Editing Edward the Black Prince (section)

====Battle of Poitiers====
{{Main|Battle of Poitiers}}
[[File:Poitiers 1356.jpg|thumb|[[Battle of Poitiers]], from the ''[[Grandes Chroniques de France]]'']]
On 6 July 1356 Edward set out on another expedition, undertaken with the intention of passing through France to Normandy and there giving aid to his father's Norman allies, the party headed by the king of Navarre and Geoffrey d'Harcourt. In Normandy he expected to be met by his father.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=94}} cites a letter of the prince dated 20 October, ''Archæologia,'' i. 212; Froissart, iv. 196.</ref> He crossed the [[Dordogne]] at [[Bergerac, Dordogne|Bergerac]] on 4 August<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=94}} states for itinerary of this expedition see ''Eulogium'', iii. 215 sq.</ref> and rode through [[Auvergne]], Limousin, and Berry, plundering and burning as he went until he came to [[Bourges]], where he burnt the suburbs but failed to take the city. He then turned westward and made an unsuccessful attack on [[Issoudun]] on 25–27 August. Meanwhile, King John II was gathering a large force at [[Chartres]], from which he was able to defend the passages of the [[Loire]] and was sending troops to the fortresses that seemed in danger of attack. From Issoudun Edward returned to his former line of march and took [[Vierzon]]. There he learnt that it would be impossible for him to cross the Loire or to form a junction with Lancaster, who was then in Brittany. Accordingly he determined to return to Bordeaux by way of Poitiers, and after putting to death most of the garrison of the castle of Vierzon he set out on 29 August towards [[Romorantin-Lanthenay|Romorantin]].{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=94}}

Some French knights who skirmished with the English advanced guard retreated into Romorantin, and when Prince Edward heard of this he said: "Let us go there; I should like to see them a little nearer".{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=94}} He inspected the fortress in person and sent his friend Chandos to summon the garrison to surrender. The place was defended by Boucicault and other leaders, and on their refusing his summons he assaulted it on 31 August. The siege lasted three days, and the prince, who was enraged at the death of one of his friends, declared that he would not leave the place untaken. Finally he set fire to the roofs of the fortress by using [[Greek fire]], reduced it on 3 September.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=94}}

On 5 September Edward proceeded to march through Berry. On 9 September King John II, who had gathered a large force, crossed the Loire at Blois and went in pursuit of them. When the king was at [[Loches]] on 12 September he had as many as 20,000 men-at-arms, and with these and his other forces he advanced to [[Chauvigny]]. On 16 and 17 September his army crossed the [[Vienne (river)|Vienne]].{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=94}} Meanwhile, Edward was marching almost parallel to the French and at only a few miles distance from them. From 14 to 16 September he was at [[Châtellerault]], and 17 September as he was marching towards Poitiers, some French men-at-arms skirmished with his advance guard, pursued them up to the main body of his army, and were all slain or taken prisoners. The French king had outstripped him, and his retreat was cut off by an army at least 50,000 strong, while Edward he about 7,500 men. Lancaster had endeavoured to come to his relief but had been stopped by the French at [[Les Ponts-de-Cé|Pont-de-Cé]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=94}} cites ''Chronique de Bertrand du Guesclin'', p. 7.</ref>

When Prince Edward knew that the French army lay between him and Poitiers, he took up his position on some rising ground to the south-east of the city in the [[Mignaloux-Beauvoir|commune of Beauvoir]] and remained there that night. On 18 September Cardinal [[Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord (cardinal)|Hélie Talleyrand]] endeavoured to make peace. Edward was willing to come to terms and offered to give up all the towns and castles he had conquered, to set free all his prisoners, and not to serve against the king of France for seven years, besides, it is said, offering a payment of 100,000 francs. King John, however, was persuaded to demand that Edward and 100 of his knights should surrender themselves as prisoners, and to this Edward would not consent. The cardinal's negotiations lasted the whole day and were protracted in the interest of the French, for John was anxious to give time for further reinforcements to join his army. Considering the position of Edward, it seems probable that the French might have destroyed his army by hemming it in with a portion of their host, and so either starving it or forcing it to leave its strong station and fight in the open with the certainty of defeat. John made a mistake in allowing Edward respite during the negotiations, during which he employed his army in strengthening its position. The English front was well covered by vines and hedges; on its left and rear was the ravine of the Miausson river and a good deal of broken ground, and its right was flanked by the wood and abbey of Nouaillé. All through the day the army was busily engaged in digging trenches and making fences, so that it stood, as at Crécy, in a kind of entrenched camp.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=94}} cites ''Froissart'', v. 29; {{sc|Matt. Villani}}, vii. c. 16.</ref>

Prince Edward drew up his men in three divisions, the first being commanded by the earls of Warwick and Suffolk, the second by himself, and the rear by Salisbury and Oxford. The French were drawn up in four divisions, one behind the other, and so lost much of the advantage of their superior numbers. In front of his first line and on either side of the narrow lane that led to his position the prince stationed his archers, who were well protected by hedges, and posted a kind of ambush of 300 men-at-arms and 300 mounted archers, who were to fall on the flank of the second battle of the enemy, commanded by the [[Dauphin of France|Dauphin]], [[Charles V of France|Charles, Duke of Normandy]].{{sfn|Hunt|1889|pp=94–95}}

At daybreak on 19 September Prince Edward addressed his army, and the fight began. An attempt was made by 300 picked men-at-arms to ride through the narrow lane and force the English position, but they were shot down by the archers. A body of Germans and the first division of the army which followed were thrown into disorder; then the English force in ambush charged the second division on the flank, and as it began to waver the English men-at-arms mounted their horses, which they had kept near them, and charged down the hill. Edward kept Chandos by his side, and his friend did him good service in the fray. As they prepared to charge he cried: "John, get forward; you shall not see me turn my back this day, but I will be ever with the foremost", and then he shouted to his banner-bearer, "Banner, advance, in the name of God and St. George!".{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=95}} All the French except the advance guard fought on foot, and the division of the Duke of Normandy, already wavering, could not stand against the English charge and fled in disorder. The next division, under [[Philip, Duke of Orléans]], also fled, though not so shamefully, but the rear under King John fought with much gallantry. The prince, "who had the courage of a lion, took great delight that day in the fight".{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=95}} The combat lasted until a little after 3&nbsp;pm, and the French, who were utterly defeated, left 11,000 dead on the field, of whom 2,426 were men of gentle birth. Nearly 100 counts, barons, and [[banneret]]s and 2,000 men-at-arms, besides many others, were made prisoners, and the king and his youngest son Philip were among those who were taken. The English losses were not large.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=95}}

When King John was brought to him, Edward received him with respect, helped him to take off his armour, and entertained him and the greater part of the princes and barons who had been made prisoners at supper. He served at the king's table and would not sit down with him, declaring that "he was not worthy to sit at table with so great a king or so valiant a man",{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=95}} and speaking many comfortable words to him, for which the French praised him highly.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=95}} Froissart, v. 64, 288.</ref> The next day Edward continued his retreat on Bordeaux; he marched warily, but no one ventured to attack him.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=95}}

At Bordeaux, which Prince Edward reached on 2 October, he was received with much rejoicing, and he and his men tarried there through the winter and wasted in festivities the immense spoil they had gathered. On 23 March 1357 Edward concluded a two years' truce, for he wished to return home. The Gascon lords were unwilling that King John should be carried off to England, and the prince gave them 100,000 crowns to silence their murmurs. He left the country under the government of four Gascon lords and arrived in England on 4 May, landing at Plymouth.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=95}} Knighton, c. 2615; ''Eulogium'', iii. 227; Walsingham, i. 283; ''Fœdera'', iii. 348, not at Sandwich as Froissart, v. 82 states.</ref> When he entered London in triumph on 24 May with King John as his prisoner.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=95}} cites Matt. ''Villani'', vii. c. 66.</ref>