[[A.D. 1336.]] About this time Count William of Hainault died of gout, and Edward thus lost the liberal supplies that he had always counted on from that source. The English {223}people of that period chose always to be at war; but expected their monarchs to pay the costs. Edward was reduced to such extreme poverty that he was forced to pledge his wife's crown for twenty-five hundred pounds, at the beginning of his long war, and during his whole reign the crown jewels were seldom out of pawn. He had been engaged in a naval battle with France since his victories in Scotland, and in 1340 found himself bankrupt. By that time Philippa had several children, and was residing in the Tower, where she devoted herself to their education with her usual good sense. Now we must see how Edward was led to establish the Order of the Garter. Wark Castle was under the guardianship of the Earl of Salisbury, who, while King Edward was encamped near Berwick, was taken prisoner. The Countess of Salisbury was then left alone at the castle with her young nephew, and it was besieged by the King of Scotland. Becoming alarmed at the approach of danger she sent the youth to seek assistance of Edward who immediately replied in person. At his appearance the siege was raised, and the countess, to prove her gratitude, ordered the gates to be thrown open, and received the king with great honors. She courtesied low, thanked her preserver warmly for his prompt aid, and conducted him into the castle, where he and all his knights and attendants were entertained sumptuously. Everybody was struck with the countess' noble deportment and affable behavior, and the king was charmed with her grace and beauty. While he was dancing with her after the banquet she gave in his honor she unfortunately dropped her garter, and was overcome with confusion, but Edward with his usual gallantry picked it up and, holding it aloft, said: "_Honi soit qui mal y pense_," "evil to him who evil thinks." In commemoration of this event, and out of compliment to the {224}countess, he established an order called the Knights of the Garter. The queen attended the first meeting of this order at Windsor, on which occasion all the knights were accompanied by their ladies, who wore the badge with the motto the king had proposed as a bracelet on their left arm. The object of this order of knighthood was to assist distressed ladies, and after it was well established the king announced his intention of going to the aid of the Countess de Montfort, who was trying to uphold the cause of her infant son against the whole power of France, while her husband was a prisoner in the tower of the Louvre. He appointed Philippa regent, with the Earl of Kent as her assistant, and departed for France with his son Edward, then only sixteen years of age. At the battle of Cressy, which had occurred during the siege of Calais, this boy proved himself a true hero.