John of Bohemia

"Absit, ut rex Boemie fugeret, sed illuc me ducite, ubi maior strepitus certaminis vigeret, Dominus sit nobiscum, nil timeamus, tantum filium meum diligenter custodite."

"The valiant king of Bohemia called Charles of Luxembourg, son to the noble emperor Henry of Luxembourg, for all that he was nigh blind, when he understood the order of the battle, he said to them about him: "Where is the lord Charles my son?" His men said: "Sir, we cannot tell; we think he be fighting." Then he said: "Sirs, ye are my men, my companions and friends in this journey: I require you bring me so far forward, that I may strike one stroke with my sword." They said they would do his commandment, and to the intent that they should not lose him in the press, they tied all their reins of their bridles each to other and set the king before to accomplish his desire, and so they went on their enemies. The lord Charles of Bohemia his son, who wrote himself king of Almaine and bare the arms, he came in good order to the battle; but when he saw that the matter went awry on their party, he departed, I cannot tell you which way. The king his father was so far forward that he strake a stroke with his sword, yea and more than four, and fought valiantly and so did his company; and they adventured themselves so forward, that they were there all slain, and the next day they were found in the place about the king, and all their horses tied each to other."

"The manner of his death gave rise to the obsolescent idiom, “to fight like King John of Bohemia”, meaning “to fight blindly”"

"Before he set off, he was reported to have said, “Let it never be the case that a Bohemian king runs from a fight.” His gesture was not entirely in vain. According to tradition, the King of England's son, the "Black Prince", was so impressed by this display of lunacy that he decided to adopt King John's personal crest of three white ostrich feathers and his motto "Ich Dien" (I serve) as his own. It is the Prince of Wales's motto to this day."