EDWARD 'THE BLACK PRINCE. " EDWARD, Prince of Wales," fays Montagne, "that English Prince who governed Guienne for "fo long a time, a perfonage whofe condition and "whofe fortune had always fome distinguished points of grandeur, had been very much offended "by the inhabitants of the city of Limoges; and, "taking the town by ftorm, could not be wrought "upon by the cries of the people, of the women, and " of the children, who were given up to slaughter, imploring his mercy, and throwing themselves " at his feet, till proceeding farther in the town, " he perceived three French Gentlemen, who with "an incredible degree of courage were alone fuf taining the fhock of his victorious army. His "confideration and refpect of such distinguished "valour, immediately blunted the edge of his re fentment, and he began, by granting the lives of "those three perfons, to fpare the lives of all that "were in the town." Froiffart has preferved the names of these three brave men: "They were," fays he, They were," fays he, " Meffieurs Jehan de Villemur, Hugues de la Roche, and Roger de Beaufort, fon of the Count de Beaufort, "Captains of the town. When they faw," adds the Chronicler," the mifery and the destruction "that was preffing upon themfelves and their people, people, they said, We fhall be all dead men, if we do not defend ourselves: let us then fell "our lives dearly, as true Chevaliers ought to do: " and these three French Gentlemen did many "feats at arms. When the Prince in his car came "to the fpot where they were, he observed them "with great pleasure, and became softened and appeafed by their extraordinary acts of valour. "The three Gentlemen, after having fought thus "valiantly, fixing their eyes upon their fwords, "faid with one voice to the Prince and the Duke "of Lancaster, My Lords, we are yours; you "have conquered us, difpofe of us according to "the law of arms."-" By Heaven," replied the "Duke of Lancaster, "we have no other intention, "Meffire Jehan, and we take you as our prifoners." "And fo," adds Froiffart, "thefe noble Che"valiers were taken, as I have been informed.” "Livre 1. c. 289. "The most common method," fays Montagne, "to foften the hearts of those whom we have of fended, is, when they have the power to revenge "themselves in their hands, by feeing us at their "mercy, to move them by our fubmiffion to pity " and commiferation. Sometimes, however, I bravery, conftancy, and refolution, though directly contrary methods, have produced the "fame effect." "morals and the rites of the Church of Rome. "The Monks, particularly thofe of the Mendi" cant Order, feem to be the great objects of his "fatire. He charges, in one of his Tracts, the "Freres, that is, the Fryars, with holding fifty ་་ herefies, and many more, if men would feek "them well out. He oppofed very much the giving tithes, unless to those who officiated at "the Altar. He attacked the Pope's fupremacy, " and the doctrine of transubstantiation. In his "MS. Treatife, " Why Poor Priests have no "Benefices,' he fays, And if Lords fhallen pre"fent Clerks to Benefices, they wolen have com"monly gold in great quantity; and holden their "curates in their worldly office, and fuffren the "wolves of Hell to ftrangle men's fouls; fo that "they have much gold, and their office don for nought, and their chapels holden up for vainglory " and hypocrify; and yet they wolen not prefent a clerk able of kunning of God's laws, and good "life and holy enfample to the people, but a "kitchen-clerk, or a penny-clerk, or wife in build ing caftles, or worldly doing, tho he kanne not "read well his Sauter, (Pfalter) and knoweth not "the Commandments of God, ne Sacraments of "the Church. And yet fome Lords, to colouren "their fimony, wole not take for themfeves, but "kerchiefs for the lady, or a tun of wine. And "when fome Lords wolden present a good man, "and able for love of God and Chriftian fouls, then "fome ladies ben means to have a dancer, a tripper "or tapits, or hunter or hawker, or a wild player "of fummer's gamenes, for flattering and gifts going betwixte; and if it be for dancing in bed fo "much the worse." Wickliffe tranflated the Bible into English, and was fo voluminous a writer, that Lubinio Lepus, Bishop of Prague, burnt two hundred volumes written by this extraordinary perfon, which belonged to fome of the heretical Noblemen of Bohemia. Courtenay, Bishop of London, cited Wickliffe to appear before him at Paul's, to give fome account of the new opinions which he held. Wickliffe came attended by the Duke of Lancaster and the Earl Marshall. The crowd was fo great, that the Lord Marshall was obliged to make use of his authority to get Wickliffe through it. The Bishop, displeased at seeing him fo honourably attended, told told the Lord Marshall, "that if he had known "beforehand what maeftries he would have kept " in the church, he would have stopped him out "from coming there." The Duke of Lancaster, indignant at this threatening language, told the Bishop, "that he would keep such maestries there, "though he said nay." Wickliffe, as ufual, was standing before the bishop and the rest of the Commiffioners, to hear what things were laid to his charge, when the Lord Marshall defired him to fit down; telling him, that as he had many things to anfwer to, he had need of a foft feat to be at his ease. The Bishop replied, "that he fhould not fit there; “ for,” added he, "it is neither according to law "nor reason, that he who was cited to answer be"fore his Ordinary (the Lord Pope) should fit down ་་ during the time of his answer." On this many angry words took place between the Bishop and the Earl Marshall. The Duke of Lancaster then interfered, and told the Bishop, "that the Earl "Marshall's motion was a very reafonable one, "and that as for him, (the Bishop) he was now "become fo proud and so arrogant, that he (the Duke) would bring down not only the pride of him but of every prelate in England;" adding, "that rather than take what the Bishop "faid at his hands, he would pull him out of the "church by the hair of his head." These speeches occafioned the affembly to become very tumul tuous, |