The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-16
Ita

Wv" FFiu'~ - "ais@
The hattls u CrAy-y had fuv th- uncuasn,
Disposal q al ~. arrn.-i forrvs - FrNnrs,
hat Edward wisely r,.s-usnis~si that ~ VS.
too w-aA 10 prOht ~ this decentralization.
and instead 70 immediately assuming
th. or~naivs h-. continuei his retreat
toward Calais witch had b---a his obiec-
tive After a long and pAinfnl siege
Calais surrendered on August T. ISsI
Philipps ~ vAlo,- had played his subjects
false. tho memory 20 Crecy had oh~essa-d
his reason His pttif,h excuse Tor his
sorry conduct was. -Bsetsr a. loss a town
than plAc~ IN Jeopardy the lives % one
hundrsd thousand men. adding a. a
furthsr sxrIzs. 10 we loss u now 90 may
retaks 70 another time Tits -othsr
time did not arrive for more than two
hundred years. No longer nssd tho Eng
ltAh merchant ships hug tho coast % Dover
in fear Of the dreaded torzairs Of France.
All asemed well Edward thought he
had secured a Arm stepping stone TO tho
throne % France. a secure position whence
he might az any moment dash forth 20
.ei1e all northern France and Paris. But
fate had decreed that instead OF being
the firm foundation on which tho PlAnta-
genets might build up a Continental en-
pire. Calais was to be the milestone hung
around the neck Of Edwards descendants.
II ate up a good half Of the income OF tho
English kings. and Edward in his declin-
ing years had ~ content himsslf with
supporting the immense burden Of the
Calais garrison while his beloved Aqui-
tame was torn from him piece by piece.
The six years which followed were. on
the whole. the most uneventfIl period
in the Black Princes life. From ex-
pediency IL was imperative that the Prince
Of v lee should not mix in politics Forced
IN find an outlet for his activities In another
direction his thoughts turned 20 war
and 90 training himself and his comrades
for future service The chronicles are
full 81 the magnificent tournaments. or
hastiludes. and iousts in which he took
part Whatever he did. he :hrew himself
into IL heart and soul. Each succoeding
tourney must he more magnificent than
the last He was generous. his nature
a. well a. his pOsition demanded a lavish
display 81 hospitality. and - year by year
his finances became more deeply involved
EXtravangance of dress was most marked
among both sexes and the people at large
were equally well on at this period. owing
to the rich booty which the soldiers had
brought home from France But soon the
growing spirit 81 lawlessnees reached
point where the Princes servants were
s~t upon. both in Cornwall and near his
residence at Benkhampatead. and mobbed
and his carts and provisions carried
away. In 1919 came the Black Death.
near akin 10 the bubonic plague Of our
day. which had started from China in
3S1 and followed the trade routes Dis-
osder reigned in every department
still the King and Prince very wisely
set an example tn everybody by refusing
u alter their manner Of living: they held
meetings 81 the Council in sorely stricken
London and did their best by ordinances
- enforce order and law
by midsum mer. i3+p. owing 20 the
scarcity 81 laborers and the lack Of
proper tenants. the land owners were
faced with ruin; in the towns the price of
food threatened To cause universal star
vatIon. and in the country a reaper now
demanded eightpence a day and q mower
a shilling and his food. although the
ordinary rate 81 wages was twopence.
MEDIEVAL ideas ~ political economy were
vague and the King and his Council could
find no better solution for the difficulty
than what IL known in history as The
Statut6 81 Laborers- This ordinance
enacted that tho scale Of wages through |
OUT the country should be fxed at the
rate ~ payments in the year 1897 the
year preceding the plague At the |
average 81 the five OF siI years before. !
and contained a clause which forbade !
under penalty u imprisonment tho de- !
mand OF the payment Of higher wages |
and assigned punishment to all who re-
fused 10 labor at these rates. From this !
ordinance sprAng serious troubles later on. |
Edward was informed that |
the French were attempting 60 bribe the |
garrison Of Calais to betray the town,
and after hasty hut secret preparations
he went 10 the relief. accompanied by tbs. !
Black Prince. The part taken in this !
successful achievement by the King and
his eldest son fired tho enthusiasm 81 the
English people; tho cunning Of the King !
and the magnificent bra very OF tho Prince /
were the boast Of all Ehglishmen.
With tho year 1855 another period Of
the Black Princes life CONES 90 an end.
In the interval after the relief Of Calais
he had been enga ged at homo in putting
down risinEs caused by the obnoxious
state % AboreFs and his own eHtrava-
gance: for with the piOus generosity