A PRINCE ESCAPES.

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 96, 27 April 1929, Page 19

A PRINCE ESCAPES.

Edward, the intrepid son ot Henry 111., was long kept a prisoner by Simon do Montfort, Earl of Leicester. Though the young princo was treated with respact and was apparently free, a troop of guards on fleet horses was always near at hand to prevent any attempt, at escape. , The Earl of Gloucester, who took up the prince's cause, made him the seemingly guiloless gift of a horse, but actually thu steed was the fastest racehorse in the country. Tho young prince watched his opportunity, and one day, when out alone with his guards, made the welcome suggostlon that they should race against one another for a prize. Tho guards saw no danger in this, arranging to race in turn, so that the prince w*» never left alone. But, of course, when the competition was over, tho horses of tho guards were all tired out. It was then that the elov.r young princo waved thorn good-bye, and dashed off on the fastest horso in Eng-. land. What chance had his attendants of overtaking him? So Edward escaped. He soon crushed the Earl of Leicester, restoring tho power of his father, and then went to Palestine to gather laurels in the Crusades. But when ho roturned to England and was crowned as Edward 1. at Westminster, perhaps he remembered what he owed to a horse. For during the celebrations, which lasted a. fortnight, he set free 500 of them to bo had for the catching.