The
Battle of Crecy (1346)
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 [he] 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 crossbows about a
fifteen thousand, but they were so weary of going afoot that
day a six leagues armed with their crossbows, 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 Alencon, 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 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 eyes and on the Englishmen's
backs.
 When
the Genoways were assembled together and began to approach,
they made a great [shout] 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 lept and cried, and went
forth till they came within shot; then they shot fiercely
with their crossbows. 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 crossbows 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 at
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, an many fell, horse and men, among the Genoways,
and when they were down, they could not relieve again, the
press was so thick that on 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.
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 the 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 contingent led by the
king's son, the Black Prince, was hard pressed in the fighting.]
Then the second battle of the Englishment 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; for if God be pleased, I will this journey
be his and the honour thereof, and to them that be about him."
The Battle of Poitiers 1356
Oftentimes the adventure 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 car] of Ponthieu,
and the lord John of Artois earl of Eu, and a little above
that under the banner of the captal 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....
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," 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 "There I yield me to you." was
a great press about the king, for every man enforced him to
say "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.
[The
Black Prince sent two lords to search for the French king.]
These two lords took their horses and departed from the prince
rode up a hill to look about them: then they perceived a flock
of men of arms coming together right wearily: 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 men 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 challengeth 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.
 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 of
Dammartin, the earl of Joinville 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, methink
ve 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.
English Ravages in the 1370s
About the space of a month or more was the prince of Wales
before the city of I.imoges, and there was neither assault
nor scrimmish, but dailv they mined. And they within knew
well how they were mined, and made a countermine there against
to have destroyed the English miners; but they failed of their
mine. And when the prince's miners saw how the countermine
against them failed, they said to the prince: "Sir, whensoever
it shall please you we shall cause a part of the wall to fall
into the dikes, whereby ye shall enter into the city at your
ease without any danger." Which words pleased greatly
the prince, and said: "I will that to-morrow betimes
ye shew forth and execute your work." Then the miners
set fire into their mine, and so the next morning, as the
prince had ordained, there fell down a great pane of the wall
and filled the dikes, whereof the Englishmen were glad and
were ready armed in the field to enter into the town. The
foot-men might well enter at their ease, and so they did and
ran to the gate and beat down the fortifying and barriers,
for there was no defence against them: it was done so suddenly
that they of the town were not ware thereof.
Then the prince, the duke of Lancaster, the earl of Cambridge,
the earl of Pembroke, sir Guichard d'Angle and all the other
with their companies entered into the ci , and all other foot-men,
readv apparelled to do evil, and to pill and rob the city,
and to stay men, women and children, for so it was commanded
them to do. It was great pity to see the men, women and children
that kneeled down on their knees before the prince for mercy;
but he was so inflamed with ire, that he took no heed to them,
so that none was heared, but all put to death, as they were
met withal, and such as were nothing culpable. There was no
pity take of the poor people, who wrought never no manner
of treason, yet they bought it dearer than the great personages,
such as had done the evil and trespass. There was not so hard
a heart within the city of Limoges, an if he had anv remembrance
of God, but that wept piteously for the great mischief that
they saw before their even: for more than three thousand men,
women and children were slain and beheaded that day, God have
mercy on their souls, for I trow they were martyrs.
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