Chroincle of Henry Knighton

The King of France broke the bridges in front of King Edward. King Philip had all the bridges in the surrounding countryside destroyed, so that King Edward could not advance further towards Paris. King Edward seized the bridge and the town of Poissy by force and killed there a total of 400 armed men, as well as a large number of commoners, while King Philip was nearby with his army, and then fled to Paris. King Edward repaired the bridge so that our archers, along with a few armed men, could cross over, and they killed the guards whom King Philip had stationed to protect the passage, numbering around one hundred or more armed men and others.

Rex Francie frangit pontes coram rege Edwardo. Rex Philippus fecit infringere omnes pontes in circuitu in patria, adeo quod rex Edwardus non potuit ulterius transire uersus Parisium. Rex Edwardus cepit pontem et uillam de Poyse per uim, et interfecit ibidem uiros ad summam iiij. c. uirorum armatorum, et magnam multitudinem communium, rege Philippo adiacente cum suo exercitu, et abinde fugit apud Parisium. Rex Edwardus fecit pontem ita quod sagittarii nostri cum paucis uiris armatis transierunt, et custodes quos Philippus rex destinauerat ad custodiam passagii interfecerunt ad numerum centum et plurium uirorum armatorum et aliorum.

24 Aug 1346. And when Philip had learned of the English crossing and the defeat of his men, he set out towards Amiens. He ordered all the bridges in the surrounding area between himself and King Edward to be destroyed, so that no path was open to the English, except between Crotoy and Abbeville, where previously the inhabitants of that land or their compatriots had never found a way, and thus they crossed over a stretch of the sea about a league in length, on the eve of Saint Bartholomew.

Cumque Philippus intellexisset passagium Anglorum et ruinam suorum, carpsit iter uersus Amyas. Fecitque elidi omnes pontes in circuitu inter ipsum et regem Edwardum, ita quod non patuit iter Angligenis, nisi inter Crotoye et Abuylle ubi antea incolis dicte terre uel conpatriotis nunquam claruerunt uiam, et sic transierunt per unum whassum maris ad longitudinem unius leuce, in uigilia Sancti Bartholomei.

And on the other side, where the enemies were ready for battle, three thousand men, with captains from Poitou and the Countess of Armarle, were in the field where the English were supposed to land, but the English swiftly moved onto the land over them, with nimble strength. The Earl of Warwick, the Earl of Northampton, and Lord Reginald de Cobham came out of the water, and before King Edward landed, they had defeated the enemies, and killed two thousand armed men along with many of the commoners, and drove the rest away up to the town of Abbeville, where King Philip was present with his full army.

Et ex altera parte / whassy inimici fuerant parati ad prelium, .iij. milia uirorum, cum capitaneis Pontiniacis et comitissa de Armarle, in campo cum Angli terram capere debuerant, set Anglici proripuerunt se in’ terram super eos, cum agili fortitudine. Et comes Warwyche, et comes Northamptone, et dominus Reginaldus de Cobham exierunt de aqua, et antequam rex Edwardus terram arriperit, deuicerant inimicos, et .ij. milia uirorum armatorum cum plurioribus de communibus occiderant, et reliquos fugauerunt usque ad uillam de Abuylle, Philippo rege in eadem uilla cum suo pleno exercitu existente.

King Edward remained there in the field with his entire army that day and night, and on the following day until the hour of compline.

Rex Edwardus mansit ibidem in campo cum exercitu suo toto illo die et nocte, et in crastino usque ad horam completorii.

Battle of Crécy. 26 Aug 1346. And then, because Philip of Valois was moving from that place with his army, King Edward with his people withdrew into the forest of Cressy. Around the ninth hour, new rumours came to King Edward that King Philip was ready and arrayed in three distinct battle lines. King Edward, made joyful by this, prepared his people. And he came to the bridge of Cressy, and around the hour of vespers, and a little before, Edward watched the enemies approach. The English had remained fasting due to the long delay in waiting for the French, so that they could always be ready at their arrival. Immediately the trumpets and horns sounded, and there was an accompanying downpour of rain, with great thundering horror, and soon that remarkable storm ceased.

Bellum de Cressy. Et tunc quia Philippus Valoys se mouebat de illo loco cum exercitu, rex Edwardus cum populo suo recepit se in forestam de Cressy. Et circa horam nonam uenerunt noui rumores ad regem Edwardum, quod rex Philippus paratus erat et arraiatus in .iij. distentibus aciebus. Rex Edwardus, ex hoc letus effectus, parauit populum suum. Et uenit ad pontem de Cressy, et circa horam uesperarum et parum ante, prospexit Edwardus inimicos appropinquare. Anglici ieiuni adhuc erant pre longa mora Francos expectando, ut semper possent esse parati in eorum aduentu. Statimque clanxerunt clarriones et tube, inundacioque pluuiarum comitabatur, tonutruique magni horribilitas, et in breui cessauit illa mirabilis tempestas.

In the front line was Edward, the Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King Edward, along with the Earl of Northampton and the Earl of Warwick and their forces, who vanquished the first line of the French, supported by divine aid. Then similarly the second, without any pause. In which were two kings and one duke, namely the King of Bohemia, the King of Majorca, and the Duke of Lorraine, along with many other nobles. Then the Prince of Wales engaged the third line, in which were King Philip of Valois, the King of Almain (Germany), and Lord John of Hainault, and trusting in God's grace, he overthrew and defeated them.

In anteriori acie erat Edwardus, princeps Wallie, primogenitus regis Edwardi, comes Northamptone, et comes Warwyche cum suis, qui expugnauerunt primam aciem Francorum, diuino adminiculo subfulti. Deinde similiter et secundam, absque pausacione aliquali. In qua erant duo reges et unus dux, uidelicet rex Boemie, rex Malogrie, et dux Loryngie et multi alii proceres. Deinde tercio congressus est princeps Wallie cum tercia acie, in qua rex Philippus Valoys fuit, et rex Almonye, et dominus Iohannes de Hunaldia, et ipsos Dei gracia fretus prostrauit et deuicit.

King Philip of France was struck in the face with an arrow, and his warhorse was killed; he then mounted another suitable one and fled. Nor did any Englishman know from whence it came. Similarly, many others fled.

Rex Francie Philippus percussus est in facie cum una sagitta, dextrariusque eius occisus est, ascenditque alium competem et fugit. Nec quisque Anglicus sciuit unde deuenit. Similiter et multi alii fugierunt.

Total killed in battle: the French were slain. And there were killed two thousand armed men, knights, and squires, and almost an innumerable multitude of foot soldiers. The number of men coming with King Philip of France was twelve thousand foot soldiers, one thousand men armed to the shins and feet. Of whom in those three battles were killed two thousand armed men and thirty-two thousand other armed men. For they fought until deep into the night, in the field of Westglyse near Cressy.

Summa occisorum in bello: occisi Franci. Et interfecti sunt .ij. milia uirorum armatorum, militum, et scutiferorum, et quasi innumerabilis multitudo pedestrium. Numerus uirorum ueniencium cum rege Francie Philippo .xij. milia galliarum, .I. milia uirorum armatorum ad tibias et pedes. De quibus in ills tribus preliis interfecti sunt .ij. millia uirorum armatorum et .xxxij. millia aliorum armatorum. Nam pugnauerant usque ad profundam noctem, in campo de Westglyse iuxta Cressy.

Two kings, one duke, sixteen earls, more than two hundred others were killed. Sixteen earls were killed there. The two kings, of Bohemia and the King of Majorca, and the Duke of Lorraine, the Archbishop of Sens, the Bishop of Noyon, the Grand Master of the Hospital of France, and the Abbot of Corbeil. King Edward stood all night with his army in the field, and the French attacked them sixteen times before the day dawned. For the moon shone brightly, as God willed, for three parts of the night. At sunrise, the French army approached the English in the field, but as it pleased God, they did not dare to engage, and when the English advanced towards them, they fled, and the English pursuing them, killed many of them.

Occist ij. reges, .j. dux, .xvj. comites, .ij.c. plures. Comites .xvj. occisi sunt ibidem. Duo reges, Boemie et rex Malogrie, et dux Loryngie, archiepiscopus Seyensis, et episcopus Neyensis, et magnus magister hospitalis Francie, et abbas de Corbella. Rex Edwardus tota nocte cum exercitu suo stetit in campo, et Franci .xvj. / uicibus dederunt eis insultum antequam dies illucesceret. Nam luna clare lucebat, sicut Deus uoluit, per .iij. partes noctis. In ortu solis uenit exercitus Francorum uersus Anglos in campum, set sicut Deo placuit congredi non audebant, et cum Angli uersus eos procederent, fugerunt, et Angli eos insequentes, multos eorum occiderunt.

Of the English, three knights were killed in battle. From the English, one squire was killed before the battle, and in the battle, three knights; the rest God preserved. Many of the English knights became very poor.

Anglicr occisi .iij. milites mn bello. De Anglicis occisus est unus scutifer ante prelium, et in prelio .iij. milites, reliquos Deus reseruauit. Facti sunt multi milites pauperimi de Anglicis.

The Earl of Derby was called the Earl of Lancaster. Throughout this time, Henry, Earl of Lancaster, was in Gascony with his army. For after the death of his father, the Earl of Lancaster, this Henry who was previously called the Earl of Derby, is now called the Earl of Lancaster. King Edward diverted his route towards Calais, destroying and devastating the countryside all around for eight leagues, and the suburbs of Boulogne up to the walls, Saint Riquier, Staples, Château Neuf, until he came to Calais with his army, nearly unharmed and healthy, by God’s grace, specifically on the Thursday before the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Comes Derbeye uocatus est comes Lancastrie. Toto isto tempore Henricus comes Lancastrie fuit in Vasconia cum suo exercitu. Nam mortuo patre suo comite Lancastrie, iste Henricus qui antea uocatus est comes Derbeye, iam uocatus est comes Lancastrie. Rex Edwardus diuertit iter suum uersus Calesiam, destruens et deuastans patriam undique in circuitu per .viij. leucas, et suburbia Bolonie usque ad muros, Seynt Rychere, Staples, Chastele Noef, donec ueniret ad Calesiam cum exercitu suo, quasi incolumi et sano, Deo dante, scilicet die louis ante Natiuitatem Beate Marie uirginis.

08 Sep 1346. The Siege of Calais. King Edward set up tents around the town of Calais for himself and his army, and he stationed himself in a city-like formation on the land and placed strong naval forces in the sea port, so that no relief could reach the citizens, neither by sea nor by land, as they were thus encircled in misery by the English. Then King Edward had siege engines and other masterful instruments brought from England, which were suitable for such a siege, to breach the walls.

Obsidio Calesie. Rex Edwardus finxit tentoria circa uillam Calesie pro se et exercitu suo, et hospitatus est in modum ciuitatis per terram et posuit nauigium forte in portu maris, ita quod nullum subsidium potuit ciuibus occurrere, nec per mare neque per terram, per Anglicos sic in miseria inclusis. Deinde rex Edwardus fecit afferri machinas et alia instrumenta magistralia de Anglia queque ad talem obsidionem pertinencia, ad infringendum muros.

The Earl of Warwick plundered the market of Tournai. Immediately after this, the Earl of Warwick along with many others proceeded to the market of Tournai, where they found many armed men assigned to guard the market, namely the Bishop of Tournai with his forces totaling ten thousand armed men, whom the English defeated and killed many of. The Bishop, having been almost mortally wounded, barely escaped with his life.

Comes Warwyche spohiat nundimas de Tyrwan. Statim post hec comes Warwyche cum pluribus aliis perrexit ad nundinas de Tyrwan, et’ inuenerunt multos uiros armatos deputatos ad custodiam fori, uidelicet episcopum de Tyrwan cum suis ad summam .x. milia armatorum, quos Angli deuicerunt et quamplures occiderunt. Episcopus uero, quasi letaliter uulneratus, uix euasit cum uita.