavoured to foften the rigour of these conditions, and to terminate the war on more equal and reasonable ones: the King notwithstanding continued inexorable, as the juftice of his claims to the French throne had been early rooted in his breast, and had been long the favourite with of his heart. However, whilft the Duke of Lancafter was one day reiterating his reafons and intreaties on their march towards Chartres, an accidental ftorm removed his obduracy, and effected what the Duke's moft forcible arguments may not have brought about. The sky in an inftant became clouded, and there fell fuch torrents of rain and hail, accompanied by fuch tremendous peals of thunder and flashes of lightning, that the whole fabrick of nature appeared to be diffolving even the boldest Knights, thofe |