After that the whole armie was landed, the king appointed two marshals, the lord Godfrey of Harecourt, and the earle of Warwike, and the earle of Arundell was made constable. There were ordeined thrée battels, one to go on his right hand, following by the coast of the sea; and another to march on his left hand, vnder the conduct of the marshals; so that he himselfe went in the middest with the maine armie, and in this order forward they passed towards Caen, lodging euerie night togither in one field. They that went by the sea, tooke all the ships they found in their waie, and as they marched foorth thus, what by water & land, at length they came to a towne called Harflew, which was giuen vp, but yet neuerthelesse it was robbed, and much goods found in it. After this they came to Chierburge, which towne they wan by force, robbed it, and burnt part of it, but the castell they could not win. Then came they to Mountburge and tooke it, robbed it & burnt it cleane. In this manner they passed foorth, and burnt manie towns and villages in all the countrie as they went. The towne of Carentine was deliuered vnto them against the will of the soldiers that were within it. The soldiers defended the castell two daies, and then yéelded it vp into the Englishmens hands, who burnt the same, and caused the burgesses to enter into their ships. All this was doone by the battell that went by the sea side, and by them on the sea togither.
On the other side, the lord Godfrie of Harecourt, with the battell on the right hand of the king, road foorth six or seuen leagues from the kings battell, in burning and exiling the countrie. The king had with him (beside those that were with the marshals) 3000 men of armes, six thousand archers, and ten thousand men on foot. They left the citie of Constance, and came to a great towne called saint Lo, a rich towne of draperie, hauing manie wealthie burgesses within it: it was soone taken and robbed by the Englishmen vpon their first approch. From thence the king marched streight to Caen, wherein were capteins Rafe earle of Ewe and Guines constable of France, & the earle of Tankeruile. These noble men meant to haue kept their defenses on the walles, gate, bridge, and riuer, and to haue left the suburbes void, bicause they were not closed, but onelie with the riuer: but they of the towne said they would issue forth, for they were strong inough to fight with the king of England.
When the constable saw their good willes, he was contented to follow their desire, and so foorth they went in good order, and made good face to put their liues in hazard: but when they saw the Englishmen approch in good order, diuided into thrée battels, & the archers readie to shoot, which they of Caen had not séene before, they were sore afraid, and fled awaie toward the towne without any order or arraie, for all that the constable could doo to staie them. The Englishmen followed, and in the chase slue manie, and entered the towne with their enimies. The constable, and the earle of Tankeruile tooke a tower at the bridge foot, thinking there to saue themselues, but perceiuing the place to be of no force, nor able long to hold out, they submitted themselues vnto sir Thomas Holland. ¶ But here whatsoeuer Froissard dooth report of the taking of this tower, and of the yéelding of these two noble men, it is to be proued that the said earle of Tankeruile was taken by one surnamed Legh, ancestor to sir Peter Legh now liuing, whether in the fight or within the tower, I haue not to saie: but for the taking of the said earle, and for his other manlike prowes shewed here and elsewhere in this iournie, king Edward in recompense of his agréeable seruice, gaue to him a lordship in the countie of Chester called Hanley, which the said sir Peter Legh now liuing dooth inioy and possesse, as successor and heire to his ancestor the foresaid Legh, to whom it was so first giuen.
But to returne now to the matter where we left. The Frenchmen being entred into their houses, cast downe vpon the Englishmen below in the stréets, stones, timber, hot water, and barres of iron, so that they hurt and slue more than fiue hundred persons. The king was so mooued therewith, that if the lord Godfrie of Harecourt had not asswaged his mood, the towne had béene burnt, and the people put to the edge of the sword: but by the treatie of the said lord Godfrie, proclamation was made, that no man should put fire into any house, nor slea any person, nor force any woman, and then did the townesmen and souldiers submit themselues, and receiued the Englishmen into their houses. There was great store of riches gotten in this towne, and the most part thereof sent into England, with the fléet which the king sent home with the prisoners, vnder the guiding of the earle of Huntington, accompanied with two hundred men of armes, and foure hundred archers.
When all things were ordred in Caen as the king could desire, he marched from thence in the same order as he had kept before, burning and exiling the countrie. He passed by Eureux & came to Louiers, which the Englishmen soone entred and sacked without mercie. Then went they foorth and left Roan, and came to Gisors, the towne they burnt, but the castell they could not get: they burnt also Vernon, and at Poissie they repared the bridge which was broken, and so there they passed ouer the riuer of Saine. The power of the Englishmen increased dailie, by such numbers as came ouer foorth of England in hope to win by pillage. Also manie gentlemen of Normandie, and other of the French nation, which loued not nor owght any good will vnto the French king, came to the king of England, offering to serue him, so that there were in his armie foure thousand horssemen and fiftie thousand footmen with the Normans, and of this number there were thirtie thousand English archers, as Giouan Villani writeth. The English marshals ran abroad iust to Paris, and burnt S. Germans in Laie: also Mountioy, and S. Clowd, and petie Bullongne by Paris, & the quéenes Burge. In the meane time had the French king assembled a mightie armie vpon purpose to fight with the Englishmen. ¶ The lord Godfrey of Harecourt, as he rode foorth with fiue hundred men of armes, and 13 hundred archers, by aduenture incountered with a great number of the burgesses of Amiens on horssebacke, who were riding by the kings commandement to Paris. They were quickelie assailed, and though they defended themselues manfullie for a while, yet at length they were ouercome, and eleuen hundred of them slaine in the field, beside those that were taken. The Englishmen had all their cariage and armour. Thus passed foorth the king of England, and came into Beauuoisin, and lodged néere vnto the citie of Beauuois one night in an abbeie called Messene, and for that after he was dislodged, there were that set fire in the same abbeie, without any commandement giuen by him; he caused twentie of them to be hanged that were the first procurers of that fire.
So long the king of England passed forward, that finallie he approched néere to the water of Some, the which was large and déepe, and all the bridges broken and the passages well kept, wherevpon he caused his two marshals with a thousand men of armes, & two thousand archers, to go along the riuer, to the end to find some passage. The marshals assaied diuerse places, as at Piqueney, and other where, but they could not find any passage vnclosed, capteins with men of warre being set to defend the same, in somuch that the marshalls returned to the king, and declared what they had séene and found. At the same instant time was the French king come to Amiens, with more than a hundred thousand men, and thought to inclose the king of England, that he should no waie escape, but be constreined to receiue battell in some place greatlie to his disaduantage.
The king of England well perceiuing himselfe in danger, remooued from the place where he was incamped, and marched forward through the countries of Pontiew and Vimew, approching vnto the good towne of Abuile, and at length by one of the prisoners named Gobin de Grace, he was told where he might passe with his armie ouer the riuer of Some, at a foord in the same riuer, being hard in the bottome, and verie shallow at an eb water. The French king vnderstanding that the K. of England sought to passe the riuer of Some, sent a great baron of Normandie, one sir Godmare du Foy, to defend the passage of the same riuer, with a thousand men of armes, and six thousand on foot with the Genowaies. This sir Godmare had with him also a great number of them of Mutterell and others of the countrie, so that he had in all to the number of twelue thousand men, one and other, and hearing that the king of England was minded to passe at Blanchetake (which was the passage that Gobin Agace had informed the king of England of) he came thither. When the Englishmen approched, he arranged all his companie to defend the passage.
And suerlie when the Englishmen at the lowe water entred the foord to passe ouer, there was a sharpe bickering, for diuerse of the Frenchmen incountred the Englishmen on horssebacke in the water, and the Genowaies did them much hurt, and troubled them sore with their crosbowes: but on the other side, the English archers shot so wholie togither, that the Frenchmen were faine to giue place to the Englishmen, so that they got the passage and came ouer, assembling themselues in the field, and then the Frenchmen fled, some to Abuile, some to saint Riquier. They that were on foot could not escape so well as those on horssebacke, insomuch that a great number of them of Abuile, Mutterell, Arras, and S. Riquier were slaine and taken, for the chase indured more than a great league. There were slaine in all to the number of two thousand. When the K. of England had thus passed the riuer, he acquitted Gobin Agace, and all his companie of their ransomes, and gaue to the same Gobin an hundred nobles, and a good horsse, and so the king rode foorth as he did before. His marshals road to Crotaie by the sea side, and burnt the towne, and tooke all such wines and goods as were in the ships and barks which laie there in the hauen.
One of the marshals road to the gates of Abuile, and from thence to S. Riquier, and after to the towne of Rue saint Esperit. This was on a fridaie, and both the marshals returned to the kings host about noone, and so lodged all togither about Cressie in Pontiew, where hauing knowledge that the French king followed to giue him battell, he commanded his marshalls to choose a plot of ground, somewhat to his aduantage, that he might there abide his aduersaries. In the meane time the French king being come with all his puissance vnto Abuile, and hearing how the king of England was passed ouer the riuer of Some, and discomfited sir Godmare du Foy, was sore displeased in his mind: but when he vnderstood that his enimies were lodged at Cressie, and meant there to abide him, he caused all his people to issue out of Abuile, and earlie on the saturdaie in the morning, anon after sunne rising he departed out of the towne himselfe, and marched towards his enimies. The king of England vnderstanding that his aduersarie king Philip still followed him, to giue him battell, & supposing that the same saturdaie he would come to offer it, rose betimes in the morning, and commanded euerie man first to call vpon God for his aid, then to be armed, and to draw with spéed into the field, that in the place before appointed they might be set in order of battell. Beginning his enterprise at inuocation or calling vpon God, he was the more fortunate in his affaires, and sped the better in the progresse of his actions, as the issue of the warre shewed. A notable example to euerie priuat man, to remember to call vpon God when he purposeth anie thing, for as the poet saith, and that verie christianlie,
Beside this, he caused a parke to be made and closed by the wood side behind his host, in the which he ordeined that all the carts and carriages should be set, with all the horsses (for euerie man was on foot.) Then he ordeined thrée battels, in the first was the prince of Wales, and with him the earle of Warwike, the lord Godfrey of Harecourt, the lord Stafford, the lord de la Ware, the lord Bourchier, the lord Thomas Clifford, the lord Reginald Cobham, the lord Thomas Holland, sir Iohn Chandos, sir Bartholomew de Browash, sir Robert Neuill. They were eight hundred men of armes, and two thousand archers, and a thousand of other with the Welsh men. In the second battell was the earle of Northhampton, the earle of Arundell, the lords Ros and Willowbie, Basset, S. Albine, Multon, and others. The third battell the king led himselfe, hauing with him seauen hundred men of armes, and two thousand archers, and in the other battell were to the number of eight hundred men of armes, and twelue hundred archers. Thus was the English armie marshalled according to the report of Froissard. When euerie man was gotten into order of battell, the king leapt vpon a white hobbie, and rode from ranke to ranke to view them, the one marshall on his right hand, and the other on his left, desiring euerie man that daie to haue regard to his right and honour. He spake it so courteouslie, and with so good a countenance, that euen they which before were discomforted, tooke courage in hearing him speake such swéet and louing words amongst them. It was nine of the clocke yer euer he had thus visited all his battels, & therevpon he caused euerie man to eat and drinke a little, which they did at their leisure.
The French king before he approched néere to his enimies, sent foorth foure skilful knights to view the demeanor of his enimies, the which returning againe, made report as they had séene, and that forsomuch as they could gesse, the Englishmen ment to abide him, being diuided into thrée battels, readie to receiue him and his puissance, if he went forward, in purpose to assaile them. Here was the French king counselled to stay and not to giue battell that day, but to aduise all things with good deliberation and regard, to consider well how and what way he might best assaile them. Then by the marshals were all men commanded to staie, and not to go anie further, they that were formost and next to the enimies taried, but they that were behind would not abide but rode foorth, and said they would not staie till they were as far as the formost: and when they before saw them behind come forward, then they marched on also againe, so that neither the K. nor his marshals could rule them, but that they passed forward still without order, or anie good arraie, till they came in sight of their enimies: and as soone as the formost saw their enimies, then they reculed backe, whereof they behind had maruell, and were abashed, supposing that the formost companie had béene fighting. Then they might haue had roome to haue gone forward, if they had béene minded. The commons, of whome all the waies betwixt Abuile and Cressie were full, when they saw that they were néere their enimies, they tooke their swords and cried; "Downe with them, Let vs slea them all." There was no man, though he were present at the iornie, that could imagine or shew the truth of the euill order that was among the French partie, and yet they were a maruellous great number.
The Englishmen which beheld their enimies thus approching them, prepared themselues at leisure for the battell, which they saw to be at hand. The first battell, whereof the prince was ruler, had the archers standing in maner of an herse, and the men of armes in the botome of the battell. The earle of Northampton and the earle of Arundell with the second battell were on a wing in good order, readie to comfort the princes battell if néed were. The lords and knights of France came not to the assemblie togither, for some came after, in such hast and euill order, that one of them troubled another. There were of Genowaies crosbowes to the number of twelue or fiftéene thousand, the which were commanded to go on before, and with their shot to begin the battell; but they were so werie with going on foot that morning six leagues armed with their crosbowes, that they said to their constables; "We be not well vsed, in that we are commanded to fight this daie, for we be not in case to doo any great feat of armes, we haue more néed of rest." These words came to the hearing of the earle of Alanson, who said; "A man is well at ease to be charged with such a sort of rascals, that faint and faile now at most néed."
Also at the same instant there fell a great raine, and an eclipse with a terrible thunder, and before the raine, there came flieng ouer both armies a great number of crowes, for feare of the tempest comming: then anon the aire began to wax cleare, and the sunne to shine faire and bright, which was right in the French mens eies, and on the Englishmens backs. ¶ When the Genowaies were assembled togither, and began to approch, they made a great leape and crie, to abash the Englishmen, but they stood still and stirred not at all for that noise. Then the Genowaies the second time made an other leape and huge crie, and stepped forward a little, and the Englishmen remooued not a foot. The third time againe the Genowaies leapt, and yelled, and went foorth till they came within shot, and fiercelie therwith discharged their crossbowes. Then the English archers stept foorth one pase, and let flie their arrowes so wholie and so thicke togither, that it séemed to snowe. When the Genowaies felt the arrowes persing their heads, armes and breasts, manie of them cast downe their crosbowes, and cut the strings, and returned discomfited. When the French king saw them flée awaie, he said: "Slea these rascals, for they will let and trouble vs without reason."
Then ye might haue séene the men of armes haue dasht in amongst them, and killed a great number of them, and euer the Englishmen shot where they saw the thickest prease: the sharpe arrowes ran into the men of armes, and into their horsses, and manie fell horsse and man amongst the Genowaies, and still the Englishmen shot where they saw the thickest prease, and when they were once downe they could not recouer againe. The throng was such that one ouerthrew another; & also among the Englishmen, there were certeine of the footmen with great kniues, that went in among the men of armes, and killed manie of them as they laie on the ground, both earles, barons, knights, and esquires. The valiant king of Bohem being almost blind, caused his men to fasten all the reines of the bridels of their horsses ech to other, and so he being himselfe amongst them in the formost ranke, they ran on their enimies.
The lord Charles of Boheme sonne to the same king and late elected emperour, came in good order to the battell, but when he saw how the matter went awrie on their part, he departed and saued himselfe. His father by the meanes aforesaid went so far forward, that ioining with his enimies he fought right valiantlie, and so did all his companie: but finallie being entred within the prease of their enimies, they were of them inclosed and slaine, togither with the king their master, and the next daie found dead lieng about him, and their horsses all tied ech to other. The earle of Alanson came right orderlie to the battell, and fought with the Englishmen, and so did the earle of Flanders also on his part. These two lords coasted the English archers, and came to the princes battell, and there fought right valiantlie a long time. The French king perceiuing where their banners stood, would faine haue come to them, but could not, by reason of a great hedge of archers that stood betwixt them and him. This was a perillous battell and sore foughten: there were few taken to mercie, for the Englishmen had so determined in the morning.
Certeine Frenchmen and Almaines perforce opened the archers of the princes battell, and came to fight with the men of armes hand to hand. Then the second battell of the Englishmen came to succor the princes battell, and not before it was time, for they of that battell had as then inough to doo, in somuch that some which were about him, as the earle of Northampton, and others sent to the king, where he stood aloft on a windmill hill, requiring him to aduance forward, and come to their aid, they being as then sore laid to of their enimies. The king herevpon demanded if his sonne were slaine, hurt, or felled to the earth? "No (said the knight that brought the message) but he is sore matched." "Well" (said the king) "returne to him and them that sent you, and saie to them that they send no more to me for any aduenture that falleth, so long as my son is aliue, for I will that this iournie be his, with the honor thereof." With this answer the knight returned, which greatlie incouraged them to doo their best to win the spurs, being half abashed in that they had so sent to the king for aid. At length when it drew toward euening, and that the Frenchmen were beaten downe and slaine on ech hand, king Philip as it were by constreint departed out of the field, not hauing as then past thrée score persons about him, of whome the lord Iohn of Heinault was one, by whose persuasion he chéefelie consented to ride his waie for his owne safegard, when he saw the losse was such as on that daie it could not be recouered.
The slaughter of the Frenchmen was great and lamentable, namelie for the losse of so manie noble men, as were slaine at the same battell, fought betwéene Cressie and Broy on the saturdaie next following the feast of saint Bartholomew being (as that yeare fell) the 26 of August. Among other which died that daie, these I find registred by name as chéefest, Iohn king of Boheme, Rafe duke of Lorraine, Charles of Alanso brother germane to king Philip, Charles earle of Blois, Lewes earle of Flanders, also the earle of Harecourt, brother to the lord Geffrie of Harecourt, with the earles of Ausserre, Aumerle, and saint Poule, beside diuerse other of the nobilitie. The Englishmen neuer brake out of their battels to chase any man, but kept themselues togither in their wards and ranks, and defended themselues euer against such as came to assaile them. This battell ended about euening.
When the Frenchmen were clearelie ouercome, and those that were left aliue fled and gone, so that the Englishmen heard no more noise of them, king Edward came downe from the hill (on the which he stood all that day with his helmet still on his head) and going to the prince, imbraced him in his armes, and kissed him, saieng; "Faire sonne, God send you good perseuerence in this your prosperous beginning, you haue noblie acquit your selfe, you are well worthie to haue the gouernance of a realme committed to your hands for your valiant dooings." The prince inclined himselfe to the earth in honouring his father, as he best could. This done, they thanked God togither with their souldiers for their good aduenture. For so the king commanded, and willed no man to make anie boast of his owne power, but to ascribe all the praise to almightie God for such a noble victorie; séeming héerein to be affected as Dauid was in the foure and fortith psalme; for he also referreth the happie successe of warre, and all victorie, vnto Almightie God, and not to the strength of a multitude of men, saieng:
¶ On the sundaie in the morning, there was such a mist, that a man could not sée an acres bredth before him. Then by the kings commandement there departed from the host fiue hundred speares, and two thousand archers, to trie if they might heare of anie Frenchmen gathered togither in anie place néere vnto them.
On the same morning there were departed out of Abuile and S. Requier in Pontiew, the commons of Roan and Beauuais, with other that knew nothing of the discomfiture the daie before. These met with the Englishmen, supposing they had béene Frenchmen, and being fiercelie assailed of them, after sore fight, and great slaughter, the Frenchmen were discomfited and fled, of whome were slaine in the hedges and bushes, more than seuen thousand men. The archbishop of Roan, and the grand prior of France, ignorant also of the discomfiture the day before, & supposing (as they were informed) the French should not haue foughten till that sundaie, were likewise incountred (as they came thitherward) by the Englishmen, with whome they fought a sore battell, for they were a great number, but yet at length they were not able to susteine the puissant force of the Englishmen, and so the most part of them were slaine, with the said archbishop and grand prior, and few there were that escaped.
On that sundaie morning, the Englishmen met with diuerse Frenchmen, that had lost their waie on the saturdaie, and wist not where the king nor their capteins were become. They were all slaine in manner, so manie as the Englishmen could méet with, insomuch that of the commons and footmen of the cities and good townes of France (as was thought) there were slaine this sundaie foure times as manie as were slaine on the saturdaie in the great battell. When those Englishmen that were sent abroad thus to view the countrie, were returned againe, and signified to the king what they had séene and doone, and how there was no more appearance of the enimies, the king to search what the number was of them that were slaine, and vpon the view taken, it was reported vnto him, that there were found dead eleuen princes, foure score baronets, 12 hundred knights, and more than thirtie thousand other of the meaner sort. Thus was the whole puissance of France vanquished, and that chéeflie by force of such as were of no reputation amongst them, that is to say, the English archers, by whose sharpe and violent shot the victorie was atchiued, to the great confusion of the French nation. ¶ Of such price were the English bowes in that season, that nothing was able to withstand them; whereas now our archers couet not to drawe long and strong bowes, but rather to shoot compasse, which are not méet for the warres, nor greatlie to be feared, though they come into the field.
The king of England with his armie kept still his field, vntill mondaie in the morning, and then dislodged, and came before Moturéell by the sea, and his marshals ran towards Hedin. The next daie they road toward Bullongne, & at Wisam the king and the prince incamped, and tarried a whole daie to refresh their people, and on the wednesdaie being the thirtith day of August, he came before the strong towne of Calis, and there planted his siege, and erected bastides betwéene the towne and the riuer, and caused carpenters to make houses and lodgings of great timber, which were couered with réed & broome, so manie and in such order, that it séemed a new towne, and in it was a market place appointed of purpose, in the which the market was dailie kept of vittels, & all other necessarie things euerie tuesdaie and saturdaie, so that a man might haue bought what he would of things brought thither out of England & Flanders. ¶ But now, forsomuch as we haue spoken of this iournie and inuasion made by king Edward into France, in this ninetéenth yéere of his reigne, accordinglie as we haue gathered out of Froissard, and diuerse other authors, I haue thought good to make the reader partaker of the contents of a letter written by a chapleine of the said king, and attendant about him in the same iornie, conteining the successe of his procéedings after his departure from Poissie, which letter is inserted with others in the historie of Robert de Auesburie, and Englished by maister Iohn Fox as followeth.
Salutations premised. We giue you to vnderstand, that our souereigne lord the king came to the towne of Poissie the daie before the Assumption of our ladie, where was a certeine bridge ouer the water of Saine broken downe by the enimie, but the king tarried there so long, till that the bridge was made againe. And whiles the bridge was in reparing, there came a great number of men at armes, and other souldiers well armed, to hinder the same. But the earle of Northampton issued out against them, and slue of them more than a thousand, the rest fled awaie: thankes be to God. And at another time, our men passed the water (although with much trauell) and slue a great number of the common souldiers of France, about the citie of Paris, and countrie adioining, being part of the French kings armie, and throughlie well appointed: so that our people haue now made other good bridges vpon our enimies, God be thanked, without anie losse and damage to vs. And on the morrow after the Assumption of our ladie, the king passed the water of Saine, and marched toward Poissie, which is a towne of great defense, and stronglie walled, and a maruellous strong castell within the same, which our enemies kept. And when our vauntgard was passed the towne, our rergard gaue an assault therevnto, and tooke the same, where were slaine more than thrée hundred men at arms of our enimies part. And the next daie following, the earle of Suffolke, and sir Hugh Spenser, marched foorth vpon the commons of the countrie assembled and well armed, and in fine discomfited them, and slue of them more than two hundred, & tooke thrée score gentlemen prisoners, beside others.
And after that, the king marched toward grand Villiers, and while he was there incamped, the kings vantgard was descried by the men at armes of the K. of Boheme: whervpon our men issued out in great hast and ioined battell with them, but were inforced to retire. Notwithstanding, thanks be vnto God, the earle of Northampton issued out, and rescued the horssemen with the other soldiers: so that few or none of them were either taken or slaine, sauing onlie Thomas Talbot, but had againe the enimie in chase within two leagues of Amiens: of whome we tooke eight, and slue twelue of their best men at armes: the rest being well horssed, tooke the towne of Amiens. After this the king of England marched toward Pountife, vpon Bartholomew day, and came to the water of Some, where the French king had laid fiue hundred men at armes, and thrée thousand footmen, purposing to haue kept and stopped our passage: but thanks be to God, the K. of England and his host entered the same water of Some, where neuer man passed before, without losse of any of our men; and after that incountered with the enimie, and slue of them more than 2000, the rest fled to Abuile, in which chase were taken manie knights, esquiers, & men at armes. The same day sir Hugh Spenser tooke the towne of Crotaie, where he & his soldiers slue 400 men at armes, & kept the towne, where they found great store of vittels.
The same night incamped the king of England in the forrest of Cressie vpon the same water, for that the French kings host came on the other side of the towne, néere vnto our passage: but he would not take the water of vs, & so marched toward Abuile. And vpon the fridaie next following, the king being still incamped in the said forrest, our scuriers descried the French K. which marched toward vs in foure great battels; and hauing then vnderstanding of our enimies (as Gods will was) a little before the euening tide, we drew to the plaine field, and set our battels in arraie: and immediatlie the fight began, which was sore and cruel, & indured long, for our enimies behaued themselues right noblie. But thanks be giuen vnto God, the victorie fell on our side, & the king our aduersarie was discomfited with all his host & put to flight: where also was slaine the king of Boheme, the duke of Loraine, the earle of Alanson, the earle of Flanders, the earle of Blois, the earle of Harecourt, with his two sons, the earle Daumarle, the earle de Neuers, and his brother the lord of Tronard, the archbishop of Nismes, the archbishop of Sens, the high prior of France, the earle of Sauoie, the lord of Morles, the lord de Guies, le seigneur de Saint Nouant, le seigneur de Rosinburgh, with six earles of Almaine, and diuerse other earles, barons, knights, and esquiers, whose names are vnknowne. And Philip de Valois himselfe, with an other marques, which was called lord elector among the Romans, escaped from the battell. The number of the men of armes which were found dead in the field, beside the common soldiers and footmen, were a thousand, fiue hundred, fortie and two: and all that night the king of England with his host aboad armed in the field, where the battel was fought.
On the next morrow before the sunne rose, there marched towards vs another great host mightie & strong, of the Frenchmen: but the earle of Northampton, and the earle of Norffolke issued out against them in thrée battels, & after long and terrible fight, them likewise they discomfited by Gods great helpe and grace (for otherwise it could neuer haue béene) where they tooke of knights and esquiers a great number, and slue aboue two thousand, pursuing the chase thrée leages from the place where the battell was fought. The same night also the king incamped himselfe againe in the forrest of Cressie, and on the morrow marched toward Bullongne, and by the way he tooke the towne of Staples: and from thence he marched toward Calis, where he intendeth to plant his siege, and laie his batterie to the same. And therfore our souereigne lord the king willeth and commandeth you, in all that euer you may, to send to the said siege vittels conuenient. For after the time of our departing from Caen, we haue trauelled through the countrie with great perill & danger of our people, but yet alwaies had of vittels plentie, thanks be to God therefore. But now (as the case standeth) we partlie néed your helpe to be refreshed with vittels. Thus fare you well. Written at the siege before the towne of Calis, the fourtéenth daie of September.
But now touching the siege of Calis, and to returne where we left, ye shall vnderstand, that (as ye haue heard) the English campe was furnished with sufficient prouision of meat, drinke, apparell, munition, and all other things necessarie: and oftentimes also the soldiers made roads and forrais into the borders of France next adioining, as towards Guines, and saint Omer, ye euen to the gates of that towne, and sometime to Bullongne. Also the earle of Northampton fetched a bootie out of Arthois, and as he returned toward the host, he came to Terrouan, which towne the bishop had fortified and manned, deliuering the custodie therof vnto sir Arnold Dandrehen: for when he heard the Englishmen approched, he durst not tarrie within the citie himselfe, but got him to saint Omers. Sir Arnold stood valiantlie to his defense, and would not yéeld, till by verie force the Englishmen entered the citie, slue the soldiers, and tooke their capteine the said sir Arnold prisoner. The citie was put to sacke, and after set on fire. And when the Englishmen were departed, there came a number of Flemings from the siege, which they had laid before S. Omers, and began a new spoile, and fired such houses belonging to the canons and other, which the Englishmen had spared. Thus were those confines in most miserable case, for no house nor other thing was in safegard, but such as were conteined within closure of strong townes and fortresses.
The king of England would not assaile the towne of Calis by giuing anie assault to it, for he knew he should but lose his labour, and waste his people, it was so strong of it selfe, and so well furnished with men of warre. Capteine thereof also was one sir Iohn de Vienne, a valiant knight of Burgoigne, hauing with him diuerse other right hardie and expert capteins, knights, and esquiers. When the said sir Iohn de Vienne saw the manner of the English host, and what the kings intention was, he constreined all the poore and meane people to depart out of the towne. The king of England perceiuing that this was doone of purpose to spare vittels, would not driue them backe againe to helpe to consume the same, but rather pitied them; and therefore did not onelie shew them so much grace to suffer them to passe through his host, but also gaue them meat and drinke to dinner, and moreouer two pence sterling to euerie person: which charitable déed wan him much praise, and caused manie of his enimies to praie right hartilie for his good successe and prosperitie. A most notable example of pitie and compassion, teaching other to be in like sort affected, and also to know, that
The French king meaning to raise the siege from Calis, which the king of England kept there, sent for his sonne the duke of Normandie, which had line long at the siege of Aiguillon, and now by commandement of his father left it sore against his will. In this mean while, the earle of Derbie remained in the citie of Burdeaux, and there had held him during all the time that the siege laie before Aiguillon. When he once vnderstood that the siege was raised, and that the duke of Normandie had broken vp his campe, he sent into Gascoigne for all knights and esquires that held of the English part. Then came to Burdeaux the lord Dalbret, the lord de Lespare, the lord de Rosam, the lord of Musident, the lord of Pumiers, and a great sort more of the lords and nobles of Gascoigne, so that the earle had twelue hundred men of armes, two thousand archers, and thrée thousand other footmen. They passed the riuer of Garon, betwixt Burdeaux and Blaie, and tooke their waie to Zanctonge, so to go vnto Poictiers, and tooke by the waie the towne of Mirabell by assault: they wan also the towne and castell of Aunaie, Surgieres, and Benon. Also they took Maraunt in Poictow by force, they burnt also the towne of Lusignen, but the castell they could not win. Moreouer, they did win the bridge, towne, and castell of Tailburge, and slue all that were found within it, bicause a knight of the English part was slaine in the assaulting. From thence the earle of Derbie went and laid siege to saint Iohn Dangelie, which was yéelded to him by composition.
At Niort he made thrée assaults, but could not win it, and so from thence he came to Bourge saint Mariment, the which was woone by force, and all that were within it slaine; and in like manner the towne of Montreuill Bonin was woone, and the most part of them within slaine, that tooke vpon them to defend it, which were 200 coiners of monie that wrought in the mint, which the French king kept there. From thence he passed forward with his host, and finallie came before the citie of Poictiers, which was great and large, so that he could not besiege it but on the one side. The third daie after his comming thither, he caused the citie to be assaulted in thrée places, and the greatest number were appointed to assaile the weakest part of the citie. As then there were no expert men of warre within Poictiers, but a great multitude of people vnskilfull and not vsed to any feats of warre, by reason whereof the Englishmen entered in at the weakest place. When they within sawe the citie woone, they fled out at other gates, but yet there were slaine to the number of seauen hundred persons, for all that came in the Englishmens waie, were put to the sword, men, women, and children. The citie was sacked and rifled, so that great store of riches was gotten there, as well of the inhabitants as other that had brought their goods thither for safegard of the same. The earle of Derbie laie there ten or twelue daies, and longer might haue laine, if his pleasure had so béene, for there was none that durst go about to disquiet him, all the countrie trembled so at his presence.
At his departure from Poictiers he left the citie void, for it was too great to be kept: his souldiers and men of warre were so pestered with riches, that they wist not what to doo therewith: they estéemed nothing but gold and siluer, and feathers for men of warre. The earle visited by the waie as he returned homewards to Burdeaux the towne of saint Iohn Dangelie, and other fortresses which he had woone in going towards Poictiers, and hauing furnished them with men, munition, and vittels necessarie, at his comming to Burdeaux he brake vp his host, and licencing his people to depart, thanked them for their paines and good seruice. All this while the siege continued still before Calis, and the French king amongst other deuises which he imagined how to raise the K. of England from it, procured the Scots to make warre into England, insomuch that Dauid king of Scotland, notwithstanding the truce which yet indured betwixt him and the king of England, vpon hope now to doo some great exploit, by reason of the absence of king Edward, intangled thus with the besieging of Calis, he assembled the whole puissance of his realme, to the number of fortie or thréescore thousand fighting men (as some write) and with them entered into England, burning, spoiling, and wasting the countrie, till he came as far as Durham.