ers, but he let the others go free. The castle itself
he utterly destroyed.

Having thus finished this work, Edward resumed his march, passing on
to the westward through Touraine, to avoid the French king, who he
knew was coming down upon him from the direction of Chartres at the
head of an overwhelming army. King John advanced to the Loire, and
sending different detachments of his army to different points, with
orders to cross at any bridges that they could find, he himself came
to Blois, where he crossed the river to Amboise, and thence proceeded
to Loches. Here he learned that the English were moving off to the
westward, through Touraine, in hopes to make their escape. He set off
after them at full speed.

He had four sons with him in his army, all young men. Their names were
Charles, Louis, John, and Philip.

At length the two armies began to approach each other near the town of
Poictiers.

In the mean time, while the crisis had thus been gradually
approaching, the Pope, who was at this time residing at Avignon in
France, sent one of his cardinals to act as intercessor between the
belligerents, in hopes of bringing them to a peace. At the time when
the two armies had drawn near to each other and the battle seemed
imminent, the cardinal was at Poictiers, and just as the King of
France was marshaling his troops in the order of battle, and preparing
for the onset, the cardinal, at the head of his suite of attendants,
galloped out to the king's camp, and, riding up to him at full speed,
he begged him to pause a moment that he might speak to him.

The king gave him leave to speak, and he thus began:

"Most dear sire," said he, "you have here with you a great and
powerful army, commanded by the flower of the knighthood of your whole
kingdom. The English, compared with you, are but a handful. They are
wholly unable to resist you. You can make whatever terms with them you
please, and it will be far more honorable and praiseworthy in you to
spare their lives, and the lives of your gallant followers, by making
peace with them on such terms as you may think right, without a
battle, than to fight with them and destroy them. I entreat you,
therefore, sire, that before you proceed any farther, you will allow
me to go to the English camp to represent to the prince the great
danger he is in, and to see what terms you can make with him."

"Very well," replied the king. "We have no objection. Go, but make
haste back again."