To the son of a deposed monarch we are indebted for some
of the details of the captivity of John, King of France, in
England. The Duke d' Aumale, son of Louis Philippe, disco-
vered the documents, which he has published in the * Trans-
actions of the Philobiblion Society,* among the archives of
the House of Cond6.
At the battle of Poictiers, fought five hundred years ago
(1356), John exhibited more courage than ability, — more of
the soldier than the general. He fought on, after his nearest
of kin, save his brave young son Philip, had deserted him ;
and when at last he was compelled to yield to numbers, the
crowd of knights so thronged round him to claim the ho-
nour of his capture, that he would have fared ill but for the
courteous interference of the gallant Prince of Wales.
The Black Prince conducted his royal prisoner to Bor-
deaux, where John was surrounded by a brilliant but cap-
tive Court. Edward III. spoke of him only as " our adver-
sary of France," but he was universally treated as a King.
Some of the most loyal of his own subjects took care that
he should want for nothing. At the first intimation of
John's capture, his Lieutenant- Q-eneral in Languedoc for-
warded to him ample stores of provisions, also of plate to
eat from with dignity ; and the States of Languedoc con-
sented to tax themselves, — that is, resolved to levy imposts
on the people, the produce of which was forwarded to the
grateful King.
