without
success. The Black Prince, being appointed captain-general, sailed for
Bordeaux in August, 1355, and arrived there after an easy passage. His
first movements were always successful; and, even when winter set in,
the judicious manner in which he employed his troops enabled him to
add five fortified towns and seventeen castles to the English
possessions.

Spring and summer passed by--the prince still continuing active. At
length, the French king collected an immense army, and marched to
intercept him. Though well aware that John was endeavoring to cut off
his retreat, the Black Prince was ignorant of the exact position of
the French army, until, one day, a small foraging party fell in with a
troop of three hundred horsemen, who, pursuing the little band across
some bushes, suddenly found themselves under the banner of the Black
Prince. After a few blows they surrendered, and from them the prince
learned that King John was a day's march in advance of him.

A party, despatched to reconnoitre, brought back intelligence that an
army of eight times his force lay between him and Poitiers. Though
without fear, the prince felt all the difficulties of his situation;
yet his simple reply was--"God be our help!--now let us think how we
may fight them to the best advantage."

A high ground, commanding the country toward Poitiers, defended by the
hedges of a vineyard, and accessible from the city only by a hollow
way scarcely wide enough to admit four men abreast, presented to him a
most defensible position. Here he encamped, and early next morning,
disposed his troops for battle. He dismounted his whole force; placed
a body of archers, drawn up in the form of a harrow, in front, the
men-at-arms behind, and stationed strong bodies of bowmen along the
hedges, on each side of the hollow way. Thus, while climbing the hill,
the French would be exposed to the galling flights of arrows, while
the nature of the ground would further render their superiority in
numbers of little avail.

The French host now began to advance;--yet, as its ocean of waving
plumes rolled up the hill, the prince, in the same firm tone which had
declared the day before, that England should never have to pay his
ransom, now spoke the hope of victory.

Three hundred chosen horsemen soon reached the narrow way, and,
putting their horses at full gallop, poured in to charge the harrow of
archers. The instant they were completely within the banks, the
Engli