Edward refolved to indulge the impetuofity of his troops, and put all to the hazard of a battle. He accordingly chofe his ground with advantage near the village of Crefcy; and there determined to await with tranquillity the shock of the enemy. He drew up his men on a gentle afcent, and divided them into three lines. The firft was commanded by the young prince of Wales; the fecond was conducted by the earl of Northampton and Arundel; and the third, which was kept as a body of referve, was headed by the king in perfon.

On the other fide, Philip, impelled by refentment, and confident of his numbers, was more folicitous in bringing the enemy to an engagement, than prudent in taking measures for its fuccefs. He led on his army in three bodies oppofite thofe of the Englifh. The first line confifted of fifteen thoufand Genoefe cross-bow-men; the fecond body was led by the king of France's brother; and he himself was at the head of the third,

About three in the afternoon, the famous battle of Crefcy began, by the French king's ordering the Genoefe archers to charge; but they were fo fatigued with their march, that they cried out for a little reft before they fhould engage. The count Alencon, being informed of their petition, rode up and reviled them as cowards, commanding them to begin the onfet without delay. Their reluctance to begin was ftill more increased by a heavy fhower, which fell that inftant, and relaxed their bow. ftrings; fo that the difcharge they made produced but very little effect. On the other hand, the English archers, who had kept their bows in cafes, and were favoured by a fudden gleam of fun-fhine, that rather dazzled the enemy, let fly their arrows fo thick, and with fuch good aim, that nothing was to be feen among the Genoefe but hurry, terror, and dismay. The young prince of Wales had prefence of mind to take advantage of their confufion, and to lead on his line to the charge. The French cavalry, however, commanded by the Count Alencon, wheeling round, fuftained the combat and began to hem the English in. The earls of Arundel and Northampton, now came to aflift the prince; who appeared foremoft in the very fhock, and wherever he appeared turning the for

tune

tune of the day. The thickeft of the battle was now gathered round him, and the valour of a boy filled even veterans with aftonishment; but their furprife at his courage could not give way to their fears for his fafety. Being apprehenfive that fome mifchance might happen to him in the end, an officer was dispatched to the king, defiring that fuccours might be fent to the prince's relief. Edward, who had all this time with great tranquillity viewed the engagement from a wind-mill, demanded, with feeming deliberation, if his fon were dead, but be ing answered that he ftill lived, and was giving astonishing inftances of his valour; "then tell my generals, cried the king, that he fhall have no affiftance from me; the honour of the day fhall be his; let him fhew himself worthy the profeffion of arms, and let him be indebted to his own merit alone for victory." This fpeech, being reported to the prince and his attendants, it infpired them with new courage; they made a fresh attack upon the French cavalry, and count Alencon, their bravest com. mander, was flain. This was the beginning of their total overthrow the French, being now without competent leader, were thrown into confufion; their whole army took to flight, and were put to the fword by the purfuers without mercy, till night ftopped the carnage. Never was a victory more feafonable, or lefs bloody to the English than this. Notwithstanding the great flaughter of the enemy, the conquerors loft but one fquire, three knights, and a few of inferior rank.

But this victory was attended with still more substantial advantages; for Edward, as moderate in conqueft, as prudent in his methods to obtain it, refolved to fecure an eafy entrance into France for the future. With this view he laid fiege to Calais, that was then defended by John de Vienne, an experienced commander, and fupplied with every thing neceffary for defence. Thefe operations, though flow, were at length fuccefsful. It was in vain that the govenor made a noble defence, that he excluded all the useless mouths from the city, which Edward generously permitted to pafs. Edward refolved to reduce it by famine, and it was at length taken after a twelve month's fiege, the defendants having been reduced to the laft ex

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tremity,

tremity. He refolved to punish the obftinacy of the townfmen, by the death of fix of the most confiderable citizens, who offered themfelves, with ropes round their necks, to fatiate his indignation; but he spared their lives, at the interceffion of the queen.

While Edward was reaping victories upon the continent, the Scots, ever willing to embrace a favourable opportunity of rapine and revenge, invaded the frontiers with a numerous army, headed by David Bruce their king. This unexpected invafion, at fuch a juncture, alarmed the English, but was not capable of intimidating them. Lionel, Edward's fon, who was left guardian of England during his father's abfence, was yet too young to take upon him the command of an army; but the victories on the continent feemed to infpire even women with valour: Philippa, Edward's queen, took upon her the conduct of the field, and prepared to repulfe the enemy in perfon. Accordingly, having made lord A. D. 1346. Percy general under her, fhe met the Scots at a place called Nevil's Crofs, near Durham, and offered them battle. The Scot's king was no lefs impatient to engage; he imagined that he might obtain an eafy victory againft undifciplined troops, and headed by a woman. But he was miferably deceived. His army was quickly routed, and driven from the field. Fifteen thousand of his men were cut to pieces; and he himself, with many of his nobles and knights, were taken prifoners, and carried in triumph to London.

A victory gained by the Black Prince near Poicters followed not long after, in which John king of France was taken prifoner, and led in triumph through London, amidst an amazing concourse of spectators. Two kings, prifoners in the fame court, and at the fame time, were confidered as glorious achievements; 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.

The English, by their frequent fupplies, had been quite exhaufted, and were unable to continue an army in the field. Charles, who had fucceeded his father John,

who died a prifoner in the Savoy, on the other hand, cautiously forebore coming to any decifive engagement; but was contented to let his enemies wafte their strength in attempts to plunder a fortified country. When they were tired, he then was fure to fally forth, and poffefs himself of fuch places as they were not ftrong enough to defend. He first fell upon Ponthieu; the citizens of Abbeville opened their gates to him; thofe of St. Valois, Rue, and Crotoy, imitated the example; and the whole country was, in a little time, reduced to total fubmiffion. The fouthern provinces were, in the fame manner, invaded by his generals with equal fuccefs; while the Black Prince, deftitute of fupplies from England, and wafted by a cruel and confumptive diforder, was oblig ed to return to his native country, leaving the affairs of the South of France in a moft defperate condition.

But what of all other things ferved to gloom the latter part of this fplendid reign, was the approaching death of the Black Prince, whofe conftitution fhewed but too manifeftly the fymptoms of a speedy diffolution. This valiant and accomplished prince died in the forty-fixth year of his age, leaving behind him a character without a fingle blemish; and a degree of forrow among the people, that time could fcarcely alleviate.

The king was most fenfibly affected with the lofs of his fon; and tried every art to allay his uneafinefs. He removed himself entirely from the duties and burdens of the ftate, and left this kingdom to be plundered by a fet of rapacious minifters. He did not furvive the confequences of his bad conduct; but died about a year after the prince, at Sherne, in Surry, deferted by all his courtiers, even by thofe who had grown rich by his bounty. He expired in the fixty-fifth year of his age, and fiftyfirft of his reign, 1377; a prince more admired than beloved by his fubjects, and more an object of their applaufe, than their forrow.

A. D.

It was in this reign that the order of the Garter was inftituted; the number was to confift of twen 1340. ty-four perfons befide the king. A ftory prevails, but unfupported by any ancient authority, that the countefs of Salisbury, at a ball, happening to drop her garter,

the

the king took it up, and prefented it to her with these words, Honi foit qui mal y penfe;" Evil be to him that evil thinks. This accident, it is faid, gave rife to the order and the motto.

Edward left many children by his queen Philippa, of Hainult ; his eldeft fon, the Black Prince, died before him, but he left a fon, named Richard, who fucceeded to the throne.

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RICHARD II.

ICHARD II. was but eleven years old when he came to the throne of his grandfather, and found the people difcontented and poor, the nobles proud and re. bellious. As he was a minor, the government was vefted in the hands of his three uncles, the dukes of Lancaster, York, and Gloucester; and as the late king had left the kingdom involved in many dangerous and expenfive wars, which demanded large and conftant fupplies, the murmurs of the people increafed in proportion. The expences of armaments to face the enemy on every fide, and a want of economy in the adminiftration, entirely exhaufted the treasury