valor whenever he had
to refuse to yield to the impatience of his comrades.

This detached and indecisive war lasted eight years, with a medley of
more or less serious incidents, which, however, did not change its
character. In 1370, the Prince of Wales laid siege to Limoges, which had
opened its gates to the Duke of Berry. He was already so ill that he
could not mount his horse, and had himself carried in a litter from post
to post, to follow up and direct the operations of the siege. In spite
of a month's resistance the prince took the place, and gave it up as a
prey to a mob of reckless plunderers, whose excesses were such that
Froissart himself, a spectator generally so indifferent, and leaning
rather to the English, was deeply shocked. "There," said he, "was a
great pity, for men, women, and children threw themselves on their knees
before the prince, and cried, 'Mercy, gentle sir!' but he was so inflamed
with passion that he gave no heed, and none, male or female, was listened
to, but all were put to the sword. There is no heart so hard but, if
present then at Limoges and not forgetful of God, would have wept
bitterly, for more than three thousand persons, men, women, and children,
were there beheaded on that day. May God receive their souls, for verily
they were martyrs!" The massacre of Limoges caused, throughout France, a
feeling of horror and indignant anger towards the English name. In 1373
an English army landed at Calais, under the command of the Duke of
Lancaster, and overran nearly the whole of France, being incessantly
harassed, however, without ever being attacked in force, and without
mastering a single fortress. "Let them be," was the saying in the king's
circle; "when a storm bursts out in a country, it leaves off afterwards
and disperses of itself; and so it will be with these English." The
sufferings and reverses of the English armies on this expedition were
such, that, of thirty thousand horses which the English had landed at
Calais, "they could not muster more than six thousand at Bordeaux, and
had lost full a third of their men and more. There were seen noble
knights, who had great possessions in their own country, toiling along
a-foot, without armor, and begging their bread from door to door without
getting any." In vain did Edward III. treat with the Duke of Brittany
and the King of Navarre in order to have their support in this war. The
Duke of Brittany, John IV., after having ope