ck their foes. The French forces became
cut up into groups or confined into narrow spaces. Knight after knight
fell around the king. De Ribaumont fell near him. Jeffrey de Charny,
who, as one of the most valiant knights in the army, had been chosen
to bear the French standard, the oriflamme, never left his sovereign's
side, and as long as the sacred banner floated over his head John would
not believe the day was lost. At length, however, Jeffrey de Charny was
killed, and the oriflamme fell. John, surrounded on every side by foes
who pressed forward to make him prisoner, still kept clear the space
immediately around himself and his little son with his battle-axe; but
at last he saw that further resistance would only entail the death of
both, and he then surrendered to Denis de Montbec, a knight of Artois.

The battle was now virtually over. The French banners and pennons had
disappeared, and nothing was seen save the dead and dying, groups of
prisoners, and parties of fugitives flying over the country. Chandos now
advised the prince to halt. His banner was pitched on the summit of a
little mound. The trumpets blew to recall the army from the pursuit, and
the prince, taking off his helmet, drank with the little body of knights
who accompanied him some wine brought from his former encampment.

The two marshals of the English army, the Earls of Warwick and Suffolk,
were among the first to return at the call of the trumpet. Hearing that
King John had certainly not left the field of battle, though they knew
not whether he was dead or taken, the prince at once despatched the Earl
of Warwick and Lord Cobham to find and protect him if still alive. They
soon came upon a mass of men-at-arms, seemingly engaged in an angry
quarrel. On riding up they found that the object of strife was the King
of France, who had been snatched from the hands of Montbec, and was
being claimed by a score of men as his prisoner. The Earl of Warwick and
Lord Cobham instantly made their way through the mass, and dismounting,
saluted the captive monarch with the deepest reverence, and keeping back
the multitude led him to the Prince of Wales. The latter bent his knee
before the king, and calling for wine, presented the cup with his own
hands to the unfortunate monarch.

The battle was over by noon, but it was evening before all the pursuing
parties returned, and the result of the victory was then fully known.
With less than 8000 men the English had conque