The British nation a history / by George MWrong . d, and the Englishman now looked withas compared scorn upon the Frenchman, before whose with 1 ranee. ^ /-^ -n t i ancestors his own trembled. On Englishvillage greens incessant practice had developed amongthe peasants amazing skill and strength with the long-bow, while in France, where the notions of feudal chivalrystill reigned, the mounted knight in armour was thoughtto be unconquerable by those who fought on foot. TheFreiKih nobility, proud of feudal independence, had learnedlittle discipline ; they were fiery and intractable, and it wasan
The British nation a history / by George MWrong . d, and the Englishman now looked withas compared scorn upon the Frenchman, before whose with 1 ranee. ^ /-^ -n t i ancestors his own trembled. On Englishvillage greens incessant practice had developed amongthe peasants amazing skill and strength with the long-bow, while in France, where the notions of feudal chivalrystill reigned, the mounted knight in armour was thoughtto be unconquerable by those who fought on foot. TheFreiKih nobility, proud of feudal independence, had learnedlittle discipline ; they were fiery and intractable, and it wasan unorganized horde rather than an army that their kinggathered under his banner. 1 EDWARD IirS CLAIM TO THE THROXE OF FRANCE PHILIP III. Kins of France, PHILIP IV, 1285-1314. Charles of Valois. (1) LOUIS X,1314-1316. JOHN I,1316. (2) PHILIP V,1316-1322. (3) CHARLES IV, 1322-1328. (4) Isabella, mother of Edward lU. PHILIP VI,1328-1350. JOHN II, CHARLES CHARLES VI,1380-1422. J ENGLAND IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY 177. Archers in Chain-mail, about1330. Edwards first great victory was on the sea. In 1340he attacked and almost destroyed the French fleet in theEngUsh naval Flemish harbour ofvictory at Sluys. In the days Siuys, 1340. ^gf ^j,g artillery such fighting was mainly a hand-to-hand struggle, and usually with-out quarter; it is said thatof the conquered, twenty - fivethousand, an incredible num-ber, perished. On land the warwas long indecisive, and thencame success that revealed toEurope a new military 1346 Edward ravaged Nor-mandy, imprudently advanced to the very gates of Paris, and soon was obliged to retreatnorthward. With difiiculty he crossed the Seine and theThe English Somme, but when his road to Flanders seemedvictory at Crecy at last sccurc, he turned at Crecy to face his^^ foes. The battle that followed was most de- cisive. The English chose their position on rising ground,and had time to rest before the fight. The French, wo
Size: 1433px × 1743px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidbritishnatio, bookyear1910
