Edward the Black Prince

Edward the Black Prince

Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376),[a] was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and thus the heir to the English throne. He died before his father and so never became king. His son, Richard II, would succeed to the throne instead. Edward nevertheless still earned distinction as one of the most successful English commanders during the Hundred Years' War, being regarded by his contemporaries as a model of chivalry and one of the greatest knights of his age.[1]
Edward was created Duke of Cornwall in 1337. He was guardian of the kingdom in his father's absence in 1338, 1340, and 1342. He was created Prince of Wales in 1343 and knighted by his father at La Hogne in 1346.

Edward the Black Prince seems to have enjoyed good health up to 1366 (including his successful campaigns in France), and led an active, vigorous, and warlike life. His ill-health dates from his unfortunate expedition to Spain, undertaken to restore Don Pedro the Cruel to the throne of Castile. In 1366, when the Prince was at Valladolid waiting in vain for the promised money from King Pedro, “ his army suffered so terribly from dysentery and other diseases that it is said that scarcely one Englishman out of five ever saw England again)" “ The army also were half-starved, and the free
companions in the prince’s pay ravaged the country." The Prince contracted a severe and debilitating illness, which lasted for ten years. It was probably amoebic dysentery which merged into the chronic form, for there are contemporary references to his dysentery subsequently. Sir George McRobert informs me that amoebic dysentery still occurs in Spain as well as the bacillary forms. In 1369,
when the Prince was at war with Charles V of France, Froissart states that his health was so feeble that he could not take an active part: he was swollen with dropsy and could not ride. Oedema of the legs and ascites have been noted in dysentery due to anaemia caused by intestinal haemorrhage. Alternatively, the Prince's dropsy may have been due to chronic nephritis, which sometimes complicates dysentery. A third suggestion is that it was a “hunger oedema," due to semi-starvation in Spain. The first explanation seems the most probable one. In 1370 Charles V of France raised armies for the invasion of Aquitaine. Though ill, the Prince left his sick bed in Angoulème, gathered an army at Cognac, and sacked Limoges. A sick man, he was carried in a litter. In January, 1371, on the advice of his physicians, ‘he returned to England and went to his manor of Berkhampstead “ ruined in health and fortune." His health improved, presumably with rest and dieting. ln August, 1372, he sailed on an expedition with King Edward III, his father, to relieve Thouars, but the fleet, exposed to contrary winds for nine weeks, eventually returned without landing on the French coast. Later, “ the Prince's sickness became very heavy." He knew he was dying, was much in prayer, and did many good and charitable works. “His dysentery became very violent, and he often fainted from weakness, so that his household believed he was actually dead." “ This was the result of the severe dysenteric haemorrhages and associated weakness and anaemia.
The Prince eventually died from dysentery and exhaustion in I376, aged 46. His body was brought from the Palace of Westminster to Canterbury and buried with great state in the Cathedral.
ARTHUR S. MACNALTY.
[British medical Journal, feb. 12 1955, 411]

The fact to remember is that the illness that ended up taking the black prince began ten years before his death. (nearly 1366)

almuten

speculum

Badly, worst planet is JU, the almuten.

rays

Worst ray from MO to ASC.

parallels

Unfortunate conjunction and parallel from ME-VE.

hyleg - alchocoden

The search for hyleg is not a problem: it's SU. On the other hand, finding the alchocoden is a little tricky; JU is well placed, doing TRI to SU and engaged in EXN as dignity. However, JU is very badly disposed in the theme although being almuten (according to Montulmo). That's why I think it's better to keep VE, better adjusted, engaged with SU by // and FAC as dignity.

primary direction

- 1377

- square MO (m) conj SA