THE SPELL OF GRAND MONARCHY 353

entanglements with France which, under Edward III (1327-
77), resulted in beginning the Hundred Years' War (1338-
1453).

We have already alluded to the French possessions of the
English kings. Even when these were reduced by the losses
suffered by John " Lackland ", what remained was still an
eye-sore to the French monarchs. Hence they provoked
hostilities by helping the Scots. But, even otherwise, Ed-
ward III lacked no casus belli. He put forward a prepos-
terous claim to the throne of France. Edward was a 'Jingo "
who, in the words of Mr. Somerweil,1 " determined to paint
as much of the map red as he possibly could ;" for, to him,
England was " more delightful and more profitable than all
other lands." So Crecy and Poitiers were fought, and the
centres of civilisation were duly impressed : Petrach, the
Italian humanist, declared, " In my youth, the Britons, whom
we call Angles or English, were esteemed the most timid of
the barbarians, inferior to the wretched Scots. Now they'
are the most warlike of peoples. They have overturned the
ancient military glory of the French." As all the fighting
took place on French soil, the devastation in that country was
great and widespread. Again, says Petrach : " Nothing pre-
sented itself to my eyes but fearful solitude and extreme
poverty, uncultivated land and houses in ruins. Even about
Paris there were everywhere signs of fire and destruction.
The streets were deserted ; the roads overgrown with weeds."

In 1348 the Black Death appeared. It affected France,
England, Germany, and parts of Italy. This pestilence not
merely carried away nearly one half of the population of
England, but also caused great distress among the survivors.
The resulting scarcity of labour led to a bitter struggle be-

1. D. C. SomerveH A History of England, p. 31.