Part 11
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.
[Sidenote: Great slaughter of Frenchmen.]
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
[Sidenote: _Iac. Meir._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: _Froissard._]
[Sidenote: Noble men slaine.]
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.
[Sidenote: The king of England commeth downe from the hill.]
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:
[Sidenote: _Georg. Buch. paraph. in psal._]
Tu nos ab hoste subtrahis, sternis solo Infensa nobis agmina. Non ergo semper iure te cantabimus Nostræ salutis vindicem?
¶ 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.
[Sidenote: Frenchmen slaine the day after the battell.]
[Sidenote: The archb. of Rouen and the lord grand prior of France slaine.]
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.
[Sidenote: Calis besieged.]
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.
A letter of W. Northbourgh the kings confessor describing the kings voiage into France.
[Sidenote: In the acts and monuments.]
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.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: _Iac. Meir._]
[Sidenote: Terrouan.]
[Sidenote: Terrouan woon by force.]
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.
[Sidenote: _Froissard._]
[Sidenote: Sir Iohn de Vienne capteine of Calis.]
[Sidenote: The king of Englands pitie towards the poore.]
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
Spernit coelorum regem spretor miserorum.
[Sidenote: The duke of Normandie sent for.]
[Sidenote: The earle of Derbie assembleth an armie.]
[Sidenote: Towns won by the earle of Derbie.]
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.
[Sidenote: The citie of Poictiers woon by force.]
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.
[Sidenote: Saint Iohn Dangelie.]
[Sidenote: The king of Scots inuadeth England.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
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.
[Sidenote: The English lords assemble a power to fight with the Scots.]
[Sidenote: _Froissard._]
[Sidenote: _Tho. Wals._]
[Sidenote: _Froissard._]
[Sidenote: The quéenes diligence.]
The lords of England that were left at home with the quéene for the sure kéeping and defense of the realme, perceiuing the king of Scots thus boldlie to inuade the land, and in hope of spoile to send foorth his light horssemen to harrie the countrie on ech side him, assembled an host of all such people as were able to beare armour, both préests and other. Their generall assemblie was appointed at Newcastell, and when they were all togither, they were to the number of 1200 men of armes, thrée thousand archers, and seauen thousand other, with the Welshmen, and issuing out of the towne, they found the Scots readie to come forward to incounter them. Then euerie man was set in order of battell, and there were foure battels ordeined, one to aid another. The first was led by the bishop of Durham, Gilbert de Vinfreuile earle of Anegos, Henrie lord Percie, and the lord Henrie Scroope: the second by the archbishop of Yorke, and the lord Rafe Neuill: the third by the bishop of Lincolne, Iohn lord Mowbraie, and the lord Thomas de Rokebie: the fourth was gouerned by the lord Edward Balioll capteine of Berwike, the archbishop of Canturburie, and the lord Ros: beside these were W. lord d'Eincourt, Robert de Ogle, and other. The quéene was there in person, and went from ranke to ranke, and incouraged hir people in the best manner she could, and that doone she departed, committing them and their cause to God the giuer of all victorie.
[Sidenote: The Scots fight with axes.]