tain and prolong the truce between France and
England.

* Stowe's Survey, p. 478. There were buried fifty thousand
bodied in one churchyard, which Sir Walter Manny had bought
for the use of the poor. The same author says, that there
died above fifty thousand persons of the plague in Norwich,
which is quite incredible.

{1350.} During this truce, Philip de Valois died, without being able to
reestablish the affairs of France, which his bad success against England
had thrown into extreme disorder. This monarch, during the first years
of his reign, had obtained the appellation of Fortunate, and acquired
the character of prudent; but he ill maintained either the one or the
other; less from his own fault, than because he was overmatched by the
superior fortune and superior genius of Edward. But the incidents in the
reign of his son John gave the French nation cause to regret even the
calamitous times of his predecessor. John was distinguished by many
virtues, particularly a scrupulous honor and fidelity: he was not
deficient in personal courage: but as he wanted that masterly prudence
and foresight, which his difficult situation required his kingdom was
at the same time disturbed by intestine commotions, and oppressed with
foreign wars.

{1354.} The chief source of its calamities, was Charles, king of Navarre
who received the epithet of the Bad, or Wicked, and whose conduct fully
entitled him to that appellation. This prince was descended from males
of the blood royal of France; his mother was daughter of Lewis Hutin; he
had himself espoused a daughter of King John: but all these ties, which
ought to have connected him with the throne, gave him only greater power
to shake and overthrow it. With regard to his personal qualities, he was
courteous, affable, engaging eloquent; full of insinuation and address;
inexhaustible in his resources; active and enterprising. But these
splendid accomplishments were attended with such defects as rendered
them pernicious to his country, and even ruinous to himself: he was
volatile, inconstant, faithless, revengeful, malicious; restrained by no
principle or duty; insatiable in his pretensions: and whether successful
or unfortunate in one enterprise he immediately undertook another, in
which he was never deterred from employing the most criminal and most
dishonorable expedients.

The constable of Eu, who had been taken prisoner by Edward at Caen,
recovered his libe