Here begynneth the first volum of sir Iohan Froyssart of the cronycles of Englande, Fraunce, Spayne, Portyngale, Scotlande, Bretayne, Flau[n]ders: and other places adioynynge. Tra[n]slated out of frenche into our maternall englysshe tonge, by Iohan Bourchier knight lorde Berners: at the co[m]maundement of oure moost highe redouted souerayne lorde kyng Henry the. viii. kyng of Englande and of Fraunce, [and] highe defender of the christen faythe. [et]c.

¶ Of the great hoost that the frenche kyng brought to the batayle of Poycters. Cap. C .lix. (Book 159)

AFter the takyng of the castell of Remorentyne / and of them that were therin: the prince than and his compa∣ny rode as they dyde before / distroyeng the countre apro¦chyng to Antowe / & to Tou¦rayne. The frenche kyng who was at Charterz departed and came to Bloyes / and ther taryed two dayes: and than to Amboyse / and the ne••t day to Loches: and than he herde howe that the prince was at Towrayne / and how that he was retournyng by Poyctou / euer the englysshmen were costed by certayne expert knyght{is} of Frā∣ce / who alway made report to y^e kyng what the englysshmen dyd. Than the kynge came to the hay in Towrayne: and his men had passed the ryuer of Loyre / some at the bridge of Orleance / and some at Mchun / at Saulmure Bloyes and at Towrs / and wher as they might. They were in nombre a .xx. thousande men of armes besyde other / ther were a .xxvi. dukes and erles and mo than sixscore baners / and the foure son¦nes of the kyng who were but yonge: the duke Charles of Normandy / the lorde Loyes y^e was fro thens forthe duke of Aniewe / and the lorde Johan duke of Berry / and the lorde Philyppe who / was after duke of Burgoyne. The same season pope Innocēt the sixt send the lorde Ber¦trand cardynall of Pyergourt / & the lorde Ny∣cholas cardynall of the Egle into France / to tre¦at for a peace bytwene the frenche kyng / and all his enemyes. First bytwene hym and the kyng of Nauerr who was in prison: and these cardy∣nalles often tymes spake to the kyng for his de∣lyuerance duryng the sege at Bretuell / but they coude do nothyng in that behalfe. Than the car¦dynall of Pyergourt went to Tours / and ther he herde howe the frenche kynge hasted sore to fynde the englysshmen: th〈…〉〈…〉 rodde to Poy∣cters for he herde howe bothe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hoostes drewe thyderward. The frenche kyng herde howe the prince hasted greatly to retourne / and the kyng feared that he shulde scape hym / and so de{per}ted fro Hay in Tourayn and all his company / and rode to Chauuygny / wher he taryed that thurs¦day in the towne / and without along by the ry∣uer of Creuse: and the next day the kyng passed the ryuer at the bridge ther weuyng that the en∣glysshemen had ben before hym / but they were nat. Howe beit they pursued after and passed y^e bridge that day mo th〈…〉〈…〉hrescore thousand hor¦ses / and dyuers other passed at Chasteleraunt / and euer as they passed they tooke they way to Poieters. On the othersyde the prince wyst nat truely where the frenchmen were / but they sup∣posed that they were nat farre of / for they coude nat fynde no more forage wherby they had gret faut in their hoost of vitayle: and some of them repēted that they had distroyed somoch as they had done before whan they were in Berry / An∣iowe / and Torayne: and in that they had made no better prouision. The same friday thre great lordes of France / the lorde of Craon / the lorde Raoull of Coucy / and therle of Joigny taryed all day in the towne of Chamygny / and part of their companyes: the saturday they passed the bridge and folowed the kyng / who was than a thre leages before / and tooke the waye amonge busshes without a wode syde to go to Poicters The same saturdaye the prince and his cōpany dysloged fro a lytell vyllage therby / and sent be¦fore hym certayne currours to se if they myght fynde any aduēture / and to here where the frēch¦men were: they were in nombre a threscore men of armes well horsed & with them was the lorde Eustace Dambreticourt / and the lorde John̄ of Guystelles: and by aduenture the englysshmen and frenchemen mette togyder / by the forsayde wode syde. The frenchmen knewe anone howe they were their ennemyes / than in hast they dyd on their helmyttes / and displayed their baners / and came a great pase towardes thēglysshmen: they were in nombre a two hundred men of ar∣mes. Whan the englysshmen sawe them / & that they were so great a nombre: than they determi¦ned to slye and let the frenchmen chase them / for they knewe well the prince with his hoost was nat farre behynde / than they tourned their hor∣••es

and toke y^• corner of the wood: and the frēch∣men after theym cryenge their cryes and made great noyse. And as they chased they came on y^e princes batayle or they were ware therof them∣selfe ▪ the prince taryed ther to haue worde aga∣yne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them that he send forthe the lorde Raoll of Coucy with his baner went so farre forward that he was vnder the princes baner / ther was a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 batayle and the knyght fought valiantly. Howe beit he was there takenne: and the erle of Wyng••y the vycoūt of Bruce / the lorde of Cha¦〈◊〉〈◊〉 ▪ and all the other taken̄e or slayne / but a fewe that scaped. And by y^• prisoners the prince knewe howe the frenche kynge folowed hym in suche wyse that he coude nat eschue the batayle: than he assembled togyder all his men and com¦maunded that no man shulde go before the mar¦shals baners. Thus the prince rode that satur∣day fro the mornyng tyll it was agaynst night: so that he came within two lytell leages of Poi∣cters than the Captall de Buz / sir Aymenon of Punyers / the lorde Bartylmewe of Brunes / & the lorde Eustace Dambretycourt: all these the prince sende forthe to seyf they myght knowe what the frenchmen dyd. These knyghtes de{per}∣ted with two hūdred men of armes well horsed / they rodde so farre that they sawe the great ba∣tayle of the kynges they sawe all the feldes coue¦red with men of armes / these englysshmen coud nat forbers / but sette on the tayle of the frenche hoost and cast downe many to the yerth: & toke dyuers prisoners / so that the hoost beganne to styrre and ••idynges therof came to the frenche kyng as he was entryng into the cytie of Poy∣cters. Than he retourned agayne and made all his he ost do the same: so that saturday it was very late or he was lodged in the felde ▪ thēglissh currours retourned agayne to the prince & she∣wed hym all that they sawe and knewe and said howe the frenche hoost was a great nombre of people: well sayde the prince in the name of god lette vs now study howe we shall fyght with thē at our aduauntage / that night the englysshmen lodged in a strong place among hedges / vynes and busshes: and their hoost well watched / and so was the frenche hoost.