re, and they threatened
to cut down on the spot any man who refused to obey. The barons then
dismounted, and, making a profound reverence before the king, they
took him and his son under their protection, and conducted them to the
prince's tent.

The prince received the royal prisoners in the kindest and most
respectful manner. He made a very low obeisance to the king, and
treated him in every respect with the utmost consideration. He
provided him with every thing necessary for his comfort, and ordered
refreshments to be brought, which refreshments he presented to the
king himself, as if he were an honored and distinguished guest instead
of a helpless prisoner.

Although there were so many English knights and barons who claimed the
honor of having made the King of France prisoner, the person to whom
he really had surrendered was a French knight named Denys. Denys had
formerly lived in France, but he had killed a man in a quarrel there,
and for this crime his property had been confiscated, and he had been
banished from the realm. He had then gone to England, where he had
entered into the service of the king, and, finally, had joined the
expedition of the Prince of Wales. This Denys happened to be in the
part of the field where the King of France and his son Philip were
engaged. The king was desperately beset by his foes, who were calling
upon him all around in English to surrender. They did not wish to kill
him, preferring to take him prisoner for the sake of the ransom. The
king was not willing to surrender to any person of inferior rank, so
he continued the struggle, though almost overpowered. Just then Denys
came up, and, calling out to him in French, advised him to surrender.
The king was much pleased to hear the sound of his own language, and
he called out,

"To whom shall I surrender? Who are you?"

"I am a French knight," said Denys; "I was banished from France, and I
now serve the English prince. Surrender to me."

"Where is the prince?" said the king. "If I could see him I would
speak to him."

"He is not here," said Denys; "but you had better surrender to me, and
I will take you immediately to the part of the field where he is."

So the king drew off his gauntlet, and gave it to Denys as a token
that he surrendered to him; but all the English knights who were
present crowded around, and claimed the prisoner as theirs. Denys
attempted to conduct the king to Prince Edward, all the knights
accompanying h