How great his renown was in Europe was seen in 1347, when on the death of Lewis of Bavaria the electors offered him the Imperial Crown.

Edward was in truth a general of a high order, and he had shown himself as consummate a strategist in the campaign as a tactician in the field.

But to the world about him he was even more illustrious as the foremost representative of the showy chivalry of his day.

He loved the pomp of tournaments; he revived the Round Table of the fabled Arthur; he celebrated his victories by the creation of a new order of knighthood.

He had varied the sterner operations of the siege of Calais by a hand-to-hand combat with one of the bravest of the French knights.