Editing Edward the Black Prince (section)

== Spanish campaign (1365–67) ==
In 1365 the free companies, under Sir [[Hugh Calveley]] and other leaders, took service with [[Bertrand du Guesclin]], who employed them in 1366 in compelling King [[Peter of Castile]] to flee from his kingdom, and in setting up his bastard brother, Henry of Trastámara, as king in his stead. Peter, who was in alliance with Edward III, sent messengers to Prince Edward asking his help, and on receiving a gracious answer at [[Corunna]], set out at once, and arrived at [[Bayonne]] with his son and his three daughters. The prince met him at [[Capbreton]] and rode with him to Bordeaux.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=96}} Many of the prince's lords, both English and Gascon, were unwilling that he should espouse Peter's cause, but he declared that it was not fitting that a bastard should inherit a kingdom or drive out his lawfully born brother, and that no king or king's son ought to suffer such disrespect to royalty; nor could any turn him from his determination to restore the king.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|pp=96–97}}

Peter won friends by declaring that he would make Edward's son king of Galicia and would divide his riches among those who helped him. A parliament was held at Bordeaux, in which it was decided to ask the wishes of the English king. Edward III replied that it was right that his son should help Peter, and the prince held another parliament at which the king's letter was read. Then the lords agreed to give their help, provided that their pay was secured to them. To give them the required security, the prince agreed to lend Peter whatever money was necessary.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=97}}

Edward and Peter then held a conference with [[Charles II of Navarre|Charles of Navarre]] at Bayonne and agreed with him to allow their troops to pass through his dominions. To persuade him to do this, Peter had, besides other grants, to pay Charles 56,000 [[florin]]s, and this sum was lent him by Edward. On 23 September a series of agreements (the [[Treaty of Libourne]]) were entered into between Edward, Peter, and Charles at [[Libourne]], by which Peter covenanted to put the prince in possession of the province of Biscay and the territory and fortress of [[Castro Urdiales|Castro de Urdialès]] as pledges for the repayment of this debt, to pay 550,000 florins for six months' wages at specified dates, 250,000 florins being the prince's wages, and 800,000 florins the wages of the lords who were to serve in the expedition. Peter consented to leave his three daughters in Edward's hands as hostages for the fulfilment of these terms, and he further agreed that whenever the king, the prince, or their heirs, the king of England, should march in person against the [[Moors]], they should have the command of the vanguard before all other Christian kings, and that if they were not present the banner of the king of England should be carried in the vanguard side by side with the banner of Castile.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=97}} cites ''Fœdera,'' iii. 799–807.</ref>

Edward received 100,000 francs from his father out of the ransom of John II, the late king of France,<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=97}} cites ''Fœdera,'' iii. p. 787.</ref> and broke up his plate to help to pay the soldiers he was taking into his pay. While his army was assembling he remained at Angoulême and was there visited by Peter.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=97}} cites Ayala; Chandos.</ref> He then stayed over Christmas at Bordeaux, where Joan gave birth to their second son [[Richard II of England|Richard]].{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=97}} Prince Edward left Bordeaux early in February 1367 and joined his army at [[Dax, Landes|Dax]] where he remained three days and received a reinforcement of 400 men-at-arms and 400 archers sent out by Edward III under his brother John of Gaunt. From Dax, Edward advanced via [[Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port]] through [[Roncesvalles]] (in the [[Pyrenees]]) to [[Pamplona]] (the capital of [[Kingdom of Navarre]]).{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=97}}[[File:The Black Prince's March Through Roncevalles.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|19th-century illustration of the Black Prince's march through [[Roncesvalles]]]]
When Calveley and other English and Gascon leaders of free companies found that Prince Edward was about to fight for Peter, they withdrew from the service of [[Henry II of Castile|Henry of Trastámara]] and joined Edward "because he was their natural lord".<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=97}} cites Ayala, xviii. 2.</ref> While the prince was at Pamplona he received a letter of defiance from Henry.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=97}} cites ''Froissart'', vii. 10.</ref> From Pamplona Edward marched by [[Arruiz]] to [[Salvatierra/Agurain|Salvatierra]], which opened its gates to his army, and thence advanced to [[Vitoria-Gasteiz|Vitoria]], intending to march on [[Burgos]] by this direct route. A body of his knights, which he had sent out to reconnoitre under [[Sir William Felton]], was defeated by a skirmishing party, and he found that Henry had occupied some strong positions, and especially [[Santo Domingo de la Calzada]] on the right of the river [[Ebro]], and [[Zaldiaran]] mountain on the left, which made it impossible for him to reach Burgos through [[Álava]]. Accordingly he crossed the Ebro and encamped under the walls of [[Logroño]]. During these movements the prince's army had suffered from want of provisions both for men and horses, and from wet and windy weather. At Logroño, however, though provisions were still scarce, they were somewhat better off.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=97}}

On 30 March 1367, the prince wrote an answer to Henry's letter. On 2 April he left Logroño and moved to [[Navarrete, La Rioja]]. Meanwhile, Henry and his French allies had encamped at [[Nájera]], so that the two armies were now near each other. Letters passed between Henry and Edward, for Henry seems to have been anxious to make terms. He declared that Peter was a tyrant and had shed much innocent blood, to which Edward replied that Peter had told him that all the persons he had slain were traitors.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=97}} On the morning of 3 April, Edward's army marched from Navarrete, and all dismounted while they were yet some distance from Henry's army. The [[vanguard]], in which were 3,000 men-at-arms, both English and Bretons, was led by Lancaster, Chandos, Calveley, and Clisson; the right division was commanded by Armagnac and other Gascon lords; the left, in which some German mercenaries marched with the Gascons, by [[Jean III de Grailly, captal de Buch|Jean, Captal de Buch]], and the Count of Foix; the rear or main battle by Edward with 3,000 lances; with the prince was Peter and the dethroned [[James IV of Majorca|James of Majorca]] and his company; the numbers, however, are scarcely to be depended on.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|pp=97–98}}

Before the [[Battle of Nájera]] began, Edward prayed aloud to God that as he had come that day to uphold the right and reinstate a disinherited king, God would grant him success. Then, after telling Peter that he should know that day whether he should have his kingdom or not, he cried: "Advance, banner, in the name of God and [[Saint George]]; and God defend our right".{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=98}} The knights of Castile attacked and [[wikt:press#Verb|press]]ed the English vanguard, but the wings of Henry's army failed to move, so that the Gascon lords were able to attack the main body on the flanks. Then Edward brought the main body of his army into action, and the fighting became intense for he had under him "the flower of chivalry, and the most famous warriors in the whole world".{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=98}} At length Henry's vanguard gave way, and he fled from the field.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=98}} cites Ayala, xviii. c. 23; Friossart, vii. 37; Chandos, 1. 3107 sq.; Du Guesclin, p. 49.</ref> When the battle was over Edward asked Peter to spare the lives of those who had offended him. Peter assented, with the exception of one notorious traitor, whom he at once put to death; and he also had two others slain the next day.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=98}}

Among the prisoners was the French marshal [[Arnoul d'Audrehem]], whom Edward had formerly taken prisoner at Poitiers and whom he had released on d'Audrehem giving his word that he would not bear arms against the prince until his ransom was paid. When Edward saw him he reproached him bitterly and called him "liar and traitor".{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=98}} D'Audrehem denied that he was either, and Edward asked him whether he would submit to the judgment of a body of knights. To this d'Audrehem agreed, and Edward chose 12 knights—four English, four Gascons, and four Bretons—to judge between him and the marshal. After he had stated his case, d'Audrehem replied that he had not broken his word, for the army Edward led was not his own; he was merely in the pay of Peter. The knights considered that this view of Edward's position was sound and gave their verdict for d'Audrehem.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=99}} cites Ayala.</ref>

On 5 April 1367, Edward and Peter marched to [[Burgos]], where they celebrated Easter. Edward, however, did not take up his quarters in the city but camped outside the walls at the [[Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas|Monastery of Las Huelgas]]. Peter did not pay him any of the money he owed him, and Edward could get nothing from him except a solemn renewal of his bond of the previous 23 September, which he made on 2 May 1367 before the high altar of the [[Cathedral of Burgos]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=98}} cites ''Fœdera'', iii. 825.</ref> By this time, Edward began to suspect his ally of treachery. Peter had no intention of paying his debts, and when Edward demanded possession of Biscay, Peter told him that the Biscayans would not consent to be handed over to him. To get rid of his creditor, Peter told Edward that he could not get money at Burgos and persuaded Edward to take up his quarters at [[Valladolid]] while he went to Seville, whence he declared he would send the money he owed.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=98}}

Edward remained at [[Valladolid]] during some very hot weather, waiting in vain for his money. His army suffered so terribly from dysentery and other diseases that it is said that scarcely one Englishman out of five ever saw England again.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=98}} cites Knighton, c. 2629.</ref> Edward was seized with a sickness from which he never thoroughly recovered and which some said was caused by poison.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=98}} cites Walsingham, i. 305.</ref> Food and drink were scarce, and the free companies in his pay did much mischief to the surrounding country.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=98}} cites Chandos, 1. 3670 sq.</ref>

Meanwhile, Henry made war upon Aquitaine, took [[Bagnères-de-Bigorre|Bagnères]] and wasted the country. Fearing that Charles of Navarre would not allow him to return through his dominions, Edward negotiated with King [[Peter IV of Aragon]] for a passage for his troops. Peter IV made a treaty with him, and when Charles of Navarre heard of it he agreed to allow Edward, the Duke of Lancaster, and some of their lords to pass through his country; so they returned through [[Roncesvalles]] and reached Bordeaux early in September 1367.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=98}}