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[1] 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.