Oftentimes the adventures 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 earl of Ponthieu, and
the lord John of Artois earl of Eu, and a little above that under the
banner of the capital 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. The Frenchmen yielded themselves as far off as they
might know an Englishman: there were divers English archers that had
four, five or six prisoners: the lord of Pons, a great baron of
Poitou, was there slain, and many other knights and squires; and there
was taken the earl of Rochechouart, the lord of Dammartin, the lord of
Partenay, and of Saintonge the lord of Montendre and the lord John of
Saintré, but he was so sore hurt that he had never health after: he
was reputed for one of the best knights in France. And there was left
for dead among other dead men the lord Guichard d'Angle, who fought
that day by the king right valiantly, and so did the lord of Charny,
on whom was great press, because he bare the sovereign banner of the
king's: his own banner was also in the field, the which was of gules,
three scutcheons silver. So many Englishmen and Gascons come to that
part, that perforce they opened the king's battle, so that the