The Black Prince was generous as well as brave, and he invited his royal *er to supper in his tent, and waited upon him at table, and, when they afterwards rode into London in a gorgeous procession, mounted the French King on a fine cream-coloured horse, and rode at his side on a little pony [一种矮马]. This was all very kind, but I think it was, perhaps, a little theatrical too, and has been made more meritorious [very good and deserving praise] than it deserved to be; especially as I am inclined to think that the greatest kindness to the King of France would have been not to have shown him [the King of France] to the people at all. However, it must be said, for these acts of politeness, that, in course of time, they did much to soften the horrors of war and the passions of conquerors. It was a long, long time before the common soldiers began to have the benefit of such courtly [graceful and polite] deeds; but they did at last; and thus it is possible that a poor soldier who asked for quarter at the battle of Waterloo, or any other such great fight, may have owed his life indirectly to Edward the Black Prince.

theatrical: behaving in a loud or very noticeable way that is intended to get people's attention

The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands ... neither side asking for nor offering quarter [mercy shown towards an enemy who has surrendered]. The French Young Guard Division reported 96 percent casualties, and two-thirds of Lobau's Corps ceased to exist.

At this time there stood in the Strand, in London, a palace called the Savoy, which was given up to the captive King of France and his son for their residence. As the King of Scotland had now been King Edward's captive for eleven years too, his [英王的] success was, at this time, tolerably [fairly, but not very much] complete. The Scottish business was settled by the *er being released under the title of Sir David, King of Scotland, and by his engaging to pay a large ransom. The state of France encouraged England to propose harder terms to that country, where the people rose against the unspeakable cruelty and barbarity of its nobles; where the nobles rose in turn against the people; where the most frightful outrages were committed on all sides; and where the insurrection of the peasants, called the insurrection of the Jacquerie [杰奎里], from Jacques [雅克], a common Christian name among the country people of France, awakened terrors and hatreds that have scarcely yet passed away. A treaty called the Great Peace, was at last signed, under which King Edward agreed to give up the greater part of his conquests, and King John to pay, within six years, a ransom of three million crowns of gold. He was so beset [困扰,威胁] by his own nobles and courtiers [朝臣] for having yielded to these conditions - though they could help him to no better - that he came back of his own will [意志] to his old palace-* of the Savoy, and there died.

crown: former British coin worth 5 shillings 5先令(25便士)的英国旧币

There was a Sovereign of Castile [a region of central Spain] at that time, called Pedro the Cruel, who deserved the name remarkably well: having committed, among other cruelties, a variety of murders. This amiable [friendly and easy to like {sarcasm}] monarch being driven from his throne for his crimes, went to the province of Bordeaux [波尔多], where the Black Prince - now married to his cousin Joan, a pretty widow - was residing, and besought [恳求] his help. The Prince, who took to [develop a liking for] him much more kindly than a prince of such fame ought to have taken to such a ruffian [恶棍], readily listened to his fair [quite large] promises, and agreeing to help him, sent secret orders to some troublesome disbanded [遣散的] soldiers of his and his father's, who called themselves the Free Companions, and who had been a pest to the French people, for some time, to aid this Pedro. The Prince, himself, going into Spain to head the army of relief, soon set Pedro on his throne again - where he no sooner found himself, than, of course, he behaved like the villain he was, broke his word without the least shame, and abandoned all the promises he had made to the Black Prince.

find oneself: discover one's true abilities, character and desires

六级/考研单词: princess, generous, supper, tent, gorgeous, procession, mount, incline, conquer, deed, thereby, loud, unite, casualty, corps, strand, captive, reside, tolerate, engage, noble, outrage, commit, peasant, terror, scarce, treaty, million, beset, yield, sovereign, amiable, sarcasm, throne, province, widow, fame, companion, pest, shame, abandon, oneself, desire