Page:Conquest of France (1).pdf/9

 of Eward the Black Prince. 9

C H A P.    II.

The Birth of the Victorious Black Prince, his activity in his young days, his firſt wars under his father in France. How King Edward challenged the French King, and on what account be refuſed it.

P R I N C E Edward the Black Prince, was born at Greenwich, the 14th of May, 1336, being the eldeſt ſon of King Edward the third, by his beauteous Queen Philippa: At his birth a blazing ſtar ap- peared with a fiery tail, like a bloody ſword, pointing towards France; the ſea overflow- ed its banks in many places, the like never having been ſeen on our coaſt. The King his father, brought him not up nicely and tenderly, but as ſoon as He had paſſed his ſwaddling clothes, inured him to hardſhips ; for he was ſcarce fifteen years old, when the King took him to the wars, both againſt Scotland and France; and Ja- ques Dartwell was ſo taken with his manly aſpect, that he labour'd to depoſe Loys earl of Flanders, as unfit for government, and place the Prince over thoſe provinces, with ſo much earneſtneſs, and magnifying the young Prince's early valour, to that degree, that it ſo far encouraged their hatred, that they incenſed the common people againſt him, which took ſo effectually, that he no ſooner