ENGLAND. 
lie inverted on the eighth of that month ; and, being well 
acquainted with its importance, herefolved to make him¬ 
felf mader of it at all events ; but foon found that it could 
not be taken by force, without the dedriuftion of great 
multitudes of his men. He therefore turned the liege 
into a blockade ; 'and, having made fixong entrenchments 
to fecure his army from the enemv, huts to protect them 
from the inclemency of the weather, and fhitioned a fleet 
before the harbour to prevent the introduction of pro- 
vilions, he refolved to wait with patience till the place 
fell into his hands by famine. The befleged, difeovering 
bis intention, turned feventeen hundred women, children, 
and old people, out of the town to fave their provifions; 
and Edward had the confummate humanity, after enter¬ 
taining them with a dinner, and giving them two-pence 
a-piece, to fuffer them to pafs his lines. While Edward 
lay before Calais, his troops in Brittany, commanded by 
fir Thomas Dagworth, defeated Charles de Blois, June 
20, and took him, with two of his fons, and many othpr 
noblemen, prifoners. 
Philip beheld the progrefs of the fiege of Calais with 
unlpeakable anxiety, and, determining to make one great 
effort to fave it, he fummoned all his allies and vaffhls to 
rendezvous at Amiens, in Whitfun-week. By this means 
he raifed an army of 150,000 men, with which he ap¬ 
proached the Englidi entrenchments, July 27. But, find¬ 
ing tbefe impregnable, and every avenue to the town 
effeftua'lly guarded, after fending Edward fome abfurd 
challenges to come out and fight him, he decamped, 
Auguft 2, inarched back to Amiens, and difbanded his 
army. 
The g3rrifon and inhabitants of Calais had by this 
time confumed all their provifions, and eaten all the 
horfes, dogs, cats, and vermin, in the place,'and were 
enduring the 1110ft cruel extremities of famine, in hopes 
of relief. But, when they beheld the retreat of the 
French army, thefe hopes entirely vanilheu; and the next 
day the governor, JoIiYi de Vienne, appeared upon the 
walls, and offered to capitulate. Edward, greatly in- 
cenfed at their obftinate reliftance, which had detained 
him eleven months under their walls, at an immenfe ex¬ 
pence both of men and money, fent fir Walter Manny to 
acquaint the governor, that he would grant them no 
terms; but that they muff furrender at diferetion. At 
length, however, on the fpirited remonflrances of the go¬ 
vernor, and the perfuafions of fir Walter Manny, Edward 
confented to grant their- lives to all the garrifon and in¬ 
habitants, except fix of the principal burgedes, who 
fhould deliver to him the keys of the city, with ropes 
about their necks. When thefe terms were made known 
to the people of Calais, they were plunged into the deep¬ 
ed diftrefs; and, after all the miferies they had furfered, 
they could not think without horror of giving- up fix of 
their fellow-citizens to certain deatii. In this extremity, 
when the whole people were drowned in tears, and at a 
lofs what to do, Euftace de Pierre, one of the riched 
merchants in the place, depped forth, and voluntarily 
offered himfelf to be' one of thefe fix devoted victims. 
His noble example was foon imitated by the other five 7 of 
the mod wealthy citizens. Thefe true patriots, bare¬ 
footed and bareheaded, with ropes about their necks, 
were attended to the gates by the whole inhabitants, with 
tears, bledings, and prayers, for their fafety. When they 
came into Edward’s prefence, they laid the keys of the 
city at his feet, and, falling on their knees, implored his 
mercy in fuch moving drains, that all the noble fpefta- 
tors melted into tears. The king’s refentment was fo 
ftrong for the many toils and lodes he had fuffered in this 
tedious dege, that he was in fome danger of forgetting 
his wonted humanity; when the queen, falling upon her 
knees before him, earnedly begged, and obtained, their 
lives. This great and good princefs conducted the vir¬ 
tuous citizens, whofe lives die had favec|, to her own 
apartment, entertained them honourably, and difmiffed 
them with prefents. 
Edward took poffedion of Calais Auguft 4, 1347 ; and, 
50 <> 
in order to fecure a conqued of fo great importance, and 
which had cod him fo dear, lie found it ncceffary to turn 
out all the ancient inhabitants, who had difeovered fo 
drong an attachment to their native prince, and to peo¬ 
ple it with Englilh. He alfo made it the daple for wool, 
leather, tin, and lead, which were the principal Englidt 
commodities for which there was any confiderable de¬ 
mand upon the continent. All the Englilh were obliged 
to bring their goods thither; and foreign merchants came 
to the fame place to purchafe them. By thefe means 
Calais foon became populous, rich, and flourifhing; and, 
although it had nearly been taken fome time after by trea¬ 
chery, it continued for above two centuries in the polfef- 
don of the Englidi, and braved all the military power of. 
France. 
The treachery, which had like to have redored it to 
the French, arofe from the perddy of Aymer de Pavia, 
an Italian, who had been appointed governor of the place. 
He agreed to deliver it up to the enemy ; but his perfidy 
was difeovered by Edward, who obliged him to carry on 
the treaty, and to perfuade the enemy that he was dill in 
their intereds. Accordingly a day was appointed for the 
admillion of the French troops, while the king, with a 
drong body of forces, were prepared for their reception. 
All thofe who entered the city were immediately cut to 
pieces ; and the garrifon, with Edward and fir Wal¬ 
ter Manny at their head, ruffling out in purfuit of the 
red; a derce and bloody conflict enlued, in which king 
Edward overthrew and took Eudace de Ribaumom, a 
knight of remarkable drength and valour. 
In this manner the war between the Englidi and French 
was carried on with mutual acrimony, until a truce 
was brought about through the mediation of the pope. 
But this was in a (hort time didolved by the death of 
Philip, who was fucceeded by his elded fon John, A. D. 
1350, when his dominions were rent with domedic feuds 
and violent animofities. Edward, well pleated, with the 
factions that thus prevailed in France, was refolved to 
leiz.e the favourable opportunity of increadng its dif- 
treffes. Accordingly the Black Prince was fent into 
France with his army, on-board a fleet of a hundred fail; 
and, landing in Gafcony, carried bis victorious troops in¬ 
to the heart of the country. On the other hand, Edward 
himfelf made an irruption on the fide of Calais, and ra¬ 
vaged all the open country. In the mean time John, 
who was as yet unprepared to oppofe the progrefs of 
the Englidi, continued a quiet fpediator of their victories; 
nor was it till the fucceeding fummer’s campaign, A. D. 
1355, that he refolved to attack the Black Prince, whofe 
army then confided of about twelve thoufand men. With 
fuch a trifling force had this young warrior ventured to 
penetrate into the very heart of France, with adefign of 
joining his troops to thofe of theduke of Lancader. But he 
foon found that his fcheme was impracticable ; the coun¬ 
try before him was too well guarded to fuffer him to ad¬ 
vance farther ; and all the bridges in his rear were broken 
down, which effectually cut off his retreat. In this em- 
barrading dtuation his perplexity was increafed, by being 
informed that the king of France was aCtuully marching 
at the head of fixty thoufand men to intercept him. He 
at fird thought of retreating ; but feeing it impodible, 
he determined calmly to wait the approach of the enemy; 
and, notwithdanding the difparity of numbers, to commit 
all to the hazard of a battle. Both armies came in fight 
of each other at a place called Maupertuis, near PoiCtiers. 
The French king might here have eadly darved the Eng- 
lilh into any terms; but fuch was the impatience of the 
French nobility, and fuch their confidence of victory, that 
it might have produced civil difcord had they not been 
buffered to engage. In the mean time, while both armies 
were drawn out, and expecting the fignal to begin, they 
were dopped by the appearance of the cardinal-de Tala- 
rande, of Perigord, who attempted to be a mediator be¬ 
tween them. However John, the French king, would 
liden to no other terms than the reditutjon of Calais ; 
with which the Black Prince refudng to comply, the on- 
