found reasonably sufficient thereof.[1] It was no marvel though they
of the country were afraid, for before that time they had never seen
men of war, nor they wist not what war or battle meant. They fled away
as far as they might hear speaking of the Englishmen,[2] and left
their houses well stuffed, and granges full of corn, they wist not how
to save and keep it. The king of England and the prince had in their
battle a three thousand men of arms and six thousand archers and a ten
thousand men afoot, beside them that rode with the marshals.

[1] Or rather, 'thus they found reasonably sufficient provisions.'

[2] That is, they fled as soon as they heard their coming spoken
of.

Thus as ye have heard, the king rode forth, wasting and brenning the
country without breaking of his order. He left the city of
Coutances[3] and went to a great town called Saint-Lo, a rich town of
drapery and many rich burgesses. In that town there were dwelling an
eight or nine score burgesses, crafty men. When the king came there,
he took his lodging without, for he would never lodge in the town for
fear of fire: but he sent his men before and anon the town was taken
and clean robbed. It was hard to think the great riches that there was
won, in clothes specially; cloth would there have been sold good
cheap, if there had been any buyers.

[3] That is, he did not turn aside to go to it. Froissart
says, 'He did not turn aside to the city of Coutances, but went
on toward the great town of Saint-Lo in Cotentin, which at that
time was very rich and of great merchandise and three times as
great as the city of Coutances.' Michael of Northburgh says that