60 Disputes with Edward III. of England. France in right of his mother, and the nephew of Charles the that it should be retaken. With this view he created France. Fair. His pretensions, however, were easily set aside, Edward Vicar General of the Empire; an empty title, and Philip was confirmed in the regency: from which but which seemed to give him a right of commanding he soon after stepped into the throne, on the queen the services of the princes of Germany. The Flemings, being delivered of a daughter; from which circum- who were vassals of France, likewise pretended scruples stance he acquired the surname of Fortunate. But at invading the territories of their liege lord. To quiet though the pretensions of Edward, both to the regen- these, Edward, by the advice of Arteville, assumed the cy and crown, were unanimously rejected by the peo- title of King of France; and by virtue of this right ple, it was still impossible for Philip to think of the challenged their assistance for dethroning Philip de Vaclaims of such a formidable rival without uneasiness. lois, the usurper of his kingdom. This step, which He therefore summoned the English monarch to do he feared would beget endless animosities and jealousies, homage for his possessions in France; and, upon his he did not take without hesitation; and, according to not answering his summons, forfeited them, and seized Mr Hume, from this time we may date the commencehis revenues. This at last induced Edward to cross ment of that great animosity which the English have the sea and pay his homage; which Philip consented always borne to the French. to receive in any form, upon condition of a proper explanation being afterwards given: but as this was studiously delayed after the return of the king of England, the province of Guienne was again seized by the French monarch. Edward, unwilling to lose his continental dominions, or involve himself in a war for the sake of a mere ceremony, sent over a formal deed, by which he acknowledged that he owed liege homage to France. Thus the flame was smothered for the present; and would perhaps have been entirely extinguished, had it not been for the intrigues of Robert of Artois, brother-in-law to the king of France himself, who had been expelled his country, and had taken refuge in England. By him he was persuaded to renew his pretensions to the crown of France, which of necessity produced a war. 61 Edward's dition. For some time, indeed, neither party made any In 1337, the war broke out openly. Philip having first expe- detached a squadron of his fleet against the Infidels, employed the rest, consisting chiefly of Genoese vessels, against the English. As in this war it was of great importance which side was taken by the Flemings, these people were courted by both parties. Louis count of Flanders declared for Philip, but his subjects were more inclined to King Edward. James Arteville a brewer, the most able and artful man in the country, governed them at that time as much as if he had been their prince; and the advantages arising from the English commerce determining him in favour of Edward, that prince, at his request, embarked for Sluys with a numerous army. Here he arrived in 1338; and on his first landing, it was resolved that the German princes in alliance with him should act against France. But for this a pretence was wanting. The vassals of the empire could not act by Edward's orders, or even as his allies, without directions from the emperor, and he was in league with France. This difficulty, how ever, was soon overcome: the French had made them selves masters of Cambray, and the emperor resolved - 3 Edward's first attempt was upon the city of Cambray, to which he laid siege; but in a short time he was prevailed upon by Robert d'Artois to raise the siege and march into Picardy. This country he entered with an army of near 50,000 men, composed mostly of foreigners. Philip came within sight of him with an army of near 100,000, composed chiefly of native subjects; and it was daily expected that a battle would ensue. But the English monarch was averse to engage against so great a superiority: and Philip thought it sufficient if he eluded the attacks of his enemy, without running any unnecessary hazard. The two armies faced each other for several days; mutual defiances were sent ; and Edward at last retired into Flanders, and dispersed his army. Such was the fruitless and almost ridiculous conclusion of Edward's first expedition, which had plunged him into the greatest difficulties. He had contracted near 300,000l. of debt; he had anticipated all his revenue; he had pawned every thing of value which belonged either to himself or his queen; nay, he was obliged in some measure even to pawn himself to his creditors, by desiring their permission to go over to England in order to procure supply, and by promising on his word of honour to return in person if he did not remit their money. On his arrival in England, however, he procured a large supply, sufficient to enable him to make all the necessary preparations for a new invasion; and so certain were the English that France would now be conquered, that the parliament, before Edward's departure, protested that they owed him no obedience as king of France, but that the two kingdoms must remain for ever distinct and independent. 62 63 The king of England set out on his second expedi- His second tion with a fleet of 240 vessels. Philip had prepared expedition. a fleet of 400 vessels, manned with 40,000 men; which he stationed off Sluys, in order to intercept him in his passage. The two fleets met on the 13th of June 1340; but the English, either by the superior abilities The French of Edward, or the greater dexterity of his seamen, entirely degained the wind of the enemy, and had the sun in feated at their backs; and with these advantages began the ac-sea. tion. The battle was fierce and bloody; The English archers, whose force and address were now much celebrated, galled the French on their approach; and when the ships grappled together, the example of the king and the nobility who were with him so animated the seamen and soldiers, that they maintained everywhere a superiority over the enemy. The Flemings observing the battle, burried out of their ports, and brought France. brought a reinforcement to the English; which coming unexpectedly, had a greater effect than in proportion to its power and numbers. Two hundred and thirty ships were taken: and 30,000 Frenchmen were killed, with two of their admirals: the loss of the English was inconsiderable, compared to the greatness and importance of the victory. None of Philip's courtiers, it is said, dared to inform him of the event; till his fool or jester gave him a hint, by which he discovered the loss he had sustained. 64 Edward in France a third time. After this great victory, Edward landed his forces and laid siege to Tournay. Philip marched to its relief with a very numerous army: but acted with so much caution, that Edward found himself in a manner blocked up in his camp: and the countess dowager of Hainault, sister to Philip, mother-in-law to Edward, and sister-in-law to Robert d'Artois, coming out of a convent, to which she had retired, interposed with 30 much spirit and address, that she engaged all parties to agree to a truce for a year, and might perhaps have brought about a peace if she had survived. In 1341, however, Edward's ambition was once vited into more excited by the invitation of the count de Mountfort, who had possessed himself of the province of Brittany, and applied to Edward to second his claims. An offer of this kind entirely coincided with Edward's most sanguine desires. He was happy in the promised assistance of Mountfort, an active and valiant prince, closely united to him by interest, and thus opening to him an entrance into the heart of France. These flattering prospects, however, were for a while damped by the imprisonment of Mountfort; whose aims being discovered, he was besieged in the city of Nantz and taken. But Jane of Flanders his wife soon made up for the loss of her husband. This lady courageously undertook to support the falling fortunes of her family. She assembled the inhabitants of Rennes, where she then resided; and carrying her infant son in her arms, deplored her misfortunes, and attempted to inspire the citizens with an affection for her cause. The inhabitants of Nantz instantly espoused her interests, and all the other fortresses of Brittany embraced the same resolution. The king of England was apprised of her efforts; and was entreated to send her succours with all possible expedition to the town of Hennebone, in which place she resolved to sustain the attacks of the enemy. Charles de Blois, Philip's general, anxious to make himself master of so important a fortress as Hennebone, and still more to take the countess a prisoner, sat down before the place with a large army, and conducted the siege with indefatigable industry. The defence was no less vigorous several sallies were made by the garrison, in which the countess herself was still the most active, and led on the assault. Observing one day that their whole army bad quitted the camp to join in a general storm, she sallied out by a postern at the head of 300 horse, set fire to the enemies tents and baggage, put their sutlers and servants to the sword, and occasioned such an alarm, that the French desisted from the assault, in order to cut off her communication with the town. Thus intercepted, she retired to Auray, where she continued five or six days; then returning at the head of 500 horse, she fought her way through one quarter of the French camp, and returned to her faithful citizens in triumph. But the besiegers had at But the besiegers had at VOL. IX. Part I. length made several breaches in the walls; and it was France. apprehended that a general assault, which was hourly expected, would be fatal. A capitulation was therefore proposed, and a conference was already begun, when the countess, who had mounted on a high tower, and was looking towards the sea with great impatience, descried some ships at a distance. She immediately exclaimed that succours were arrived, and forbade any further capitulation. She was not disappointed in her wishes; the fleet she discerned carried a body of English gentlemen, with 6000 archers, whom Edward had prepared for the relief of Hennebone, but who had been long detained by contrary winds. They entered the harbour under the conduct of Sir Walter Manny, one of the most valiant commanders of his time. This relief served to keep up the declining spirits of the Bretons until the time appointed by the late truce with Edward was expired, on which he was at liberty to renew the war in greater form. The succours under Sir Walter Manny were quickly followed by a more considerable reinforcement commanded by Robert of Artois, who made himself master of the city of Vannes soon after his arrival: but the French soon recovered the city, and Robert was compelled to relinquish his prize after receiving a mortal wound. Edward himself, eager to revenge the death of his ally, soon landed at Morbian near Vannes with an army of 12,000 men. With this small number he undertook at once the siege of Vannes, Nantz, and Rennes but by dividing his forces, he failed in every enterprise, and gave an opportunity to John duke of Normandy, the king of France's eldest son, to invest him in his camp. In this situation his provisions soon began to fail; and Edward, notwithstanding all his valour, would have been obliged to surrender, had he not, by a train of artful negotiations, induced Philip to relinquish the advantage he had obtained, and consent to a truce of three years. This was accomplished by the mediation of the court of Rome; and the French monarch was soon made sensible of the partiality of that court, and the imprudence of the step be himself had taken. Edward soon found a pretence to renew the war, from the execution of some nobles of Brittany, who, he said, were partisans of Mountfort, and chose to look upon their punishment as an infraction of the treaty. Philip now endeavoured to secure himself against the power of his rival by alliances, and by purchasing the city of Montpelier from the king of Majorca: but in the mean time, the English, under the command of the earl of Derby, had invaded Guienne, twice defeated the French army commanded by the count de Lisle, and made themselves masters of a great number of towns. Philip, by reason of the exhausted state of his treasury, was for some time incapable of making any opposition. To recruit his finances, he was obliged to lay a duty on salt; which gave such offence to his subjects as had almost excited a rebellion. When these discontents were assuaged, however, he soon raised an army of 100,000 men, whose courage was further raised by the presence of the dukes of Normandy and Burgundy. The English general was therefore compelled to stand upon the defensive. One fortress after another was surrendered to the French; till at length nothing appeared but the total extinction of the power K of France. of England upon the continent. In this situation, Edward resolved to bring relief in person to his distresced subjects and allies; and accordingly embarked in 1346 at Southampton, on board a fleet of near 1000 sail, of all dimensions. He carried with him, besides all the chief nobility of England, his eldest son the prince of Wales (afterwards surnamed the Black Prince), a youth of about 15 years old, and already 65 remarkable both for understanding and valour above his He lands age. His army consisted of 4000 men at arms, 10,000 with an ar- archers, 10,000 Welsh infantry, and 6000 Irish; all my in Nor- which he landed safely at La Hogue, a port in Normandy. mandy, which country he determined to make the seat of the war. 66 Calais taken. The intelligence of Edward's landing, and the devastation caused by his troops, who dispersed themselves over the whole face of the country, soon spread universal consternation through the French court. The rich city of Caen was taken and plundered by the English without mercy; the villages and towns, even up to Paris, shared the same fate; and the French had no other resource but by breaking down their bridges, to attempt putting a stop to the invader's career. In the mean time, Philip was not idle in making preparations to repress the enemy. He had stationed one of his generals, Godemar de Faye, with an army on the opposite side of the river Somme, over which Edward was to pass; while he himself, at the head of 120,000 fighting men, advanced to give the English battle. Edward, thus unexpectedly exposed to the danger of being enclosed and starved in an enemy's country, pub. lished a reward to any that should bring him intelligence of a passage over the river Somme. This was discovered by a peasant of the country, named Gobin Agace and Edward had just time to get his whole army over the river, when Philip appeared in his rear. Of the battle that ensued, in which the French were overthrown with great slaughter, an account is given under the article CRESSY. Edward next laid siege to Calais, which was then defended by John de Vienne, an experienced commander, and supplied with every thing necessary for defence. It was at length taken, after a twelvemonth's siege, the defendants having been reduced to the last extremity by famine and fatigue: for the consequences of which, see the article CALAIS. The From the very beginning of this unfortunate war, Philip had invariably showed himself desirous of peace, and the victory of Cressy rendered him still more so. Edward also, notwithstanding his successes, was unable to support the expences of the war any longer. mediation of the court of Rome was therefore readily accepted, and a truce for three years concluded. At the same time, Philip met with some recompense for the losses he had sustained, by the acquisition of Dauphiny, which has ever since given the title of Dauphin to the eldest son of the king of France. It was obtained by the resignation of Hubert prince of Dauphiny; who, being disappointed in his hopes of marrying Joan, daughter of the duke of Bourbon, gave up his territories to Charles the grandson of Philip, who had married that lady; himself retiring into a convent. Soon after this event, the king himself, who had been some time a widower, was married to Blanch, the daughter of Philip count of Evreux, and Jane queen of Navarre; and his 2 son John to the countess of Boulogne. But the happi- France. ness occasioned by these marriages was soon interrupted by the death of the king; who expired in the year. 1350, the 57th of his age, and 23d of his reign. 6Death of King Phi. 68 Navarre. On the death of Philip his eldest son John took pos- lip. session of the kingdom; but scarcely was he seated on the throne, when he disgusted his nobility by an unseasonable act of severity. Robert de Brienne, count of Eu and Guisnes, had been taken prisoner by the king of England at Caen; and under pretence of negotiating his ransom, had passed several times between France and England; but being accused of a treasonable correspondence with Edward, he was by order of his sovereign suddenly arrested, condemned, and beheaded, without any form of trial. At his death, it is said that he confessed his treasonable practices; but that has not been authenticated by any historian of credit. Having been constable of France, the sword, the badge of his office, was delivered to Charles de la Carda but his fate was equally unfortunate with that of his predecessor, being soon after assassinated by Charles king of Navarre, surnamed The wicked. This Infamous prince, celebrated for his personal qualifications, but conduct of detested for his crimes, was the son-in-law of John the king of himself. He had demanded the duchy of Angouleme of the king: but as the latter had thought proper to bestow it upon Carda, he had taken the effectual method of revenging himself, by assassinating his rival. John did not fail to show a proper resentment; but such was the weakness of his government, that the king of Navarre set him at defiance, and would not even condescend to the ceremony of asking pardon until John had sent him his second son as an hostage for his personal security. To these offences the king of Navarre added another still more atrocious, viz. that of aspiring to the crown of France itself; to which he pretended a right derived from his mother, being grandson by the female side to Louis the Boisterous. But his more immediate demands were the countries of Champagne and Brie. To obviate all difficulties on this head, however, John bestowed the duchy of Normandy on his eldest son Charles; and commanded him to seize the estates of the king of Navarre. On this the latter soon made his appearance at Paris; but John found himself obliged to appease his murmurs at the expence of no less than 100,000 crowns. All this time the truce with England had been very ill observed on both sides; the French had possessed themselves of the port of St Jean d'Angeli; and the English had surprised the town of Guisnes. The rival houses of Mountfort and Blois still continued their animosities; while Edward continued to threaten war. The king of Navarre went on with his intrigues; and even the dauphin was drawn into a confederacy against his father. John, however, being informed of their machinations, found means to defeat them effectually. The dauphin was reclaimed by pointing out to him the impropriety of his conduct, and the disadvantage which must unavoidably accrue to himself from the connexions which he had formed. The king of Navarre was invited with his principal adherents, to an entertainment, where they were unexpectedly ar- He is taken rested: the former being sent prisoner to Chateau and conGaillard, and several of the most obnoxious of the fined. latter put to death. The rest of the conspirators, instead 69 France. instead of being dismayed by this check, immediately showed themselves in open rebellion; and finding themselves unable, without farther assistance, to gain their point, they without delay invited over Edward from England. 70 France a ed by Ed That warlike and enterprising monarch had never gain invad-lost sight of the object he had originally embraced; ward. and on the expiration of the truce had sent his son, the prince of Wales, from the colour of his armour surnamed the Black Prince, with a fleet towards the coast of France. Young Edward had with this fleet entered the mouth of the river Garonne, burnt the towns and villages of Languedoc, and retired with the plunder into the country of Guienne. Edward himself, who had likewise passed over to the continent, wasted the country as far as St Omer; but the French king, notwithstanding all these provocations, determined to avoid a battle, and therefore prohibited his general, the constable of Bourbon, from coming to an engagement, though his army was much superior to that of the prince of Wales. With the flower of his troops, however, he pursued Edward from St Omer to Heɛdin, where he defied him to a pitched battle; but the latter, without minding his bravadoes, continued his march to Calais, from whence he embarked for England. After his departure, John called an assembly of the states at Paris, where he explained the distressed situation of his finances, and showed so fully the necessity of assisting him in the defence of the kingdom, that they consented to maintain an army of 30,000 men during the war. To supply the other exigencies of government, they revived the duty on salt, and added a variety of other imposts; but at the same time appointed a committee of their own number to take care that the money was solely appropriated to the public service. The satisfaction which John received from these grants, and the suppression of some disturbances which happened about this time, was soon overcast by the news that the prince of Wales had marched with an army of 12,000 men from Bourdeaux: and, after ravaging the Agenois, Quercy, and the Limousin, had entered the province of Berry. The young warrior bad penetrated into the heart of France with this trifling body of forces, in hopes of joining the duke of Lancaster in Guienne. But he soon found that his scheme was impracticable: the country before him was too well guarded to permit his advancing further; and all the bridges behind were broken down, which effectually barred a retreat. In this embarrassing situation, his perplexity was increased, by being informed, that the king of France was actually marching at the head of 60,000 men to intercept him. He at first thought of retreating but soon finding it impossible, he determined calmly to wait 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, near Poictiers, that both armies came in sight of each other. The French king might very easily have starved the English into any terms he thought proper to impose; but such was the impatient valour of the French nobility, and such their certainty of success, that it might have been equally fatal to attempt repressing their ardour to engage. In the mean time, while both armies were drawn out, and expecting the signal to begin, they were stopped by the appearance of the cardinal of Perigord, who attempted to be a mediator between them. How ever, John, who made himself sure of victory, would listen to no other terms than the restitution of Calais ; with which the Black Prince refusing to comply, the onset was deferred till the next morning, for which both sides waited in anxious suspense. Finnce. During this interval, the young prince strengthened his post by new intrenchments ; and placed 300 men in ambush, with as many archers, who were commandled to attack the enemy in flank during the heat of the engagement. Having taken these precautions, he ranged his army in three divisions; the van was commanded by the earl of Warwick, the rear by the earls of Salisbury and Suffolk, and the main body by him. self. In like manner, the king of France arranged his forces in three divisions; the first commanded by the duke of Orleans; the second by the dauphin, attended by his younger brothers; while he himself led up the main body, seconded by his youngest and favourite son, then about 14 years of age. As the English were to be attacked only by marching up a long narrow lane, the French suffered greatly from their archers, who were posted on each side behind the hedges. Nor were they in a better situation upon emerging from this danger, being met by the Black Prince himself, at the head of a chosen body of troops, who made a furious onset upon their forces, already in great disorder. A dreadful overthrow ensued those who were French deas yet in the lane recoiled upon their own forces; while the English troops who had been placed in ambush, took that opportunity to increase the confusion, and confirm the victory. The dauphin and the duke of Orleans were among the first that fled. The king of France himself made the utmost efforts to retrieve by his valour what his rashness had forfeited; but his single courage was unable to stop that consternation which had now become general through his army; and his cavalry soon flying, he found himself exposed to the enemy's fury. At length, spent with fatigue and despairing of success, he thought of yielding himself a prisoner; and frequently cried out, that he was ready to deliver himself to his cousin the prince of Wales. 73 The honour of taking him, however, was reserved for a King John taken primuch more ignoble hand; he was seized by Dennis de Morbec, a knight of Arras, who had been obliged to fly his country for murder. In April following, the prince conducted his royal prisoner through London, attended by an infinite concourse of people of all ranks and stations. His modesty upon this occasion was very remarkable: the king of France was clad in royal apparel, and mounted on a white steed distinguished by its size and beauty while the prince himself rode by his side upon a mean little horse, and in very plain attire. 72 feated. soner. 74 France. This dreadful defeat, which happened in the year Miserable 1356, almost entirely ruined the French affairs; and situation of the miseries which ensued from this cause were greatly augmented by internal commotions. The dauphin, who had now assumed the government, was altogether unable to govern a turbulent and seditious people at such a crisis. An assembly of the states, which he called, took the opportunity to limit the power of the prince, impeach the former ministers, and demand the. K 2 liberty France. liberty of the king of Navarre; the treasurer of the crown was murdered by one Marcel, a partizan of that worthless prince who had filled the city of Paris with confusion by his intrigues. The assassin whom Marcel employed was dragged, by order of the dauphin, from an altar where he had taken refuge, and instantly put to death. The bishop of Paris resented the indignity done to the church; and Marcel avenged the fate of his adherent, by murdering both the mareschals who had seized him in the presence of the dauphin; and so near him, that his clothes were stained with their blood. The prince indignantly asked him, if he was to be involved in the same destruction? when Marcel affected to provide for his safety by putting upon him a blue hood, the badge of the adherents of Navarre. The public disorders were now also augmented by the escape of the king of Navarre from confinement; and though the dauphin was even assured that he had administered a dose of poison to him, he was obliged still to pay him some appearance of regard. A scheme was even formed by the chiefs of the sedition to change the government, to vest all the power in the commons, and leave the king no more than an empty title; but though this was favourably received by the city of Paris, it was entirely rejected by the other cities of the kingdom. The dauphin was likewise recognized as regent by the states general, and the inhabitants of Picardy and Champagne took up arms in his cause. 75 The king of Navarre escapes from pri son, 76 Insurrections and tumults of the pea sants. In this disastrous state of affairs, the miseries of the people were heightened by a new and unexpected evil. The peasants, who had been all along oppressed by the nobles, were now treated in such a manner, that they rose in great numbers to revenge themselves; the castles of the nobility were rased to the ground, their wives and daughters ravished, and themselves put to the most cruel torments. At last they were obliged to arm in their own defence. The duke of Orleans cut off 10,000 of them in the neighbourhood of Paris; 12,000 were massacred by the king of Navarre; 9000, who had laid siege to the town of Meaux, where the dauphiness and three other ladies of the first rank resided, were routed and pursued with dreadful slaughter by an officer in the service of Edward. Amidst these confusions, Marcel, the seditious leader already mentioned, perished in a tumult of his own raising; and the most virtuous and prudent people of the nation supported the pretensions of the dauphin. His most dangerous enemy was the king of Navarre, who had allured to his standard numbers of those Norman and English adventurers who had followed Edward into France, and there been left to seek their fortuneɛ; where they associated themselves under the name of the Companions. By such a formidable competitor the dautween the phin was reduced almost to the last extremity, when dauphin his hopes were revived by an unexpected proposal from and king of his rival, of peace upon equitable and moderate terms. 77 Peace be Navarre. Historians in general have ascribed this to the natural levity of the king of Navarre; but some have been of opinion that he acted from prudential motives, and that he justly supposed it would be more easy to deal with the dauphin who was his own kinsman, and humbled by so many misfortunes, than with a haughty and imperious conqueror like Edward. On the expiration of the truce in 1359, Edward again set sail for France, and anchored before Calais 78 A new in. 79 with a fleet of 1100 sail, assumed the title of King of France. France, and augmented his army to 100,000 men. The dauphin, finding himself unable to withstand so great a power, was obliged to act on the defensive; vasion of choosing the city of Paris for his station, and allowing France by the English to ravage all the open country. Thus Edward. they were allowed to penetrate through Picardy into Champagne; but the city of Rheims, where Edward designed to have been crowned king of France, baffled their utmost efforts. From Champagne, therefore, which was already laid waste, the English monarch marched into Burgundy; pillaged Tonnere, Gaillon, and Avalon. Burgundy was saved by the payment of 100,000 merks, and a like sum was paid for Nivernois. At last, after a long and destructive march, Edward arrived at the gates of Paris; but the prudence of the dauphin and citizens of that metropolis had rendered it impregnable to the attacks of famine as well as the assaults of an army. Thus the war went on till the He conyear 1360, when the king of England was inclined to cludes a peace, as is said, by a dreadful tempest, to which his peace. army was exposed while encamped in the fields round Chartres. His conduct, however, may more reasonably be derived from other motives. Notwithstanding all the victories he had gained, the French nation showed not the least favour to his claim of succession; the king of Navarre was a dangerous rival, and the caution of the dauphin in avoiding an engagement deprived him of the advantages he might expect from his valour and military skill. Thus conferences for a peace were opened at Bretigny in the Chartraine; and it was at last concluded on the following conditions, viz. That King John should pay for his ransom, at different periods, three millions of crowns of gold (about a million and a half of our money): Edward should for ever renounce all claim to the kingdom of France; and should remain possessed of the territories of Poictou, Xaintonge, l'Agenois, Perigord, the Limousin, Quercy, Rouvergne, l'Angoumois, and other districts in that quarter, together with Calais, Guisnes, Montreuil, and the county of Ponthieu on the other side of France. Some other stipulations were made in favour of the allies of England, as a security for the execution of these conditions. Upon John's return to his dominions, he found himself very ill able to ratify those terms of peace that had been just concluded. He was without finances, at the head of an exhausted state; his soldiers without discipline, and his peasants without subordination. These had risen in great numbers; and one of the chiefs of the banditti assumed the title of The Friend of God and the terror of Man. A citizen of Sens, named John Gouge, also got himself, by means of his robberies, to be acknowledged king; and he soon caused as many calamities by his devastations, as the real king bad brought on by his misfortunes. Such was the state of that wretched kingdom upon the return of its captive monarch: and yet such was his absurdity, that he immediately prepared for a croisade into the Holy Land, before he was well replaced on the throne. Had his exhausted subjects been able to equip him for this chimerical project, it is probable, he would have gone through with it; but their miseries were such, ble to pay that they were even too poor to pay his ransom. This his ransom, was a breach of treaty that John would not submit to ; returns to and England. 80 John, una |