File:The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century - a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and (14586676179).jpg

Identifier: greatestnations05elli (find matches)
Title: The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century : a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and a pronouncing vocabulary of each nation
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916 Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis), 1870-1942
Subjects: World history
Publisher: New York : F.R. Niglutsch
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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ble plague knownas the Black Death swept over France, depopulating whole cities. In Pariseighty thousand are said to have perished, among them Philips queen. TheEnglish, under Edwards son, the Black Prince, made their headquarters atBordeaux and ravaged all Southern France unopposed. Philip of Valois died,disgraced in the eyes of men, ruined by his own temper and folly. His son John II. (1350-1364), the Good, took up the war only to be de-feated by the Black Prince at Poitiers (1356), a battle quite as rash and recklessand ill-planned by the French as Crecy. Their army was destroyed, and KingJohn, after defending himself with great personal bravery, was captured. Hewas carried prisoner to England, where, except for one short interval, he re-mained until his death. Thus the government of his distracted country passed to his son, Charles,who had fled among the first from the fatal field of Poitiers. This son ruledlill 1364 as Regent, and afterward as King Charles V. (i 364-1380), called
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France—The Jacquerie 833 **the Wise. The surnames of these two kings might easily mislead us as totheir merit. The Good of John meant only what we would call a goodfellow, a pleasant, jovial comrade; and the wisdom of Charles consisted in re-fusing to fight the English, letting them ravage his land unopposed, until theystarved in the desert they themselves had made. Imagine if you can the horrible condition to which this policy reducedwretched France. The English marched over the land from end to end withfire and sword. The free companies as they were called, soldiers hired tofight first by one side then another, found greater profit in plundering for them-selves. A few strong towns like Paris shut their gates and defied all comers.The castles of the nobles could resist an ordinary siege. But the poor countryfolk had no defence nor escape. It was useless for them to plant crops whichothers devoured, and they fled like beasts to the forests, hiding at every foot-step, starving, or fe

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