¶ Howe the price toke the cyte of Ly∣moges / and howe four compa∣nyons dyd marueyls in ar∣mes. Ca. CC .lxxxiii. (Book 283)
ABout the space of a mo¦neth or more / was the prince of Wales before the cytie of Lymoges / and ther was no ther assaute nor scrimysshe: but dayly they myned. And they within knewe wel how they were myned / & made a countermyne there agaynst / to haue distroyed thēglysshe myners / but they fayled of their myne. & whan y• princis myners sawe how the coūtermyne against thē fayled / they sayde to the prince. Sir / whan so∣euer it shall please you: we shall cause a part of the wall to fall in to the dykes / wherby ye shall entre in to the cytie at your ease / without any daunger. Whiche wordes pleased greatly the prince / and sayd. I woll that to morowe be ty∣mes / yeshewe forthe and execute your warke. Than the myners set fyre in to their myne. and so the next mornyng as the prince habbe orday∣ned / there fell downe a great pane of the wall & fylled the dykes / wherof the englysshmen were gladde / and were redy armed in the selde to en∣tre into the towne. The fote men myght well entre at their case / and so they dyde: and ranne to the gate / and beate / downe the fortifyeng and barryers. For their was no defēce agaynst thē it was downe so sodaynly / that they of the tow¦ne were nat ware therof. Than the prince / the duke of Lancastre / the erle of Cambridge / the erle of Penbroke / sir Guyssharde Dangle / and all the other with their companyes / entred into the cyte and all other fote mē redy apelled to do yuell / and to pyll and robbe the cytie: and to sle men / women / and chyldren: for so it was com∣maunded them to do. It was great pytie to se the men / women / and chyldren: y• kneled dow∣ne on their knees before the price for mercy / but he was so enflamed with yre y• he toke no hede to theym / so that none was herde / but all putte to dethe as they were mette withall / and suche as were nothyng culpable. There was no pyte taken of the poore people / who wrought neuer no maner of treason. yet they bought it dererr than the great personages / suche as had done the yuell and trespace. There was nat so harde a hert within the cytie of Lymoges / and yf he had any remembraunce of god / but that wepte pyteously for the great mischefe that they sawe before their eyen. For mo than thre thousande men / women / and chyldren were slayne and be heeded that day / god haue mercy on their sou∣les / for I trowe they were martyrs. And thus entrynge in to the cytie / a certayne company of englysshmen entred into the bysshoppes palys and there they founde the bysshop. And so they brought him to the princ{is} presens / who beheld hym right fersly and felly. And the best worde that he coude haue of hym / was how he wolde haue his heed stryken of / and so he was hadde out of his syght.
NOwe lette vs speke of the knygh∣tes that were within the cytie: as sir John̄ of Wyllemure / sir Hugh de la Roche / Roger Beaufort / son to the erle of Baufort / capitayns of the cytie. Whan they sawe the trybulacion & pestylence that ranne ouer them and their com∣pany / they sayd one to another / we are all deed without we defende our selfe. Therfore lettevs sell our lyues derely / as good knightes ought to do. Than sir Johan of Wyllemure sayde to Roger Beauforte. Roger / it behoueth y• ye be made a knight. Than Roger aunswered / and sayd. {ser} / I am nat as yet worthy to be a knyght I thāke you sir of your good wyll / so ther was no more sayd. They had nat the leaser to speke long togyder / howbeit they assembled thē togy¦der in a place agaynst an olde wall / & there dy∣splayed their baners / so they were to the nōbre of .lxxx. persons. thyder came y• duke of Lanca stre ▪ therle of Cambridge & their companyes / & so lighted a fote / so that the frēchmen coude nat long endure agaynst thenglysshmen / for anone they were slayne and taken. Howbeit the duke