Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
History
Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
England -- Social life and customs -- 16th century; Great Britain -- History -- Edward III, 1327-1377
Now will I name some of the principal lords and knights that were
there with the prince: the earl of Warwick, the earl of Suffolk, the
earl of Salisbury, the earl of Oxford, the lord Raynold Cobham, the
lord Spencer, the lord James Audley, the lord Peter his brother, the
lord Berkeley, the lord Bassett, the lord Warin, the lord Delaware,
the lord Manne, the lord Willoughby, the lord Bartholomew de
Burghersh, the lord of Felton, the lord Richard of Pembroke, the lord
Stephen of Cosington, the lord Bradetane and other Englishmen; and of
Gascon there was the lord of Pommiers, the lord of Languiran, the
captal of Buch, the lord John of Caumont, the lord de Lesparre, the
lord of Rauzan, the lord of Condon, the lord of Montferrand, the lord
of Landiras, the lord soudic of Latrau and other that I cannot name;
and of Hainowes the lord Eustace d'Aubrecicourt, the lord John of
Ghistelles, and two other strangers, the lord Daniel Pasele and the
lord Denis of Morbeke: all the prince's company passed not an eight
thousand men one and other, and the Frenchmen were a sixty thousand
fighting men, whereof there were more than three thousand knights.
OF THE BATTLE OF POITIERS BETWEEN THE PRINCE OF WALES AND THE FRENCH
KING
When the prince saw that he should have battle and that the cardinal
was gone without any peace or truce making, and saw that the French
king did set but little store by him, he said then to his men: 'Now,
sirs, though we be but a small company as in regard to the puissance
of our enemies, let us not be abashed therefor; for the victory lieth
not in the multitude of people, but whereas God will send it. If it
fortune that the journey be ours, we shall be the most honoured people
of all the world; and if we die in our right quarrel, I have the king
my father and brethren, and also ye have good friends and kinsmen;
these shall revenge us. Therefore, sirs, for God's sake I require you
do your devoirs this day; for if God be pleased and Saint George, this
day ye shall see me a good knight.' These words and such other that
the prince spake comforted all his people. The lord sir John Chandos
that day never went from the prince, nor also the lord James Audley of
a great season; but when he saw that they should needs fight, he said
to the prince: 'Sir, I have served always truly my lord your father
and you also, and shall do as long as I live. I say this because I
made once a vow that the first battle that other the king your father
or any of his children should be at, how that I would be one of the
first setters on,[1] or else to die in the pain: therefore I require
your grace, as in reward for any service that ever I did to the king
your father or to you, that you will give me licence to depart from
you and to set myself thereas I may accomplish my vow.' The prince
accorded to his desire and said, 'Sir James, God give you this day
that grace to be the best knight of all other,' and so took him by the
hand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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