to the dutie of a conqueror, and therefore since it ap peared that the same was unknown to them, he declared that the goddesse of battell called Bellona had three handmaidens, ever of necessitie attending upon her, as Blood, Fire, and Famine, and whereas it laie in his choice to use them all three, he had appointed onelie the meekest maid of those three damsels to punish them of that citie till they were brought to reason. answer put the French ambassador in a great studie, musing much at his excellent wit and hawtinesse of courage."

This

Holinshed.

While the court resided at Beauvais, four gentlemen and four citizens of Rouen were sent to lay before the king and council their miserable state: they told them that thousands of persons were already dead with hunger within their town; and that from the beginning of October, they had been forced to live on horses, dogs, cats, mice and rats, and other things unfit for human creatures. They had nevertheless driven full twelve thousand poor people, men, women and children, out of the place, the greater part of whom had perished wretchedly in the ditches of the town. That it had been frequently necessary to draw up in baskets new born children from mothers who had been brought to bed in these ditches to have them baptized, and they were afterwards returned to their mothers; many, however had perished without christening — all which things were grievous and pitiful to be related. They

then added, "To you our lord and king, and to you noble duke of Burgundy, the loyal inhabitants of Rouen have before made known their distress: they now again inform you how much they are suffering for you, to which you have not yet provided any remedy according to your promises. We are sent to you for the last time, to announce to you, on the part of the besieged, that if within a few days they are not relieved, they shall surrender themselves and their town to the English king, and thenceforward renounce all allegiance, faith, and service, which they have sworn to you." The king, duke, and council, courteously replied, that the king's forces were not as yet adequate to raise the siege, which they were exceedingly sorry for; but, with God's pleasure, they should very soon be relieved. The deputies asked by what time; the duke answered, before the fourth day after Christmas. They then returned to their town with difficulty, from the great danger of being taken by the besiegers, and related all that had passed.

The besieged now suffered the greatest distress; and it is impossible to recount the miseries of the common people from famine: it was afterward known that upwards of fifty thousand had perished of hunger. Some, when they saw meat carried through the street, in despair, ran to seize it, and so doing, allowed themselves to be severely beaten, and even wounded. During the space of three months no provisions were seen in the markets, but every thing was sold secretly; and what

before the siege was worth a farthing, was sold for twenty, thirty, or even forty: but those prices were too high for the common people, and hence the great mortality I have mentioned.

Monstrelet, vol. v. p. 61.

Page 45.-The shriek of phrenzying anguish."

The names of our Edwards and Henrys are usually cited together, but it is disgracing the Black Prince and his father to mention them with Henry of Monmouth. We have seen what was the conduct of this cold-hearted and brutal soldier to the famished fugitives from Roan. The same circumstance occurred at the siege of Calais, and the difference between the monarchs cannot be better exemplified than in the difference of their conduct upon the same occasion. "When sir John de Vienne perceived that king Edward intended to lie long there, he thought to rid the town of as many useless mouths as he could; and so on a Wednesday, being the 13th of September, he forced out of the town more than seventeen hundred of the poorest and least necessary people, old men, women, and children, and shut the gates upon them: who being demanded, wherefore they came out of the town, answered with great lamentation, that it was because they had nothing to live on. Then king Edward, who was so fierce in battle, shewed a truly royal disposition by considering the sad condition of these forlorn wretches; for he not only would not force them back again into the town, whereby they

might help to consume the victuals, but he gave them all a dinner and two-pence a-piece, and leave to pass through the army without the least molestation: whereby he so wrought upon the hearts of these poor creatures, that many of them prayed to God for his prosperity."

Joshua Barnes.

Page 45.-Nor when the traitor yielded up our town.

Roan was betrayed by its Burgundian governor Bouthellier. During this siege fifty thousand men perished through fatigue, want, and the use of unwholesome provisions.

Page 46.-The gallant Blanchard died.

Roy d'Angleterre fist coupper la teste a Allain Blanchart cappitaine du commun.

Etaloient en plein jour de pompeuses tenebres.
Le Moyne. St. Louis. Liv. xvi.

Page 47. —In the mid-day sun a dim and gloomy light. "When all things necessary were prepared for the conveyance of the dead king into England, his body was laid in a chariot, which was drawn by four great horses: and above the dead corpse, they laid a figure made of boiled hides, or leather representing his person, as near to the semblance of him as could be devised, painted curiously to the similitude of a living creature; upon whose head was set an imperial diademe of gold and precious stones, on his body a purple robe furred with ermine, and in his right hand he held a sceptre royal, and in his left hand a ball of gold, with a cross fixed thereon. And in this manner adorned, was this figure laid in a bed in the said chariot, with his visage uncovered towards the heaven: and the coverture of his bed was red silke beaten with gold; and besides that, when the body should passe thro any good towne, a canopy of marvellous great value was borne over the chariot by men of great worship. In this manner, accompanied of the king of Scots and of all princes, lords, and knights of his house, he was brought from Roane to Abville, where the corpse was set in the church of Saint Offrane. From Abville he was brought to Hedin, and from thence to Menstreuil, so to Bulloigne, and so to Calice. In all this journey were many men about the chariot clothed all in white, which bare in their hands torches burning: after whome followed all the household servants in blacke, and after them came the princes, lords, and estates of the king's blood, adorned in ves