had parliaments of barons defpotic over their own hereditary poffeffions; and they obliged John their king, to fign a charter very much refembling the Magna Charta, which had formerly been figned by his name-fake of England. The warlike refources, therefore, of France and England, were at this time very unequal. John was at the head of a nobility, that acknowledged no fubordination among each other; they led their dependent flaves to battle, and obeyed their fuperiors only as it fuited their inclination. Their king might more justly be faid to command a number of fmall armies under diftinct leaders, than one vaft machine, operating with uniformity and united efforts. The French barons paid their own foldiers, punifhed their tranfgreffions, and rewarded their fidelity. But the forces of England were under a very different establishment; the main body of the English army was compofed of foldiers indifcriminately levied throughout the nation, paid by the king, and regarding him alone as the fource of preferment or difgrace. Inftead of perfonal attendance, the nobility contributed fupplies in money; and there was only such a number of nobles in the army as might keep the fpirit of honour alive without injuring military fubordination. It was in this ftate of things, that a short truce which had been concluded between Edward and Philip was diffolved by the death of the latter; and Edward, well pleafed with the factions that then prevailed in France, was refolved to seize the opportunity of encreasing its diftreffes. Accordingly the Black Prince was fent into France with his army, on board of a fleet of an hundred fail; and, landing in Gafcony, carried his devastations into the heart of the country. On the other hand, Edward himself made an irruption on the fide of Calais, D 4 Calais, at the head of a numerous army, and ba vaged all the open country. In the mean time John, who was as yet unprepared to oppofe the progrefs of the enemy, continued a quiet fpectator of their infults; nor was it till the fuccceding fummer's campaign, that he resolved to attack the Black Prince, whofe army was by A. D. this time reduced to a body of about 1355 twelve thousand men. With fuch a trifling complement of forces, had this young warrior ventured to penetrate into the heart of France, with a defign of joining his forces to thofe of the duke of Lancafter. But he foon found that his fcheme was impracticable; the country before him was too well guarded to prevent his advancing farther, and all the bridges behind were broken down, which effectually barred a retreat. In this embarraffing fituation, his perplexity was increafed, by being informed, that the king of France was actually marching at the head of fixty thousand men to intercept him. He at firft thought of retreating; but foon finding it impoffible, he determined calmly to await the approach of the enemy; and notwithstanding the disparity of forces, to commit all to the hazard of a battle, It was at a place called Maupertuis, called Poictiers, that both armies came in fight of each other. The French king might very easily have starved the English into any terms he thought proper to impofe: but fuch was the impatient valour of the French nobility, and fuch their certainty of fuc cefs, that it might have been equally fatal to attempt repreffing their ardour to engage. In the mean time, while both armies were drawn out, and expecting the fignal to begin, they were stopped by the appearance of the cardinal of Peregord, who attempted to be a mediator between them. them. However, John, who made himself fure of victory, would listen to no other terms than the reftitution of Calais, with which the Black Prince refusing to comply, the onfet was deferred till the next morning, for which both fides waited in anxious fufpenfe. It was during this interval, that the young prince fhewed himfelf worthy of conqueft; he ftrength ened his poft by new entrenchments; he placed three hundred men in ambush, with as many arch ers, who were commanded to attack the enemy in Aank, during the heat of the engagement. Having taken thefe precautions, and the morning beginning to appear, he ranged his army in three divifi ons; the van commanded by the earl of Warwick the rear by the earls of Salisbury and Suffolk, and the main body by himself. In like manner, the king of France arranged his forces in three divifions; the first commanded by the duke of Orleans; the fecond by the Dauphin, attended by his younger brothers; while he himself led up the main body, feconded by his youngest and favourite fon, then about fourteen years of age. As the English werė to be attacked only by marching up a long narrow lane, the French fuffered greatly from their archers, who were posted on each fide, behind the hedges. Nor were they in a better fituation upon emerging from this danger, being met by the Black Prince himfelf, at the head of a chofen body of troops, who made a furious onset upon their forces, already in great diforder. A dreadful overthrow enfured; those who were as yet in the lane recoiled upon their own forces; while the English troops, who had been placed in ambufh, took that opportunity to encrease the confufion, and confirm the victory. The dauphin, and the duke of Orleans, were among the firft that fled. The king of D 5 France France himself made the utmost efforts to retrieve by his valour, what his rafhnefs had forfeited; but his fingle courage was unable to ftop that confternation, which had now become general through his army; and his cavalry foon flying, he found himself totally expofed to the enemy's fury. He faw his nobles falling round him, valiantly fighting in his defence, and his youngest fon wounded by his fide. At length, spent with fatigue, and defpairing of fuccefs, he thought of yielding himself a prisoner; and frequently cried out, that he was ready to deliver himself to his coufin, the prince of Wales. The honour of taking him, however, was referved for a much more ignoble hand; he was feized by Dennis de Morbec, a knight of Arras, who had been obliged to fly his country for murder. This fuccefs was, in a great measure, owing to the valour and conduct of the Black Prince; but his moderation in victory was a nobler triumph than had ever graced any former conqueror. He came forth to meet the captive monarch with an air of pitying modefty; he remonftrated with him in the most humble manner, when he began to complain of his misfortunes, that he ftill had the comfort left of reflecting, that, though unsuccessful, he had done all that deferved to enfure conqueit; he promised, that a fubmiffive deference to his dignity fhould never be wanting to foften his captivity; and at table he actually refufed to fit down, but ftood among the number of his prifoner's attendants, declaring, that it did not become him, as a fubject, to fit down in the prefence of a king. In April following, the prince conducted his A. D. royal prifoner through London, attended by an infinite concourse of people of all ranks and ftations. His mo 1357. defty defty upon this occafion was not less than before; the king of France was clad in royal apparel, and mounted on a white fteed, distinguished by its fize and beauty; while the prince himself rode by his fide upon a mean little horse, and in very plainattire. Two kings prifoners in the fame court, and at the fame time, were confidered as glorious atchievements; but all that England gained by them was only glory. Whatever was won in France, with all the dangers of war, and the expence of preparation, was fucceffively, and in a manner filently, loft, without the mortification of a defeat. It may eafily be fuppofed, that the treaties which were made with the captive kings, were highly advantageous to the conquerors; but thefe treaties were no longer observed, than while the English had it in their power to enforce obedience. It is true, that John held to his engagements as far as he was able; but by being a prifoner he loft his authority; and his misfortunes had rendered him contemptible at home. The dauphin, and the ftates of France, rejected the treaties he had been induced to fign; and prepared, in good ear> neft, to repel the meditated invafion of the conqueror. All the confiderable towns were put into a pofture of defence; and every thing valuable in the kingdom 1358. was fecured in fortified places.. It was in vain, therefore, that Edward tried to allure the dauphin to hazard a battle, by fending him a defiance; it was impoffible to make that cautious prince change the plan of his operations; it was in vain that Edward alleged the obligation of the treaties which had been figned at London, and plundered the country round to provoke an engagement. He at length, therefore, thought fit to listen to equi 391.2 table A. D. |