'DWARD III, after the battle of Creffy, laid fiege to Calais. He had fortified his camp in fo impregnable a manner, that all the efforts of France proved ineffectual to raise the fiege, or throw fuccours into the city. The citizens, under Count Vienne, their gallant governor, made an admirable defence. France had now put the fickle into her fecond harvest, fince Edward with his victorious army fat down before the town. The eyes of all Europe were intent on the iffue. At length, a famine did more for Edward than arms. After fuffering unheard-of calamities, they refolved to attempt the enemy's camp. They boldly fallied forth: The English joined battle; and, after a long and defperate engagement, Count Vienne was taken prifoner, and the Citizens who furvived the flaughter retired within their gates. The command

devolving

devolving upon Euftace St Pierre, a man of mean birth but of exalted virtue, he offered to capitulate with Edward, provided he permitted them to depart with life and liberty. Edward, to avoid the imputation of cruelty, confented to fpare the bulk of the plebeians, provided they delivered up to him fix of their principal citizens with halters about their necks, as victims of due atonement for that spirit of rebellion with which they had inflamed the vulgar. When his meffenger, Sir Walter Mauny, delivered the terms, confternation and pale difmay were impreffed on every countenance. To a long and dead filence, deep fighs and groans fucceeded, till Euftace St Pierre, getting up to a little eminence, thus addreffed the affembly: My friends, we are brought to great ftraits this day. We muft either yield to the terms of our cruel and enfnaring conqueror, or give up our tender infants, our wives, and daughters, to the bloody and brutal lufts of the violating foldiers. Is there any expedient left, whereby we may avoid the guilt and infamy of delivering up thofe who have fuffered every mifery with you on the one hand, or the desolation and horrors of a facked city on the other? There is, my friends, there is one expedient left; a gracious, an excellent, a God-like expedient! Is there any here to whom virtue is dearer than life! Let him offer himself an oblation for the safety of his people! He fhall not fail of a bleffed approbation from that Power, who offered up his only Son for the falvation of mankind!" He fpoke;-but an universal filence enfued. Each man looked around for the example of that virtue and magnanimity which all wifhed to approve in themselves, though they wanted the refolu tion. At length St Pierre refumed, "I doubt not but there are many here as ready, nay more zealous, of this martyrdom than I can be; though the ftation to which I am raised by the captivity of Lord Vienne, imparts a right to be the firft in giving my life for your fakes. I give it freely; I give it cheerfully. Who comes next?”

"Your

"Your fon," exclaimed a youth not yet come to maturity-"Ah, my child!" cried St Pierre; "I am then twice facrificed.-But, no: I have rather begotten thee a fecond time. Thy years are few, but full, my fon. The victim of virtue has reached the utmost purpose and goal of mortality. Who next, my friends? This is the hour of heroes." "Your kinfman," cried John de Aire. "Your kinfman," cried James Wiffant. "Your kinfman" cried Peter Wiffant.-"Ah!" exclaimed Sir Walter Mauny, burfting into tears, "why was not I a citizen of Calais !" The fixth victim was still wanting, but was quickly fupplied by lot from numbers who were now emulous of fo ennobling an example. The keys of the city were then delivered to Sir Walter. He took the fix prifoners into his cuftody; then ordered the gates to be opened, and gave charge to his attendants to conduct the remaining citizens, with their families, through the camp of the English. Before they departed, however, they defired permiffion to take their laft adieu of their deliverers. What a parting! What a fcene! They crowded, with their wives and children, about St Pierre and his fellow-prifoners. They embraced; they clung around; they fell proftrate before them. They groaned; they wept aloud; and the joint clamour of their mourning paffed the gates of the city, and was heard throughout the English camp. The English, by this time, were apprised of what paffed within Calais. They heard the voice of lamentation, and their fouls were touched with compaffion. Each of the foldiers prepared a portion of his own victuals, to welcome and entertain the half famished inhabitants; and they loaded them with as much as their prefent weakness was able to bear, in order to fupply them with fuftenance by the way. At length St Pierre and his fellow victims appeared under the conduct of Sir Walter and a guard. All the tents of the English were inftantly emptied. The foldiers poured from all parts, and ranged themselves on each

fide, to behold, to contemplate, to admire, this little band of patriots as they paffed. They bowed down to them on all fides. They murmured their applause of that virtue, which they could not but revere even in enemies; and they regarded those ropes which they had voluntarily affumed about their necks, as enfigns of greater dignity than that of the British garter. As foon as they had reached the prefence, "Mauny," fays the monarch, "are these the principal inhabitants of Calais ?"— "They are," fays Mauny; "they are not only the principal men of Calais, they are principal men of France, my Lord, if virtue has any fhare in the act of ennobling." "Were they delivered peaceably?" fays Edward; "was there no refiftance, no commotion among the people ?" "Not in the leaft, my Lord; the people would all have perished, rather than have delivered the least of these to your Majefty. They are felf-delivered, felf-devoted, and come to offer up their inestimable heads as an ample equivalent for the ranfom of thousands." Edward was fecretly piqued at this reply of Sir Walter; but he knew the privilege of a British subject, and fuppreffed his refentment. "Experience," fays he, "has ever shown, that lenity only ferves to invite people to new crimes. Severity, at times, is indifpenfibly neceffary to compel fubjects to submission by punishment and example. Go," he cried to an officer, lead these men to execution."

At this instant a found of triumph was heard throughout the camp. The Queen had just arrived with a powerful reinforcement of gallant troops. Sir Walter Mauny flew to receive her Majefty, and briefly informed her of the particulars respecting the fix victims.

As foon as the had been welcomed by Edward and his court, fhe defired a privatè audience." My Lord," faid fhe, "the queftion I am to enter upon, is not touching the lives of a few mechanics-it refpects the honour of the English nation; it refpects the glory of my Edward, my husband, my king.-You think you

"I am

have sentenced fix of your prifoners to death. No, my Lord, they have fentenced themselves; and their execution would be the execution of their own orders, not the orders of Edward. The ftage on which they would fuffer, would be to them a stage of honour, but a stage of fhame to Edward; a reproach to his conquefts; an indelible difgrace to his name. Let us rather difappoint thefe haughty burghers, who wish to inveft themselves with glory at our expence. We cannot wholly deprive them of the merit of a facrifice fo nobly intended, but we may cut them fhort of their defires; in the place of that death by which their glory would be consummated, let us bury them under gifts; let us put them to confusion with applauses. We shall thereby defeat them of that popular opinion, which never fails to attend those who fuffer in the cause of virtue.” convinced; you have prevailed. Be it fo," replied Edward: "Prevent the execution; have them inftantly before us." They came; when the Queen, with an afpect and accents diffufing sweetness, thus bespoke them:"Natives of France and inhabitants of Calais, you havé put us to a vaft expence of blood and treasure in the recovery of our just and natural inheritance: But -you have acted up to the best of an erroneous judgment; and we admire and honour in you that valour and virtue, by which we are so long kept out of our rightful poffeffions. You noble burghers! you excellent citizens though you were tenfold the enemies of our perfon and our throne, we can feel nothing on our part, fave refpect and affection for you. You have been fufficiently tested. We loofe your chains; we fnatch you from the fcaffold; and we thank you for that leffon of humiliation which you teach us, when you fhow us, that excellence is not of blood, of title, or station;-that virtue gives a dignity fuperior to that of kings; and that those whom the Almighty informs with fentiments like yours, are justly and eminently_raised above all human distinctions. You are now free to

depart