ENGLAND. 



Atbitnrjr 

 of the king. 



of his plans, ami harassed and affronted by his mime. 

 rout creditors, Edu. ml returned to ! disrontcnt- 



ed with hinrself and with nil around him. He now 

 Tented In- ill-himi.Hir upon 



i his :iiriv.il, til rd- 



ed, he impri.-oned thecoMUhle aii. : . He 



tlu'ii dismissed and punished tin- <,;I-ceri of the revenue. 

 jj ( , ,1;^,!;,^^) ani ] j, ( hiehester 



and EichricM, hi . Hum i '.lor and treasurer ; as also the 

 keeper of the privy seal, the chief justice, and the may- 

 or uf London. Stratford, Archhi-hop of Canterbury, 

 who had been entrusted w ith collecting the 

 also under hi* displeasure; but that prelate being abroad, 

 escaped the immediate effects ot'hi> resentment, lie 

 DO sooner, however, informed of the kin;-'- indignation, 

 than he resoKcd to mailitain tlie pri\ ilexes of iiis char.ic- 

 tcr. IK- U-ueil a general senlenee of excommunic ation 

 against all who >hould exercise any violence on tlie )>er- 

 sdns or the goods of clergymen, and even wrote to F.d- 

 wartl that the royal authority was subonlinate to the 

 apostolic dignity. The king sought to humble tlie pri- 

 mate, and, as a mark of disrespect and resentment, .-ent 

 him no summons to attend the next parliament. Stnit- 

 Ibrd was not discouraged, but repaired to the parlia- 

 ment-house, arrayed in his pontifical robes, and de- 

 manded admittance as the first peer of the realm. He 

 was refused for two days, but was at last allowed to take 

 his seat, and was reconciled to the king. 



Edward, impelled by his necessities, was obliged, in 

 order to procure money, to acquiesce in almost any 

 measures which his parliament might propose ; and 

 they, taking advantage of his situation, passed an aet, 

 which made considerable encroachments upon the an- 

 cient prerogatives of the crown. They required that 

 * ne great charter should be confirmed anew by the 

 king ; and that all the great officers of the state should 

 also take an oath to observe it : that no peer should be 

 punished, but by the award of his peers in parliament: 

 and that the ministers of the crown should be amenable 

 to parliament for their conduct in the discharge of their 

 public duty. Edward consented to this statute ; but 

 he had no sooner received the promised supply, than 

 he annulled it ; and, about two years after, even pre- 

 vailed upon the parliament to repeal it. 



Affairs on the continent began now to wear an aspect 

 more promising to Edward's ambitious views. The Count 

 of Mountfort had seized upon Brittany, to the exclusion 

 of his brother's daughter, who had been invested in the 

 duchy during the lifetime of her father, and hail been 

 married to Charles of Blois, nephew to the king of 

 France. Charles was powerfully supported by his un- 

 cle in the recovery of his wife's inheritance ; while 

 Mountfort strengthened his usuq>ation by an alliance 

 with the King of England. War was immediately ra- 

 the wv with newed; but, in the very outset of the contest, Mount- 

 France. f or t was taken prisoner, and conveyed to Paris. This 

 accident seemed to give a fatal blow to his pretensions. 

 His fortunes, however, were soon retrieved by the mag- 

 nanimity of his countess, who, having assembled tlie 

 inhabitants of Rennes, presented to them her infant 

 son, as the only male remaining of their ancient prin- 

 ces, and con jured them, if they had any regard to their 

 ancient liberties, to save them from the dominion of 

 France, by defending the rights of her family. They 

 unanimously declared their resolution to live and die in 

 her cause ; and their example was followed by all the 

 fortresses of Brittany. Having placed the province in 

 n proper state of defence, she shut herself up in the 

 fortress of Hennebone, where she was immediately 



the gnat 



charter. 



A. D. 13*1. 



d by Charles of Blois. IV. . she Hutorr. 



displayed the imi-t heroic tv: . jable ^"""."^ 



I'lic garrison, anim.-'lcd by her exam- 

 ple, performed pnxligics of valour; and when their 

 h was nearly exhau steel, she broke through the 

 '-i line with a small force, retired to Brest, and 

 li.reiil her way back with a reinforcement of :>lXl caval- 

 rv. All her exertions, however, \\vre unable any longer 

 -I tlie numbers of the U-.-i. :,; -rs, and .she was u]>- 

 011 the jKiiut of capitulating, when succour* from 1 

 land rc>cucd her from her perilous situation. 



After live .< <r-. o:' aim. ' warfare, in which 



neither party had gainec' , tlie llh - ' 



incmor.ible battle of ( iv-^y established the tame of 

 England, and secured to Ed ward a footing in thuking- 

 ;' E ranee. Accompanied by his principal nobi- 

 A his eldest son Edward, I'rince of \\ ak->. usual- 

 ly denominated the Black I'rince, from tne colour of 

 his armour, and then only fifteen years of age', the king of 

 nd embarked with a strong force for the relief of 

 Guienne ; but the winds proving contrary, he ordered 

 tlie fleet to steer for the coast of Normandy, and land- 

 ed his army at I^i Hogue. The French, under the July I*. 

 Count d'Eu, constable of France, attempted to oppose 

 his approach to Caen; but they fled at the fir>t on-ct, 

 and the constable was taken prisoner. The English 

 army, scattered over the country, now destroyed and 

 pillaged wherever they came without opposition, and 

 carried their ravages to the very gates of Paris. Phi. 

 lip, with 100,000 men, advanced to lumen ; but Ed- 

 ward retired before his superior numbers, and hastened 

 by rapid marches towards Flanders. The impatience 

 of Philip, however, to be revenged upon his invaders, 

 who had dared to insult him in his very capital, hur- 

 ried him forward with such precipitation, that Edward 

 was under the necessity of ha/arding an engagement, 

 or of exposing his rear to the attack.-, of a numerous ca- 

 valry. The King of England accordingly halted near 

 the village of Crt-ssy, and, having chosen an advanta- n att ] c ot - 

 geous position, disposed his army in three lines, and Cresj. 

 awaited the approach of the enemy. The first line was 

 entrusted to tlie Prince of Wales, with the Earls of 

 Warwick and Oxford under him; the Fan's of Arundel 

 and Northampton commanded tlie second ; and the 

 king took charge of the third. The French soon af- 

 UT arrived in great disorder, and overpowered with 

 fatigue. They immediately drew up in battle array. 

 The van, consisting of 13,000 Genoese cross-bowmen, 

 was led on by Anthony Doria and Charles Grimaldi ; 

 the heavy armed cavalry formed the second division, 

 and were commanded by the Count of Alencon, bro- 

 ther to the king ; and Philip himself brought up the 

 rear. The Genoese began the attack, but were soon 

 obliged to give way before the English archers; and, 

 falling back upon their cavalry, threw both lines into 

 confusion. The I'rince of Wales perceived the favour- 

 able moment, and rushed with his division to the 

 charge. lie was followed by tlie .second line; Imt the 

 French cavalry, recovering themselves, and encour 

 by the example of their leader, made such a desp. 

 resistance, that the battle was long and doubtfully con- 

 tested. The Earl of Warwick, apprehensive of tlie is- 

 sue, from the superior numbers of the enemy, sent to 

 entreat Edward to advance to the relief of the prince. 

 The king was viewing the action from an emii . 

 and asking the messenger if' his son was wounded ,r 

 slain, he was answered in the negative. " Tell my 

 son then," said he, " that I reserve the honour of tins 

 day to him. He will be able, without my assistance, 



