All that thou seis't and readest is Divine Learning thus vs'd is water turn'd to wine Well may wee then despaire to draw his minde View heere the case i' th' Booke the Jewell finde T. Câ—â—â—â— sculpsit THE LIFE AND DEATH Of the Thrice Noble and Illustrious EDVVARD Surnamed The Black Prince SON to our Victorious King EDWARD the Third By whom he was made the First Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the GARTER By SAMUEL CLARK sometime Pastor of St. Bennet Fink London LONDON Printed for William Birch at the Blew Bible at the lower-End of Cheap-side at the Corner of Bucklers-bury 1673. The Life and Death of EDVVARD Surnamed The Black Prince THIS Edward was the eldest Son of that victorious Prince King Edward the third His Mother was the fair Philippa Daughter to William Earl of Henault and Holland who was delivered of this her first born Son at Woodstock July 15. Anno Christi 1329. and in the third year of his Fathers Reign He was afterwards created Prince of Wales Duke of Aquitain and Cornwall and Earl of Chester He was also Earl of Kent in right of his Wife Joan the most admired Beauty of that Age Daughter of Edmund Earl of Kent Brother by the Fathers side to King Edward the second King Edward was very solicitous in the Education of this his Son and provided him choice Tutors to train him up both in Arts and Armes And among others Walter Burley a Doctor of Divinity brought up in Merton-Colledge in Oxford who wrote many excellent Treatises in Natural and Moral Philosophy for his great Fame in Learning had the Honour to be one of the Instructers of this hopeful Prince When he was but 15 years old his Father King Edward passing over into France with a great and gallant Army took this his Son along with him making him a Souldier before he was grown to be a Man But it seems he longed to try what Metal his Son was made of in the bud and haply he was loth to omit any thing that might give countenance and credit to this Battel wherein two Kingdoms were laid at the stake Anno Christi 1345. our King Edward was upon the Sea in a Fleet of above a Thousand Sail and landed in Normandy His Land-Forces were about two Thousand five Hundred Horse and his Foot thirty Thousand most of them Archers Making pittifull havock in Normandy he marched up almost to the very Walls of Paris Philip the French King had not slept all this while but had raised and brought together one of the bravest Armies that ever France had seen consisting of about a Hundred or sixscore Thousand fighting men King Edward loaden and rich with Spoils seemed not unwilling to retreat But they were now in the heart of their Enemies Country between the two good Rivers of Sein and Some And it was judged meet by our King to seek a passage out of these straits and this Enquiry was interpreted by the enemy to be a kind of flight and King Edward was willing to nourish this conceit in them The River of Some between Abeville and the Sea was at low-water fordable and Gravelly ground whereof our King was informed by a French Prisoner whom they had taken But the French King well acquainted with his own Country had set a Guard upon that Pass of a Thousand Horse and above six Thousand Foot under the Conduct of one Gundamar du Foy a Norman Lord of special note King Edward coming to this place plunges into the Ford crying out He that loves me let him follow me as resolving either to pass or die These words and such a President so inflamed his Army that the passage was won and du Foy defeated almost before he was fought with the incomparable courage and resolution of the English appaling him and carried back to King Philip sewer by two Thousand then he carried with him besides the terror which his retreat brought along with it And if the English were before unappaled now much more they resolved to live and die with such a Sovereign Now was King Edward neer unto Crescie in the County of Ponthieu lying between the Rivers of Some and Anthy a place which unquestionably belonged to him in the right of his Mother where he was carefull to provide the best he could for his safety and defence King Philip being enraged for the late defeat precipitates to the Battle wherein the Great and Just God intended to scourge the Pride and sins of France being the rather induced thereto by his confidence in his numerous and gallant Army who were ready to tread upon one anothers heels till the view of the English Colours and Battel put them to a stand King Edward having called upon God for his gracious Aid and Assistance full of Heroick Assuredness without the least perturbation divided his Army into three Battalia's The first was disposed into the forme of an Hearse where the Archers stood in the Front and the Men of Arms stood in the bottom And this was led by the Young Lion of Wales our brave Prince Edward to whose Assistance the King joyned some of his Prime and most experienced Captains as Beauchamp Earle of Warwick Godfrey of Harecourt the Lords Thomas Holland Richard Stafford John Chandois Robert Nevil La'ware Bourchier Clifford Cobham c. And many other Knights and Gentlemen to the number of eight hundred men at Arms two thousand Archers and a thousand Welch-men In the second were the Earles of Northampton and Arundel the Lords Rosse Willoughby Basset St. Albine c. with eight hundred Men at Armes and twelve hundred Archers In the third was the King himself having about him seven hundred Men at Armes and three thousand Archers with the residue of his Nobles and People The battel thus ordered our King mounted upon a white Hobby rode from rank to rank to view them and with quickning words encouraged them that bravely they should stand to and fight for his Right and Honour And he closed the battels at their backs as if he meant to barricado up their way from flying which he did by plashing and felling of Trees and placing his Carriages there and all his other Impediments He commanded all men also to dismount and to leave their horses behind them and thus all ways and means of flight being taken away the Necessity doubtless did double their Courages The French King Philip had with him Iohn of Luxenbourg King of Bohemia the King of Majorca the Duke of Alanson his Brother Charles de Bloys the Kings Nephew Ralph Duke of Lorrain the Duke of Savoy the Earles of Flanders Nevers Sancerre with many other Dukes Earles Barons and Gentlemen bearing Arms and those not only French but Almains Dutch and others And just the Night before the Battel there came to the French Army Anne of Savoy with a thousand men at Arms so that all things seemed to elate the Pride of the French and to fit them for destruction The
his souldiers in exercise having first sent to his Father and gotten his leave marched with a gallant Army of thirty thousand men burning with desire of Renown upon confidence of good pay for his men and other Commodities when Peter should be reestablished upon his Throne He made his way through the famous straits of Rouncevallux in Navarre by permission of the King thereof who yet suffered himself to be taken prisoner and carried into Castile that he might not seem to cross the Freneh Kings designes who favoured Henry the Usurper Our Prince had in his Company besides most of all the principal Captains of the English two Kings Peter of Castile whos 's the quarrel was and the King of Majorca As also John Duke of Lancaster who somewhile after Don Pedro his death having married his eldest daughter wrote himself King of Castile and Leon. On the other side King Henry for the defence of his new Kingdom had amassed together a very great Army consisting partly of French under Glequin their famous Captains and of Castilians and others both Christians and Saracens to the number of about an hundred thousand And upon the Borders of Castile it came to a bloody battel wherein the valiant Prince of Wales obtained a very great victory having slain many thousands of his enemies Henry himself fighting valiantly was wounded in the Groin but yet escaped There were taken Prisoners the Earle of Dene Bertram de Glequin who yet shortly after by paying a great Ransom was set at liberty The Marshal Dandrehen and many others Neither was this Victory less worth to Peter then a Kingdom For our most Noble Prince left him not till at Burgos he had set him upon his Throne again But this unworthy Kings falshood and ingratitude were odious and monstrous For the Prince notwithstanding his so great goodness extended to him was enforced to return to Burdeaux without money wherewith to pay his Army which was the cause of exceeding great mischiefs to himself and the English Dominions beyond the Seas as if God had been displeased with his succouring such a Tyrant The Prince himself though he came back with Victory yet he brought back with him such a craziness and indisposition of Body that he was never throughly well after And no marvel considering the Country the season and the action it self and it may be more marvelled that his Souldiers came home so well then that he came home so ill Being now returned there was presently to his indispositon of Body added discontentment of mind For not having money wherewith to pay his Soldiers he was forced to wink at that which he could not choose but see and seeing to grieve at For they preyed upon the Country for which the Countrey murmured against him And now to stop this murmuring his Chancellor the Bishop of Rhodes devised a new Imposition of levying a Frank for every Chimney and this to continue for five years to pay the Princes debts But this Imposition though granted in Parliament made the murmuring to be encreased For though some part of his Dominions as the Poictorians the Xantoigns and the Limosins in a sort consented to it yet the Count of Armigniac the Count of Cominges the Vicount of Carmain and divers others so much distasted it that they complained thereof to the King of France as unto their Supreme Lord Pretending that the Prince was to answer before King Charles as before his Superior Lord of whom they said he held by homage and fealty whereas King Edward and his Heirs by the Treaty at Bretagny were absolutely freed from all manner of Service for any of their Dominions in France King Charles did openly entertain this Complaint and hoping to regain by surprize and policy what the English had won by dint of sword and true Manhood he proceeded to summon the Prince of Wales to Paris there to answer to such Complaints as his subjects made against him Our stout Prince returned for Answer That if he must needs appear he would bring threescore thousand men in Arms to appear with him And now began the Peace between England and France to be unsetled and wavering For while our King Edward rejoyced in the excellent Vertues and Actions of his Sons and people Charles the French King warned by so many calamities as his Dominions had sustained by the English in fair War and withal earnestly coveting to recover the Honour of his Nation betook himself wholly to secret practices and designs Never adventuring his own Person in the Field but executing all by his Deputies and Lieutenants especially by the valour and service of Bertram de Glequin Constable of France who from a low estate was raised to this height for his prudent and magnanimous Conduct in War And our truly Noble King without suspicion of craft reposing himself upon the Rules of Vertue and Magnanimity did not reap the stable effects of so great and important victories nor of the Peace so Ceremoniously made that in the Worlds opinion it could not be broken without the manifest violation upon one side of all Bonds both divine and humane The Prince of Wales by Letters advised his Father not to trust to any fair words or overtures of further Amity made by the French because as he said they entertained Practices underhand in every place against him But his counsel was not hearkned to because he was judged to write thus out of a restless humour delighting in War though the event shewed that his words were true For now King Charles having by quick paiments and by one means or other gotten home all the Hostages which had bin impledged for performance of the Articles of Peace set all his wits on work to abuse the King of Englands credulity He courted him with loving Letters and Presents while in the mean time his Plots were ripened abroad and he surprized the County of Ponthieu our Kings undeniabe inheritance before King Edward heard thereof King Edward hereupon calls a Parliament declares the breach craves aid and hath it granted And then againe claims the Crown of France and sent over his Son Iohn Duke of Lancaster and Humfry de Bohun Earle of Hereford with a great Army to Calice to invade France Among the States and Towns made over to the English at the Treaty of Bretigni which had revolted to the French was the City of Limosin Thither did the Prince march and sat down with his Army before it And not long after came unto him out of England his two Brethren the Duke of Lancaster and the Earle of Cambridg with a fresh supply of Valiant Captains and Souldiers The City stood it out to the uttermost and was at last taken by storm where no mercy was shewed by the inraged Soldiers but the Sword and Fire laid all desolate After this Service the Princes health failing him more and more he left his Brethren in Aquitain to prosecute the Warrs and himself taking Ship came over to his Father in England his eldest Son Edward being dead a little before at Burdeaux and brought over with him his Wife and his other Son Richard The Prince having left France his Dominions were either taken away or fell away faster then they were gotten Gueschlin entred Poictou took Montmorillon Chauvigny Lussack and Moncontour Soon after followed the Country of Aulnis of Xantoyn and the rest of Poictou Then St. Maxent Neel Aulnay Then Benaon Marant Surgers Fontency and at last they came to Thouras where the most part of the Lords of Poictou that held with the Prince were assembled At this time the King Prince Edward the Duke of Lancaster and all the Great Lords of England set forward for their relief But being driven back by a Tempest and succour not coming Thouras was yeilded up upon composition In fine all Poictou was lost and then Aquitain all but only Burdeaux and Bayon And not long after Prince Edward died and with him the Fortune of England He was a Prince so full of Virtues as were scarce matchable by others He died at Canterbury upon Trinity Sunday June the eighth in the forty sixth year of his Age and the forty ninth of his Fathers Raign and was buried in Christs-Church there Anno Christi 1376. Among all the Gallant men of that Age this our Prince was so worthily the first that Longe erit a Primo quisque secundus erit He had a sumptuous Monument erected for him upon which this Epitaph was engraven in Brass in French thus Englished Here lyeth the Noble Prince Monsieur Edward the Eldest Son of the thrice Noble King Edward the third in former time Prince of Aquitain and of Wales Duke of Cornwal and Earle of Chester who died on the Feast of the Trinity which was the eighth of June in the year of grace 1376. To the Soul of whom God grant mercy Amen After which were added these verses in French thus Translated according to the homely Poetry of those times Who so thou art that passest by Where these Corps entombed lye Understand what I shall say As at this time speak I may Such as thou art somtime was I Such as I am such shalt thou be I little thought on th' hour of Death So long as I enjoyed Breath Great Riches here I did possess Whereof I made great Nobleness I had Gold Silver Wardrobes and Great Treasures Horses Houses Land But now a Caitife Poor am I Deep in the Ground lo here I lye My beauty great is all quite gon My Flesh is wasted to the Bone My House is narrow now and throng Nothing but Truth comes from my Tongue And if you should see me this Day I do not think but yet would say That I had never bin a Man So much altered now I am For Gods sake pray to th' Heavenly King That he my Soul to Heaven would bring All they that Pray and make accord For me unto my God and Lord God place them in his Paradise Wherein no wretched Caitiff lyes The Death of this Prince saith Daniel in his History of England was a heavy loss to the State being a Prince of whom we never heard no ill never received any other note but of goodness and the Noblest performance that Magnanimity and Wisdom could ever shew insomuch as what Praise could be given to Virtue is due to him FINIS * See the ignorance and superstition of those times and bless God for our clearer light
and near being troden to Death had not the Lord Iohn of Henault Earle of Beaumont rescued and remounted him The French also about him out of a loyal desire of his preservation almost against his will conveyed him out of the Field who rather seemed desirous to end his dayes in so Noble company The King being departed out of the Field and the matter being divulged in both the Armies it soon put a period to this bloody medly wherin as yet none were taken to mercy but all were put to the Sword The French King himself with a small Company got to Bray in the night and approaching the walls and the Guard asking who was there He answered The Fortune of France By his Voice he was known and thereupon received into the Town with the Tears and Lamentations of his People The rest of his Army sought to save themselves by flight whom the English warily fighting upon the defensive and loth to hazard so glorious a Victory by breaking their rancks to pursue the enemy too far in the night which was now come on suffered them to be followed only by their own feares contenting themselves to make good their ground by standing still upon their Guard according to the Rules of true Martial Discipline knowing that there were so many of the Enemy escaped as might yet serve to overwhelm their weary Army with their multitude Our King Edward seeing the Coast for the present cleared of all his Enemies came down from the Hill with his intire Battel towards his Victorious Son and most affectionatly embracing and kissing him said Fair Son God send you good perseverance to such prosperous beginnings You have acquitted your self right Nobly and are well worthy to have a Kingdom intrusted with your Government for your Valor To which the most noble and Magnanimous of Princes replyed with silence most humbly falling on his Knees at the feet of his triumphant Father As for other things concerning this famous Victory I refer my Reader to my Narrative of it in the Life and Death of King Edward the third contenting my self here only to describe it so far forth as our Noble Prince was therein a prime Actor and without which I could not have given a just Account of his life Immediately after this Victory our King marched with his Army through France and sat down before Calice But as the splendor of the Sun darkens the stars so did the Presence of the Father obscure the Actions and Vertues of the Son that I read no more of him till the year 1355. At which time our King was informed that John the now King of France his father Philip being dead had given the Dutchy of Aquitain to Charles the Dolphin whereupon King Edward being much incensed conferred the same upon his own Son the Prince of Wales commanding him to defend his right therein with the Sword against his Adversaries He was also appointed by Parliament to go into Gascoin with a thousand Men at Arms two thousand Archers and a great number of Welch-men who accompanied their Prince And in Iune following he set forward with three hundred Sail of ships attended with the Earls of Warwick Suffolk Salisbury and Oxford and the Lords Chandois Audley Beufort Lile with Sir Robert Knowls Sir Francis Hall with many others With these arriving in Aquitain he betook himself to do things worthy of his Name and courage He did wonders in France For with his Victorious Army he recovered multitudes of Towns and Prisoners He entred Guienne passed over Languedoc to Tholouse Narbone Bruges without any encounter sacks spoiles and destroyes where he goes and loaden with Booties returns to Burdeaux In the mean time the French King gathered all the Power he possibly could and the Prince the Winter being spent sets forth upon a new Expedition He had in his Army about eight Thousand brave expert and well Disciplined Souldiers and with them he advanced through Perigort and Limosin into the bosom of France even up to the very Gates of Bruges in Bery the terrour of his Name flying before to his great advantage Thus satisfied for the present he wheeled about with purpose to return by Remorantine in Blasois which Town he took and so through the Country of Tourain Poictou and Xantoyn to his chief City of Burdeaux But Iohn King of France having assembled a great and compleat Army followed close and about the City of Poictiers overtook our invincible Prince Where the Armies with the odds of six to one against the English drew near each other two Cardinals sent from Pope Clement mediated as they had done before to take up the quarrel But the French King supposing that he had his enemy now at his mercy would accept of no other conditions but that the Prince should deliver him four Hostages and as vanquished render up himself and his Army to his discretion The Prince was content to restore unto him all the places which he had taken from him but without prejudice to his Honour wherein he said he stood accountable to his Father and his Country But the French King would abate nothing of his former demands as being assured of the Victory as he supposed and thereupon was ready instantly to set upon the Prince who seeing himself reduced to this strait took wha advantage he could of the ground and by his diligence got the benefit of certain Vines Shrubs and bushes upon that part where he was like to be assaulted whereby to pester and intangle the French Horse which he saw was ready to come furiously upon him The success answered his expectation For the Cavalry of his enemie in their full carrier were so intangled and incumbred among the Vines that the Princes Archers galled and annoyed them at their pleasure For the French King to give the honour of the Day to his Cavalry made use of them only without the help of his Infantry Hence it was that they being disordered and put to rout his whole Army came to be utterly defeated Here if ever the Prince and his English gave full proof of their Valour and undaunted courage never giveing over till they had wholly routed all the three French Battels the least of which exceeded all the Princes numbers The King himself fighting Valiantly and Philip his youngest Son who by such his boldness and zeal defended his distressed Father as it purchased unto him the Honourable Surname of Hardy were taken Prisoners Those of the Princes side whose Valour and great deeds was most conspicuous were the Earles of Warwick Suffolk Salisbury Oxford and Stafford The Lords Chandois Cobham Spencer Audley Berkley Basset c. and of Gascoin Subjects to the Crown of England The Capital de Beuf The Lords Lumier Chaumont with others of inferior Title but not of unequal Valour Among others Iames Lord Audley wan immortal Renown at this bloody Battel in which he received many Wounds and was rewarded by the Noble Prince with a Gift of five Hundred Marks Land
with the day was done And all return'd In his Pavilion Brave Edward feasts his Royal Prisoner At which as Noble did the Prince appear As erst in battel and by sweetness won As great a Conquest as his Sword had don No fair respect or Honour that might cheer That Kings afflicted breast was wanting there No Reverence nor humble courtesie That might preserve his state and dignity But Edward shew'd at full And at the Feast In Person waited on his captive Guest But what content what Object fit could Fate Present to comfort such a changed State For him Whose State the Morning Sun had seen so high This night beholds in sad captivity His restless passions rowling to and fro No calm admit when thus his noble Fo Prince Edward spake Great King for such you are In my thoughts still whate're the Chance of War Hath lately wrought against you here forgive Your humble Kinsmans service if I strive To ease your sorrow and presume to do What is too much for me to counsel you Do not deject your Princely thoughts or think The Mnrtial Fame that you have gain'd can sink In one succesless Field Or too much fear Your Nations Honour should be tainted here Mens strength and Honours we most truly try Where Fields are fought with most equality But God was pleas'd to make this days success The more miraculous that we the less Might challenge to our selves and humbly know That in so great and strnge an overthrow Some secret Judgment of our God was wrought And that the Sword of Heaven not England fought c. And for your self Great King all History That shall hereafter to the VVorld make known Th' event of Poictiers Battel shall renown Your Personal Prowesse which appear'd so high As justly seem'd to challenge Victory Had not Gods secret Providence oppos'd But though his Will Great Sir hath thus dispos'd Your State remains your Person and your Fame Shall in my humble thoughts be still the same And till my Father see your Face to show How he respects your Worth and State to you As to himself were he in Person here In all observance Edward shall appear The Noble King a while amaz'd to see Victorious Youth so full of Courtesie At last replies Brave Cousin you have shown Your Self a Man built up for true Renown And as in Action of the Wars to be This Ages Phaenix in Humanity Why do you wrong me thus as to enthrall Me doubly Not insulting o're my Fall You rob me Cousin of that sole Renown Which I though vanquish'd might have made mine own To bear Adversity I might have shew'd Had you been proud a Passive Fortitude And let the world though I am fallen see What spirit I had in scorning misery But you have rob'd me of that Honour now And I am bound in Honour to allow That Noble Theft content since such are you To be your Captive and your Debtor too And since my Stars ordein'd a King of France Arm'd with such odds so great a Puissance Must in a fatal Field be lost to raise So great a Trophie to anothers Praise I am best pleas'd it should advance thy Story And Johns dishonour be Prince Edwards Glory After the Battel which was fought on the 19. day of September Anno Christi 1357. Prince Edward led King Iohn and the Captive Nobles Prisoners to Bourdeaux the Archiepiscopal See and chief City of his Dominions in France where he retained them till the Spring following But sent present News of this Victory to his Father who thereupon took speedy Order by Simon Arch-bishop of Canterbury that a Thanksgiving should be celebrated all over England for eight days together The Prince having sufficiently rested and refreshed his people the May following set sail for England with his Prisoners and safely arrived at Plimouth and was with great joy and acclamations received everie where At his coming to London where at that time a magnificent Citizen Henry Picard he who afterwards at one time so Nobly Feasted the four Kings of England France Scotland and Cyprus was Lord Major who received him with all imaginable Honour And the multitude of People that came to see the Victorious Prince with the King of France his Son Philip and the other Prisoners was so great that they could hardly get to Westminster between three a Clock in the Morning and twelve at Noon Great Edward saving that he forgat not the Majestie of a Conquerour and of a King of England omitted no kind of Noble courtesy towards the Prisoners King Iohn and his Son were lodged under a safe Guard at the Savoy which was then a goodly Palace belonging unto Henry Duke of Lancaster and the other Prisoners in other places Some time after Prince Edward by dispensation was maried to the Countess of Kent Daughter to Edmund Brother to King Edward the second and his Father invested him with the Dutchy of Aquitain So that he was now Prince of Wales Duke of Aquitain Duke of Cornwal and Earle of Chester and Kent And not long after he with his Beloved Wife passed over into France and kept his Court at Bourdeaux The Prince of Wales was now grown famous over all the Christian world and the man to whom all wronged Princes seemed to Appeal and to fly for succour For which end there came at this time to his Court Iames King of Majorca and Richard King of Navarr just when his beloved Lady brought him a Son for whom these two Kings undertook at his Baptisme giving him the Name of Richard The Companies of Soldiers most of whose Captaines were English either by Birth or Obedience wanting employment because the Warrs of Britain were quieted for the Present ranged tumultuously up and down France But about this time Sir Bertram de Glequin having paid his Ransom found employment for them drawing the greatest part of that Millitary Pestilence into another Coast. For by the assistance of Peter King of Arragon and the Power of Glequin with his floting Bands called The Companions or Adventurers Peter King of Castile and Leon a cruel Tyrant was driven out of his Kingdome his Bastard Brother Henry being chosen in his room and Crowned King of Spain at Burgos This Peter was Son to Alphonsus the eleventh King of Castile and had to Wife a French Lady called Blanch Daughter to Peter Duke of Bourbon who was Father also of Ioan the French Kings Wife His Tyrannical cruelties were so many and so foul that the Spanish Stories scarce suffer Nero or Caligula to go beyond him For which by his Subjects he was deposed and his Brother Henry as is said before was substituted and Crowned in his room Peter thus driven out of his Kingdome by the aid of the French applyed himself to Prince Edward craving his assistance for his restitution making many and large Promises to him upon the accomplishment thereof And the Prince partly out of Charity to succour a distressed Prince and partly out of policy to keep