he may do, and shall accord with you so reasonably that ye shall ever
be friends together after. And, sir, methinks ye ought to rejoice,
though the journey be not as ye would have had it, for this day ye
have won the high renown of prowess and have passed this day in
valiantness all other of your party. Sir, I say not this to mock you,
for all that be on our party, that saw every man's deeds, are plainly
accorded by true sentence to give you the prize and chaplet.'
Therewith the Frenchmen began to murmur and said among themselves how
the prince had spoken nobly, and that by all estimation he should
prove a noble man, if God send him life and to persevere in such good
fortune.




HOW THE PRINCE RETURNED TO BORDEAUX AFTER THE BATTLE OF POITIERS


When supper was done, every man went to his lodging with their
prisoners. The same night they put many to ransom and believed them on
their faiths and troths, and ransomed them but easily, for they said
they would set no knight's ransom so high, but that he might pay at
his ease and maintain still his degree. The next day, when they had
heard mass and taken some repast and that everything was trussed and
ready, then they took their horses and rode towards Poitiers. The same
night there was come to Poitiers the lord of Roye with a hundred
spears: he was not at the battle, but he met the duke of Normandy near
to Chauvigny, and the duke sent him to Poitiers to keep the town till
they heard other tidings. When the lord of Roye knew that the
Englishmen were so near coming to the city, he caused every man to be