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 batell of Poycters bytwene the prince of wales and the frē∣che kyng. Cap. C .lxii. (Book 162)

WHan̄e the prince same that he shuld haue batell and that the cardynall was gone without any peace or trewse makynge / and sawe that the frenche kyng dyd sette but ly¦tell store by him: he said than to his men. Now sirs though we be but a small company / as in regarde to the puyssance of our ennemyes: let vs nat be a basshed therfore, for y^e vyctorie lyeth nat in the multitude of people but wher as god wyll sende it / yf it fortune that the iourney be ours / we shalbe the moost honoured people of all the worlde: & if we dye in our right quarell / I haue the kyng my father & bretherne / and also ye haue good frendes & kynsmen / these shall reuenge vs. Therfore sirs for goddessake I requyre you do your deuoyers thin day: for if god be pleased & saynt George / this day ye shall se me a good knyght. These wordes and suche other that the prince spake conforted all his peo∣ple / the lorde sir John̄ Chandos that day neuer went fro y^e prince / nor also the lorde James Au∣deley of a great season / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 whan̄e he sawe that they shulde nedes fight (he sayd to the prince) {ser} I haue serued alwayes truely my lorde your fa¦ther & you also / and shall do as long as I lyue / I say this bicause I made ones a vowe that the first batayle that other the kynge your father or any of his chyldren shulde be at: howe that I wolde be one of the first setters on / or els to dye in the payne. Therfore I requyre yo^r grace as in rewarde for any seruyce that euer I dyde to the king yo^r father or to you that you woll gyue me sycence to depart fro you / and to sette my sel∣fe there as I may acomplysshe my vowe. The prince acorded to his desyre (and sayde) sir Ja∣mes god gyue you this day that grace to be the best knyght of all other / and so toke hym by the hande. Than the knyght departed fro the prin∣ce and went to the formast front of all the batay∣les all onely acompanyed with foure squyers / who promysed nat to fayle hym: this lorde Ja∣mes was a right sage and a valyāt knight / and by hym was moche of the hoost ordayned and gouerned the day before. Thus sir James was in the front of the batayle / redy to fight with the batayle of the marshalles of Fraunce: In lyke∣wyse the lorde Eustace Dambreticourt dyd his payne to be one of the formast to sette on. Whan sir James Audeley began t〈…〉〈…〉tte forwarde to his ennemyes: it fortuned to sir Eustace Dam∣bretycourt as ye shall here after. ye haue herde before howe the almayns in the french host were apoynted to be styll a horsebacke: sir Eustace be¦yng a horsebacke layed his spear in the rest and ran into the frenche batayle / and than a knyght of almaygne called the lorde Loyes of Coucoa∣bras / who bare a shelde syluer / fyue rosses gou∣les: and sir Eustace bare ermyns two hamedes of goules. Whan this almaygne sawe the lorde Eustace come fro his company he rode agaynst hym: and they mette so rudely that bothe knigh¦tes fell to the yerth / the almayne was hurt in the shulder / therfore he rose nat so quickely as dyde sir Eustace / who whā he was vp and had taken his breth / he came to the other knyght as he lay on the grounde / but than̄e fyue other knyghtes of almayne came on hym all at ones & bare hym to the yerth. And so perforce there he was taken prisoner and brought to the erle of Nosco / who as than toke no hede of hym / and I can nat say whyther they sware him prisoner or no but they tyed hym to a chare and there lette hym stande. Than the batayle began on all partes and y^e ba¦tayls of the marshals of Fraunce aproched / and they set forthe that were apoynted to breke y^e ray of the archers: they entred a horsebacke into the

way / where the great hedges were on bothe sy∣des sette full of archers / assone as the men of ar∣mes entred the archers began to shote on bothe sydes and dyd slee and hurt horses and knygh∣tes. So that the horses whan they felt y^e sharpe arowes they wolde in no wyse go forward but brewe a backe and stang and toke on so feersly / that many of them fell on their maisters: so that for p••••ace they coude nat ryse agayne. In so mo¦che that the marshals batayle coude neuer come at the prince: certayne knyghtes & squyers that were well horsed passed through tharchers / and thought to a ••••he to y^e prince but they coude nat The lorde James Judeley with his four squy∣ers was in the front of that batell and there dyd maruels marmes / and by great prowes he cāe and fought with sir Arnolde Dandrehen vnder his owne baner / and ther they fought longe to∣gyder / and sir Arnolde was there sore handled. The batayle of the marshals began to dysorder by reason of the shot of the archers / w^t the ayde of the men of armes: who came in among them and slewe of them / and dyd what they lyst. And ther was the lorde Arnold Dādrchen taken pri¦soner by other men than by sir James Audeley / or by his four squters for that day he neuer toke prisoner / but alwayes fought and went on his enemyes. Also on the french partie the lorde Jo¦han Cleremōt fought vnder his owne baner as long as he coude endure / but ther he was beten ••owne and coude nat be relyued nor ransomed / but was slayne w^tout mercy: some sayde it was bicause of the wordes that he had the day before to sit John̄ Chandos. So within a short space the marshals batayls were disconfyted / for they fell our vpon another and coude nat go forth: & the frenchmen that were behynde and coude nat get forwarde reculed backe / and came on the ba¦tayle of the duke of Normandy / the which was great and thicke and were a fote / but anon they began to opyn behynde. For whan they knewe that the marshals batayle was dysconfited they toke their horses and de{per}ted he that might best / also they sawe a rowt of englysshmen cōmynge downe a lytell mountayne a horsebacke and ma¦ny archers with them / who brake in on the syde of the dukes batayle. Trewe to say the archers dyd their company that day great aduauntage / for they shotte so thicke that the frenchmen wyst nat on what syde to take hede / and lytell and ly∣tell the englysshmen wanne grounde on theym: and whan the men of armes of Englande sawe that the marshals batayle was dysconfited / and that the dukes batayle began̄e to dysorder and opyn / they lept than on their horses the whiche they had redy by them. Than they assembled to gyder & cryed saynt George gyen: and the lorde Chandos sayd to the prince / sir take your horse and ryde forth this iourney is yo^rs: god is this day in your handes / gette vs to the french kyn∣ges batayle / for ther lyeth all the sore of the ma∣ter. I thynke verily by his valyantnesse he woll nat flye: I trust we shall haue hym by the grace of god and saynt George / so he be well fought withall and sir I herde you say that this day I shulde se you a good knyght. The prince sayde lette vs go forthe / ye shall nat se me this day re∣tourne backe / & sayd auaūce baner in the name of god and of saynt George: the knyght y^• bare it dyde his commaundement / there was than a sore batayle and a perylous and many a man o∣uerthrowen / and he that was ones downe coud nat be relyued agayne w^tout great socoure and ayde. As the prince rode and entred in amonge his ennemyes: he sawe on his ryght hande in a lylell busshe lyeng deed / the lorde Robert of Du¦ras and his baner by hym / and a ten or twelfe of his men about hym: than the prince sayd to two of his squyers & to thre archers / sirs take the bo¦dy of this knyght on a targe & bere hym to Poy¦cters / and present him fro me to the cardynall of Pyergourt / and say howe I salute hym by y^e to¦ken / and this was done. The prince was enfor∣med that the cardynalles men were on the felde agaynst hym / the which was nat pertayning to the right order of armes: for men of the churche that cometh and goeth for treaty of peace / ought nat by reason to ber harnes nor to fyght for ney¦ther of the parties. They ought to be indyffe∣rent / and bycause these men had done so / the pri¦ce was dyspleased with the cardynall / and ther∣fore he sende vnto hym his nephue the lorde Ro¦bert of Duras deed. And the Cathelayn of Am¦postre was takenne: and the printe wolde haue had his heed stryken of / bycause he was pertay¦nynge to the cardynall / but than the lorde Can∣dos sayd / sir susfre for a season entende to a gret¦ter mater / and paraduenture the cardynall wyll make suche excuse that ye shalbe content. Than the prince and his company dressed them on the batayle of the duke of Athenes cōstable of Fran¦ce: there was many a manne slayne and cast to the yerth / as the frenchmen fought in company¦es they cryed (mountioy saynt Denyce) and y^e englysshmen saynt George gyen. Anoue the pri¦ce with his company met with the batayle of al∣maygnes / wherof the erle of Salesbruce / the erle Nosco / and therle Neydo were capitayns:

but in a short space they were put to ••lyght. The archers shotte so holly togyder that none durst come in their dangers: they slewe many a man that coulde nat come to no raunsome / these thre erles was ther slayne / and dyuers other knygh¦tes and squyers of their cōpany. And ther was the lorde Dambretycourt rescued by his owne men and sette on horsebacke: and after he dyde that day many feates of armes & toke gode pri∣soners. Whan the duke of No〈…〉〈…〉 〈…〉〈…〉yle sawe the prince aproche they thought to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thē selfe: and so the duke and the kynges chrldren / the erle of Poycters / and the erle of Tourayne who were ryght yong by leued their gouerno^rs and so departed fro the felde: and with them mo than eyght hundred speares / y^• stake no stroke that day. Howe beit the lorde Guysshard Dan∣gle / and the lorde John̄ of Sayntre / who were with the erle of Poicters wolde nat slye: but en∣tred into the thyckest prease of the batayle. The kynges thre sonnes toke the way to Chamigny and the lorde John̄ of Landas / & the lorde Thy bault of Woodney / who were sette to a wayt on the duke of Normādy: whan they had brought the duke a long leage fro the batayle / than they tooke leaue of the duke and desyred the lorde of saynt Uenant / that he shulde nat leaue the duke but to bring hym in sauegarde / wherby he shul¦de wyn more thanke of the kynge than to abyde styll in the felde. Than they met also the duke of Orleaunce and a great cōpany with hym / who were also departed fro the felde with clere han∣des / ther were many good knyghtes and squy∣ers though that their maisters departed fro the felde / yet they hadde rather a dyed than to haue had any reproche. Than the kyng{is} batayle cā•• on the englysshmen / there was a sore fyght and many a great stroke gyuen and receyued: the kyng and his yongest sonne mette with the ba∣tayle of thenglysshe marshalles / therle of War∣wyke / and therle of Suffolke: and with theym of gascons the Captall of Buz / the lorde of Po∣myers / the lorde Amery of Charre / the lorde of Mucydent / the lorde of Lāguran / and the lorde de la Strade. To the frenche partie there came tyme ynough the lorde Johan of Landas / and the lorde of Woodney / they a lyghted a fote and wente into the kynges batayle. And a lytell be∣syde fought the duke of Athenes cōstable of frā¦ce / and a lytell aboue hym the duke of Burbone and many good knyghtes of Burbonoyse and of Picardy with hym. And a lytell on the one syde ther were the poyteuyns / the lorde de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the lorde of Partney / the lorde of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / the lorde of Montahoton / the lorde of Suggeres / the lorde Johan Sayntre / the lorde Guysshar / de Dangle / the lorde Argenton / the lorde of Ly¦myers / the lorde of Mountandre / and dyuerse other. Also the Uycount of Rocheuatt / and the erle of Daunoy. And of Burgone the lorde Ja∣mes of Beauye•• / the lorde de la Castell Uilayn and other. In another parte there was the erle of Uantadowre: and of Mounpenser / the lor∣de James of Burbone / the lorde Johan Dar∣thoyes / and also the lorde James his brother / the lorde Arnolde of Cernolle called the Arche∣preest armed for the yonge erle of Alansonne. And of Auuergne there was / the lorde of Mar∣••••ell / the lorde de la Towre / the lorde of Chalen¦ton / the lorde of Montague / the lorde of Roch∣fort / the lorde de la Chayre / the lorde Dachone / And of Lymosyn: there was the lorde Delmall the lorde of Norwell / the lorde of Pers Buff••er And of Pycardie: there was the lorde Wylly∣am of Nerle / the lorde Arnolde of Renewall / the lorde Geffray of saynt Dygier / the lorde of Chamy / the lorde of Heley / the lorde of Moun∣saunt / the lorde of Hangyes / and dyuers other. And also in the kynges batayle ther was therle Duglas of Scotlād / who fought a season right valyantly: but whan he sawe the dysconfyture / he departed and saued hymselfe / for in no wyse he wolde be takenne of the englysshmen / he had rather ben there slayne. On the englysshe parte the lorde James Awdeley / with the ayde of his foure squyers / fought alwayes in the chyefe of the batayle: he was soore hurte in the body and in the vysage / as longe as his breth serued hym he fought. At laste at the ende of the batayle his foure squyers tooke and brought hym oute of the felde and layed hym vnder a hedge syde for to refresshe hym. And they vnarmed hym and bounde vp his woundes aswell as they coulde. On the frenche partie kynge Johan was that day a full right good knyght: if the fourth part of his menne hadde done their deuoyers aswell as he dydde / the iourney hadde bene his / by all lykelyhode. Howe be it they were all slayne and takenne that were there: excepte a fewe that sa∣ued themselfe that were with the kynge. There was slayne: the duke Peter of Burbon / the lor∣de Guyssharde of Beauieu the lorde of Lādas / and the duke of Athenes constable of Fraunce / the bysshoppe of Chalons in Champayne / the lorde Wyllm̄ of Neell / the lorde Gustace of Ry∣bamont / the lorde de la Towre / the lorde Wyl∣lyam of Montagu / sir Guyuenton of Chābley / {ser} Ba〈…〉〈…〉 de la house / and many other as they

fought by companyes: and ther were taken pri¦soners: the lorde of Wodney / the lorde of Pom∣pador: and the archpreest sore hurte / the erle of Uandos the erle of Mons / the erle of Genuyll the erle of Uandone / sir Loyes of Melwall / the lorde Pyers Buffyer / and the lorde of Sene∣rachet ther were at that brunt slayne and taken mo than two hundred knyghtes.