or as he is, and make the best of him.

Of such an historian, an historian so diffuse, and so little selective,
it would obviously be difficult to give any suitably brief specimen that
should seem to present a considerable historic action in full. We go to
Froissart's account of the celebrated battle of Poitiers (France). This
was fought in 1356, between Edward the Black Prince on the English side,
and King John on the side of the French.

King John of the French was, of course, a great prize to be secured by
the victorious English. There was eager individual rivalry as to what
particular warrior should be adjudged his true captor. Froissart thus
describes the strife and the issue:--

There was much pressing at this time, through eagerness to take the
king; and those who were nearest to him, and knew him, cried out,
"Surrender yourself, surrender yourself, or you are a dead man!" In
that part of the field was a young knight from St. Omer, who was
engaged by a salary in the service of the King of England; his name
was Denys de Morbeque; who for five years had attached himself to
the English, on account of having been banished in his younger days
from France, for a murder committed in an affray at St. Omer. It
fortunately happened for this knight, that he was at the time near
to the King of France, when he was so much pulled about. He, by
dint of force, for he was very strong and robust, pushed through
the crowd, and said to the king, in good French, "Sire, sire,
surrender yourself!" The king, who found himself very disagreeably
situated, turning to him, asked, "To whom shall I surrender myself?
to whom? Where is my cousin, the Prince of Wales? If I could see
him, I would speak to him."--"Sire," replied Sir Denys, "he is not
here; but surrender yourself to me, and I will lead you to
him."--"Who are you?" said the king. "Sire, I am Denys de Morbeque,
a knight from Artois; but I serve the King of England because I
cannot belong to France, having forfeited all I possessed there."
The king then gave him his right-hand glove, and said, "I surrender
myself to you." There was much crowding and pushing about; for
every one was eager to cry out, "I have taken him!" Neither the
king nor his youngest son Philip were able to get forward, and free
themselves from the throng....

The Prince [of Wales] ask