HOW THE ENGLISHMEN WON GREATLY AT THE
BATTLE OF POITIERS
THUS, this battle was discomfited, as ye have heard, the
which was in the fields of Maupertuis a two leagues from
Poitiers the twenty-second day of September the year of
our Lord MCCCLVI. It begun in the morning and ended at
noon, but as then all the Englishmen were not returned from
the chase; therefore the prince's banner stood on a bush to
draw all his men together, but it was well nigh night or all
came from the chase. And as it was reported, there was
slain all the flower of France, and there was taken with
the king and the lord Philip his son a seventeen earls, beside
barons, knights and squires, and slain a five or six thousand
of one and other. When every man was come from
the chase, they had twice as many prisoners as they were
in number in all. Then it was counselled among them because
of the great charge and doubt to keep so many, that
they should put many of them to ransom incontinent in the
field, and so they did: and the prisoners found the Englishmen
and Gascons right courteous; there were many that
day put to ransom and let go all only on their promise of
faith and truth to return again between that and Christmas
to Bordeaux with their ransoms. Then that night they
lay in the field beside whereas the battle had been: some
unarmed them, but not all, and unarmed all their prisoners,
and every man made good cheer to his prisoner;
for that day whosoever took any prisoner, he was clear
his and might quit or ransom him at his pleasure. All
such as were there with the prince were all made rich
with honour and goods, as well by ransoming of prisoners
as by winning of gold, silver, plate, jewels, that was there
found: there was no man that did set anything by rich harness,
whereof there was great plenty, for the Frenchmen
came thither richly beseen, weening to have had the journey
for them.
