Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed
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Title: Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed
Contributor: Jean Froissart
Lord John Bourchier Berners
William Harrison
Sir Thomas Malory
Editor: William Caxton
G. C. Macaulay
Release date: October 8, 2004 [eBook #13674]
Most recently updated: October 28, 2024
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13674
Credits: Produced by The PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team. Produced
from images provided by the Million Book Project
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHRONICLE AND ROMANCE: FROISSART, MALORY, HOLINSHED ***
Produced by The PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team. Produced
from images provided by the Million Book Project
[Illustration: _The Battle of Poitiers
from the painting by H. Dupray
(See page 52)_]
THE HARVARD CLASSICS
EDITED BY CHARLES W. ELIOT, LLD
CHRONICLE AND ROMANCE
FROISSART--MALORY--HOLINSHED
WITH INTRODUCTIONS, NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS
"DR ELIOT'S FIVE FOOT SHELF OF BOOKS"
1910
BY P.F. COLLIER & SON
NEW YORK
CONTENTS
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART, TRANSLATED BY LORD BERNERS
EDITED BY G.C. MACAULAY
The Campaign of Crecy
The Battle of Poitiers
Wat Tyler's Rebellion
The Battle of Otterburn
THE HOLY GRAIL BY SIR THOMAS MALORY
FROM THE CAXTON EDITION OF THE MORTE D'ARTHUR
A DESCRIPTION OF ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
WRITTEN BY WILLIAM HARRISON FOR HOLINSHED'S CHRONICLES
CHAPTER
I. Of Degrees of People
II. Of Cities and Towns
III. Of Gardens and Orchards
IV. Of Fairs and Markets
V. Of the Church of England
VI. Of Food and Diet
VII. Of Apparel and Attire
VIII. Of Building and Furniture
IX. Of Provision for the Poor
X. Of Air, Soil, and Commodities
XI. Of Minerals and Metals
XII. Of Cattle Kept for Profit
XIII. Of Wild and Tame Fowls
XIV. Of Savage Beasts and Vermin
XV. Of Our English Dogs
XVI. Of the Navy of England
XVII. Of Kinds of Punishment
XVIII. Of Universities
THE CHRONICLES OF FROISSART
BY
JEAN FROISSART
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF MANY OF THE BATTLES OF THE HUNDRED YEAR'S
WAR BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.
_INTRODUCTORY NOTE_
Jean Froissart, _the most representative of the chroniclers of the
later Middle Ages, was born at Valenciennes in 1337. The Chronicle
which, more than his poetry, has kept his fame alive, was undertaken
when he was only twenty; the first book was written in its earliest
form by 1369; and he kept revising and enlarging the work to the end
of his life. In 1361 he went to England, entered the Church, and
attached himself to Queen Philippa of Hainault, the wife of Edward
III, who made him her secretary and clerk of her chapel. Much of his
life was spent in travel. He went to France with the Black Prince, and
to Italy with the Duke of Clarence. He saw fighting on the Scottish
border, visited Holland, Savoy, and Provence, returning at intervals
to Paris and London. He was Vicar of Estinnes-au-Mont, Canon of
Chimay, and chaplain to the Comte de Blois; but the Church to him was
rather a source of revenue than a religious calling. He finally
settled down in his native town, where he died about 1410.
Froissart's wandering life points to one of the most prominent of his
characteristics as a historian. Uncritical and often inconsistent
as he is, his mistakes are not due to partisanship, for he is
extraordinarily cosmopolitan. The Germans he dislikes as unchivalrous;
but though his life lay in the period of the Hundred Years' War
between England and France, and though he describes many of the events
of that war, he is as friendly to England as to France.
By birth Froissart belonged to the bourgeoisie, but his tastes and
associations made him an aristocrat. Glimpses of the sufferings which
the lower classes underwent in the wars of his time appear in his
pages, but they are given incidentally and without sympathy. His
interests are all in the somewhat degenerate chivalry of his age, in
the splendor of courts, the pomp and circumstance of war, in tourneys,
and in pageantry. Full of the love of adventure, he would travel
across half of Europe to see a gallant feat of arms, a coronation, a
royal marriage. Strength and courage and loyalty were the virtues he
loved; cowardice and petty greed he hated. Cruelty and injustice could
not dim for him the brilliance of the careers of those brigand lords
who were his friends and patrons.
The material for the earlier part of his Chronicles he took largely
from his predecessor and model, Jean Lebel; the later books are filled
with narratives of what he saw with his own eyes, or gathered from the
lips of men who had themselves been part of what they told. This fact,
along with his mastery of a style which is always vivacious if
sometimes diffuse, accounts for the vividness and picturesqueness of
his work. The pageant of medieval life in court and camp dazzled and
delighted him, and it is as a pageant that we see the Middle Ages in
his book.
Froissart holds a distinguished place among the poets as well as the
historians of his century. He wrote chiefly in the allegorical style
then in vogue; and his poems, though cast in a mold no longer in
fashion, are fresh and full of color, and were found worthy of
imitation by Geoffrey Chaucer.
But it is as the supreme chronicler of the later age of chivalry that
he lives. "God has been gracious enough" he writes, "to permit me to
visit the courts and palaces of kings, ... and all the nobles, kings,
dukes, counts, barons, and knights, belonging to all nations, have
been kind to me, have listened to me, willingly received me, and
proved very useful to me.... Wherever I went I enquired of old knights
and squires who had shared in deeds of arms, and could speak with
authority concerning them, and also spoke with heralds in order to
verify and corroborate all that was told me. In this way I gathered
noble facts for my history, and as long as I live, I shall, by the
grace of God, continue to do this, for the more I labour at this the
more pleasure I have, and I trust that the gentle knight who loves
arms will be nourished on such noble fare, and accomplish still more."_
THE CAMPAIGN OF CRECY
HOW THE KING OF ENGLAND CAME OVER THE SEA AGAIN, TO RESCUE THEM IN
AIGUILLON
The king of England, who had heard how his men were sore constrained
in the castle of Aiguillon, then he thought to go over the sea into
Gascoyne with a great army. There he made his provision and sent for
men all about his realm and in other places, where he thought to speed
for his money. In the same season the lord Godfrey of Harcourt came
into England, who was banished out of France: he was well received
with the king and retained to be about him, and had fair lands
assigned him in England to maintain his degree. Then the king caused a
great navy of ships to be ready in the haven of Hampton, and caused
all manner of men of war to draw thither. About the feast of Saint
John Baptist the year of our Lord God MCCCXLVI., the king departed
from the queen and left her in the guiding of the earl of Kent his
cousin; and he stablished the lord Percy and the lord Nevill to be
wardens of his realm with (the archbishop of Canterbury,) the
archbishop of York, the bishop of Lincoln and the bishop of Durham;
for he never voided his realm but that he left ever enough at home to
keep and defend the realm, if need were. Then the king rode to Hampton
and there tarried for wind: then he entered into his ship and the
prince of Wales with him, and the lord Godfrey of Harcourt, and all
other lords, earls, barons and knights, with all their companies. They
were in number a four thousand men of arms and ten thousand archers,
beside Irishmen and Welshmen that followed the host afoot.
Now I shall name you certain of the lords that went over with king
Edward in that journey. First, Edward his eldest son, prince of Wales,
who as then was of the age of thirteen years or thereabout,[1] the
earls of Hereford, Northampton, Arundel, Cornwall, Warwick,
Huntingdon, Suffolk, and Oxford; and of barons the lord Mortimer, who
was after earl of March, the lords John, Louis and Roger of Beauchamp,
and the lord Raynold Cobham; of lords the lord of Mowbray, Ros, Lucy,
Felton, Bradestan, Multon, Delaware, Manne,[2] Basset, Berkeley, and
Willoughby, with divers other lords; and of bachelors there was John
Chandos, Fitz-Warin, Peter and James Audley, Roger of Wetenhale,
Bartholomew of Burghersh, and Richard of Pembridge, with divers other
that I cannot name. Few there were of strangers: there was the earl
Hainault,[3] sir Wulfart of Ghistelles, and five or six other knights
of Almaine, and many other that I cannot name.
[1] He was in fact sixteen; born 15th June 1330.
[2] Probably 'Mohun'.
[3] The usual confusion between 'comté' and 'comte.' It means,
'of the county of Hainault there was sir Wulfart of Ghistelles,'
etc.
Thus they sailed forth that day in the name of God. They were well
onward on their way toward Gascoyne, but on the third day there rose a
contrary wind and drave them on the marches of Cornwall, and there
they lay at anchor six days. In that space the king had other counsel
by the means of sir Godfrey Harcourt: he counselled the king not to go
into Gascoyne, but rather to set aland in Normandy, and said to the
king: 'Sir, the country of Normandy is one of the plenteous countries
of the world: sir, on jeopardy of my head, if ye will land there,
there is none that shall resist you; the people of Normandy have not
been used to the war, and all the knights and squires of the country
are now at the siege before Aiguillon with the duke. And, sir, there
ye shall find great towns that be not walled, whereby your men shall
have such winning, that they shall be the better thereby twenty year
after; and, sir, ye may follow with your army till ye come to Caen in
Normandy: sir, I require you to believe me in this voyage,'
The king, who was as then but in the flower of his youth, desiring
nothing so much as to have deeds of arms, inclined greatly to the
saying of the lord Harcourt, whom he called cousin. Then he commanded
the mariners to set their course to Normandy, and he took into his
ship the token of the admiral the earl of Warwick, and said now he
would be admiral for that viage, and so sailed on before as governour
of that navy, and they had wind at will. Then the king arrived in the
isle of Cotentin, at a port called Hogue Saint-Vaast.[4]
[4] Saint-Vaast-de la Hogue.
Tidings anon spread abroad how the Englishmen were aland: the towns of
Cotentin sent word thereof to Paris to king Philip. He had well heard
before how the king of England was on the sea with a great army, but
he wist not what way he would draw, other into Normandy, Bretayne or
Gascoyne. As soon as he knew that the king of England was aland in
Normandy, he sent his constable the earl of Guines, and the earl of
Tancarville, who were but newly come to him from his son from the
siege at Alguillon, to the town of Caen, commanding them to keep that
town against the Englishmen. They said they would do their best: they
departed from Paris with a good number of men of war, and daily there
came more to them by the way, and so came to the town of Caen, where
they were received with great joy of men of the town and of the
country thereabout, that were drawn thither for surety. These lords
took heed for the provision of the town, the which as then was not
walled. The king thus was arrived at the port Hogue Saint-Vaast near
to Saint-Saviour the Viscount[5] the right heritage to the lord
Godfrey of Harcourt, who as then was there with the king of England.
[5] Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte.
HOW THE KING OF ENGLAND RODE IN THREE BATTLES THROUGH NORMANDY
When the king of England arrived in the Hogue Saint-Vaast, the king
issued out of his ship, and the first foot that he set on the ground,
he fell so rudely, that the blood brast out of his nose. The knights
that were about him took him up and said: 'Sir, for God's sake enter
again into your ship, and come not aland this day, for this is but an
evil sign for us.' Then the king answered quickly and said:
'Wherefore? This is a good token for me, for the land desireth to have
me.' Of the which answer all his men were right joyful. So that day
and night the king lodged on the sands, and in the meantime discharged
the ships of their horses and other baggages: there the king made two
marshals of his host, the one the lord Godfrey of Harcourt and the
other the earl of Warwick, and the earl of Arundel constable. And he
ordained that the earl of Huntingdon should keep the fleet of ships
with a hundred men of arms and four hundred archers: and also he
ordained three battles, one to go on his right hand, closing to the
sea-side, and the other on his left hand, and the king himself in the
midst, and every night to lodge all in one field.
Thus they set forth as they were ordained, and they that went by the
sea took all the ships that they found in their ways: and so long they
went forth, what by sea and what by land, that they came to a good
port and to a good town called Barfleur, the which incontinent was
won, for they within gave up for fear of death. Howbeit, for all that,
the town was robbed, and much gold and silver there found, and rich
jewels: there was found so much riches, that the boys and villains of
the host set nothing by good furred gowns: they made all the men of
the town to issue out and to go into the ships, because they would not
suffer them to be behind them for fear of rebelling again. After the
town of Barfleur was thus taken and robbed without brenning, then they
spread abroad in the country and did what they list, for there was not
to resist them. At last they came to a great and a rich town called
Cherbourg: the town they won and robbed it, and brent part thereof,
but into the castle they could not come, it was so strong and well
furnished with men of war. Then they passed forth and came to
Montebourg, and took it and robbed and brent it clean. In this manner
they brent many other towns in that country and won so much riches,
that it was marvel to reckon it. Then they came to a great town well
closed called Carentan, where there was also a strong castle and many
soldiers within to keep it. Then the lords came out of their ships and
fiercely made assault: the burgesses of the town were in great fear of
their lives, wives and children: they suffered the Englishmen to enter
into the town against the will of all the soldiers that were there;
they put all their goods to the Englishmen's pleasures, they thought
that most advantage. When the soldiers within saw that, they went into
the castle: the Englishmen went into the town, and two days together
they made sore assaults, so that when they within saw no succour, they
yielded up, their lives and goods saved, and so departed. The
Englishmen had their pleasure of that good town and castle, and when
they saw they might not maintain to keep it, they set fire therein and
brent it, and made the burgesses of the town to enter into their
ships, as they had done with them of Barfleur, Cherbourg and
Montebourg, and of other towns that they had won on the sea-side. All
this was done by the battle that went by the sea-side, and by them on
the sea together.[1]
[1] Froissart is mistaken in supposing that a division of the
land army went to these towns. Barfleur and Cherbourg were
visited only by the fleet. According to Michael of Northburgh,
who accompanied the expedition, Edward disembarked 12th July
and remained at Saint Vaast till the 18th, and meanwhile the
fleet went to Barfleur and Cherbourg. The army arrived at Caen
on the 26th.
Now let us speak of the king's battle. When he had sent his first
battle along by the sea-side, as ye have heard, whereof one of his
marshals, the earl of Warwick, was captain, and the lord Cobham with
him, then he made his other marshal to lead his host on his left hand,
for he knew the issues and entries of Normandy better than any other
did there. The lord Godfrey as marshal rode forth with five hundred
men of arms, and rode off from the king's battle as six or seven
leagues, in brenning and exiling the country, the which was plentiful
of everything--the granges full of corn, the houses full of all
riches, rich burgesses, carts and chariots, horse, swine, muttons and
other beasts: they took what them list and brought into the king's
host; but the soldiers made no count to the king nor to none of his
officers of the gold and silver that they did get; they kept that to
themselves. Thus sir Godfrey of Harcourt rode every day off from the
king's host, and for most part every night resorted to the king's
field. The king took his way to Saint-Lo in Cotentin, but or he came
there he lodged by a river, abiding for his men that rode along by the
sea-side; and when they were come, they set forth their carriage, and
the earl of Warwick, the earl of Suffolk, sir Thomas Holland and sir
Raynold Cobham, and their company rode out on the one side and wasted
and exiled the country, as the lord Harcourt had done; and the king
ever rode between these battles, and every night they lodged together.
OF THE GREAT ASSEMBLY THAT THE FRENCH KING MADE TO RESIST THE KING OF
ENGLAND
Thus by the Englishmen was brent, exiled, robbed, wasted and pilled
the good, plentiful country of Normandy. Then the French king sent for
the lord John of Hainault, who came to him with a great number: also
the king sent for other men of arms, dukes, earls, barons, knights and
squires, and assembled together the greatest number of people that had
been seen in France a hundred year before. He sent for men into so far
countries, that it was long or they came together, wherefore the king
of England did what him list in the mean season. The French king heard
well what he did, and sware and said how they should never return
again unfought withal, and that such hurts and damages as they had
done should be dearly revenged; wherefore he had sent letters to his
friends in the Empire, to such as were farthest off, and also to the
gentle king of Bohemia and to the lord Charles his son, who from
thenceforth was called king of Almaine; he was made king by the aid of
his father and the French king, and had taken on him the arms of the
Empire: the French king desired them to come to him with all their
powers, to the intent to fight with the king o£ England, who brent and
wasted his country. These princes and lords made them ready with great
number of men o£ arms, of Almains, Bohemians and Luxemburgers, and so
came to the French king. Also king Philip sent to the duke of
Lorraine, who came to serve him with three hundred spears: also there
came the earl (of) Salm in Saumois, the earl of Sarrebruck, the earl
of Flanders, the earl William of Namur, every man with a fair company.
Ye have heard herebefore of the order of the Englishmen, how they went
in three battles, the marshals on the right hand and on the left, the
king and the prince of Wales his son in the midst They rode but small
journeys and every day took their lodgings between noon and three of
the clock, and found the country so fruitful, that they needed not to
make no provision for their host, but all only for wine; and yet they
found reasonably sufficient thereof.[1] It was no marvel though they
of the country were afraid, for before that time they had never seen
men of war, nor they wist not what war or battle meant. They fled away
as far as they might hear speaking of the Englishmen,[2] and left
their houses well stuffed, and granges full of corn, they wist not how
to save and keep it. The king of England and the prince had in their
battle a three thousand men of arms and six thousand archers and a ten
thousand men afoot, beside them that rode with the marshals.
[1] Or rather, 'thus they found reasonably sufficient provisions.'
[2] That is, they fled as soon as they heard their coming spoken
of.
Thus as ye have heard, the king rode forth, wasting and brenning the
country without breaking of his order. He left the city of
Coutances[3] and went to a great town called Saint-Lo, a rich town of
drapery and many rich burgesses. In that town there were dwelling an
eight or nine score burgesses, crafty men. When the king came there,
he took his lodging without, for he would never lodge in the town for
fear of fire: but he sent his men before and anon the town was taken
and clean robbed. It was hard to think the great riches that there was
won, in clothes specially; cloth would there have been sold good
cheap, if there had been any buyers.
[3] That is, he did not turn aside to go to it. Froissart
says, 'He did not turn aside to the city of Coutances, but went
on toward the great town of Saint-Lo in Cotentin, which at that
time was very rich and of great merchandise and three times as
great as the city of Coutances.' Michael of Northburgh says that
Barfleur was about equal in importance to Sandwich and Carentan
to Leicester, Saint-Lo greater than Lincoln, and Caen greater
than any city in England except London.
Then the king went toward Caen, the which was a greater town and full
of drapery and other merchandise, and rich burgesses, noble ladies and
damosels, and fair churches, and specially two great and rich abbeys,
one of the Trinity, another of Saint Stephen; and on the one side of
the town one of the fairest castles of all Normandy, and captain
therein was Robert of Wargny, with three hundred Genoways, and in the
town was the earl of Eu and of Guines, constable of France, and the
earl of Tancarville, with a good number of men of war. The king of
England rode that day in good order and lodged all his battles
together that night, a two leagues from Caen, in a town with a little
haven called Austrehem, and thither came also all his navy of ships
with the earl of Huntingdon, who was governour of them.
The constable and other lords of France that night watched well the
town of Caen, and in the morning armed them with all them of the town:
then the constable ordained that none should issue out, but keep their
defences on the walls, gate, bridge and river, and left the suburbs
void, because they were not closed; for they thought they should have
enough to do to defend the town, because it was not closed but with
the river. They of the town said how they would issue out, for they
were strong enough to fight with the king of England. When the
constable saw their good wills, he said: 'In the name of God be it, ye
shall not fight without me,' Then they issued out in good order and
made good face to fight and to defend them and to put their lives in
adventure.
OF THE BATTLE OF CAEN, AND HOW THE ENGLISHMEN TOOK THE TOWN
The same day the Englishmen rose early and apparelled them ready to go
to Caen.[1] The king heard mass before the sun-rising and then took
his horse, and the prince his son, with sir Godfrey of Harcourt
marshal and leader of the host, whose counsel the king much followed.
Then they drew toward Caen with their battles in good array, and so
approached the good town of Caen. When they of the town, who were
ready in the field, saw these three battles coming in good order, with
their banners and standards waving in the wind, and the archers, the
which they had not been accustomed to see, they were sore afraid and
fled away toward the town without any order or good array, for all
that the constable could do: then the Englishmen pursued them eagerly.
When the constable and the earl Tancarville saw that, they took a gate
at the entry and saved themselves[2] and certain with them, for the
Englishmen were entered into the town. Some of the knights and squires
of France, such as knew the way to the castle, went thither, and the
captain there received them all, for the castle was large. The
Englishmen in the chase slew many, for they took none to mercy.
[1] This was 26th July. Edward arrived at Poissy on 12th August.
Philip of Valois left Paris on the 14th, the English crossed the
Seine at Poissy on the 16th, and the Somme at Blanche-taque on
the 24th.
[2] 'Set themselves for safety in a gate at the entry of the
bridge.'
Then the constable and the earl of Tancarville, being in the little
tower at the bridge foot, looked along the street and saw their men
slain without mercy: they doubted to fall in their hands. At last they
saw an English knight with one eye called sir Thomas Holland, and a
five or six other knights with him: they knew them, for they had seen
them before in Pruce, in Granade, and in other viages. Then they
called to sir Thomas and said how they would yield themselves
prisoners. Then sir Thomas came thither with his company and mounted
up into the gate, and there found the said lords with twenty-five
knights with them, who yielded them to sir Thomas, and he took them
for his prisoners and left company to keep them, and then mounted
again on his horse and rode into the streets, and saved many lives of
ladies, damosels, and cloisterers from defoiling, for the soldiers
were without mercy. It fell so well the same season for the
Englishmen, that the river, which was able to bear ships, at that time
was so low, that men went in and out beside the bridge. They of the
town were entered into their houses, and cast down into the street
stones, timber and iron, and slew and hurt more than five hundred
Englishmen, wherewith the king was sore displeased. At night when he
heard thereof, he commanded that the next day all should be put to the
sword and the town brent; but then sir Godfrey of Harcourt said: 'Dear
sir, for God's sake assuage somewhat your courage, and let it suffice
you that ye have done. Ye have yet a great voyage to do or ye come
before Calais, whither ye purpose to go; and, sir, in this town there
is much people who will defend their houses, and it will cost many of
your men their lives, or ye have all at your will; whereby
peradventure ye shall not keep your purpose to Calais, the which
should redound to your rack. Sir, save your people, for ye shall have
need of them or this month pass; for I think verily your adversary
king Philip will meet with you to fight, and ye shall find many
straight passages and rencounters; wherefore your men, an ye had more,
shall stand you in good stead: and, sir, without any further slaying
ye shall be lord of this town; men and women will put all that they
have to your pleasure.' Then the king said: 'Sir Godfrey, you are our
marshal, ordain everything as ye will.' Then sir Godfrey with his
banner rode from street to street, and commanded in the king's name
none to be so hardy to put fire in any house, to slay any person, nor
to violate any woman. When they of the town heard that cry, they
received the Englishmen into their houses and made them good cheer,
and some opened their coffers and bade them take what them list, so
they might be assured of their lives; howbeit there were done in the
town many evil deeds, murders and robberies. Thus the Englishmen were
lords of the town three days and won great riches, the which they sent
by barks and barges to Saint-Saviour by the river of Austrehem,[3] a
two leagues thence, whereas all their navy lay. Then the king sent the
earl of Huntingdon with two hundred men of arms and four hundred
archers, with his navy and prisoners and riches that they had got,
back again into England. And the king bought of sir Thomas Holland the
constable of France and the earl of Tancarville, and paid for them
twenty thousand nobles.
[3] Froissart says that they sent their booty in barges and
boats 'on the river as far as Austrehem, a two leagues from
thence, where their great navy lay.' He makes no mention of
Saint-Sauveur here. The river in question is the Orne, at the
mouth of which Austrehem is situated.
HOW SIR GODFREY OF HARCOURT FOUGHT WITH THEM OF AMIENS BEFORE PARIS
Thus the king of England ordered his business, being in the town of
Caen, and sent into England his navy of ships charged with clothes,
jewels, vessels of gold and silver, and of other riches, and of
prisoners more than sixty knights and three hundred burgesses. Then he
departed from the town of Caen and rode in the same order as he did
before, brenning and exiling the country, and took the way to Evreux
and so passed by it; and from thence they rode to a great town called
Louviers: it was the chief town of all Normandy of drapery, riches,
and full of merchandise. The Englishmen soon entered therein, for as
then it was not closed; it was overrun, spoiled and robbed without
mercy: there was won great riches. Then they entered into the country
of Evreux and brent and pilled all the country except the good towns
closed and castles, to the which the king made none assault, because
of the sparing of his people and his artillery.
On the river of Seine near to Rouen there was the earl of Harcourt,
brother to sir Godfrey of Harcourt, but he was on the French party,
and the earl of Dreux with him, with a good number of men of war: but
the Englishmen left Rouen and went to Gisors, where was a strong
castle: they brent the town and then they brent Vernon and all the
country about Rouen and Pont-de-l'Arche and came to Mantes and to
Meulan, and wasted all the country about, and passed by the strong
castle of Rolleboise; and in every place along the river of Seine they
found the bridges broken. At last they came to Poissy, and found the
bridge broken, but the arches and joists lay in the river: the king
lay there a five days: in the mean season the bridge was made, to pass
the host without peril. The English marshals ran abroad just to Paris,
and brent Saint-Germain in Laye and Montjoie, and Saint-Cloud, and
petty Boulogne by Paris, and the Queen's Bourg:[1] they of Paris were
not well assured of themselves, for it was not as then closed.
[1] Bourg-la-Reine.
Then king Philip removed to Saint-Denis, and or he went caused all the
pentices in Paris to be pulled down; and at Saint-Denis were ready
come the king of Bohemia, the lord John of Hainault, the duke of
Lorraine, the earl of Flanders, the earl of Blois, and many other
great lords and knights, ready to serve the French king. When the
people of Paris saw their king depart, they came to him and kneeled
down and said: 'Ah, sir and noble king, what will ye do? leave thus
this noble city of Paris?' The king said: 'My good people, doubt ye
not: the Englishmen will approach you no nearer than they be.' 'Why
so, sir?' quoth they; 'they be within these two leagues, and as soon
as they know of your departing, they will come and assail us; and we
not able to defend them: sir, tarry here still and help to defend your
good city of Paris.' 'Speak no more,' quoth the king, 'for I will go
to Saint-Denis to my men of war: for I will encounter the Englishmen
and fight against them, whatsoever fall thereof.'
The king of England was at Poissy, and lay in the nunnery there, and
kept there the feast of our Lady in August and sat in his robes of
scarlet furred with ermines; and after that feast he went forth in
order as they were before. The lord Godfrey of Harcourt rode out on
the one side with five hundred men of arms and thirteen[2] hundred
archers; and by adventure he encountered a great number of burgesses
of Amiens a-horseback, who were riding by the king's commandment to
Paris. They were quickly assailed and they defended themselves
valiantly, for they were a great number and well armed: there were
four knights of Amiens their captains. This skirmish dured long: at
the first meeting many were overthrown on both parts; but finally the
burgesses were taken and nigh all slain, and the Englishmen took all
their carriages and harness. They were well stuffed, for they were
going to the French king well appointed, because they had not seen him
a great season before. There were slain in the field a twelve hundred.
[2] A better reading is 'twelve.'
Then the king of England entered into the country of Beauvoisis,
brenning and exiling the plain country, and lodged at a fair abbey and
a rich called Saint-Messien[3] near to Beauvais: there the king
tarried a night and in the morning departed. And when he was on his
way he looked behind him and saw the abbey a-fire: he caused
incontinent twenty of them to be hanged that set the fire there, for
he had commanded before on pain of death none to violate any church
nor to bren any abbey. Then the king passed by the city of Beauvais
without any assault giving, for because he would not trouble his
people nor waste his artillery. And so that day he took his lodging
betime in a little town called Milly. The two marshals came so near to
Beauvais, that they made assault and skirmish at the barriers in three
places, the which assault endured a long space; but the town within
was so well defended by the means of the bishop, who was there within,
that finally the Englishmen departed, and brent clean hard to the
gates all the suburbs, and then at night they came into the king's
field.
[3] Commonly called Saint-Lucien, but Saint Maximianus (Messien)
is also associated with the place.
The next day the king departed, brenning and wasting all before him,
and at night lodged in a good village called Grandvilliers. The next
day the king passed by Dargies: there was none to defend the castle,
wherefore it was soon taken and brent. Then they went forth destroying
the country all about, and so came to the castle of Poix, where there
was a good town and two castles. There was nobody in them but two fair
damosels, daughters to the lord of Poix; they were soon taken, and had
been violated, an two English knights had not been, sir John Chandos
and sir Basset; they defended them and brought them to the king, who
for his honour made them good cheer and demanded of them whither they
would fainest go. They said, 'To Corbie,' and the king caused them to
be brought thither without peril. That night the king lodged in the
town of Poix. They of the town and of the castles spake that night
with the marshals of the host, to save them and their town from
brenning, and they to pay a certain sum of florins the next day as
soon as the host was departed. This was granted them, and in the
morning the king departed with all his host except a certain that were
left there to receive the money that they of the town had promised to
pay. When they of the town saw the host depart and but a few left
behind, then they said they would pay never a penny, and so ran out
and set on the Englishmen, who defended themselves as well as they
might and sent after the host for succour. When sir Raynold Cobham and
sir Thomas Holland, who had the rule of the rearguard, heard thereof,
they returned and cried, 'Treason, treason!' and so came again to
Poix-ward and found their companions still fighting with them of the
town. Then anon they of the town were nigh all slain, and the town
brent, and the two castles beaten down. Then they returned to the
king's host, who was as then at Airaines and there lodged, and had
commanded all manner of men on pain of death to do no hurt to no town
of Arsyn,[4] for there the king was minded to lie a day or two to take
advice how he might pass the river of Somme; for it was necessary for
him to pass the river, as ye shall hear after.
[4] A mistranslation. The original is '(Il avoit) deffendu sus
le hart que nuls ne fourfesist rien à le ville d'arsin ne d'autre
cose,' 'he had commanded all on pain of hanging to do no hurt to
the town by burning or otherwise.' The translator has taken
'arsin' for a proper name.
HOW THE FRENCH KING FOLLOWED THE KING OF ENGLAND IN BEAUVOISINOIS
Now let us speak of King Philip, who was at Sant-Denis and his people
about him, and daily increased. Then on a day he departed and rode so
long that he came to Coppegueule, a three leagues from Amiens, and
there he tarried. The king of England being at Airaines wist not where
for to pass the river of Somme, the which was large and deep, and all
bridges were broken and the passages well kept. Then at the king's
commandment his two marshals with a thousand men of arms and two
thousand archers went along the river to find some passage, and passed
by Longpré, and came to the bridge of Remy,[1] the which was well kept
with a great number of knights and squires and men of the country. The
Englishmen alighted afoot and assailed the Frenchmen from the morning
till it was noon; but the bridge was so well fortified and defended,
that the Englishmen departed without winning of anything. Then they
went to a great town called Fountains on the river of Somme, the which
was clean robbed and brent, for it was not closed. Then they went to
another town called Long-en-Ponthieu; they could not win the bridge,
it was so well kept and defended. Then they departed and went to
Picquigny, and found the town, the bridge, and the castle so well
fortified, that it was not likely to pass there: the French king had
so well defended the passages, to the intent that the king of England
should not pass the river of Somme, to fight with him at his advantage
or else to famish him there.
[1] Pont-à-Remy, corrupted here into 'bridge of Athyne.'
When these two marshals had assayed in all places to find passage and
could find none, they returned again to the king, and shewed how they
could find no passage in no place. The same night the French king came
to Amiens with more than a hundred thousand men. The king of England
was right pensive, and the next morning heard mass before the
sun-rising and then dislodged; and every man followed the marshals'
banners and so rode in the country of Vimeu approaching to the good
town of Abbeville, and found a town thereby, whereunto was come much
people of the country in trust of a little defence that was there; but
the Englishmen anon won it; and all they that were within slain, and
many taken of the town and of the country. The king took his lodging
in a great hospital[2] that was there. The same day the French king
departed from Amiens and came to Airaines about noon; and the
Englishmen were departed thence in the morning. The Frenchmen found
there great provision that the Englishmen had left behind them,
because they departed in haste. There they found flesh ready on the
broaches, bread and pasties in the ovens, wine in tuns and barrels,
and the tables ready laid. There the French king lodged and tarried
for his lords.
[2] That is, a house of the knights of Saint John.
That night the king of England was lodged at Olsemont. At night when
the two marshals were returned, who had that day overrun the country
to the gates of Abbeville and to Saint-Valery and made a great
skirmish there, then the king assembled together his council and made
to be brought before him certain prisoners of the country of Ponthieu
and of Vimeu. The king right courteously demanded of them, if there
were any among them that knew any passage beneath Abbeville, that he
and his host might pass over the river of Somme: if he would shew him
thereof, he should be quit of his ransom, and twenty of his company
for his love. There was a varlet called Gobin Agace who stepped forth
and said to the king: 'Sir, I promise you on the jeopardy of my head I
shall bring you to such a place, whereas ye and all your host shall
pass the river of Somme without peril. There be certain places in the
passage that ye shall pass twelve men afront two times between day and
night: ye shall not go in the water to the knees. But when the flood
cometh, the river then waxeth so great, that no man can pass; but when
the flood is gone, the which is two times between day and night, then
the river is so low, that it may be passed without danger both
a-horseback and afoot. The passage is hard in the bottom with white
stones, so that all your carriage may go surely; therefore the passage
is called Blanche-taque. An ye make ready to depart betimes, ye may be
there by the sun-rising.' The king said: 'If this be true that ye say,
I quit thee thy ransom and all thy company, and moreover shall give
thee a hundred nobles.' Then the king commanded every man to be ready
at the sound of the trumpet to depart.
OF THE BATTLE OF BLANCHE-TAQUE BETWEEN THE KING OF ENGLAND AND SIR
GODEMAR DU FAY
The king of England slept not much that night, for at midnight he
arose and sowned his trumpet: then incontinent they made ready
carriages and all things, and at the breaking of the day they departed
from the town of Oisemont and rode after the guiding of Gobin Agace,
so that they came by the sun-rising to Blanche-taque; but as then the
flood was up, so that they might not pass: so the king tarried there
till it was prime; then the ebb came.
The French king had his currours in the country, who brought him word
of the demeanour of the Englishmen. Then he thought to close the king
of England between Abbeville and the river of Somme, and so to fight
with him at his pleasure. And when he was at Amiens he had ordained a
great baron of Normandy, called sir Godemar du Fay, to go and keep the
passage of Blanche-taque, where the Englishmen must pass or else in
none other place. He had with him a thousand men of arms and six
thousand afoot, with the Genoways: so they went by Saint-Riquier in
Ponthieu and from thence to Crotoy, whereas the passage lay; and also
he had with him a great number of men of the country, and also a great
number of them of Montreuil, so that they were a twelve thousand men
one and other.
When the English host was come thither, sir Godemar du Fay arranged
all his company to defend the passage. The king of England let not for
all that; but when the flood was gone, he commanded his marshals to
enter into the water in the name of God and Saint George. Then they
that were hardy and courageous entered on both parties, and many a man
reversed. There were some of the Frenchmen of Artois and Picardy that
were as glad to joust in the water as on the dry land.
The Frenchmen defended so well the passage at the issuing out of the
water, that they had much to do. The Genoways did them great trouble
with their cross-bows: on the other side the archers of England shot
so wholly together, that the Frenchmen were fain to give place to the
Englishmen. There was a sore battle, and many a noble feat of arms
done on both sides. Finally the Englishmen passed over and assembled
together in the field. The king and the prince passed, and all the
lords; then the Frenchmen kept none array, but departed, he that might
best. When sir Godemar saw that discomfiture, he fled and saved
himself: some fled to Abbeville and some to Saint-Riquiers. They that
were there afoot could not flee, so that there were slain a great
number of them of Abbeville, Montreuil, Rue and of Saint-Riquiers: the
chase endured more than a great league. And as yet all the Englishmen
were not passed the river, and certain currours of the king of Bohemia
and of sir John of Hainault came on them that were behind and took
certain horses and carriages and slew divers, or they could take the
passage.
The French king the same morning was departed from Airaines, trusting
to have found the Englishmen between him and the river of Somme: but
when he heard how that sir Godemar du Fay and his company were
discomfited, he tarried in the field and demanded of his marshals what
was best to do. They said, 'Sir, ye cannot pass the river but at the
bridge of Abbeville, for the flood is come in at Blanche-taque': then
he returned and lodged at Abbeville.
The king of England when he was past the river, he thanked God and so
rode forth in like manner as he did before. Then he called Gobin Agace
and did quit him his ransom and all his company, and gave him a
hundred nobles and a good horse. And so the king rode forth fair and
easily, and thought to have lodged in a great town called Noyelles;
but when he knew that the town pertained to the countess d'Aumale,
sister to the lord Robert of Artois,[1] the king assured the town and
country as much as pertained to her, and so went forth; and his
marshals rode to Crotoy on the sea-side and brent the town, and found
in the haven many ships and barks charged with wines of Poitou,
pertaining to the merchants of Saintonge and of Rochelle: they brought
the best thereof to the king's host. Then one of the marshals rode to
the gates of Abbeville and from thence to Saint-Riquiers, and after to
the town of Rue-Saint-Esprit. This was on a Friday, and both battles
of the marshals returned to the king's host about noon and so lodged
all together near to Cressy in Ponthieu.
[1] She was in fact his daughter.
The king of England was well informed how the French king followed
after him to fight. Then he said to his company: 'Let us take here
some plot of ground, for we will go no farther till we have seen our
enemies. I have good cause here to abide them, for I am on the right
heritage of the queen my mother, the which land was given at her
marriage: I will challenge it of mine adversary Philip of Valois.' And
because that he had not the eighth part in number of men as the French
king had, therefore he commanded his marshals to chose a plot of
ground somewhat for his advantage: and so they did, and thither the
king and his host went. Then he sent his currours to Abbeville, to see
if the French king drew that day into the field or not. They went
forth and returned again, and said how they could see none appearance
of his coming: then every man took their lodging for that day, and to
be ready in the morning at the sound of the trumpet in the same place.
This Friday the French king tarried still in Abbeville abiding for his
company, and sent his two marshals to ride out to see the dealing of
the Englishmen, and at night they returned, and said how the
Englishmen were lodged in the fields. That night the French king made
a supper to all the chief lords that were there with him, and after
supper the king desired them to be friends each to other. The king
looked for the earl of Savoy, who should come to him with a thousand
spears, for he had received wages for a three months of them at Troyes
in Champagne.
OF THE ORDER OF THE ENGLISHMEN AT CRESSY, HOW THEY MADE THREE BATTLES
AFOOT
On the Friday, as I said before, the king of England lay in the
fields, for the country was plentiful of wines and other victual, and
if need had been, they had provision following in carts and other
carriages. That night the king made a supper to all his chief lords of
his host and made them good cheer; and when they were all departed to
take their rest, then the king entered into his oratory and kneeled
down before the altar, praying God devoutly, that if he fought the
next day, that he might achieve the journey to his honour: then about
midnight he laid him down to rest, and in the morning he rose betimes
and heard mass, and the prince his son with him, and the most part of
his company were confessed and houselled; and after the mass said, he
commanded every man to be armed and to draw to the field to the same
place before appointed. Then the king caused a park to be made by the
wood side behind his host, and there was set all carts and carriages,
and within the park were all their horses, for every man was afoot;
and into this park there was but one entry. Then he ordained three
battles: in the first was the young prince of Wales, with him the earl
of Warwick and Oxford, the lord Godfrey of Harcourt, sir Raynold
Cobham, sir Thomas Holland, the lord Stafford, the lord of Mohun, the
lord Delaware, sir John Chandos, sir Bartholomew de Burghersh, sir
Robert Nevill, the lord Thomas Clifford, the lord Bourchier, the lord
de Latimer, and divers other knights and squires that I cannot name:
they were an eight hundred men of arms and two thousand archers, and a
thousand of other with the Welshmen: every lord drew to the field
appointed under his own banner and pennon. In the second battle was
the earl of Northampton, the earl of Arundel, the lord Ros, the lord
Lucy, the lord Willoughby, the lord Basset, the lord of Saint-Aubin,
sir Louis Tufton, the lord of Multon, the lord Lascelles and divers
other, about an eight hundred men of arms and twelve hundred archers.
The third battle had the king: he had seven hundred men of arms and
two thousand archers. Then the king leapt on a hobby,[1] with a white
rod in his hand, one of his marshals on the one hand and the other on
the other hand: he rode from rank to rank desiring every man to take
heed that day to his right and honour. He spake it so sweetly and with
so good countenance and merry cheer, that all such as were discomfited
took courage in the seeing and hearing of him. And when he had thus
visited all his battles, it was then nine of the day: then he caused
every man to eat and drink a little, and so they did at their leisure.
And afterward they ordered again their battles: then every man lay
down on the earth and by him his salet and bow, to be the more fresher
when their enemies should come.
[1] 'Un petit palefroi.'
THE ORDER OF THE FRENCHMEN AT CRESSY, AND HOW THEY BEHELD THE
DEMEANOUR OF THE ENGLISHMEN
This Saturday the French king rose betimes and heard mass in Abbeville
in his lodging in the abbey of Saint Peter, and he departed after the
sun-rising. When he was out of the town two leagues, approaching
toward his enemies, some of his lords said to him: 'Sir, it were good
that ye ordered your battles, and let all your footmen pass somewhat
on before, that they be not troubled with the horsemen.' Then the king
sent four knights, the Moine (of) Bazeilles, the lord of Noyers, the
lord of Beaujeu and the lord d'Aubigny to ride to aview the English
host; and so they rode so near that they might well see part of their
dealing. The Englishmen saw them well and knew well how they were come
thither to aview them: they let them alone and made no countenance
toward them, and let them return as they came. And when the French
king saw these four knights return again, he tarried till they came to
him and said: 'Sirs, what tidings?' These four knights each of them
looked on other, for there was none would speak before his companion;
finally the king said to (the) Moine, who pertained to the king of
Bohemia and had done in his days so much, that he was reputed for one
of the valiantest knights of the world: 'Sir, speak you,' Then he
said: 'Sir, I shall speak, sith it pleaseth you, under the correction
of my fellows. Sir, we have ridden and seen the behaving of your
enemies: know ye for truth they are rested in three battles abiding
for you. Sir, I will counsel you as for my part, saving your
displeasure, that you and all your company rest here and lodge for
this night: for or they that be behind of your company be come hither,
and or your battles be set in good order, it will be very late, and
your people be weary and out of array, and ye shall find your enemies
fresh and ready to receive you. Early in the morning ye may order your
battles at more leisure and advise your enemies at more deliberation,
and to regard well what way ye will assail them; for, sir, surely they
will abide you.'
Then the king commanded that it should be so done. Then his two
marshals one rode before, another behind, saying to every banner:
'Tarry and abide here in the name of God and Saint Denis.' They that
were foremost tarried, but they that were behind would not tarry, but
rode forth, and said how they would in no wise abide till they were as
far forward as the foremost: and when they before saw them come on
behind, then they rode forward again, so that the king nor his
marshals could not rule them. So they rode without order or good
array, till they came in sight of their enemies: and as soon as the
foremost saw them, they reculed then aback without good array, whereof
they behind had marvel and were abashed, and thought that the foremost
company had been fighting. Then they might have had leisure and room
to have gone forward, if they had list: some went forth and some abode
still. The commons, of whom all the ways between Abbeville and Cressy
were full, when they saw that they were near to their enemies, they
took their swords and cried: 'Down with them! let us slay them all.'
There is no man, though he were present at the journey, that could
imagine or shew the truth of the evil order that was among the French
party, and yet they were a marvellous great number. That I write in
this book I learned it specially of the Englishmen, who well beheld
their dealing; and also certain knights of sir John of Hainault's, who
was always about king Philip, shewed me as they knew.
OF THE BATTLE OF CRESSY BETWEEN THE KING OF ENGLAND AND THE FRENCH
KING
The Englishmen, who were in three battles lying on the ground to rest
them, as soon as they saw the Frenchmen approach, they rose upon their
feet fair and easily without any haste and arranged their battles. The
first, which was the prince's battle, the archers there stood in
manner of a herse and the men of arms in the bottom of the battle. The
earl of Northampton and the earl of Arundel with the second battle
were on a wing in good order, ready to comfort the prince's battle, if
need were.
The lords and knights of France came not to the assembly together in
good order, for some came before and some came after in such haste and
evil order, that one of them did trouble another. When the French king
saw the Englishmen, his blood changed, and said to his marshals: 'Make
the Genoways go on before and begin the battle in the name of God and
Saint Denis.' There were of the Genoways cross-bows about a fifteen
thousand,[1] but they were so weary of going afoot that day a six
leagues armed with their cross-bows, that they said to their
constables: 'We be not well ordered to fight this day, for we be not
in the case to do any great deed of arms: we have more need of rest.'
These words came to the earl of Alengon, who said: 'A man is well at
ease to be charged with such a sort of rascals, to be faint and fail
now at most need.' Also the same season there fell a great rain and a
clipse[2] with a terrible thunder, and before the rain there came
flying over both battles a great number of crows for fear of the
tempest coming. Then anon the air began to wax clear, and the sun to
shine fair and bright, the which was right in the Frenchmen's eyen and
on the Englishmen's backs. When the Genoways were assembled together
and began to approach, they made a great leap[3] and cry to abash the
Englishmen, but they stood still and stirred not for all that: then
the Genoways again the second time made another leap and a fell cry,
and stept forward a little, and the Englishmen removed not one foot:
thirdly, again they leapt and cried, and went forth till they came
within shot; then they shot fiercely with their cross-bows. Then the
English archers stept forth one pace and let fly their arrows so
wholly (together) and so thick, that it seemed snow. When the Genoways
felt the arrows piercing through heads, arms and breasts, many of them
cast down their cross-bows and did cut their strings and returned
discomfited. When the French king saw them fly away, he said: 'Slay
these rascals, for they shall let and trouble us without reason.' Then
ye should have seen the men of arms dash in among them and killed a
great number of them: and ever still the Englishmen shot whereas they
saw thickest press; the sharp arrows ran into the men of arms and into
their horses, and many fell, horse and men, among the Genoways, and
when they were down, they could not relieve[4] again, the press was so
thick that one overthrew another. And also among the Englishmen there
were certain rascals that went afoot with great knives, and they went
in among the men of arms, and slew and murdered many as they lay on
the ground, both earls, barons, knights and squires, whereof the king
of England was after displeased, for he had rather they had been taken
prisoners.
[1] Villani, a very good authority on the subject, says 6000,
brought from the ships at Harfleur.
[2] A mistranslation of 'une esclistre,' 'a flash of lightning.'
[3] These 'leaps' of the Genoese are invented by the translator,
and have passed from him into several respectable English
text-books, sometimes in company with the eclipse above
mentioned. Froissart says 'Il commencièrent à juper moult
epouvantablement'; that is, 'to utter cries.' Another text makes
mention of the English cannons at this point: 'The English
remained still and let off some cannons that they had, to
frighten the Genoese.'
[4] The translator's word 'relieve' (relyuue) represents
'relever,' for 'se relever.'
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 earl of Alençon came to the battle right ordinately and fought
with the Englishmen, and the earl of Flanders also on his part. These
two lords with their companies coasted the English archers and came to
the prince's battle, and there fought valiantly long. The French king
would fain have come thither, when he saw their banners, but there was
a great hedge of archers before him. The same day the French king had
given a great black courser to sir John of Hainault, and he made the
lord Tierry of Senzeille to ride on him and to bear his banner. The
same horse took the bridle in the teeth and brought him through all
the currours of the Englishmen, and as he would have returned again,
he fell in a great dike and was sore hurt, and had been there dead, an
his page had not been, who followed him through all the battles and
saw where his master lay in the dike, and had none other let but for
his horse, for the Englishmen would not issue out of their battle for
taking of any prisoner. Then the page alighted and relieved his
master: then he went not back again the same way that they came, there
was too many in his way.
This battle between Broye and Cressy this Saturday was right cruel and
fell, and many a feat of arms done that came not to my knowledge. In
the night[5] divers knights and squires lost their masters, and
sometime came on the Englishmen, who received them in such wise that
they were ever nigh slain; for there was none taken to mercy nor to
ransom, for so the Englishmen were determined.
[5] 'Sus le nuit,' 'towards nightfall.'
In the morning[6] the day of the battle certain Frenchmen and Almains
perforce opened the archers of the prince's battle and came and fought
with the men of arms hand to hand. Then the second battle of the
Englishmen came to succour the prince's battle, the which was time,
for they had as then much ado; and they with the prince sent a
messenger to the king, who was on a little windmill hill. Then the
knight said to the king: 'Sir, the earl of Warwick and the earl of
Oxford, sir Raynold Cobham and other, such as be about the prince your
son, are fiercely fought withal and are sore handled; wherefore they
desire you that you and your battle will come and aid them; for if the
Frenchmen increase, as they doubt they will, your son and they shall
have much ado.' Then the king said: 'Is my son dead or hurt or on the
earth felled?' 'No, sir,' quoth the knight, 'but he is hardly matched;
wherefore he hath need of your aid.' 'Well,' said the king, 'return to
him and to them that sent you hither, and say to them that they send
no more to me for any adventure that falleth, as long as my son is
alive: and also say to them that they suffer him this day to win his
spurs;[7] for if God be pleased, I will this journey be his and the
honour thereof, and to them that be about him.' Then the knight
returned again to them and shewed the king's words, the which greatly
encouraged them, and repoined[8] in that they had sent to the king as
they did.
[6] The text has suffered by omissions. What Froissart says is
that if the battle had begun in the morning, it might have gone
better for the French, and then he instances the exploits of
those who broke through the archers. The battle did not begin
till four o'clock in the afternoon.
[7] 'Que il laissent à l'enfant gaegnier ses esperons.'
[8] i.e. 'they repoined': Fr. 'se reprisent.'
Sir Godfrey of Harcourt would gladly that the earl of Harcourt his
brother might have been saved; for he heard say by them that saw his
banner how that he was there in the field on the French party: but sir
Godfrey could not come to him betimes, for he was slain or he could
come at him, and so was also the earl of Aumale his nephew. In another
place the earl of Alençon and the earl of Flanders fought valiantly,
every lord under his own banner; but finally they could not resist
against the puissance of the Englishmen, and so there they were also
slain, and divers other knights and squires. Also the earl Louis of
Blois, nephew to the French king, and the duke of Lorraine fought
under their banners, but at last they were closed in among a company
of Englishmen and Welshmen, and there were slain for all their
prowess. Also there was slain the earl of Auxerre, the earl of
Saint-Pol and many other.
In the evening the French king, who had left about him no more than a
three-score persons, one and other, whereof sir John of Hainault was
one, who had remounted once the king, for his horse was slain with an
arrow, then he said to the king: 'Sir, depart hence, for it is time;
lose not yourself wilfully: if ye have loss at this time, ye shall
recover it again another season.' And so he took the king's horse by
the bridle and led him away in a manner perforce. Then the king rode
till he came to the castle of Broye. The gate was closed, because it
was by that time dark: then the king called the captain, who came to
the walls and said: 'Who is that calleth there this time of night?'
Then the king said: 'Open your gate quickly, for this is the fortune
of France.'[9] The captain knew then it was the king, and opened the
gate and let down the bridge. Then the king entered, and he had with
him but five barons, sir John of Hainault, sir Charles of Montmorency,
the lord of Beaujeu, the lord d'Aubigny and the lord of Montsault. The
king would not tarry there, but drank and departed thence about
midnight, and so rode by such guides as knew the country till he came
in the morning to Amiens, and there he rested.
[9] 'C'est la fortune de France': but the better MSS. have
'c'est li infortunés rois de France.'
This Saturday the Englishmen never departed from their battles for
chasing of any man, but kept still their field, and ever defended
themselves against all such as came to assail them. This battle ended
about evensong time.
HOW THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE BATTLE THE ENGLISHMEN DISCOMFITED DIVERS
FRENCHMEN
On this Saturday, when the night was come and that the Englishmen
heard no more noise of the Frenchmen, then they reputed themselves to
have the victory, and the Frenchmen to be discomfited, slain and fled
away. Then they made great fires and lighted up torches and candles,
because it was very dark. Then the king avaled down from the little
hill whereas he stood; and of all that day till then his helm came
never on his head. Then he went with all his battle to his son the
prince and embraced him in his arms and kissed him, and said: 'Fair
son, God give you good perseverance; ye are my good son, thus ye have
acquitted you nobly: ye are worthy to keep a realm.' The prince
inclined himself to the earth, honouring the king his father.
This night they thanked God for their good adventure and made no boast
thereof, for the king would that no man should be proud or make boast,
but every man humbly to thank God. On the Sunday in the morning there
was such a mist, that a man might not see the breadth of an acre of
land from him. Then there departed from the host by the commandment of
the king and marshals five hundred spears and two thousand archers, to
see if they might see any Frenchmen gathered again together in any
place. The same morning out of Abbeville and Saint-Riquiers in
Ponthieu the commons of Rouen and of Beauvais issued out of their
towns, not knowing of the discomfiture of the day before. They met
with the Englishmen weening they had been Frenchmen, and when the
Englishmen saw them, they set on them freshly, and there was a sore
battle; but at last the Frenchmen fled and kept none array. There were
slain in the ways and in hedges and bushes more than seven thousand,
and if the day had been clear there had never a one escaped. Anon
after, another company of Frenchmen were met by the Englishmen, the
archbishop of Rouen and the great prior of France, who also knew
nothing of the discomfiture the day before, for they heard that the
French king should have fought the same Sunday, and they were going
thitherward. When they met with the Englishmen, there was a great
battle, for they were a great number, but they could not endure
against the Englishmen; for they were nigh all slain, few escaped; the
two lords were slain. This morning the Englishmen met with divers
Frenchmen that had lost their way on the Saturday and had lain all
night in the fields, and wist not where the king was nor the captains.
They were all slain, as many as were met with; and it was shewed me
that of the commons and men afoot of the cities and good towns of
France there was slain four times as many as were slain the Saturday
in the great battle.
HOW THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE BATTLE OF CRESSY THEY THAT WERE DEAD WERE
NUMBERED BY THE ENGLISHMEN
The same Sunday, as the king of England came from mass, such as had
been sent forth returned and shewed the king what they had seen and
done, and said: 'Sir, we think surely there is now no more appearance
of any of our enemies.' Then the king sent to search how many were
slain and what they were. Sir Raynold Cobham and Sir Richard Stafford
with three heralds went to search the field and country: they visited
all them that were slain and rode all day in the fields, and returned
again to the host as the king was going to supper. They made just
report of that they had seen, and said how there were eleven great
princes dead, fourscore banners, twelve hundred knights, and more than
thirty thousand other.[1] The Englishmen kept still their field all
that night: on the Monday in the morning the king prepared to depart:
the king caused the dead bodies of the great lords to be taken up and
conveyed to Montreuil, and there buried in holy ground, and made a cry
in the country to grant truce for three days, to the intent that they
of the country might search the field of Cressy to bury the dead
bodies.
[1] Another text makes the loss of persons below the rank of
knight 15,000 or 16,000, including the men of the towns. Both
estimates must be greatly exaggerated. Michael of Northburgh says
that 1542 were killed in the battle and about 2000 on the next
day. The great princes killed were the king of Bohemia, the duke
of Lorraine, the earls of Alençon, Flanders, Blois, Auxerre,
Harcourt, Saint-Pol, Aumale, the grand prior of France and the
archbishop of Rouen.
Then the king went forth and came before the town of
Montreuil-by-the-sea, and his marshals ran toward Hesdin and Brent
Waben and Serain, but they did nothing to the castle, it was so strong
and so well kept. They lodged that night on the river of Hesdin
towards Blangy. The next day they rode toward Boulogne and came to the
town of Wissant: there the king and the prince lodged, and tarried
there a day to refresh his men, and on the Wednesday the king came
before the strong town of Calais.
THE BATTLE OF POITIERS
OF THE GREAT HOST THAT THE FRENCH KING BROUGHT TO THE BATTLE OF
POITIERS
After the taking of the castle of Romorantin and of them that were
therein, the prince then and his company rode as they did before,
destroying the country, approaching to Anjou and to Touraine. The
French king, who was at Chartres, departed and came to Blois and there
tarried two days, and then to Amboise and the next day to Loches: and
then he heard how that the prince was at Touraine[1] and how that he
was returning by Poitou: ever the Englishmen were coasted by certain
expert knights of France, who alway made report to the king what the
Englishmen did. Then the king came to the Haye in Touraine and his men
had passed the river of Loire, some at the bridge of Orleans and some
at Meung, at Saumur, at Blois, and at Tours and whereas they might:
they were in number a twenty thousand men of arms beside other; there
were a twenty-six dukes and earls and more than sixscore banners, and
the four sons of the king, who were but young, the duke Charles of
Normandy, the lord Louis, that was from thenceforth duke of Anjou, and
the lord John duke of Berry, and the lord Philip, who was after duke
of Burgoyne. The same season, pope Innocent the sixth sent the lord
Bertrand, cardinal of Perigord, and the lord Nicholas, cardinal of
Urgel, into France, to treat for a peace between the French king and
all his enemies, first between him and the king of Navarre, who was in
prison: and these cardinals oftentimes spake to the king for his
deliverance during the siege at Bretuel, but they could do nothing in
that behalf. Then the cardinal of Perigord went to Tours, and there he
heard how the French king hasted sore to find the Englishmen: then he
rode to Poitiers, for he heard how both the hosts drew thitherward.
[1] 'En Touraine.'
The French king heard how the prince hasted greatly to return, and the
king feared that he should scape him and so departed from Haye in
Touraine, and all his company, and rode to Chauvigny, where he tarried
that Thursday in the town and without along by the river of Creuse,
and the next day the king passed the river at the bridge there,
weening that the Englishmen had been before him, but they were not.
Howbeit they pursued after and passed the bridge that day more than
threescore thousand horses, and divers other passed at Chatelleraut,
and ever as they passed they took the way to Poitiers.
On the other side the prince wist not truly where the Frenchmen were;
but they supposed that they were not far off, for they could not find
no more forage, whereby they had great fault in their host of victual,
and some of them repented that they had destroyed so much as they had
done before when they were in Berry, Anjou and Touraine, and in that
they had made no better provision. The same Friday three great lords
of France, the lord of Craon, the lord Raoul of Coucy and the earl of
Joigny, tarried all day in the town of Chauvigny, and part of their
companies. The Saturday they passed the bridge and followed the king,
who was then a three leagues before, and took the way among bushes
without a wood side to go to Poitiers.
The same Saturday the prince and his company dislodged from a little
village thereby, and sent before him certain currours to see if they
might find any adventure and to hear where the Frenchmen were. They
were in number a threescore men of arms well horsed, and with them was
the lord Eustace d'Aubrecicourt and the lord John of Ghistelles, and
by adventure the Englishmen and Frenchmen met together by the foresaid
wood side. The Frenchmen knew anon how they were their enemies; then
in haste they did on their helmets and displayed their banners and
came a great pace towards the Englishmen: they were in number a two
hundred men of arms. When the Englishmen saw them, and that they were
so great a number, then they determined to fly and let the Frenchmen
chase them, for they knew well the prince with his host was not far
behind. Then they turned their horses and took the corner of the wood,
and the Frenchmen after them crying their cries and made great noise.
And as they chased, they came on the prince's battle or they were ware
thereof themselves; the prince tarried there to have word again from
them that he sent forth. The lord Raoul de Coucy with his banner went
so far forward that he was under the prince's banner: there was a sore
battle and the knight fought valiantly; howbeit he was there taken,
and the earl of Joigny, the viscount of Brosse, the lord of Chauvigny
and all the other taken or slain, but a few that scaped. And by the
prisoners the prince knew how the French king followed him in such
wise that he could not eschew the battle:[2] then he assembled
together all his men and commanded that no man should go before the
marshals' banners. Thus the prince rode that Saturday from the morning
till it was against night, so that he came within two little leagues
of Poitiers. Then the captal de Buch, sir Aymenion of Pommiers, the
lord Bartholomew of Burghersh and the lord Eustace d'Aubrecicourt, all
these the prince sent forth to see if they might know what the
Frenchmen did. These knights departed with two hundred men of arms
well horsed; they rode so far that they saw the great battle of the
king's, they saw all the fields covered with men of arms. These
Englishmen could not forbear, but set on the tail of the French host
and cast down many to the earth and took divers prisoners, so that the
host began to stir, and tidings thereof came to the French king as he
was entering into the city of Poitiers. Then he returned again and
made all his host do the same, so that Saturday it was very late or he
was lodged in the field. The English currours returned again to the
prince and shewed him all that they saw and knew, and said how the
French host was a great number of people. 'Well,' said the prince, 'in
the name of God let us now study how we shall fight with them at our
advantage.' That night the Englishmen lodged in a strong place among
hedges, vines and bushes, and their host well watched, and so was the
French host.
[2] Or rather, 'that the French king had gone in front of them
(les avoit advancez) and that he could in no way depart without
being fought with.'
OF THE ORDER OF THE FRENCHMEN BEFORE THE BATTLE OF POITIERS
On the Sunday in the morning the French king, who had great desire to
fight with the Englishmen, heard his mass in his pavilion and was
houselled, and his four sons with him. After mass there came to him
the duke of Orleans, the duke of Bourbon, the earl of Ponthieu, the
lord Jaques of Bourbon,[1] the duke of Athens, constable of France,
the earl of Tancarville, the earl of Sarrebruck, the earl of
Dammartin, the earl of Ventadour, and divers other great barons of
France and of other neighbours holding of France, as the lord
Clermont, the lord Arnold d'Audrehem, marshal of France, the lord of
Saint-Venant, the lord John of Landas, the lord Eustace Ribemont, the
lord Fiennes, the lord Geoffrey of Charny, the lord Chatillon, the
lord of Sully, the lord of Nesle, sir Robert Duras and divers other;
all these with the king went to counsel. Then finally it was ordained
that all manner of men should draw into the field, and every lord to
display his banner and to set forth in the name of God and Saint
Denis: then trumpets blew up through the host and every man mounted on
horseback and went into the field, where they saw the king's banner
wave with the wind. There might a been seen great nobless of fair
harness and rich armoury of banners and pennons; for there was all the
flower of France, there was none durst abide at home without he would
be shamed for ever. Then it was ordained by the advice of the
constable and marshals to be made three battles, and in each ward
sixteen thousand men of arms all mustered and passed for men of arms.
The first battle the duke of Orleans to govern, with thirty-six
banners and twice as many pennons, the second the duke of Normandy and
his two brethren the lord Louis and the lord John, the third the king
himself: and while that these battles were setting in array, the king
called to him the lord Eustace Ribemont, the lord John of Landas and
the lord Richard of Beaujeu, and said to them; 'Sirs, ride on before
to see the dealing of the Englishmen and advise well what number they
be and by what means we may fight with them, other afoot or
a-horseback.' These three knights rode forth and the king was on a
white courser and said a-high to his men: 'Sirs, among you, when ye be
at Paris, at Chartres, at Rouen or at Orleans, then ye do threat the
Englishmen and desire to be in arms out against them. Now ye be come
thereto: I shall now shew you them: now shew forth your evil will that
ye bear them and revenge your displeasures and damages that they have
done you, for without doubt we shall fight with them.' Such as heard
him said: 'Sir, in God's name so be it; that would we see[2] gladly.'
[1] That is, Jaques de Bourbon, earl of la Marche and Ponthieu.
[2] 'Verrons': but a better reading is 'ferons,' 'that will we
do gladly.'
Therewith the three knights returned again to the king, who demanded
of them tidings. Then sir Eustace of Ribemont answered for all and
said: 'Sir, we have seen the Englishmen: by estimation they be two
thousand men of arms and four thousand archers and a fifteen hundred
of other. Howbeit they be in a strong place, and as far as we can
imagine they are in one battle; howbeit they be wisely ordered, and
along the way they have fortified strongly the hedges and bushes: one
part of their archers are along by the hedge, so that none can go nor
ride that way, but must pass by them, and that way must ye go an ye
purpose to fight with them. In this hedge there is but one entry and
one issue by likelihood that four horsemen may ride afront. At the end
of this hedge, whereas no man can go nor ride, there be men of arms
afoot and archers afore them in manner of a herse, so that they will
not be lightly discomfited,'[3] 'Well,' said the king, 'what will ye
then counsel us to do?' Sir Eustace said: 'Sir, let us all be afoot,
except three hundred men of arms, well horsed, of the best in your
host and most hardiest, to the intent they somewhat to break and to
open the archers, and then your battles to follow on quickly afoot and
so to fight with their men of arms hand to hand. This is the best
advice that I can give you: if any other think any other way better,
let him speak.'
[3] The translation of this passage is unsatisfactory. It should
be: 'Howbeit they have ordered it wisely, and have taken post
along the road, which is fortified strongly with hedges and
thickets, and they have beset this hedge on one side (_or
according to another text_, on one side and on the other) with
their archers, so that one cannot enter nor ride along their road
except by them, and that way must he go who purposes to fight
with them. In this hedge there is but one entry and one issue,
where by likelihood four men of arms, as on the road, might ride
a-front. At the end of this hedge among vines and thorn-bushes,
where no man can go nor ride, are their men of arms all afoot,
and they have set in front of them their archers in manner of a
harrow, whom it would not be easy to discomfit.
The king said: 'Thus shall it be done': then the two marshals rode
from battle to battle and chose out a three hundred knights and
squires of the most expert men of arms of all the host, every man well
armed and horsed. Also it was ordained that the battles of Almains
should abide still on horseback to comfort the marshals, if need were,
whereof the earl of Sarrebruck, the earl of Nidau and the earl of
Nassau were captains. King John of France was there armed, and twenty
other in his apparel; and he did put the guiding of his eldest son to
the lord of Saint-Venant, the lord of Landas and the lord Thibault of
Vaudenay; and the lord Arnold of Cervolles, called the archpriest,[4]
was armed in the armour of the young earl of Alençon.
[4] Arnaud de Cervolles, one of the most celebrated adventurers
of the 14th century, called the archpriest because though a
layman he possessed the ecclesiastical fief of Vélines.
HOW THE CARDINAL OF PERIGORD TREATED TO MAKE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
FRENCH KING AND THE PRINCE BEFORE THE BATTLE OF POITIERS
When the French king's battles was ordered and every lord under his
banner among their own men, then it was commanded that every man
should cut their spears to a five foot long and every man to put off
their spurs. Thus as they were ready to approach, the cardinal of
Perigord[1] came in great haste to the king. He came the same morning
from Poitiers; he kneeled down to the king and held up his hands and
desired him for God's sake a little to abstain setting forward till he
had spoken with him: then he said: 'Sir, ye have here all the flower
of your realm against a handful of Englishmen as to regard your
company,[2] and, sir, if ye may have them accorded to you without
battle, it shall be more profitable and honourable to have them by
that manner rather than to adventure so noble chivalry as ye have here
present. Sir, I require you in the name of God and humility that I may
ride to the prince and shew him what danger ye have him in,' The king
said: 'It pleaseth me well, but return again shortly.' The cardinal
departed and diligently he rode to the prince, who was among his men
afoot: then the cardinal alighted and came to the prince, who received
him courteously. Then the cardinal after his salutation made he said:
'Certainly, fair son, if you and your council advise justly the
puissance of the French king, ye will suffer me to treat to make a
peace between you, an I may,' The prince, who was young and lusty,
said: 'Sir, the honour of me and of my people saved, I would gladly
fall to any reasonable way.' Then the cardinal said: 'Sir, ye say
well, and I shall accord you, an I can; for it should be great pity if
so many noblemen and other as be here on both parties should come
together by battle,' Then the cardinal rode again to the king and
said: 'Sir, ye need not to make any great haste to fight with your
enemies, for they cannot fly from you though they would, they be in
such a ground: wherefore, sir, I require you forbear for this day till
tomorrow the sun-rising.' The king was loath to agree thereto, for
some of his council would not consent to it; but finally the cardinal
shewed such reasons, that the king accorded that respite: and in the
same place there was pight up a pavilion of red silk fresh and rich,
and gave leave for that day every man to draw to their lodgings except
the constable's and marshals' battles.
[1] Talleyrand de Périgord.
[2] The meaning is, 'Ye have here all the flower of your realm
against a handful of people, for so the Englishmen are as
compared with your company.'
That Sunday all the day the cardinal travailed in riding from the one
host to the other gladly to agree them: but the French king would
not agree without he might have four of the principallest of the
Englishmen at his pleasure, and the prince and all the other to yield
themselves simply: howbeit there were many great offers made. The
prince offered to render into the king's hands all that ever he had
won in that voyage, towns and castles, and to quit all prisoners that
he or any of his men had taken in that season, and also to swear not
to be armed against the French king in seven year after; but the king
and his council would none thereof: the uttermost that he would do
was, that the prince and a hundred of his knights should yield
themselves into the king's prison; otherwise he would not: the which
the prince would in no wise agree unto.
In the mean season that the cardinal rode thus between the hosts in
trust to do some good, certain knights of France and of England both
rode forth the same Sunday, because it was truce for that day, to
coast the hosts and to behold the dealing of their enemies. So it
fortuned that the lord John Chandos rode the same day coasting the
French host, and in like manner the lord of Clermont, one of the
French marshals, had ridden forth and aviewed the state of the English
host; and as these two knights returned towards their hosts, they met
together: each of them bare one manner of device, a blue lady
embroidered in a sunbeam above on their apparel. Then the lord
Clermont said: 'Chandos, how long have ye taken on you to bear my
device?' 'Nay, ye bear mine,' said Chandos, 'for it is as well mine as
yours.' 'I deny that,' said Clermont, 'but an it were not for the
truce this day between us, I should make it good on you incontinent
that ye have no right to bear my device.' 'Ah, sir,' said Chandos, 'ye
shall find me to-morrow ready to defend you and to prove by feat of
arms that it is as well mine as yours,' Then Clermont said: 'Chandos,
these be well the words of you Englishmen, for ye can devise nothing
of new, but all that ye see is good and fair.' So they departed
without any more doing, and each of them returned to their host.
The cardinal of Perigord could in no wise that Sunday make any
agreement between the parties, and when it was near night he returned
to Poitiers. That night the Frenchmen took their ease; they had
provision enough, and the Englishmen had great default; they could get
no forage, nor they could not depart thence without danger of their
enemies. That Sunday the Englishmen made great dikes and hedges about
their archers, to be the more stronger; and on the Monday in the
morning the prince and his company were ready apparelled as they were
before, and about the sun-rising in like manner were the Frenchmen.
The same morning betimes the cardinal came again to the French host
and thought by his preaching to pacify the parties; but then the
Frenchmen said to him: 'Return whither ye will: bring hither no more
words of treaty nor peace: and ye love yourself depart shortly.' When
the cardinal saw that he travailed in vain, he took leave of the king
and then he went to the prince and said: 'Sir, do what ye can; there
is no remedy but to abide the battle, for I can find none accord in
the French king.' Then the prince said: 'The same is our intent and
all our people: God help the right!' So the cardinal returned to
Poitiers. In his company there were certain knights and squires, men
of arms, who were more favourable to the French king than to the
prince; and when they saw that the parties should fight, they stale
from their masters and went to the French host; and they made their
captain the chatelain of Amposte,[3] who was as then there with the
cardinal, who knew nothing thereof till he was come to Poitiers.
[3] Amposta, a fortress in Catalonia.
The certainty of the order of the Englishmen was shewed to the French
king, except they had ordained three hundred men a-horseback and as
many archers a-horseback to coast under covert of the mountain and to
strike into the battle of the duke of Normandy, who was under the
mountain afoot. This ordinance they had made of new, that the
Frenchmen knew not of. The prince was with his battle down among the
vines and had closed in the weakest part with their carnages.
Now will I name some of the principal lords and knights that were
there with the prince: the earl of Warwick, the earl of Suffolk, the
earl of Salisbury, the earl of Oxford, the lord Raynold Cobham, the
lord Spencer, the lord James Audley, the lord Peter his brother, the
lord Berkeley, the lord Bassett, the lord Warin, the lord Delaware,
the lord Manne, the lord Willoughby, the lord Bartholomew de
Burghersh, the lord of Felton, the lord Richard of Pembroke, the lord
Stephen of Cosington, the lord Bradetane and other Englishmen; and of
Gascon there was the lord of Pommiers, the lord of Languiran, the
captal of Buch, the lord John of Caumont, the lord de Lesparre, the
lord of Rauzan, the lord of Condon, the lord of Montferrand, the lord
of Landiras, the lord soudic of Latrau and other that I cannot name;
and of Hainowes the lord Eustace d'Aubrecicourt, the lord John of
Ghistelles, and two other strangers, the lord Daniel Pasele and the
lord Denis of Morbeke: all the prince's company passed not an eight
thousand men one and other, and the Frenchmen were a sixty thousand
fighting men, whereof there were more than three thousand knights.
OF THE BATTLE OF POITIERS BETWEEN THE PRINCE OF WALES AND THE FRENCH
KING
When the prince saw that he should have battle and that the cardinal
was gone without any peace or truce making, and saw that the French
king did set but little store by him, he said then to his men: 'Now,
sirs, though we be but a small company as in regard to the puissance
of our enemies, let us not be abashed therefor; for the victory lieth
not in the multitude of people, but whereas God will send it. If it
fortune that the journey be ours, we shall be the most honoured people
of all the world; and if we die in our right quarrel, I have the king
my father and brethren, and also ye have good friends and kinsmen;
these shall revenge us. Therefore, sirs, for God's sake I require you
do your devoirs this day; for if God be pleased and Saint George, this
day ye shall see me a good knight.' These words and such other that
the prince spake comforted all his people. The lord sir John Chandos
that day never went from the prince, nor also the lord James Audley of
a great season; but when he saw that they should needs fight, he said
to the prince: 'Sir, I have served always truly my lord your father
and you also, and shall do as long as I live. I say this because I
made once a vow that the first battle that other the king your father
or any of his children should be at, how that I would be one of the
first setters on,[1] or else to die in the pain: therefore I require
your grace, as in reward for any service that ever I did to the king
your father or to you, that you will give me licence to depart from
you and to set myself thereas I may accomplish my vow.' The prince
accorded to his desire and said, 'Sir James, God give you this day
that grace to be the best knight of all other,' and so took him by the
hand. Then the knight departed from the prince and went to the
foremost front of all the battles, all only accompanied with four
squires, who promised not to fail him. This lord James was a right
sage and a valiant knight, and by him was much of the host ordained
and governed the day before. Thus sir James was in front of the battle
ready to fight with the battle of the marshals of France. In like wise
the lord Eustace d'Aubrecicourt did his pain to be one of the foremost
to set on. When sir James Audley began to set forward to his enemies,
it fortuned to sir Eustace d'Aubrecicourt as ye shall hear after. Ye
have heard before how the Almains in the French host were appointed to
be still a-horseback. Sir Eustace being a-horseback laid his spear in
the rest and ran into the French battle, and then a knight of Almaine,
called the lord Louis of Recombes, who bare a shield silver, five
roses gules, and sir Eustace bare ermines, two branches of
gules[2],--when this Almain saw the lord Eustace come from his
company, he rode against him and they met so rudely, that both knights
fell to the earth. The Almain was hurt in the shoulder, therefore he
rose not so quickly as did sir Eustace, who when he was up and had
taken his breath, he came to the other knight as he lay on the ground;
but then five other knights of Almaine came on him all at once and
bare him to the earth, and so perforce there he was taken prisoner and
brought to the earl of Nassau, who as then took no heed of him; and I
cannot say whether they sware him prisoner or no, but they tied him to
a chare and there let him stand[3].
[1] The first setter-on and the best combatant.
[2] That is, two hamedes gules on a field ermine.
[3] They tied him on to a cart with their harness.
Then the battle began on all parts, and the battles of the marshals of
France approached, and they set forth that were appointed to break the
array of the archers. They entered a-horseback into the way where the
great hedges were on both sides set full of archers. As soon as the
men of arms entered, the archers began to shoot on both sides and did
slay and hurt horses and knights, so that the horses when they felt
the sharp arrows they would in no wise go forward, but drew aback and
flang and took on so fiercely, that many of them fell on their
masters, so that for press they could not rise again; insomuch that
the marshals' battle could never come at the prince. Certain knights
and squires that were well horsed passed through the archers and
thought to approach to the prince, but they could not. The lord James
Audley with his four squires was in the front of that battle and there
did marvels in arms, and by great prowess he came and fought with sir
Arnold d'Audrehem under his own banner, and there they fought long
together and sir Arnold was there sore handled. The battle of the
marshals began to disorder by reason of the shot of the archers with
the aid of the men of arms, who came in among them and slew of them
and did what they list, and there was the lord Arnold d'Audrehem taken
prisoner by other men than by sir James Audley or by his four squires;
for that day he never took prisoner, but always fought and went on his
enemies.
Also on the French party the lord John Clermont fought under his own
banner as long as he could endure: but there he was beaten down and
could not be relieved nor ransomed, but was slain without mercy: some
said it was because of the words that he had the day before to sir
John Chandos. So within a short space the marshals' battles were
discomfited, for they fell one upon another and could not go forth;[4]
and the Frenchmen that were behind and could not get forward reculed
back and came on the battle of the duke of Normandy, the which was
great and thick and were afoot, but anon they began to open behind;[5]
for when they knew that the marshals' battle was discomfited, they
took their horses and departed, he that might best. Also they saw a
rout of Englishmen coming down a little mountain a-horseback, and many
archers with them, who brake in on the side of the duke's battle. True
to say, the archers did their company that day great advantage; for
they shot so thick that the Frenchmen wist not on what side to take
heed, and little and little the Englishmen won ground on them.
[4] 'Ne posient aler avant.'
[5] 'Which was great and thick in front (pardevant), but anon
it became open and thin behind.'
And when the men of arms of England saw that the marshals' battle was
discomfited and that the duke's battle began to disorder and open,
they leapt then on their horses, the which they had ready by them:
then they assembled together and cried, 'Saint George! Guyenne!' and
the lord Chandos said to the prince: 'Sir, take your horse and ride
forth; this journey is yours: God is this day in your hands: get us to
the French king's battle, for their lieth all the sore of the matter.
I think verily by his valiantness he will not fly: I trust we shall
have him by the grace of God and Saint George, so he be well fought
withal: and, sir, I heard you say that this day I should see you a
good knight.' The prince said, 'Let us go forth; ye shall not see me
this day return back,' and said, 'Advance, banner, in the name of God
and of Saint George,' The knight that bare it did his commandment:
there was then a sore battle and a perilous, and many a man
overthrown, and he that was once down could not be relieved again
without great succour and aid. As the prince rode and entered in among
his enemies, he saw on his right hand in a little bush lying dead the
lord Robert of Duras and his banner by him,[6] and a ten or twelve of
his men about him. Then the prince said to two of his squires and to
three archers: 'Sirs, take the body of this knight on a targe and bear
him to Poitiers, and present him from me to the cardinal of Perigord,
and say how I salute him by that token.' And this was done. The prince
was informed that the cardinal's men were on the field against him,
the which was not pertaining to the right order of arms, for men of
the church that cometh and goeth for treaty of peace ought not by
reason to bear harness nor to fight for neither of the parties; they
ought to be indifferent: and because these men had done so, the prince
was displeased with the cardinal, and therefore he sent unto him his
nephew the lord Robert of Duras dead: and the chatelain of Amposte was
taken, and the prince would have had his head stricken off, because he
was pertaining to the cardinal, but then the lord Chandos said: 'Sir,
suffer for a season: intend to a greater matter: and peradventure the
cardinal will make such excuse that ye shall be content.'
[6] The original adds, 'qui estoit de France au sentoir (sautoir)
de gueulles.'
Then the prince and his company dressed them on the battle of the duke
of Athens, constable of France. There was many a man slain and cast to
the earth. As the Frenchmen fought in companies, they cried,
'Mountjoy! Saint Denis!' and the Englishmen, 'Saint George! Guyenne!'
Anon the prince with his company met with the battle of Almains,
whereof the earl of Sarrebruck, the earl Nassau and the earl Nidau
were captains, but in a short space they were put to flight: the
archers shot so wholly together that none durst come in their dangers:
they slew many a man that could not come to no ransom: these three
earls was there slain, and divers other knights and squires of their
company, and there was the lord d'Aubrecieourt rescued, by his own men
and set on horseback, and after he did that day many feats of arms and
took good prisoners. When the duke of Normandy's battle saw the prince
approach, they thought to save themselves, and so the duke and the
king's children, the earl of Poitiers and the earl of Touraine, who
were right young, believed their governours and so departed from the
field, and with them more than eight hundred spears, that strake no
stroke that day. Howbeit the lord Guichard d'Angle and the lord John
of Saintré, who were with the earl of Poitiers, would not fly, but
entered into the thickest press of the battle. The king's three sons
took the way to Chauvigny, and the lord John of Landas and the lord
Thibauld of Vaudenay, who were set to await on the duke of Normandy,
when they had brought the duke a long league from the battle, then
they took leave of the duke and desired the lord of Saint-Venant that
he should not leave the duke, but to bring him in safeguard, whereby
he should win more thank of the king than to abide still in the field.
Then they met also the duke of Orleans and a great company with him,
who were also departed from the field with clear hands: there were
many good knights and squires, though that their masters departed from
the field, yet they had rather a died than to have had any reproach.
Then the king's battle came on the Englishmen: there was a sore fight
and many a great stroke given and received. The king and his youngest
son met with the battle of the English marshals, the earl of Warwick
and the earl of Suffolk, and with them of Gascons the captal of Buch,
the lord of Pommiers, the lord Amery of Tastes, the lord of Mussidan,
the lord of Languiran and the lord de Latrau. To the French party
there came time enough the lord John of Landas and the lord of
Vaudenay; they alighted afoot and went into the king's battle, and a
little beside fought the duke of Athens, constable of France, and a
little above him the duke of Bourbon and many good knights of
Bourbonnais and of Picardy with him, and a little on the one side
there were the Poitevins, the lord de Pons, the lord of Partenay, the
lord of Dammartin, the lord of Tannay-Bouton, the lord of Surgieres,
the lord John Saintré, the lord Guichard d'Angle, the lord Argenton,
the lord of Linieres, the lord of Montendre and divers other, also the
viscount of Rochechouart and the earl of Aunay;[7] and of Burgoyne the
lord James of Beaujeu, the lord de Chateau-Vilain and other: in
another part there was the earl of Ventadour and of Montpensier, the
lord James of Bourbon, the lord John d'Artois and also the lord James
his brother, the lord Arnold of Cervolles, called the archpriest,
armed for the young earl of Alençon; and of Auvergne there was the
lord of Mercoeur, the lord de la Tour, the lord of Chalençon, the lord
of Montaigu, the lord of Rochfort, the lord d'Acier, the lord d'Acon;
and of Limousin there was the lord de Melval, the lord of Mareuil, the
lord of Pierrebuffiere; and of Picardy there was the lord William of
Nesle, the lord Arnold of Rayneval, the lord Geoffrey of Saint-Dizier,
the lord of Chauny, the lord of Helly, the lord of Montsault, the lord
of Hangest and divers other: and also in the king's battle there was
the earl Douglas of Scotland, who fought a season right valiantly, but
when he saw the discomfiture, he departed and saved himself; for in no
wise he would be taken of the Englishmen, he had rather been there
slain. On the English part the lord James Audley with the aid of his
four squires fought always in the chief of the battle: he was sore
hurt in the body and in the visage: as long as his breath served him
he fought; at last at the end of the battle his four squires took and
brought him out of the field and laid him under a hedge side for to
refresh him; and they unarmed him and bound up his wounds as well as
they could. On the French party king John was that day a full right
good knight: if the fourth part of his men had done their devoirs as
well as he did, the journey had been his by all likelihood. Howbeit
they were all slain and taken that were there, except a few that saved
themselves, that were with the king.[8] There was slain the duke Peter
of Bourbon, the lord Guichard of Beaujeu, the lord of Landas, and the
duke of Athens, constable of France, the bishop of Chalons in
Champagne, the lord William of Nesle, the lord Eustace of Ribemont,
the lord de la Tour, the lord William of Montaigu, sir Grismouton of
Chambly, sir Baudrin de la Heuse, and many other, as they fought by
companies; and there were taken prisoners the lord of Vaudenay, the
lord of Pompadour, and the archpriest, sore hurt, the earl of
Vaudimont, the earl of Mons, the earl of Joinville, the earl of
Vendome, sir Louis of Melval, the lord Pierrebuffiere and the lord of
Serignac: there were at that brunt, slain and taken more than two
hundred knights.[9]
[7] Le conte d'Aulnoy,' but it should be 'visconte.'
[8] 'Howbeit they that stayed acquitted them as well as they
might, so that they were all slain or taken. Few escaped of those
that set themselves with the king': or according to the fuller
text: 'Few escaped of those that alighted down on the sand by the
side of the king their lord.'
[9] The translator has chosen to rearrange the above list of
killed, wounded or taken, which the French text gives in order
as they fought, saying that in one part there fell the duke of
Bourbon, sir Guichard of Beaujeu and sir John on Landas, and
there were severely wounded or taken the arch-priest, sir Thibaud
of Vodenay and sir Baudouin, d'Annequin; in another there were
slain the duke of Athens and the bishop of Chalons, and taken the
earl of Vaudemont and Joinville and the earl of Vendome: a little
above this there were slain sir William de Nesle, sir Eustace de
Ribemont and others, and taken sir Louis de Melval, the lord of
Pierrebuffière and the lord of Seregnach.
OF TWO FRENCHMEN THAT FLED FROM THE BATTLE OF POITIERS AND TWO
ENGLISHMEN THAT FOLLOWED THEM
Among the battles, recounterings, chases and pursuits that were made
that day in the field, it fortuned so to sir Oudart of Renty that when
he departed from the field because he saw the field was lost without
recovery, he thought not to abide the danger of the Englishmen;
wherefore he fled all alone and was gone out of the field a league,
and an English knight pursued him and ever cried to him and said,
'Return again, sir knight, it is a shame to fly away thus.' Then the
knight turned, and the English knight thought to have stricken him
with his spear in the targe, but he failed, for sir Oudart swerved
aside from the stroke, but he failed not the English knight, for he
strake him such a stroke on the helm with his sword, that he was
astonied and fell from his horse to the earth and lay still. Then sir
Oudart alighted and came to him or he could rise, and said, 'Yield
you, rescue or no rescue, or else I shall slay you.' The Englishman
yielded and went with him, and afterward was ransomed. Also it
fortuned that another squire of Picardy called John de Hellenes was
fled from the battle and met with his page, who delivered him a new
fresh horse, whereon he rode away alone. The same season there was in
the field the lord Berkeley of England, a young lusty knight, who the
same day reared his banner, and he all alone pursued the said John of
Hellenes. And when he had followed the space of a league, the said
John turned again and laid his sword in the rest instead of a spear,
and so came running toward the lord Berkeley, who lift up his sword to
have stricken the squire; but when he saw the stroke come, he turned
from it, so that the Englishman lost his stroke and John strake him as
he passed on the arm, that the lord Berkeley's sword fell into the
field. When he saw his sword down, he lighted suddenly off his horse
and came to the place where his sword lay, and as he stooped down to
take up his sword, the French squire did pike his sword at him, and by
hap strake him through both the thighs, so that the knight fell to the
earth and could not help himself. And John alighted off his horse and
took the knight's sword that lay on the ground, and came to him and
demanded if he would yield him or not. The knight then demanded his
name. 'Sir,' said he, 'I hight John of Hellenes; but what is your
name?' 'Certainly,' said the knight, 'my name is Thomas and am lord of
Berkeley, a fair castle on the river of Severn in the marches of
Wales.' 'Well, sir,' quoth the squire, 'then ye shall be my prisoner,
and I shall bring you in safe-guard and I shall see that you shall be
healed of your hurt.' 'Well,' said the knight, 'I am content to be
your prisoner, for ye have by law of arms won me.' There he sware to
be his prisoner, rescue or no rescue. Then the squire drew forth the
sword out of the knight's thighs and the wound was open: then he
wrapped and bound the wound and set him on his horse and so brought
him fair and easily to Chatelleraut, and there tarried more than
fifteen days for his sake and did get him remedy for his hurt: and
when he was somewhat amended, then he gat him a litter and so brought
him at his ease to his house in Picardy. There he was more than a year
till he was perfectly whole; and when he departed he paid for his
ransom six thousand nobles, and so this squire was made a knight by
reason of the profit that he had of the lord Berkeley.
HOW KING JOHN WAS TAKEN PRISONER AT THE BATTLE OF POITIERS
Oftentimes the adventures of amours and of war are more fortunate and
marvellous than any man can think or wish. Truly this battle, the
which was near to Poitiers in the fields of Beauvoir and Maupertuis,
was right great and perilous, and many deeds of arms there was done
the which all came not to knowledge. The fighters on both sides
endured much pain: king John with his own hands did that day marvels
in arms: he had an axe in his hands wherewith he defended himself and
fought in the breaking of the press. Near to the king there was taken
the earl of Tancarville, sir Jaques of Bourbon earl of Ponthieu, and
the lord John of Artois earl of Eu, and a little above that under the
banner of the capital of Buch was taken sir Charles of Artois and
divers other knights and squires. The chase endured to the gates of
Poitiers: there were many slain and beaten down, horse and man, for
they of Poitiers closed their gates and would suffer none to enter;
wherefore in the street before the gate was horrible murder, men hurt
and beaten down. The Frenchmen yielded themselves as far off as they
might know an Englishman: there were divers English archers that had
four, five or six prisoners: the lord of Pons, a great baron of
Poitou, was there slain, and many other knights and squires; and there
was taken the earl of Rochechouart, the lord of Dammartin, the lord of
Partenay, and of Saintonge the lord of Montendre and the lord John of
Saintré, but he was so sore hurt that he had never health after: he
was reputed for one of the best knights in France. And there was left
for dead among other dead men the lord Guichard d'Angle, who fought
that day by the king right valiantly, and so did the lord of Charny,
on whom was great press, because he bare the sovereign banner of the
king's: his own banner was also in the field, the which was of gules,
three scutcheons silver. So many Englishmen and Gascons come to that
part, that perforce they opened the king's battle, so that the
Frenchmen were so mingled among their enemies that sometime there was
five men upon one gentleman. There was taken the lord of Pompadour
and[1] the lord Bartholomew de Burghersh, and there was slain sir
Geoffrey of Charny with the king's banner in his hands: also the lord
Raynold Cobham slew the earl of Dammartin. Then there was a great
press to take the king, and such as knew him cried, 'Sir, yield you,
or else ye are but dead.' There was a knight of Saint-Omer's, retained
in wages with the king of England, called sir Denis Morbeke, who had
served the Englishmen five year before, because in his youth he had
forfeited the realm of France for a murder that he did at
Saint-Omer's. It happened so well for him, that he was next to the
king when they were about to take him: he stept forth into the press,
and by strength of his body and arms he came to the French king and
said in good French, 'Sir, yield you,' The king beheld the knight and
said: 'To whom shall I yield me? Where is my cousin the prince of
Wales? If I might see him, I would speak with him.' Denis answered and
said: 'Sir, he is not here; but yield you to me and I shall bring you
to him. 'Who be you?' quoth the king. 'Sir,' quoth he, 'I am Denis of
Morbeke, a knight of Artois; but I serve the king of England because I
am banished the realm of France and I have forfeited all that I had
there,' Then the king gave him his right gauntlet, saying, 'I yield me
to you,' There was a great press about the king, for every man
enforced him to say,[2] 'I have taken him,' so that the king could not
go forward with his young son the lord Philip with him because of the
press.
[1] This 'and' should be 'by,' but the French text is responsible
for the mistake.
[2] 'S'efforçoit de dire.'
The prince of Wales, who was courageous and cruel as a lion, took that
day great pleasure to fight and to chase his enemies. The lord John
Chandos, who was with him, of all that day never left him nor never
took heed of taking of any prisoner: then at the end of the battle he
said to the prince: 'Sir, it were good that you rested here and set
your banner a-high in this bush, that your people may draw hither, for
they be sore spread abroad, nor I can see no more banners nor pennons
of the French party; wherefore, sir, rest and refresh you, for ye be
sore chafed.' Then the prince's banner was set up a-high on a bush,
and trumpets and clarions began to sown. Then the prince did off his
bassenet, and the knights for his body and they of his chamber were
ready about him, and a red pavilion pight up, and then drink was
brought forth to the prince and for such lords as were about him, the
which still increased as they came from the chase: there they tarried
and their prisoners with them. And when the two marshals were come to
the prince, he demanded of them if they knew any tiding of the French
king. They answered and said: 'Sir, we hear none of certainty, but we
think verily he is other dead or taken, for he is not gone out of the
battles.' Then the prince said to the earl of Warwick and to sir
Raynold Cobham: 'Sirs, I require you go forth and see what ye can
know, that at your return ye may shew me the truth.' These two lords
took their horses and departed from the prince and rode up a little
hill to look about them: then they perceived a flock of men of arms
coming together right wearily:[3] there was the French king afoot in
great peril, for Englishmen and Gascons were his masters; they had
taken him from sir Denis Morbeke perforce, and such as were most of
force said, 'I have taken him,' 'Nay,' quoth another, 'I have taken
him': so they strave which should have him. Then the French king, to
eschew that peril, said: 'Sirs, strive not: lead me courteously, and
my son, to my cousin the prince, and strive not for my taking, for I
am so great a lord to make you all rich.' The king's words somewhat
appeased them; howbeit ever as they went they made riot and brawled
for the taking of the king. When the two foresaid lords saw and heard
that noise and strife among them, they came to them and said: 'Sirs,
what is the matter that ye strive for?' 'Sirs,' said one of them, 'it
is for the French king, who is here taken prisoner, and there be more
than ten knights and squires that challenged the taking of him and of
his son.' Then the two lords entered into the press and caused every
man to draw aback, and commanded them in the prince's name on pain of
their heads to make no more noise nor to approach the king no nearer,
without they were commanded. Then every man gave room to the lords,
and they alighted and did their reverence to the king, and so brought
him and his son in peace and rest to the prince of Wales.
[3] 'Lentement.'
OF THE GIFT THAT THE PRINCE GAVE TO THE LORD AUDLEY AFTER THE BATTLE
OF POITIERS
As soon as the earl of Warwick and the lord Cobham were departed from
the prince, as ye have heard before, then the prince demanded of the
knights that were about him for the lord Audley, if any knew anything
of him. Some knights that were there answered and said: 'Sir, he is
sore hurt and lieth in a litter here beside.' 'By my faith,' said the
prince, 'of his hurts I am right sorry: go and know if he may be
brought hither, or else I will go and see him thereas he is.' Then two
knights came to the lord Audley and said: 'Sir, the prince desireth
greatly to see you, other ye must go to him or else he will come to
you.' 'Ah, sir,' said the knight, 'I thank the prince when he thinketh
on so poor a knight as I am.' Then he called eight of his servants and
caused them to bear him in his litter to the place whereas the prince
was. Then the prince took him in his arms and kissed him and made him
great cheer and said: 'Sir James, I ought greatly to honour you, for
by your valiance ye have this day achieved the grace and renown of us
all, and ye are reputed for the most valiant of all other,' 'Ah, sir,'
said the knight, 'ye say as it pleaseth you: I would it were so: and
if I have this day anything advanced myself to serve you and to
accomplish the vow that I made, it ought not to be reputed to me any
prowess.' 'Sir James,' said the prince, 'I and all ours take you in
this journey for the best doer in arms, and to the intent to furnish
you the better to pursue the wars, I retain you for ever to be my
knight with five hundred marks of yearly revenues, the which I shall
assign you on mine heritage in England.' 'Sir,' said the knight, 'God
grant me to deserve the great goodness that ye shew me': and so he
took his leave of the prince, for he was right feeble, and so his
servants brought him to his lodging. And as soon as he was gone, the
earl of Warwick and the lord Cobham returned to the prince and
presented to him the French king. The prince made lowly reverence to
the king and caused wine and spices to be brought forth, and himself
served the king in sign of great love.
HOW THE ENGLISHMEN WON GREATLY AT THE BATTLE OF POITIERS
Thus this battle was discomfited, as ye have heard, the which was in
the fields of Maupertuis a two leagues from Poitiers the twenty-second
day of September the year of our Lord MCCCLVI. It begun in the
morning[1] and ended at noon, but as then all the Englishmen were not
returned from the chase; therefore the prince's banner stood on a bush
to draw all his men together, but it was well nigh night or all came
from the chase. And as it was reported, there was slain all the flower
of France, and there was taken with the king and the lord Philip his
son a seventeen earls, beside barons, knights and squires, and slain a
five or six thousand of one and other. When every man was come from
the chase, they had twice as many prisoners as they were in number in
all. Then it was counselled among them because of the great charge and
doubt to keep so many, that they should put many of them to ransom
incontinent in the field, and so they did: and the prisoners found the
Englishmen and Gascons right courteous; there were many that day put
to ransom and let go all only on their promise of faith and truth to
return again between that and Christmas to Bordeaux with their
ransoms. Then that night they lay in the field beside whereas the
battle had been: some unarmed them, but not all, and unarmed all their
prisoners, and every man made good cheer to his prisoner; for that day
whosoever took any prisoner, he was clear his and might quit or ransom
him at his pleasure. All such as were there with the prince were all
made rich with honour and goods, as well by ransoming of prisoners as
by winning of gold, silver, plate, jewels, that was there found: there
was no man that did set anything by rich harness, whereof there was
great plenty, for the Frenchmen came thither richly beseen, weening to
have had the journey for them.
[1] 'Environ heure de prime.'
HOW THE LORD JAMES AUDLEY GAVE TO HIS FOUR SQUIRES THE FIVE HUNDRED
MARKS OF REVENUES THAT THE PRINCE HAD GIVEN HIM
When sir James Audley was brought to his lodging, then he sent for sir
Peter Audley his brother and for the lord Bartholomew of Burghersh,
the lord Stephen of Cosington, the lord of Willoughby and the lord
Ralph Ferrers, all these were of his lineage, and then he called
before him his four squires, that had served him that day well and
truly. Then he said to the said lords: 'Sirs, it hath pleased my lord
the prince to give me five hundred marks of revenues by year in
heritage, for the which gift I have done him but small service with my
body. Sirs, behold here these four squires, who hath always served me
truly and specially this day: that honour that I have is by their
valiantness. Wherefore I will reward them: I give and resign into
their hands the gift that my lord the prince hath given me of five
hundred marks of yearly revenues, to them and to their heirs for ever,
in like manner as it was given me. I clearly disherit me thereof and
inherit them without any repeal[1] or condition. The lords and other
that ere there, every man beheld other and said among themselves: It
cometh of a great nobleness to give this gift.' They answered him with
one voice: 'Sir, be it as God will; we shall bear witness in this
behalf wheresoever we be come.' Then they departed from him, and some
of them went to the prince, who the same night would make a supper to
the French king and to the prisoners, for they had enough to do
withal, of that the Frenchmen brought with them,[2] for the Englishmen
wanted victual before, for some in three days had no bread before.
[1] 'Rappel,' i.e. power of recalling the gift. The word
'repeal' is a correction of 'rebel.'
[2] 'Who was to give the king of France a supper of his own
provisions; for the French had brought great abundance with
them, and provisions had failed among the English,' etc.
HOW THE PRINCE MADE A SUPPER TO THE FRENCH KING THE SAME DAY OF THE
BATTLE
The same day of the battle at night the prince made a supper in his
lodging to the French king and to the most part of the great lords
that were prisoners. The prince made the king and his son, the lord
James of Bourbon, the lord John d'Artois, the earl of Tancarville, the
earl of Estampes, the earl Dammartin, the earl of Joinville and the
lord of Partenay to sit all at one board, and other lords, knights and
squires at other tables; and always the prince served before the king
as humbly as he could, and would not sit at the king's board for any
desire that the king could make, but he said he was not sufficient to
sit at the table with so great a prince as the king was. But then he
said to the king: 'Sir, for God's sake make none evil nor heavy cheer,
though God this day did not consent to follow your will; for, sir,
surely the king my father shall bear you as much honour and amity as
he may do, and shall accord with you so reasonably that ye shall ever
be friends together after. And, sir, methinks ye ought to rejoice,
though the journey be not as ye would have had it, for this day ye
have won the high renown of prowess and have passed this day in
valiantness all other of your party. Sir, I say not this to mock you,
for all that be on our party, that saw every man's deeds, are plainly
accorded by true sentence to give you the prize and chaplet.'
Therewith the Frenchmen began to murmur and said among themselves how
the prince had spoken nobly, and that by all estimation he should
prove a noble man, if God send him life and to persevere in such good
fortune.
HOW THE PRINCE RETURNED TO BORDEAUX AFTER THE BATTLE OF POITIERS
When supper was done, every man went to his lodging with their
prisoners. The same night they put many to ransom and believed them on
their faiths and troths, and ransomed them but easily, for they said
they would set no knight's ransom so high, but that he might pay at
his ease and maintain still his degree. The next day, when they had
heard mass and taken some repast and that everything was trussed and
ready, then they took their horses and rode towards Poitiers. The same
night there was come to Poitiers the lord of Roye with a hundred
spears: he was not at the battle, but he met the duke of Normandy near
to Chauvigny, and the duke sent him to Poitiers to keep the town till
they heard other tidings. When the lord of Roye knew that the
Englishmen were so near coming to the city, he caused every man to be
armed and every man to go to his defence to the walls, towers and
gates; and the Englishmen passed by without any approaching, for they
were so laded with gold, silver and prisoners, that in their returning
they assaulted no fortress; they thought it a great deed if they might
bring the French king, with their other prisoners and riches that they
had won, in safeguard to Bordeaux. They rode but small journeys
because of their prisoners and great carriages that they had: they
rode in a day no more but four or five leagues and lodged ever
betimes, and rode close together in good array saving the marshals'
battles, who rode ever before with five hundred men of arms to open
the passages as the prince should pass; but they found no encounters,
for all the country was so frayed that every man drew to the
fortresses.
As the prince rode, it was shewed him how the lord Audley had given to
his four squires the gift of the five hundred marks that he had given
unto him: then the prince sent for him and he was brought in his
litter to the prince, who received him courteously and said: 'Sir
James, we have knowledge that the revenues that we gave you, as soon
as ye came to your lodging, you gave the same to four squires: we
would know why ye did so, and whether the gift was agreeable to you or
not.' 'Sir,' said the knight, 'it is of truth I have given it to them,
and I shall shew you why I did so. These four squires that be here
present have a long season served me well and truly in many great
businesses and, sir, in this last battle they served me in such wise
that an they had never done nothing else I was bound to reward them,
and before the same day they had never nothing of me in reward. Sir, I
am but a man alone: but by the aid and comfort of them I took on me to
accomplish my vow long before made. I had been dead in the battle an
they had not been: wherefore, sir, when I considered the love that
they bare unto me, I had not been courteous if I would not a rewarded
them. I thank God I have had and shall have enough as long as I live:
I will never be abashed for lack of good. Sir, if I have done this
without your pleasure, I require you to pardon me, for, sir, both I
and my squires shall serve you as well as ever we did.' Then the
prince said: 'Sir James, for anything that ye have done I cannot blame
you, but can you good thank therefor; and for the valiantness of these
squires, whom ye praise so much, I accord to them your gift, and I
will render again to you six hundred marks in like manner as ye had
the other.'
Thus the prince and his company did so much that they passed through
Poitou and Saintonge without damage and came to Blaye, and there
passed the river of Gironde and arrived in the good city of Bordeaux.
It cannot be recorded the great feast and cheer that they of the city
with the clergy made to the prince, and how honourably they were there
received. The prince brought the French king into the abbey of Saint
Andrew's, and there they lodged both, the king in one part and the
prince in the other. The prince bought of the lords, knights and
squires of Gascoyne the most part of the earls of the realm of France,
such as were prisoners, and paid ready money for them. There was
divers questions and challenges made between the knights and squires
of Gascoyne for taking of the French king; howbeit Denis Morbeke by
right of arms and by true tokens that he shewed challenged him for his
prisoner. Another squire of Gascoyne called Bernard of Truttes said
how he had right to him: there was much ado and many words before the
prince and other lords that were there, and because these two
challenged each other to fight in that quarrel, the prince caused the
matter to rest till they came in England and that no declaration
should be made but afore the king of England his father; but because
the French king himself aided to sustain the challenge of Denis
Morbeke, for he inclined more to him than to any other, the prince
therefore privily caused to be delivered to the said sir Denis two
thousand nobles to maintain withal his estate.
Anon after the prince came to Bordeaux, the cardinal of Perigord came
thither, who was sent from the pope in legation, as it was said. He
was there more than fifteen days or the prince would speak with him
because of the chatelain of Amposte and his men, who were against him
in the battle of Poitiers. The prince believed that the cardinal sent
them thither, but the cardinal did so much by the means of the lord of
Caumont, the lord of Montferrand and the captal of Buch, who were his
cousins, they shewed so good reasons to the prince, that he was
content to hear him speak. And when he was before the prince, he
excused himself so sagely that the prince and his council held him
excused, and so he fell again into the prince's love and redeemed out
his men by reasonable ransoms; and the chatelain was set to his ransom
of ten thousand franks, the which he paid after. Then the cardinal
began to treat on the deliverance of the French king, but I pass it
briefly because nothing was done. Thus the prince, the Gascons and
Englishmen tarried still at Bordeaux till it was Lent in great mirth
and revel, and spent foolishly the gold and silver that they had won.
In England also there was great joy when they heard tidings of the
battle of Poitiers, of the discomfiting of the Frenchmen and taking of
the king: great solemnities were made in all churches and great fires
and wakes throughout all England. The knights and squires, such as
were come home from that journey, were much made of and praised more
than other.
WAT TYLER'S REBELLION
HOW THE COMMONS OF ENGLAND REBELLED AGAINST THE NOBLEMEN
In the mean season while this treaty was, there fell in England great
mischief and rebellion of moving of the common people, by which deed
England was at a point to have been lost without recovery. There was
never realm nor country in so great adventure as it was in that time,
and all because of the ease and riches that the common people were of,
which moved them to this rebellion, as sometime they did in France,
the which did much hurt, for by such incidents the realm of France
hath been greatly grieved.
It was a marvellous thing and of poor foundation that this mischief
began in England, and to give ensample to all manner of people I will
speak hereof as it was done, as I was informed, and of the incidents
thereof. There was an usage in England, and yet is in divers
countries, that the noblemen hath great franchise over the commons and
keepeth them in servage, that is to say, their tenants ought by custom
to labour the lords' lands, to gather and bring home their corns, and
some to thresh and to fan, and by servage to make their hay and to hew
their wood and bring it home. All these things they ought to do by
servage, and there be more of these people in England than in any
other realm. Thus the noblemen and prelates are served by them, and
especially in the county of Kent, Essex, Sussex and Bedford. These
unhappy people of these said countries began to stir, because they
said they were kept in great servage, and in the beginning of the
world, they said, there were no bondmen, wherefore they maintained
that none ought to be bond, without he did treason to his lord, as
Lucifer did to God; but they said they could have no such battle,[1]
for they were neither angels nor spirits, but men formed to the
similitude of their lords, saying why should they then be kept so
under like beasts; the which they said they would no longer suffer,
for they would be all one, and if they laboured or did anything for
their lords, they would have wages therefor as well as other. And of
this imagination was a foolish priest in the country of Kent called
John Ball, for the which foolish words he had been three times in the
bishop of Canterbury's prison: for this priest used oftentimes on the
Sundays after mass, when the people were going out of the minster, to
go into the cloister and preach, and made the people to assemble about
him, and would say thus: 'Ah, ye good people, the matters goeth not
well to pass in England, nor shall not do till everything be common,
and that there be no villains nor gentlemen, but that we may be all
united together, and that the lords be no greater masters than we be.
What have we deserved, or why should we be kept thus in servage? We be
all come from one father and one mother, Adam and Eve: whereby can
they say or shew that they be greater lords than we be, saving by that
they cause us to win and labour for that they dispend? They are
clothed in velvet and camlet furred with grise, and we be vestured
with poor cloth: they have their wines, spices and good bread, and we
have the drawing out of the chaff[2] and drink water; they dwell in
fair houses, and we have the pain and travail, rain and wind in the
fields; and by that that cometh of our labours they keep and maintain
their estates: we be called their bondmen, and without we do readily
them service, we be beaten; and we have no sovereign to whom we may
complain, nor that will hear us nor do us right. Let us go to the
king, he is young, and shew him what servage we be in, and shew him
how we will have it otherwise, or else we will provide us of some
remedy; and if we go together, all manner of people that be now in any
bondage will follow us to the intent to be made free; and when the
king seeth us, we shall have some remedy, either by fairness or
otherwise.' Thus John Ball said on Sundays, when the people issued out
of the churches in the villages; wherefore many of the mean people
loved him, and such as intended to no goodness said how he said truth;
and so they would murmur one with another in the fields and in the
ways as they went together, affirming how John Ball said truth.
[1] The true text is, 'Mais ils n'avoient pas cette taille,'
'but they were not of that nature.' The translator found the
corruption 'bataille' for 'taille.'
[2] Froissart says 'le seigle, le retrait et la paille,' 'the
rye, the bran and the straw.' The translator's French text had
'le seigle, le retraict de la paille.'
The archbishop of Canterbury, who was informed of the saying of this
John Ball, caused him to be taken and put in prison a two or three
months to chastise him: howbeit, it had been much better at the
beginning that he had been condemned to perpetual prison or else to
have died, rather than to have suffered him to have been again
delivered out of prison; but the bishop had conscience to let him die.
And when this John Ball was out of prison, he returned again to his
error, as he did before.
Of his words and deeds there were much people in London informed, such
as had great envy at them that were rich and such as were noble; and
then they began to speak among them and said how the realm of England
was right evil governed, and how that gold and silver was taken from
them by them that were named noblemen: so thus these unhappy men of
London began to rebel and assembled them together, and sent word to
the foresaid countries that they should come to London and bring their
people with them, promising them how they should find London open to
receive them and the commons of the city to be of the same accord,
saying how they would do so much to the king that there should not be
one bondman in all England.
This promise moved so them of Kent, of Essex, of Sussex, of Bedford
and of the countries about, that they rose and came towards London to
the number of sixty thousand. And they had a captain called Water
Tyler, and with him in company was Jack Straw and John Ball: these
three were chief sovereign captains, but the head of all was Water
Tyler, and he was indeed a tiler of houses, an ungracious patron. When
these unhappy men began thus to stir, they of London, except such as
were of their band, were greatly affrayed. Then the mayor of London
and the rich men of the city took counsel together, and when they saw
the people thus coming on every side, they caused the gates of the
city to be closed and would suffer no man to enter into the city. But
when they had well imagined, they advised not so to do, for they
thought they should thereby put their suburbs in great peril to be
brent; and so they opened again the city, and there entered in at the
gates in some place a hundred, two hundred, by twenty and by thirty,
and so when they came to London, they entered and lodged: and yet of
truth the third part[3] of these people could not tell what to ask or
demand, but followed each other like beasts, as the shepherds[4] did
of old time, saying how they would go conquer the Holy Land, and at
last all came to nothing. In like wise these villains and poor people
came to London, a hundred mile off, sixty mile, fifty mile, forty
mile, and twenty mile off, and from all countries about London, but
the most part came from the countries before named, and as they came
they demanded ever for the king. The gentlemen of the countries,
knights and squires, began to doubt, when they saw the people began to
rebel; and though they were in doubt, it was good reason; for a less
occasion they might have been affrayed. So the gentlemen drew together
as well as they might.
[3] 'Bien les trois pars.' i.e. 'three-fourths.'
[4] 'Les pastoureaulx.' The reference no doubt is to the
Pastoureaux of 1320, who were destroyed at Aigues-Mortes when
attempting to obtain a passage to the Holy Land.
The same day that these unhappy people of Kent were coming to London,
there returned from Canterbury the king's mother, princess of Wales,
coming from her pilgrimage. She was in great jeopardy to have been
lost, for these people came to her chare and dealt rudely with her,
whereof the good lady was in great doubt lest they would have done
some villany to her or to her damosels. Howbeit, God kept her, and she
came in one day from Canterbury to London, for she never durst tarry
by the way. The same time king Richard her son was at the Tower of
London: there his mother found him, and with him there was the earl of
Salisbury, the archbishop of Canterbury, sir Robert of Namur, the lord
of Gommegnies and divers other, who were in doubt of these people that
thus gathered together, and wist not what they demanded. This
rebellion was well known in the king's court, or any of these people
began to stir out of their houses; but the king nor his council did
provide no remedy therefor, which was great marvel. And to the intent
that all lords and good people and such as would nothing but good
should take ensample to correct them that be evil and rebellious, I
shall shew you plainly all the matter, as it was.
THE EVIL DEEDS THAT THESE COMMONS OF ENGLAND DID TO THE KING'S
OFFICERS, AND HOW THEY SENT A KNIGHT TO SPEAK WITH THE KING
The Monday before the feast of Corpus Christi the year of our Lord God
a thousand three hundred and eighty-one these people issued out of
their houses to come to London to speak with the king to be made free,
for they would have had no bondman in England. And so first they came
to Saint Thomas of Canterbury, and there John Ball had thought to have
found the bishop of Canterbury, but he was at London with the king.
When Wat Tyler and Jack Straw entered into Canterbury, all the common
people made great feast, for all the town was of their assent; and
there they took counsel to go to London to the king, and to send some
of their company over the river of Thames into Essex, into Sussex and
into the counties of Stafford and Bedford, to speak to the people that
they should all come to the farther side of London and thereby to
close London round about, so that the king should not stop their
passages, and that they should all meet together on Corpus Christi
day. They that were at Canterbury entered into Saint Thomas' church
and did there much hurt, and robbed and brake up the bishop's chamber,
and in robbing and bearing out their pillage they said: 'Ah, this
chancellor of England hath had a good market to get together all this
riches: he shall give us now account of the revenues of England and of
the great profits that he hath gathered sith the king's coronation.'
When they had this Monday thus broken the abbey of Saint Vincent, they
departed in the morning and all the people of Canterbury with them,
and so took the way to Rochester and sent their people to the villages
about. And in their going they beat down and robbed houses of
advocates and procurers of the king's court and of the archbishop, and
had mercy of none. And when they were come to Rochester, they had
there good cheer; for the people of that town tarried for them, for
they were of the same sect, and then they went to the castle there and
took the knight that had the rule thereof, he was called sir John
Newton, and they said to him: 'Sir, it behoveth you to go with us and
you shall be our sovereign captain and to do that we will have you,'
The knight excused himself honestly and shewed them divers
considerations and excuses, but all availed him nothing, for they said
unto him: 'Sir John, if ye do not as we will have you, ye are but
dead,' The knight, seeing these people in that fury and ready to slay
him, he then doubted death and agreed to them, and so they took him
with them against his inward will; and in like wise did they of other
counties in England, as Essex, Sussex, Stafford, Bedford and Warwick,
even to Lincoln; for they brought the knights and gentlemen into such
obeisance, that they caused them to go with them, whether they would
or not, as the lord Moylays, a great baron, sir Stephen of Hales and
sir Thomas of Cosington and other.
Now behold the great fortune. If they might have come to their
intents, they would have destroyed all the noblemen of England, and
thereafter all other nations would have followed the same and have
taken foot and ensample by them and by them of Gaunt and Flanders, who
rebelled against their lord. The same year the Parisians rebelled in
like wise and found out the mallets of iron, of whom there were more
than twenty thousand, as ye shall hear after in this history; but
first we will speak of them of England.
When these people thus lodged at Rochester departed, and passed the
river and came to Brentford, alway keeping still their opinions,
beating down before them and all about the places and houses of
advocates and procurers, and striking off the heads of divers persons.
And so long they went forward till they came within a four mile of
London, and there lodged on a hill called Blackheath; and as they
went, they said ever they were the king's men and the noble commons of
England:[1] and when they of London knew that they were come so near
to them, the mayor, as ye have heard before, closed the gates and kept
straitly all the passages. This order caused the mayor, who was called
Nicholas Walworth,[2] and divers other rich burgesses of the city, who
were not of their sect; but there were in London of their unhappy
opinions more than thirty thousand.
[1] 'That they were for the king and the noble commons (or
commonwealth) of England.'
[2] Froissart calls him John: his name was really William.
Then these people thus being lodged on Blackheath determined to send
their knight to speak with the king and to shew him how all that they
have done or will do is for him and his honour, and how the realm of
England hath not been well governed a great space for the honour of
the realm nor for the common profit by his uncles and by the clergy,
and specially by the archbishop of Canterbury his chancellor; whereof
they would have account. This knight durst do none otherwise, but so
came by the river of Thames to the Tower. The king and they that were
with him in the Tower, desiring to hear tidings, seeing this knight
coming made him way, and was brought before the king into a chamber;
and with the king was the princess his mother and his two brethren,
the earl of Kent and the lord John Holland, the earl of Salisbury, the
earl of Warwick, the earl of Oxford, the archbishop of Canterbury, the
lord of Saint John's,[3] sir Robert of Namur, the lord of Vertaing,
the lord of Gommegnies, sir Henry of Senzeille, the mayor of London
and divers other notable burgesses. This knight sir John Newton, who
was well known among them, for he was one of the king's officers, he
kneeled down before the king and said: 'My right redoubted lord, let
it not displease your grace the message that I must needs shew you,
for, dear sir, it is by force and against my will.' 'Sir John,' said
the king, 'say what ye will: I hold you excused.' 'Sir, the commons of
this your realm hath sent me to you to desire you to come and speak
with them on Blackheath; for they desire to have none but you: and,
sir, ye need not to have any doubt of your person, for they will do
you no hurt; for they hold and will hold you for their king. But, sir,
they say they will shew you divers things, the which shall be right
necessary for you to take heed of, when they speak with you; of the
which things, sir, I have no charge to shew you: but, sir, it may
please you to give me an answer such as may appease them and that they
may know for truth that I have spoken with you; for they have my
children in hostage till I return again to them, and without I return
again, they will slay my children incontinent.'
[3] That is, the grand prior of the Hospital.
Then the king made him an answer and said: 'Sir, ye shall have an
answer shortly.' Then the king took counsel what was best for him to
do, and it was anon determined that the next morning the king should
go down the river by water and without fail to speak with them. And
when sir John Newton heard that answer, he desired nothing else and so
took his leave of the king and of the lords and returned again into
his vessel, and passed the Thames and went to Blackheath, where he had
left more than threescore thousand men. And there he answered them
that the next morning they should send some of their council to the
Thames, and there the king would come and speak with them.[4] This
answer greatly pleased them, and so passed that night as well as they
might, and the fourth part of them fasted for lack of victual for they
had none, wherewith they were sore displeased, which was good reason.
[4] 'Les quatre pars d'eux,' 'four-fifths of them.'
All this season the earl of Buckingham was in Wales, for there he had
fair heritages by reason of his wife, who was daughter to the earl of
Northumberland and Hereford; but the voice was all through London how
he was among these people. And some said certainly how they had seen
him there among them; and all was because there was one Thomas in
their company, a man of the county of Cambridge, that was very like
the earl. Also the lords that lay at Plymouth to go into Portugal were
well informed of this rebellion and of the people that thus began to
rise; wherefore they doubted lest their viage should have been broken,
or else they feared lest the commons about Hampton, Winchester and
Arundel would have come on them: wherefore they weighed up their
anchors and issued out of the haven with great pain, for the wind was
sore against them, and so took the sea and there cast anchor abiding
for the wind. And the duke of Lancaster, who was in the marches of
Scotland between Moorlane and Roxburgh entreating with the Scots,
where it was shewed him of the rebellion, whereof he was in doubt, for
he knew well he was but little beloved with the commons of England;
howbeit, for all those tidings, yet he did sagely demean himself as
touching the treaty with the Scots. The earl Douglas, the earl of
Moray, the earl of Sutherland and the earl Thomas Versy, and the Scots
that were there for the treaty knew right well the rebellion in
England, how the common people in every part began to rebel against
the noblemen; wherefore the Scots thought that England was in great
danger to be lost, and therefore in their treaties they were the more
stiffer against the duke of Lancaster and his council.
Now let us speak of the commons of England and how they persevered.
HOW THE COMMONS OF ENGLAND ENTERED INTO LONDON, AND OF THE GREAT EVIL
THAT THEY DID, AND OF THE DEATH OF THE BISHOP OF CANTERBURY AND DIVERS
OTHER
In the morning on Corpus Christi day king Richard heard mass in the
Tower of London, and all his lords, and then he took his barge with
the earl of Salisbury, the earl of Warwick, the earl of Oxford and
certain knights, and so rowed down along the Thames to Rotherhithe,
whereas was descended down the hill a ten thousand men to see the king
and to speak with him. And when they saw the king's barge coming, they
began to shout, and made such a cry, as though all the devils of hell
had been among them. And they had brought with them sir John Newton to
the intent that, if the king had not come, they would have stricken
him all to pieces, and so they had promised him. And when the king and
his lords saw the demeanour of the people, the best assured of them
were in dread; and so the king was counselled by his barons not to
take any landing there, but so rowed up and down the river. And the
king demanded of them what they would, and said how he was come
thither to speak with them, and they said all with one voice: 'We
would that ye should come aland, and then we shall shew you what we
lack.' Then the earl of Salisbury answered for the king and said:
'Sirs, ye be not in such order nor array that the king ought to speak
with you.' And so with those words no more said: and then the king was
counselled to return again to the Tower of London, and so he did.
And when these people saw that, they were inflamed with ire and
returned to the hill where the great band was, and there shewed them
what answer they had and how the king was returned to the Tower of
London. Then they cried all with one voice, 'Let us go to London,' and
so they took their way thither; and in their going they beat down
abbeys and houses of advocates and of men of the court, and so came
into the suburbs of London, which were great and fair, and there beat
down divers fair houses, and specially they brake up the king's
prisons, as the Marshalsea and other, and delivered out all the
prisoners that were within: and there they did much hurt, and at the
bridge foot they threat them of London because the gates of the bridge
were closed, saying how they would bren all the suburbs and so conquer
London by force, and to slay and bren all the commons of the city.
There were many within the city of their accord, and so they drew
together and said: 'Why do we not let these good people enter into the
city? they are your fellows, and that that they do is for us,' So
therewith the gates were opened, and then these people entered into
the city and went into houses and sat down to eat and drink. They
desired nothing but it was incontinent brought to them, for every man
was ready to make them good cheer and to give them meat and drink to
appease them.
Then the captains, as John Ball, Jack Straw and Wat Tyler, went
throughout London and a twenty thousand with them, and so came to the
Savoy in the way to Westminster, which was a goodly house and it
pertained to the duke of Lancaster. And when they entered, they slew
the keepers thereof and robbed and pilled the house, and when they had
so done, then they set fire on it and clean destroyed and brent it.
And when they had done that outrage, they left not therewith, but went
straight to the fair hospital of the Rhodes called Saint John's,[1]
and there they brent house, hospital, minster and all. Then they went
from street to street and slew all the Flemings that they could find
in church or in any other place, there was none respited from death.
And they brake up divers houses of the Lombards and robbed them and
took their goods at their pleasure, for there was none that durst say
them nay. And they slew in the city a rich merchant called Richard
Lyon, to whom before that time Wat Tyler had done service in France;
and on a time this Richard Lyon had beaten him, while he was his
varlet, the which Wat Tyler then remembered and so came to his house
and strake off his head and caused it to be borne on a spear-point
before him all about the city. Thus these ungracious people demeaned
themselves like people enraged and wood, and so that day they did much
sorrow in London.
[1] This is called afterwards 'l'Ospital de Saint Jehan du
Temple,' and therefore would probably be the Temple, to which
the Hospitallers had suceeded. They had, however, another house
at Clerkenwell, which also had been once the property of the
Templars.
And so against night they went to lodge at Saint Katherine's before
the Tower of London, saying how they would never depart thence till
they had the king at their pleasure and till he had accorded to them
all (they would ask, and) that they would ask accounts of the
chancellor of England, to know where all the good was become that he
had levied through the realm, and without he made a good account to
them thereof, it should not be for his profit. And so when they had
done all these evils to the strangers all the day, at night they
lodged before the Tower.
Ye may well know and believe that it was great pity for the danger
that the king and such as were with him were in. For some time these
unhappy people shouted and cried so loud, as though all the devils of
hell had been among them. In this evening the king was counselled by
his brethren and lords and by sir Nicholas Walworth, mayor of London,
and divers other notable and rich burgesses, that in the night time
they should issue out of the Tower and enter into the city, and so to
slay all these unhappy people, while they were at their rest and
asleep; for it was thought that many of them were drunken, whereby
they should be slain like flies; also of twenty of them there was
scant one in harness. And surely the good men of London might well
have done this at their ease, for they had in their houses secretly
their friends and servants ready in harness, and also sir Robert
Knolles was in his lodging keeping his treasure with a sixscore ready
at his commandment; in like wise was sir Perducas d'Albret, who was as
then in London, insomuch that there might well (have) assembled
together an eight thousand men ready in harness. Howbeit, there was
nothing done, for the residue of the commons of the city were sore
doubted, lest they should rise also, and the commons before were a
threescore thousand or more. Then the earl of Salisbury and the wise
men about the king said: 'Sir, if ye can appease them with fairness,
it were best and most profitable, and to grant them everything that
they desire, for if we should begin a thing the which we could not
achieve, we should never recover it again, but we and our heirs ever
to be disinherited,' So this counsel was taken and the mayor
countermanded, and so commanded that he should not stir; and he did as
he was commanded, as reason was. And in the city with the mayor there
were twelve aldermen, whereof nine of them held with the king and the
other three took part with these ungracious people, as it was after
well known, the which they full dearly bought.
And on the Friday in the morning the people, being at Saint
Katharine's near to the Tower, began to apparel themselves and to cry
and shout, and said, without the king would come out and speak with
them, they would assail the Tower and take it by force, and slay all
them that were within. Then the king doubted these words and so was
counselled that he should issue out to speak with them: and then the
king sent to them that they should all draw to a fair plain place
called Mile-end, whereas the people of the city did sport them in the
summer season, and there the king to grant them that they desired; and
there it was cried in the king's name, that whosoever would speak with
the king let him go to the said place, and there he should not fail to
find the king. Then the people began to depart, specially the commons
of the villages, and went to the same place: but all went not thither,
for they were not all of one condition; for there were some that
desired nothing but riches and the utter destruction of the noblemen
and to have London robbed and pilled; that was the principal matter of
their beginning, the which they well shewed, for as soon as the Tower
gate opened and that the king was issued out with his two brethren and
the earl of Salisbury, the earl of Warwick, the earl of Oxford, sir
Robert of Namur, the lord of Vertaing, the lord Gommegnies and divers
other, then Wat Tyler, Jack Straw and John Ball and more than four
hundred entered into the Tower and brake up chamber after chamber, and
at last found the archbishop of Canterbury, called Simon, a valiant
man and a wise, and chief chancellor of England, and a little before
he had said mass before the king. These gluttons took him and strake
off his head, and also they beheaded the lord of Saint John's and a
friar minor, master in medicine, pertaining to the duke of Lancaster,
they slew him in despite of his master, and a sergeant at arms called
John Leg; and these four heads were set on four long spears and they
made them to be borne before them through the streets of London and at
last set them a-high on London bridge, as though they had been
traitors to the king and to the realm. Also these gluttons entered
into the princess' chamber and brake her bed, whereby she was so sore
affrayed that she swooned; and there she was taken up and borne to the
water side and put into a barge and covered, and so conveyed to a
place called the Queen's Wardrobe;[2] and there she was all that day
and night like a woman half dead, till she was comforted with the king
her son, as ye shall hear after.
[2] The Queen's Wardrobe was in the 'Royal' (called by Froissart
or his copyist 'la Réole'), a palace near Blackfriars.
HOW THE NOBLES OF ENGLAND WERE IN GREAT PERIL TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED,
AND HOW THESE REBELS WERE PUNISHED AND SENT HOME TO THEIR OWN HOUSES
When the king came to the said place of Mile-end without London, he
put out of his company his two brethren, the earl of Kent and sir John
Holland, and the lord of Gommegnies, for they durst not appear before
the people: and when the king and his other lords were there, he found
there a threescore thousand men of divers villages and of sundry
countries in England; so the king entered in among them and said to
them sweetly: 'Ah, ye good people, I am your king: what lack ye? what
will ye say?' Then such as understood him said: 'We will that ye make
us free for ever, ourselves, our heirs and our lands, and that we be
called no more bond nor so reputed.' 'Sirs,' said the king, 'I am well
agreed thereto. Withdraw you home into your own houses and into such
villages as ye came from, and leave behind you of every village two or
three, and I shall cause writings to be made and seal them with my
seal, the which they shall have with them, containing everything that
ye demand; and to the intent that ye shall be the better assured, I
shall cause my banners to be delivered into every bailiwick, shire and
countries.'
These words appeased well the common people, such as were simple and
good plain men, that were come thither and wist not why. They said,
'It was well said, we desire no better.' Thus these people began to be
appeased and began to withdraw them into the city of London. And the
king also said a word, the which greatly contented them. He said:
'Sirs, among you good men of Kent ye shall have one of my banners with
you, and ye of Essex another, and ye of Sussex, of Bedford, of
Cambridge, of Yarmouth, of Stafford and of Lynn, each of you one; and
also I pardon everything that ye have done hitherto, so that ye follow
my banners and return home to your houses.' They all answered how they
would so do: thus these people departed and went into London. Then the
king ordained more than thirty clerks the same Friday, to write with
all diligence letter patents and sealed with the king's seal, and
delivered them to these people; and when they had received the
writing, they departed and returned into their own countries: but the
great venom remained still behind, for Wat Tyler, Jack Straw and John
Ball said, for all that these people were thus appeased, yet they
would not depart so, and they had of their accord more than thirty
thousand. So they abode still and made no press to have the king's
writing nor seal, for all their intents was to put the city to trouble
in such wise as to slay all the rich and honest persons and to rob and
pill their houses. They of London were in great fear of this,
wherefore they kept their houses privily with their friends and such
servants as they had, every man according to his puissance. And when
these said people were this Friday thus somewhat appeased, and that
they should depart as soon as they had their writings, every man home
into his own country, then king Richard came into the Royal, where the
queen his mother was, right sore affrayed: so he comforted her as well
as he could and tarried there with her all that night.
Yet I shall shew you of an adventure that fell by these ungracious
people before the city of Norwich, by a captain among them called
Guilliam Lister of Stafford. The same day of Corpus Christi that these
people entered into London and brent the duke of Lancaster's house,
called the Savoy; and the hospital of Saint John's and brake up the
king's prisons and did all this hurt, as ye have heard before, the
same time there assembled together they of Stafford, of Lynn, of
Cambridge, of Bedford and of Yarmouth; and as they were coming towards
London, they had a captain among them called Lister. And as they came,
they rested them before Norwich, and in their coming they caused every
man to rise with them, so that they left no villains behind them. The
cause why they rested before Norwich I shall shew you. There was a
knight, captain of the town, called sir Robert Sale. He was no
gentleman born, but he had the grace to be reputed sage and valiant in
arms, and for his valiantness king Edward made him knight. He was of
his body one of the biggest knights in all England. Lister and his
company thought to have had this knight with them and to make him
their chief captain, to the intent to be the more feared and beloved:
so they sent to him that he should come and speak with them in the
field, or else they would bren the town. The knight considered that it
was better for him to go and speak with them rather than they should
do that outrage to the town: then he mounted on his horse and issued
out of the town all alone, and so came to speak with them. And when
they saw him, they made him great cheer and honoured him much,
desiring him to alight off his horse and to speak with them, and so he
did: wherein he did great folly; for when he was alighted, they came
round about him and began to speak fair to him and said: 'Sir Robert,
ye are a knight and a man greatly beloved in this country and renowned
a valiant man; and though ye be thus, yet we know you well, ye be no
gentleman born, but son to a villain such as we be. Therefore come you
with us and be our master, and we shall make you so great a lord, that
one quarter of England shall be under your obeisance,' When the knight
heard them speak thus, it was greatly contrarious to his mind, for he
thought never to make any such bargain, and answered them with a
felonous regard: 'Fly away, ye ungracious people, false and evil
traitors that ye be: would you that I should forsake my natural lord
for such a company of knaves as ye be, to my dishonour for ever? I had
rather ye were all hanged, as ye shall be; for that shall be your
end.' And with those words he had thought to have leapt again upon his
horse, but he failed of the stirrup and the horse started away. Then
they cried all at him and said: 'Slay him without mercy.' When he
heard those words, he let his horse go and drew out a good sword and
began to scrimmish with them, and made a great place about him, that
it was pleasure to behold him. There was none that durst approach near
him: there were some that approached near him, but at every stroke
that he gave he cut off other leg, head or arm: there was none so
hardy but that they feared him: he did there such deeds of arms that
it was marvel to regard. But there were more than forty thousand of
these unhappy people: they shot and cast at him, and he was unarmed:
to say truth, if he had been of iron or steel, yet he must needs have
been slain; but yet, or he died, he slew twelve out of hand, beside
them that he hurt. Finally he was stricken to the earth, and they cut
off his arms and legs and then strake his body all to pieces. This was
the end of sir Robert Sale, which was great damage; for which deed
afterward all the knights and squires of England were angry and sore
displeased when they heard thereof.
Now let us return to the king. The Saturday the king departed from the
Wardrobe in the Royal and went to Westminster and heard mass in the
church there, and all his lords with him. And beside the church there
was a little chapel with an image of our Lady, which did great
miracles and in whom the kings of England had ever great trust and
confidence. The king made his orisons before this image and did there
his offering; and then he leapt on his horse, and all his lords, and
so the king rode toward London; and when he had ridden a little way,
on the left hand there was a way to pass without London.[1]
[1] Or rather, 'he found a place on the left hand to pass
without London.'
The same proper morning Wat Tyler, Jack Straw and John Ball had
assembled their company to common together in a place called
Smithfield, whereas every Friday there is a market of horses; and
there were together all of affinity more than twenty thousand, and yet
there were many still in the town, drinking and making merry in the
taverns and paid nothing, for they were happy that made them best
cheer. And these people in Smithfield had with them the king's
banners, the which were delivered them the day before, and all these
gluttons were in mind to overrun and to rob London the same day; for
their captains said how they had done nothing as yet. 'These liberties
that the king hath given us is to us but a small profit: therefore let
us be all of one accord and let us overrun this rich and puissant
city, or they of Essex, of Sussex, of Cambridge, of Bedford, of
Arundel, of Warwick, of Reading, of Oxford, of Guildford, of Lynn, of
Stafford, of Yarmouth, of Lincoln, of York and of Durham do come
hither. For all these will come hither; Baker and Lister will bring
them hither; and if we be first lords of London and have the
possession of the riches that is therein, we shall not repent us; for
if we leave it, they that come after will have it from us.'
To this counsel they all agreed; and therewith the king came the same
way unware of them, for he had thought to have passed that way without
London, and with him a forty horse. And when he came before the abbey
of Saint Bartholomew and beheld all these people, then the king rested
and said how he would go no farther till he knew what these people
ailed, saying, if they were in any trouble, how he would rappease them
again. The lords that were with him tarried also, as reason was when
they saw the king tarry. And when Wat Tyler saw the king tarry, he
said to his people: 'Sirs, yonder is the king: I will go and speak
with him. Stir not from hence, without I make you a sign; and when I
make you that sign, come on and slay all them except the king; but do
the king no hurt, he is young, we shall do with him as we list and
shall lead him with us all about England, and so shall we be lords of
all the realm without doubt.' And there was a doublet-maker of London
called John Tycle, and he had brought to these gluttons a sixty
doublets, the which they ware: then he demanded of these captains who
should pay him for his doublets; he demanded thirty mark. Wat Tyler
answered him and said: 'Friend, appease yourself, thou shalt be well
paid or this day be ended. Keep thee near me; I shall be thy
creditor.' And therewith he spurred his horse and departed from his
company and came to the king, so near him that his horse head touched
the croup of the king's horse, and the first word that he said was
this: 'Sir king, seest thou all yonder people?' 'Yea truly,' said the
king, 'wherefore sayest thou?' 'Because,' said he, 'they be all at my
commandment and have sworn to me faith and truth, to do all that I
will have them' 'In a good time,' said the king, 'I will well it be
so.' Then Wat Tyler said, as he that nothing demanded but riot: 'What
believest thou, king, that these people and as many more as be in
London at my commandment, that they will depart from thee thus without
having thy letters?' 'No,' said the king, 'ye shall have them: they
be ordained for you and shall be delivered every one each after other.
Wherefore, good fellows, withdraw fair and easily to your people and
cause them to depart out of London; for it is our intent that each of
you by villages and townships shall have letters patents, as I have
promised you.'
With those words Wat Tyler cast his eyen on a squire that was there
with the king bearing the king's sword, and Wat Tyler hated greatly
the same squire, for the same squire had displeased him before for
words between them. 'What,' said Tyler, 'art thou there? Give me thy
dagger.' 'Nay,' said the squire, 'that will I not do: wherefore should
I give it thee?' The king beheld the squire and said: 'Give it him;
let him have it.' And so the squire took it him sore against his will.
And when this Wat Tyler had it, he began to play therewith and turned
it in his hand, and said again to the squire: 'Give me also that
sword.' 'Nay,' said the squire, 'it is the king's sword: thou art not
worthy to have it, for thou art but a knave; and if there were no more
here but thou and I, thou durst not speak those words for as much gold
in quantity as all yonder abbey.'[2] 'By my faith,' said Wat Tyler, 'I
shall never eat meat till I have thy head': and with those words the
mayor of London came to the king with a twelve horses well armed under
their coats, and so he brake the press and saw and heard how Wat Tyler
demeaned himself, and said to him: 'Ha, thou knave, how art thou so
hardy in the king's presence to speak such words? It is too much for
thee so to do.' Then the king began to chafe and said to the mayor:
'Set hands on him.' And while the king said so, Tyler said to the
mayor: 'A God's name what have I said to displease thee?' 'Yes truly,'
quoth the mayor, 'thou false stinking knave, shalt thou speak thus in
the presence of the king my natural lord? I commit never to live,
without thou shalt dearly abye it.'[3] And with those words the mayor
drew out his sword and strake Tyler so great a stroke on the head,
that he fell down at the feet of his horse, and as soon as he was
fallen, they environed him all about, whereby he was not seen of his
company. Then a squire of the king's alighted, called John Standish,
and he drew out his sword and put it into Wat Tyler's belly, and so he
died.
[2] The full text has, 'for as much gold as that minster of
Saint Paul is great.'
[3] 'Jamais je veux vivre, si tu ne le compares.'
Then the ungracious people there assembled, perceiving their captain
slain, began to murmur among themselves and said: 'Ah, our captain is
slain, let us go and slay them all': and therewith they arranged
themselves on the place in manner of battle, and their bows before
them. Thus the king began a great outrage;[4] howbeit, all turned to
the best: for as soon as Tyler was on the earth, the king departed
from all his company and all alone he rode to these people, and said
to his own men: 'Sirs, none of you follow me; let me alone.' And so
when he came before these ungracious people, who put themselves in
ordinance to revenge their captain, then the king said to them: 'Sirs,
what aileth you? Ye shall have no captain but me: I am your king: be
all in rest and peace.' And so the most part of the people that heard
the king speak and saw him among them, were shamefast and began to wax
peaceable and to depart; but some, such as were malicious and evil,
would not depart, but made semblant as though they would do somewhat.
[4] 'Outrage' here means 'act of boldness,' as elsewhere, e.g.
'si fist une grant apertise d'armes et un grant outrage.'
Then the king returned to his own company and demanded of them what
was best to be done. Then he was counselled to draw into the field,
for to fly away was no boot. Then said the mayor: 'It is good that we
do so, for I think surely we shall have shortly some comfort of them
of London and of such good men as be of our part, who are purveyed and
have their friends and men ready armed in their houses.' And in the
mean time voice and bruit ran through London how these unhappy people
were likely to slay the king and the mayor in Smithfield; through the
which noise all manner of good men of the king's party issued out of
their houses and lodgings well armed, and so came all to Smithfield
and to the field where the king was, and they were anon to the number
of seven or eight thousand men well armed. And first thither came sir
Robert Knolles and sir Perducas d'Albret, well accompanied, and divers
of the aldermen of London, and with them a six hundred men in harness,
and a puissant man of the city, who was the king's draper,[5] called
Nicholas Bramber, and he brought with him a great company; and ever as
they came, they ranged them afoot in order of battle: and on the other
part these unhappy people were ready ranged, making semblance to give
battle, and they had with them divers of the king's banners. There the
king made three knights, the one the mayor of London sir Nicholas
Walworth, sir John Standish and sir Nicholas Bramber. Then the lords
said among themselves: 'What shall we do? We see here our enemies, who
would gladly slay us, if they might have the better hand of us.' Sir
Robert Knolles counselled to go and fight with them and slay them all;
yet the king would not consent thereto, but said: 'Nay, I will not so:
I will send to them commanding them to send me again my banners and
thereby we shall see what they will do. Howbeit, other by fairness or
otherwise, I will have them.' 'That is well said, sir,' quoth the earl
of Salisbury. Then these new knights were sent to them, and these
knights made token to them not to shoot at them, and when they came so
near them that their speech might be heard, they said: 'Sirs, the king
commandeth you to send to him again his banners, and we think he will
have mercy of you.' And incontinent they delivered again the banners
and sent them to the king. Also they were commanded on pain of their
heads, that all such as had letters of the king to bring them forth
and to send them again to the king; and so many of them delivered
their letters, but not all. Then the king made them to be all to torn
in their presence; and as soon as the king's banners were delivered
again, these unhappy people kept none array, but the most part of them
did cast down their bows, and so brake their array and returned into
London. Sir Robert Knolles was sore displeased in that he might not go
to slay them all: but the king would not consent thereto, but said he
would be revenged of them well enough; and so he was after.
[5] 'Qui estoit des draps du roy.' He owned large estates in
Essex and also shops in London. He became one of the councillors
of Richard II.
Thus these foolish people departed, some one way and some another; and
the king and his lords and all his company right ordinately entered
into London with great joy. And the first journey that the king made
he went to the lady princess his mother, who was in a castle in the
Royal called the Queen's Wardrobe, and there she had tarried two days
and two nights right sore abashed, as she had good reason; and when
she saw the king her son, she was greatly rejoiced and said: 'Ah, fair
son, what pain and great sorrow that I have suffered for you this
day!' Then the king answered and said: 'Certainly, madam, I know it
well; but now rejoice yourself and thank God, for now it is time. I
have this day recovered mine heritage and the realm of England, the
which I had near lost.' Thus the king tarried that day with his
mother, and every lord went peaceably to their own lodgings. Then
there was a cry made in every street in the king's name, that all
manner of men, not being of the city of London and have not dwelt
there the space of one year, to depart; and if any such be found there
the Sunday by the sun-rising, that they should be taken as traitors to
the king and to lose their heads. This cry thus made, there was none
that durst brake it, and so all manner of people departed and sparkled
abroad every man to their own places. John Ball and Jack Straw were
found in an old house hidden, thinking to have stolen away, but they
could not, for they were accused by their own men. Of the taking of
them the king and his lords were glad, and then strake off their heads
and Wat Tyler's also, and they were set on London bridge, and the
valiant men's heads taken down that they had set on the Thursday
before. These tidings anon spread abroad, so that the people of the
strange countries, which were coming towards London, returned back
again to their own houses and durst come no farther.
THE BATTLE OF OTTERBURN
HOW THE EARL DOUGLAS WON THE PENNON OF SIR HENRY PERCY AT THE BARRIERS
BEFORE NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, AND HOW THE SCOTS BRENT THE CASTLE OF
PONTLAND, AND HOW SIR HENRY PERCY AND SIR RALPH HIS BROTHER TOOK
ADVICE TO FOLLOW THE SCOTS TO CONQUER AGAIN THE PENNON THAT WAS LOST
AT THE SCRIMMISH
When the English lords saw that their squire returned not again at the
time appointed, and could know nothing what the Scots did, nor what
they were purposed to do, then they thought well that their squire was
taken. The lords sent each to other, to be ready whensoever they
should hear that the Scots were abroad: as for their messenger, they
thought him but lost.
Now let us speak of the earl Douglas and other, for they had more to
do than they that went by Carlisle. When the earls of Douglas, of
Moray, of March, and Dunbar[1] departed from the great host, they took
their way thinking to pass the water and to enter into the bishopric
of Durham, and to ride to the town and then to return, brenning and
exiling the country and so to come to Newcastle and to lodge there in
the town in the despite of all the Englishmen. And as they determined,
so they did assay to put it in use, for they rode a great pace under
covert without doing of any pillage by the way or assaulting of any
castle, tower or house, but so came into the lord Percy's land and
passed the river of Tyne without any let a three leagues above
Newcastle not far from Brancepeth, and at last entered into the
bishopric of Durham, where they found a good country. Then they began
to make war, to slay people and to bren villages and to do many sore
displeasures.
[1] George, earl of March and Dunbar: the text gives Mare, but
there was at this time no earl of Mar.
As at that time the earl of Northumberland and the other lords and
knights of that country knew nothing of their coming. When tidings
came to Newcastle and to Durham that the Scots were abroad, and that
they might well see by the fires and smoke abroad in the country, the
earl sent to Newcastle his two sons and sent commandment to every man
to draw to Newcastle, saying to his sons: 'Ye shall go to Newcastle
and all the country shall assemble there, and I shall tarry at
Alnwick, which is a passage that they must pass by. If we may enclose
them, we shall speed well.' Sir Henry Percy and sir Ralph his brother
obeyed their father's commandment and came thither with them of the
country. The Scots rode burning and exiling the country, that the
smoke thereof came to Newcastle. The Scots came to the gates of Durham
and scrimmished there; but they tarried not long but returned, as they
had ordained before to do, and that they found by the way took and
destroyed it. Between Durham and Newcastle is but twelve leagues
English and a good country: there was no town, without it were closed,
but it was brent, and they repassed the river of Tyne where they had
passed before, and then came before Newcastle and there rested. All
the English knights and squires of the country of York and bishopric
of Durham were assembled at Newcastle, and thither came the seneschal
of York, sir Ralph Lumley, sir Matthew Redman, captain of Berwick, sir
Robert Ogle, sir Thomas Grey, sir Thomas Holton, sir John Felton, sir
John Lilleburn, sir Thomas Abingdon, the baron of Hilton, sir John
Coppledike and divers other, so that the town was so full of people
that they wist not where to lodge.
When these three Scottish earls who were chief captains had made their
enterprise in the bishopric of Durham and had sore overrun the
country, then they returned to Newcastle and there rested and tarried
two days, and every day they scrimmished. The earl of Northumberland's
two sons were two young lusty knights and were ever foremost at the
barriers to scrimmish. There were many proper feats of arms done and
achieved: there was fighting hand to hand: among other there fought
hand to hand the earl Douglas and sir Henry Percy, and by force of
arms the earl Douglas won the pennon of sir Henry Percy's, wherewith
he was sore displeased and so were all the Englishmen. And the earl
Douglas said to sir Henry Percy: 'Sir, I shall bear this token of your
prowess into Scotland and shall set it on high on my castle of
Dalkeith, that it may be seen far off,' 'Sir,' quoth sir Henry, 'ye
may be sure ye shall not pass the bounds of this country till ye be
met withal in such wise that ye shall make none avaunt thereof,'
'Well, sir,' quoth the earl Douglas, 'come this night to my lodging
and seek for your pennon: I shall set it before my lodging and see if
ye will come to take it away.' So then it was late, and the Scots
withdrew to their lodgings and refreshed them with such as they had.
They had flesh enough: they made that night good watch, for they
thought surely to be awaked for the words they had spoken, but they
were not, for sir Henry Percy was counselled not so to do.
The next day the Scots dislodged and returned towards their own
country, and so came to a castle and a town called Pontland, whereof
sir Edmund of Alphel was lord, who was a right good knight. There the
Scots rested, for they came thither betimes, and understood that the
knight was in his castle. Then they ordained to assail the castle, and
gave a great assault, so that by force of arms they won it and the
knight within it. Then the town and castle was brent; and from thence
the Scots went to the town and castle of Otterburn, an eight English
mile from Newcastle[2] and there lodged. That day they made none
assault, but the next morning they blew their horns and made ready to
assail the castle, which was strong, for it stood in the marish. That
day they assaulted till they were weary, and did nothing. Then they
sowned the retreat and returned to their lodgings. Then the lords drew
to council to determine what they should do. The most part were of the
accord that the next day they should dislodge without giving of any
assault and to draw fair and easily towards Carlisle. But the earl
Douglas brake that counsel and said: 'In despite of sir Henry Percy,
who said he would come and win again his pennon, let us not depart
hence for two or three days. Let us assail this castle: it is
pregnable: we shall have double honour. And then let us see if he will
come and fetch his pennon: he shall be well defended.'[3] Every man
accorded to his saying, what for their honour and for the love of him.
Also they lodged there at their ease, for there was none that troubled
them: they made many lodgings of boughs and great herbs and fortified
their camp sagely with the marish that was thereby, and their
carriages were set at the entry into the marishes and had all their
beasts within the marish. Then they apparelled for to assault the next
day: this was their intention.
[2] Froissart says 'eight English leagues.' In the next chapter
the distance becomes 'seven little leagues,' and later on, 'a
six English miles,' where the original is 'lieues.' The actual
distance is about thirty miles. The translator gives the form
'Combur' here, but 'Ottenburge' in the next chapter, as the
name of the place. It is remarkable indeed how little trouble
he seems to have taken generally to give English names correctly.
In this chapter we have 'Nymyche' for 'Alnwick' and 'Pouclan'
for 'Pontland,' forms rather less like the real names than those
which he found in the French text, viz. Nynich and Ponclau.
[3] Froissart says, 'if he comes, it shall be defended.' The
translator perhaps means 'he shall be prevented.'
Now let us speak of sir Henry Percy and of sir Ralph his brother and
shew somewhat what they did. They were sore displeased that the earl
Douglas had won the pennon of their arms: also it touched greatly
their honours, if they did not as sir Henry Percy said he would; for
he had said to the earl Douglas that he should not carry his pennon
out of England, and also he had openly spoken it before all the
knights and squires that were at Newcastle. The Englishmen there
thought surely that the earl Douglas' band was but the Scots' vanguard
and that their host was left behind. The knights of the country, such
as were well expert in arms, spake against sir Henry Percy's opinion
and said to him: 'Sir, there fortuneth in war oftentimes many losses.
If the earl Douglas have won your pennon, he bought it dear, for he
came to the gate to seek it and was well beaten:[4] another day ye
shall win as much of him or more. Sir, we say this because we know
well all the power of Scotland is abroad in the fields, and if we
issue out and be not men enow to fight with them, and peradventure
they have made this scrimmish with us to the intent to draw us out of
the town, and the number that they be of, as it is said, above forty
thousand men, they may soon enclose us and do with us what they will.
Yet it were better to lose a pennon than two or three hundred knights
and squires and put all our country in adventure,' These words
refrained sir Henry and his brother, for they would do nothing against
counsel. Then tidings came to them by such as had seen the Scots and
seen all their demeanour and what way they took and where they rested.
[4] i.e. 'well fought with.'
HOW SIR HENRY PERCY AND HIS BROTHER WITH A GOOD NUMBER OF MEN OF ARMS
AND ARCHERS WENT AFTER THE SCOTS, TO WIN AGAIN HIS PENNON THAT THE
EARL DOUGLAS HAD WON BEFORE NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, AND HOW THEY ASSAILED
THE SCOTS BEFORE OTTERBURN IN THEIR LODGINGS
It was shewed to sir Henry Percy and to his brother and to the other
knights and squires that were there, by such as had followed the Scots
from Newcastle and had well advised their doing, who said to sir Henry
and to sir Ralph: 'Sirs, we have followed the Scots privily and have
discovered all the country. The Scots be at Pontland and have taken
sir Edmund Alphel in his own castle, and from thence they be gone to
Otterburn and there they lay this night. What they will do to-morrow
we know not: they are ordained to abide there: and, sirs, surely their
great host is not with them, for in all they pass not there a three
thousand men,' When sir Henry heard that, he was joyful and said:
'Sirs, let us leap on our horses, for by the faith I owe to God and to
my lord my father I will go seek for my pennon and dislodge them this
same night.' Knights and squires that heard him agreed thereto and
were joyous, and every man made him ready.
The same evening the bishop of Durham came thither with a good
company, for he heard at Durham how the Scots were before Newcastle
and how that the lord Percy's sons with other lords and knights should
fight with the Scots: therefore the bishop of Durham to come to the
rescue had assembled up all the country and so was coming to
Newcastle. But sir Henry Percy would not abide his coming, for he had
with him six hundred spears, knights and squires, and an eight
thousand footmen. They thought that sufficient number to fight with
the Scots, if they were not but three hundred spears and three
thousand of other. Thus they departed from Newcastle after dinner and
set forth in good order, and took the same way as the Scots had gone
and rode to Otterburn, a seven little leagues from thence and fair
way, but they could not ride fast because of their foot-men. And when
the Scots had supped and some laid down to their rest, and were weary
of travailing and assaulting of the castle all that day, and thought
to rise early in the morning in cool of the day to give a new assault,
therewith suddenly the Englishmen came on them and entered into the
lodgings, weening it had been the masters' lodgings, and therein were
but varlets and servants. Then the Englishmen cried, 'Percy, Percy!'
and entered into the lodgings, and ye know well where such affray is
noise is soon raised: and it fortuned well for the Scots, for when
they saw the Englishmen came to wake them, then the lord sent a
certain of their servants of foot-men to scrimmish with the Englishmen
at the entry of the lodgings, and in the mean time they armed and
apparelled them, every man under his banner and under his captain's
pennon. The night was far on, but the moon shone so bright as an it
had been in a manner day. It was in the month of August and the
weather fair and temperate.
Thus the Scots were drawn together and without any noise departed from
their lodgings and went about a little mountain, which was greatly for
their advantage. For all the day before they had well advised the
place and said among themselves: 'If the Englishmen come on us
suddenly, then we will do thus and thus, for it is a jeopardous thing
in the night if men of war enter into our lodgings. If they do, then
we will draw to such a place, and thereby other we shall win or lose.'
When the Englishmen entered into the field, at the first they soon
overcame the varlets, and as they entered further in, always they
found new men to busy them and to scrimmish with them. Then suddenly
came the Scots from about the mountain and set on the Englishmen or
they were ware, and cried their cries; whereof the Englishmen were
sore astonied. Then they cried 'Percy!' and the other party cried
'Douglas!'
There began a cruel battle and at the first encounter many were
overthrown of both parties; and because the Englishmen were a great
number and greatly desired to vanquish their enemies, and rested at
their pace[1] and greatly did put aback the Scots, so that the Scots
were near discomfited. Then the earl James Douglas, who was young and
strong and of great desire to get praise and grace, and was willing to
deserve to have it, and cared for no pain nor travail, came forth with
his banner and cried, 'Douglas, Douglas!' and sir Henry Percy and sir
Ralph his brother, who had great indignation against the earl Douglas
because he had won the pennon of their arms at the barriers before
Newcastle, came to that part and cried, 'Percy!' Their two banners met
and their men: there was a sore fight: the Englishmen were so strong
and fought so valiantly that they reculed the Scots back. There were
two valiant knights of Scots under the banner of the earl Douglas,
called sir Patrick of Hepbourn and sir Patrick his son. They acquitted
themselves that day valiantly: the earl's banner had been won, an they
had not been: they defended it so valiantly and in the rescuing
thereof did such feats of arms, that it was greatly to their
recommendation and to their heirs' for ever after.
[1] In French, 'ilz se arresterent,' without 'and.'
It was shewed me by such as had been at the same battle, as well by
knights and squires of England as of Scotland, at the house of the
earl of Foix,--for anon after this battle was done I met at Orthez two
squires of England called John of Chateauneuf and John of Cantiron;
also when I returned to Avignon I found also there a knight and a
squire of Scotland; I knew them and they knew me by such tokens as I
shewed them of their country, for I, author of this book, in my youth
had ridden nigh over all the realm of Scotland, and I was as then a
fifteen days in the house of earl William Douglas, father to the same
earl James, of whom I spake of now, in a castle of five leagues from
Edinburgh in the country of Dalkeith;[2] the same time I saw there
this earl James, a fair young child, and a sister of his called the
lady Blanche,--and I was informed by both these parties[3] how this
battle was as sore a battle fought as lightly hath been heard of
before of such a number; and I believe it well, for Englishmen on the
one party and Scots on the other party are good men of war, for when
they meet there is a hard fight without sparing, there is no ho
between them as long as spears, swords, axes or daggers will endure,
but lay on each upon other, and when they be well beaten[4] and that
the one party hath obtained the victory, they then glorify so in their
deeds of arms and are so joyful, that such as be taken they shall be
ransomed or they go out of the field, so that shortly each of them is
so content with other that at their departing-courteously they will
say, 'God thank you'; but in fighting one with another there is no
play nor sparing, and this is true, and that shall well appear by this
said rencounter, for it was as valiantly foughten as could be devised,
as ye shall hear.
[2] 'Which is called in the country Dalkeith.' The French has
'que on nomme au pays Dacquest,' of which the translator makes
'in the countrey of Alquest.'
[3] 'By both sides,' i.e. Scotch and English.
[4] 'When they have well fought.'
HOW THE EARL JAMES DOUGLAS BY HIS VALIANTNESS ENCOURAGED HIS MEN, WHO
WERE RECULED AND IN A MANNER DISCOMFITED, AND IN HIS SO DOING HE WAS
WOUNDED TO DEATH
Knights and squires were of good courage on both parties to fight
valiantly: cowards there had no place, but hardiness reigned with
goodly feats of arms, for knights and squires were so joined together
at hand strokes, that archers had no place of nother party. There the
Scots shewed great hardiness and fought merrily with great desire of
honour: the Englishmen were three to one: howbeit, I say not but
Englishmen did nobly acquit themselves, for ever the Englishmen had
rather been slain or taken in the place than to fly. Thus, as I have
said, the banners of Douglas and Percy and their men were met each
against other, envious who should win the honour of that journey. At
the beginning the Englishmen were so strong that they reculed back
their enemies: then the earl Douglas, who was of great heart and high
of enterprise, seeing his men recule back, then to recover the place
and to shew knightly valour he took his axe in both his hands, and
entered so into the press that he made himself way in such wise, that
none durst approach near him, and he was so well armed that he bare
well off such strokes as he received.[1] Thus he went ever forward
like a hardy Hector, willing alone to conquer the field and to
discomfit his enemies: but at last he was encountered with three
spears all at once, the one strake him on the shoulder, the other on
the breast and the stroke glinted down to his belly, and the third
strake him in the thigh, and sore hurt with all three strokes, so that
he was borne perforce to the earth and after that he could not be
again relieved. Some of his knights and squires followed him, but not
all, for it was night, and no light but by the shining of the moon.
The Englishmen knew well they had borne one down to the earth, but
they wist not who it was; for if they had known that it had been the
earl Douglas, they had been thereof so joyful and so proud that the
victory had been theirs. Nor also the Scots knew not of that adventure
till the end of the battle; for if they had known it, they should have
been so sore despaired and discouraged that they would have fled away.
Thus as the earl Douglas was felled to the earth, he was stricken into
the head with an axe, and another stroke through the thigh: the
Englishmen passed forth and took no heed of him: they thought none
otherwise but that they had slain a man of arms. On the other part the
earl George de la March and of Dunbar fought right valiantly and gave
the Englishmen much ado, and cried, 'Follow Douglas,' and set on the
sons of Percy: also earl John of Moray with his banner and men fought
valiantly and set fiercely on the Englishmen, and gave them so much to
do that they wist not to whom to attend.
[1] 'No man was so well armed that he did not fear the great
strokes which he gave.'
HOW IN THIS BATTLE SIR RALPH PERCY WAS SORE HURT AND TAKEN PRISONER BY
A SCOTTISH KNIGHT
Of all the battles and encounterings that I have made mention of
herebefore in all this history, great or small, this battle that I
treat of now was one of the sorest and best foughten without cowardice
or faint hearts. For there was nother knight nor squire but that did
his devoir and fought hand to hand: this battle was like the battle of
Becherel,[1] the which was valiantly fought and endured. The earl of
Northumberland's sons, sir Henry and sir Ralph Percy, who were chief
sovereign captains, acquitted themselves nobly, and sir Ralph Percy
entered in so far among his enemies that he was closed in and hurt,
and so sore handled that his breath was so short, that he was taken
prisoner by a knight of the earl of Moray's called sir John Maxwell.
In the taking the Scottish knight demanded what he was, for it was in
the night, so that he knew him not, and sir Ralph was so sore overcome
and bled fast, that at last he said: 'I am Ralph Percy.' Then the Scot
said: 'Sir Ralph, rescue or no rescue I take you for my prisoner: I am
Maxwell.' 'Well,' quoth sir Ralph, 'I am content: but then take heed
to me, for I am sore hurt, my hosen and my greaves are full of blood,'
Then the knight saw by him the earl Moray and said: 'Sir, here I
deliver to you sir Ralph Percy as prisoner; but, sir, let good heed be
taken to him, for he is sore hurt.' The earl was joyful of these words
and said: 'Maxwell, thou hast well won thy spurs.' Then he delivered
sir Ralph Percy to certain of his men, and they stopped and wrapped
his wounds: and still the battle endured, not knowing who had as then
the better, for there were many taken and rescued again that came to
no knowledge.
[1] Or, according to another reading, 'Cocherel.'
Now let us speak of the young James earl of D
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