inquire often of them, and of those of thy household, how they conduct themselves, and if there be found in them any vice of inordinate covetousness, or falsehood, or trickery. Labor to free thy land from all iniquity, and especially strike down with all thy power evil swearing and heresy. See to it that the expense of thy household be reasonable.

"Finally, my very dear son, cause masses to be sung for my soul, and prayers to be said throughout thy realm; and give to me a special share and full part in all the good thou doest. Fair dear son, I give thee all the blessings that a good father can give to his son."...

CHAPTER XV

EPISODES OF THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR1

JEAN FROISSART (about 1338-1410), the third of the great French chroniclers of the Middle Ages, chose for his theme the history of the fourteenth century in western Europe. In Froissart's time the feudal age was drawing to an end, and with the decline of feudalism went the decay of knighthood and chivalry. Froissart was steeped in the spirit of chivalry. He loved nothing better than a tale of the old heroic days, and he spent a large part of his life traveling through the different countries of Europe, in order to collect the materials for his Chronicles. He himself declares that he had searched the greater part of Christendom, "and whereever I came, I made inquiry after those ancient knights and squires who had been present at feats of arms, and who were well qualified to describe them. I sought also for heralds of good repute to verify what I heard elsewhere of these matters. In this manner have I gathered the facts in this noble history. . . . As long as through God's grace I shall live, I shall continue it, for the more I work at it, the greater pleasure I receive." Froissart's Chronicles is a very large book, written quite uncritically and in a rambling, disconnected fashion. The author always tells an interesting story; but he is not a real historian. The pages of Froissart breathe,

1 Froissart's Chronicles of England, France, Spain, and the Adjoining Countries, translated by Thomas Johnes, London, 1849.

nevertheless, the spirit of the times to which they belong, and the judgment of many generations of readers has been unanimous in according to him a high place among the eminent writers, not only of France, but of the world. Some of the best-known chapters in the Chronicles are those dealing with the early campaigns of the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

The Hundred Years' War began in 1337, when Edward III of England declared himself to be the lawful ruler of France and prepared to support his pretensions by force of arms. The first nine years of the contest were uneventful, but in 1346 Edward landed in France with about 20,000 troops, more than half of them being archers. Near the village of Crécy he encountered Philip VI, the French king. Philip's army, probably about 60,000 strong, included a large body of Genoese crossbowmen and the flower of French knighthood.

The English, who were drawn up in three divisions and seated on the ground, on seeing their enemies advance, rose up undauntedly and fell into their ranks. That of the Prince of Wales 2 was the first to do so, whose archers were formed in the manner of a portcullis, or harrow, with the men-at-arms in the rear. The earls of Northampton and Arundel, who commanded the second division, had posted themselves in good order on his wing, to assist and succor the prince if necessary.

You must know that these kings, earls, barons, and lords of France did not advance in any regular order, but one after the other, or any way most pleasing to themselves. As soon as the king of France came in sight of the English, his blood began to boil, and he cried out to his marshals, "Order the Genoese forward, and begin the battle, in the name of God and St.

1 Froissart, Chroniques, bk. i, pt. i, chs. 287-288, 290, 292, 294.

2 The Black Prince, as he was afterwards called, was at this time a lad of sixteen.

Denis." "" 1 There were about fifteen thousand Genoese crossbowmen; but they were quite fatigued, having marched on foot that day six leagues, completely armed, and with their crossbows. They told the marshals that they were not in a fit condition to do any great things that day in battle. The earl of Alençon, hearing this, said, "This is what one gets by employing such scoundrels, who fall off when there is any need for them." During this time a heavy rain fell, accompanied by thunder and a very terrible eclipse of the sun; and before this rain a great flight of crows hovered in the air over all those battalions, making a loud noise. Shortly afterwards it cleared up, and the sun shone very bright; but the Frenchmen had it in their faces, and the English in their backs.

When the Genoese were somewhat in order and approached the English, they set up a loud shout, in order to frighten them; but the latter remained quite still and did not seem to attend to it. They then set up a second shout and advanced a little forward; but the English never moved. They hooted a third time, advancing with their crossbows presented, and began to shoot. The English archers then advanced one step forward, and shot their arrows with such force and quickness that it seemed as if it snowed. When the Genoese felt these arrows, which pierced their arms and heads and through their armor, some of them cut the strings of their crossbows, others flung them on the ground, and all turned about and retreated, quite discomfited. The French had a large body of men-at-arms on horseback, to support the Genoese. The king of France, seeing them thus fall back, cried out, "Kill me those scoundrels; for they stop up our road, without any reason." You would then have seen the men-at-arms lay about them, killing all they could of these runaways.

The English continued shooting as vigorously and quickly as before. Some of their arrows fell among the horsemen, who were sumptuously equipped, and, killing and wounding many, made them caper and fall among the Genoese, so that

1 The patron saint of France.

The lant ang i Banema vas san there... Having deart the trier i te ane te moure where his son was; is was insvert mar de know, but believed de vas imane The ang sut to them. “Gentlemen, you are il my people. my ets ni brems this day; therefore, is I in pind. I tempest you to lead me so far into the mmmment that I may ske mese with my sword.” The kis led the they vad fady lead him forwiri: and a rrier that they met out lose him in the crowd, they fastened the reins of ther horses together, and put the king at their head and advanced toward the enemy. ... The king rode in among the enemy and made good use of his sword: for he and his companions fought most gallantly. They advanced so far that they were a sin; and on the morrow they were found on the ground, with their horses all tied together.

Early in the day some French. Germans, and Savoyards had broken through the archers of the prince's battalion and had engaged with the men-at-arms: upon which the second battalion came to his aid. and it was time, for otherwise he would have been hard pressed. The first division, seeing the danger they were in, sent a knight in great haste to the king of England, who was posted upon an eminence near a windmill. On the knight's arrival, he said. "Sir, the earl of Warwick, Lord Stafford, Lord Reginald Cobham, and the others who are about your son, are vigorously attacked by the French; and they beg you to come to their assistance with your battalion, 1 The French knights, if taken prisoners, would have brought large ransoms.