Stories from English History

by his nephew Philip, but Edward declared that he, being a grandson of the late king, had a better ri

rst march into France the two nations were still fighting. By this time King Edward's eldest son

air and laughing blue eyes. Perhaps he was a little vain of his appearance, because in order to show off the fairness of his

it, the king consented to his accompanyin

prince set sail with an army of thirty thou

d smiling country of France, meeting with very little o

on the banks of the river Somme, the E

bered at least eight times as many men as were on the side of the En

d calmly to his men, 'a

t day; and the English lay d

e English king set his

earls another; and the eager young prince, assisted by the E

the king mounted his horse and rode from rank to rank

good a countenance and merry cheer, that all such as w

battle. The king sent orders that his men were to 'eat at their ease and drink a cup'; and the whole army sat down upon the grass and breakfasted. Then they re

ht morning had clouded over. The day had become dark and threatening, and soon the thunder began to growl, and the lightning to flash

ve the order to halt; but the men in the rear, not understanding the message, pres

Philip ordered to the front a great body of Genoese cro

the faces of the cross-bowmen, and prevented them from seeing the enemy. The

y to abash the English; but they stood still and stirred not for all that. A second and a third time the Geno

ower of arrows into the ranks

ment went along the line of archers; the ten thousand men advanced one pace, and '

could re-load; and in the meantime the English longbowmen shot so

nd stabbed them, so that both horse and rider fell heavily to the ground. The confusion was rendered still more dreadful by means of a weapon which King Edward

King Edward was sending out his orders from a windmill

rl of Warwick, beseeching the king to

king for aid to be sen

killed?' as

se God,' replie

e wou

, S

rown to t

o; but he is ver

l them that he shall have no help from me. Let the boy win his

s to the prince, who fought harder th

French side was the old blind King of Bohemia, who remained somewhat apart, mounted upon

nch knight approaching, and as

outed,' was the reply; '

re my vassals, my friends, and my companions; I pray you of your goodness to l

of their aged king; and all three fastened thei

, and more than four; and fought right valiantly'; until he and his knights

se shot under him; but after having had his wounds bound up, he mounted again and rode back into the fight. Many times he led

e of Gold, was nearly captured, but a brave French knight broke his way through the crowd which was struggling ar

the field, was dragged away, almost

es, they came to a castle

?' shouted th

une of France,'

n himself and opened the gates, and

King Edward rode forward to meet the son who had fought so bravely. Taking the lad in his arms, h

he old King of Bohemia, lying dead between his two knights. Beside the king lay his sh

e from the field and buried with royal honours; and then

at was well said; "ich dien," meaning th

, my son,' replied his father, 'wilt

rs with the motto, in remembrance of his gallant enemy, a

war was not yet at an end. King Philip was dead, and had b

e army in France. Near the town of Poitiers he believed that the French king lay som

l him where their king lay encamped; but these poor people were so loy

to about ten thousand men; and if the King of France had a larger fo

d near the town of Poitiers. The whole country, far and near, seemed to be occupi

the historian, 'for there was none durst ab

e Black Prince; 'we mu

a hill, while the French king marsha

lay, strongly guarded, w

in haste to the French king, and implored him to give him leave to try

f people, for so the English are as compared to your company. I pray you that yo

rdinal came riding over to the Black

ed to try to arrange terms for him, 'and the honou

, and to make a truce with the French king for seven years;

spense he came riding t

he cardinal, 'on condition that you will yield your

e's face

ws to send to his father

ions, Prince Edward broke off the treaty and turned to his army,

with woods and vineyards, and the principal approach was by means of a lane with hedges on either side, behi

n all was in order of battle,

be the most honoured people in all the world; and if we die in our right quarrel, I have the king my father and my brothers, and you have good friends and kinsme

s the bat

the men who were posted behind the hedges received them with such a volley of arro

ping down the hill, threw the foremos

her and yourself also, and I shall do so as long as I live. I once made a vow that in the first battle that your father or any of his children should be in, I sh

the grace to be the first knight of all'; and Lord James rode away into the

fury upon all sides, and many French and E

nce, and the day is yours; let us get to the French king, for truly he is so valiant a gentleman that I think he

turn back this day, but I will ever be with the foremost'; the

g about him with his battle-axe. When the nobles around him were slain or had fled, the brave lad refu

gave his glove to a banished French knight,

ce had become so exhausted with fighting that Sir John Chan

his way to the English camp. The prince immediately sent two of his lords to meet him, and h

t prisoner to the Blac

ptive nobles to a supper in his tent, and Prince Edward himself waited upon King John, s

their own country, bringing with them

n, the people crowded by thousands into the streets to see him pass as he rode on a little pony by the sid

rance. Then he was allowed to return to his own country upon condition th

h. They were allowed to ride into French territory as often as they pleased, provided that they gave their word of honour not to remain away l

er came back to Calais at all. Upon hearing the news the French king was so sh

else,' he said, 'it should find

people did all they could to show the imprisoned king h

ths after his arrival in England he died, his end hastened