of age, and not yet cooled from the fury of the battle, elated by as extraordinary and as unexpected fuccefs as had ever crowned the arms of any general. He came forth to meet the captive king with expreffions of regard and sympathy; administered comfort to him; paid him the tribute due to his valour, and afcribed his own victory to a fuperior providence, which controuls the efforts of human force and prudence. A magnificent repaft was prepared in his tent for the prifoner, and he ferved himself the royal captive's table, as if he had been one of his retinue. He refused to take a place at the table; all his father's pretenfions to the crown of France were forgotten, and John in captivity received the honours of a king, which were refused when he was feated on the throne. The French prifoners, conquered by this elevation of mind, more than by their late difcomfiture, burst into tears of joy and admiration.

The prince conducted his royal prifoner to Bordeaux, concluded a two years truce with France, and foon after landed at Southwark, where he was met by a great concourfe of people of all ranks. "His prifoner, John King of France, was clad in royal apparel, and mounted on a white steed, diftinguished by its fize and beauty, and the richnefs of its furniture. The conqueror rode by his fide in meaner attire, and carried by a black palfry. In this fituation, more glorious than all the infolent parade of a Roman triumph, he paffed through the streets of London, and prefented the

King of France to his father, who received him with the fame courtefy, as if he had been a neighbouring potentate that had voluntarily come to pay him a friendly vifit. It is impoffible, on reflecting on this noble conduct, not to perceive the advantages which refulted from the otherwise whimfical principles of Chivalry, and which gave, even in thofe rude times, fome fuperiority even over people of a more cultivated age and nation"."

The Chevalier Bayard, the valourous and faithful companion of Charles the 8th, Louis the 12th, and Francis the 1ft, kings of France, in their wars, flourished at the beginning of the 16th century. After taking the city of Breffe, he received a large fum from his hoft, for faving his houfe from being plundered. Of this money he generoufly made a prefent to his two daughters who brought it. In the following winter he was quartered at Grenoble, near a young lady of good family, but of indigent circumftances; her beauty inflamed his love, and her fituation gave him hopes of being able to gratify it. Her mother, urged by poverty, accepted his propofals, and compelled her reluctant daughter to vifit him. As foon as he was introduced into his prefence, fhe threw herfelf at his feet, and with ftreaming eyes befought him not to dishonour an unfortunate damfel, whom it was more confiftent with a perfon of his virtuous character to protect. "Rife," exclaimed the Chevalier, "you fhall quit

d Hume, vol. iii. p. 460.

this place as innocent as you entered it, but more fortunate." He inftantly conducted her home, reproved her mother, and gave the daughter a marriage portion of 600 piftoles. This conqueft he gained over himfelf at the age of twenty-fix, when in the fituation of the great Scipio Africanus, he was moft expofed to temptation, as "juvenis, & celebs, & victor." At the battle of Marignan against the Swifs, in 1515, he fought by the fide of Francis the 1ft, and fo impreffed was that monarch with the high opinion of his prowefs, that he conferred upon him the honour of knighthood. Being once afked what poffeffions a nobleman had beft leave to his fon, he replied, "fuch as are leaft expofed to the power of time or human force-Wifdom and Virtue." At the retreat of the French at Rebec, he received a mortal wound, and with his laft breath requested his Efquire to inform the King, "that the only regret he felt on leaving the world, was that he could ferve him no longer." He then requefted to be placed under a tree facing the enemy, and then expired. He was called the "Knight without fear and without reproach," and no one could have a better claim to fo excellent a character.

Sir Philip Sidney, defcended from John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland by the mother's fide, was born at Penfhurft, in Kent, 1554, and died at the early age of 32. During his education, firft at Shrewsbury, and afterwards in the Univerfity of Oxford, he made an astonishing progrefs in all Kk branches

VOL. I.

branches of learning. His conduct was upon all occafions fuch as did honour to a true Knight. He could not brook the leaft affront, even from perfons of the highest rank, as he proved by his fpirited behaviour to the haughty Earl of Oxford, a nobleman very high in the favour of Queen Elizabeth. This quarrel occafioned his retirement from court, during which he wrote his Romance called Arcadia, which he dedicated to his fifter, the countefs of Pembroke. At the grand tournament held in 1581, for the entertainment of the Duke of Anjou, when he came to London to folicit the Queen in marriage, Sir Philip went through his feats of arms with great ability, and gained fingular commendation. Such was his fame for relieving all who were in diftrefs, that when the Spaniards had feized the kingdom of Portugal, Don Antonio, the chief competitor for the crown, applied to him for his affiftance. He was appointed Governor of Flushing, one of the towns delivered by the Dutch to the Queen, and in feveral actions with the enemy, behaved with extraordinary courage, and with fuch mature judgment, as would have done credit to the moft experienced commanders. His high renown and great deferts were fo well known throughout Europe, that he was put in nomination for the crown of Poland upon the death of Stephen Batori, but the Queen, refused to further.his promotion. On the 22d of September, 1586, being fent out to intercept a convoy that was advancing to Zutphen, he fell into an ambufcade, and received a fatal wound in, the

thigh..

thigh. In his fad progrefs from the field of battle, paffing by the reft of the army, where his uncle, Robert Earl of Leicester was, and being thirsty with exceffive lofs of blood, he called for drink, which was foon brought him: but as he was putting the bottle to his mouth, he faw a poor foldier carried along, who had been wounded at the fame time, eagerly fixing his eyes upon it. As foon as Sir Philip perceived his inclination, he delivered the bottle to him with thefe words-"Thy neceffity is greater than mine." This action difcovered a difpofition fo tender, a mind fo fortified against pain, a heart fo overflowing with generofity to relieve diftrefs in oppofition to the moft urgent call of his own neceffities, that none can read a detail of it without the higheft admiration. Finding himself past all hope of recovery, he prepared for death with the greateft compofure, and affembled the clergymen of divers nations, before whom he made a full confeffion of his Chriftian faith. The clofing scene of his life, was the parting with his brother, Sir Robert Sidney, of whom he took leave in thefe words," Love my memory, cherish my friends; their faith to me may affure you they are fincere: but above all, govern your will and affec tions by the will and word of your Creator, in me beholding the end of the world, with all her va nities." As he had been during his life beloved, admired, and almost idolized by all ranks of men, fo was his death moft deeply lamented. He was the fairest flower of Chivalry, the bright jewel of