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From Illustrations of Chaucer's England, edited by Dorothy Hughes, M.A.; Longmans, Green and Co.; 1919.
It behoves us to praise the God of Heaven, and justly to acknowledge Him to before all living men, because He has dealt mercifully with us. For after the conflict at Caen, wherein, after great numbers had been slain, the city was 42 taken and stripped to the bare walls, the city of Bayeux surrendered of its own accord, fearing to suffer in the same manner. Our lord the King directed his march towards Rouen, and was met by the cardinals in the city of Lisieux, who exhorted him very urgently to make peace. When they had been received in most courteous fashion, from reverence of the Apostolic See and of Holy Church, they were answered that our lord the King. always desiring peace, had sought it by all reasonable means that he knew, and had offered many ways, on account of his desire for it, although to the no small prejudice of his cause; — and that he is still prepared to accept peace, provided only that it be offered him in a reasonable manner. The cardinals however, having spoken to the King’s adversary, afterwards returned and offered the Duchy of Aquitaine as his father held it, with hope of having more by way of marriage, if peaceful discussion might be had. But because this way did not meet with approval, and the cardinals did not find the King’s adversary readily yielding, they plainly withdrew, despairing of a good issue. Our lord the King nevertheless continued to advance successfully, and gained all the big town which he passed, no resistance being made, but every man taking to flight; for God so filled them all with terror that they seemed utterly to have lost their courage. Moreover, he took castles and fortified places, although they were very strong, with light onslaughts, only a few men attacking. His adversary had gathered together a great army at Rouen, and notwithstanding that he had a very great multitude with him, he broke the bridge over the Seine, and followed our lord the King every day on the opposite side of the river, breaking down and fortifying all the bridges, lest we should cross over to him. And although there were continuously pillagings and burnings throughout the whole region, for the space of twenty miles round, and up to 43 within a mile of him, yet he would not and dared not cross the Seine when he might have done, for the defence of his people and his kingdom. Thus our lord had the King came to Poissy, where he found the bridge broken. . . .
Greeting. Be pleased to know that our lord the King reached the town of Poissy on the eve of the Assumption of Our Lady, and there was a bridge there over the river Seine, which was broken; but the King stayed there until it was repaired. While it was being made up, there came a great number of men-at-arms, with the levies of the district and of Amyas, well armed. The Earl of Northampton and his men went out and attacked them, so that, thank God, more than two hundred of our enemies were slain; but the others were mounted. And another time our people crossed the water, and killed great plenty of the common levies of France and of the city of Paris, and others of the country well armed, from the host of the King of France. So that our men made another good bridge, thank God, to reach our enemies, without loss or great damage of our people. On the morrow of the Feast of Our Lady’s Assumption, our lord the King crossed the Seine and moved towards Poix, which is a strong town, enclosed with walls, with a very strong castle inside; and it was held by our enemies. And when the van-guard, and the main battle had passed the town, the rear-guard assaulted it and took it; there were slain more than three hundred men-at-arms of the enemy. On the following day the Earl of Suffolk and Sir Hugh le Despenser went out and attacked the levies of the district, which were gathered together well armed, and defeated them; they killed two hundred and more, and took over sixty prisoners 44 of the gentlemen. Then they drew on towards Grandvilliers, and when they had lodged there, the vanguard was espied by men-at-arms of the household of the King of Bohemia. Our people went out hastily and skirmished with them, but were borne to the ground. But, thanks be to God, my lord of Northampton went out and rescued the knights and others, so that none of them were taken or slain except Thomas Talbot. They pursued the enemy up to within two leagues of Amyas, taking eight men-at-arms and killing twelve; the rest were well horsed, and escaped to Amyas. The King of England, whom God preserve, went towards Ponthieu on St. Bartholomew’s day, and came to the water of Somme, which comes into the sea from Abbéville in Ponthieu. The King of France had arrayed five hundred men-at-arms, and three hundred of the armed levies, to hold the passage; but, God be thanked, the King of England and his host took this river of Somme where men never crossed before, without any of his men being lost, and fought with the enemy, killing over two thousand men-at-arms. They pursued the rest right up to the gate of Abbéville, and took prisoner a great number of knights and squires. On the same day, Sir Hugh le Despenser took the town of Crotoy, and he and his people killed four hundred men-at-arms there; they held the town, where they found great plenty of victuals. That night the King of England lodged in the forest of Crecy, on the same river, because the King of France’s host came from the other side of the town after our crossing; but he would not cross the water against us, and they returned towards Abbéville. On the next Friday, the King lodged in the same forest of Crecy. On Saturday, at morning, he moved towards Crecy, and his scouts discovered the King of France, who was coming towards us in four big battles, and there they awaited their enemies. And by the will of God, a little before the hour of Vespers, his 45 power gathered to ours in the open field; the battle was very violent, and lasted a long time, for the enemy bore themselves right nobly, but God be praised, they were discomfited. The King our adversary took to flight, and there were slain the King of Bohemia, the Duke of Lorraine, the Count of Alençon, the Count of Flanders, the Count of Blois, the Count of Harcourt and his two sons, the Count of Aumale, the Count of Nevers, and his brother the lord of Trouard, the Archbishop of Nimes,1 the Archbishop of Sens (2), the Grand Prior of the Hospital of France, the Count of Savoy, the lord of Moreuil, the lord of Guise, the lord of St. Venant, the lord of Rosenberg, six counts of Germany, and a great many other counts and barons, and other lords whose names cannot yet be known.
The King of France and the Marquis called the elect of the Romans escaped wounded, as men say. The number of good men-at-arms slain in the field that day, without counting the town levies and men-on-foot amounts to fifteen hundred and forty-two accounted for. That same night the King of England with all his host remained in arms on the field where the defeat took place; and the next morning before sunrise, another great and strong battle came in front of us. My lord the Earl of Northampton and the Earls of Norfolk and earl of Warwick went forth and overpowered them, taking prisoner a great number of knights and squires, and killing two thousand and more, and pursued them three leagues from the field. That night the King lodged at Crecy, and at daybreak he drew towards Boulogne, taking the town of Etaples on the march; whence he advanced towards Calais. From what I have heard, his purpose is to besiege the town of Calais.2 And for this reason, my lord, the King has written to you for victuals, and that too as quickly as you can send them. 46 For since the time when we left Caen, we have lived on the country, to the great labour and damage of our people; but, God be thanked, we have had no lack. But now we are in such plight that we must be refreshed in part with provisions. Written before Calais, the 4th day of September.
1 Included in mistake. (Luce).
2 Preparations were being made for the siege, which was begun immediately.
There is no man, even though he had been present, that could exactly realise or imagine all that happened that day, especially so far as concerned the French, so great was the confusion and disorder among them. What I know I have learnt in great part from the English, who had well observed the confusion of their enemies, also from the men of Sir John of Hainault, who all that day was by the side of the King of France.1
The English, who were drawn up in three divisions, and were sitting down upon the ground, as soon as they saw the French approaching, rose up in good order, without any excitement, and ranged themselves in their battles, that of the Prince being the first, with the archers in front, in the form of a harrow and the men-at-arms in the rear. The Earls of Northampton and Arundel who commanded the second battle were posted in good order on the wing, to support and succour the Prince if need were. And the King of England’s battle was on higher ground; the King had taken up his stand on a windmill, so as to see further all round him; he might have been then some thirty-six 47 years of age, in the flower of his youth, and greatly encouraged in his business.2
When King Philip came to the field near to where the English were drawn up, and saw them, his blood stirred, for he hated them exceedingly; he could not withhold from attacking them, but said to his marshal, “Let our Genoese advance and begin the battle, in the name of God and St. Denis”.
There were about 15,000 of these Genoese cross-bowmen,3 and they would fain not have begun the battle then, for they were cruelly tired and worn out with marching more than six leagues fully armed, and with carrying their crossbows. So they told their captains that they were not ready to begin any great deed of battle. These words reached the Count of Alençon, who said with fierce anger, “We should, indeed, cumber ourselves with such rascals, who fail us when we have most need of them!” Meanwhile, as the Genoese were making much trouble about getting themselves ready, there was such a violent and heavy rainfall that it was wonderful to see, with thunder and lightning very great and horrible. Before the rain began a flock of crows, so many that their flight seemed endless, had flown over the armies; whereupon some experienced knights said that it was the sign of a great battle and much bloodshed. After all this the sky began to clear and the sun shone brilliantly, so that it was full in the eyes of the French, while the English had it behind them.
When the Genoese were ranged ready to approach the enemy they began to make such loud hooting that it was wonderful to hear; they did this to dismay the English, but they kept quite still, and let off some cannon that they 48 had in the battle, to daunt the Genoese.4 The latter shouted a second time, and then advanced a little; the English stood quite still without moving from their places. Yet a third time they uttered loud piercing cries, and then advanced and drew their crossbows and began to shoot. When the English archers saw this they advanced a little and let fly their arrows, that came down upon the Genoese so steadily that it seemed like snow. The Genoese had not learned to meet such archers as these of England, and when they felt the arrows piercing their arms and heads, and through their armour they were soon discomfited; many of them cut the strings of their bows, others threw them down, and so they began to retreat.
5 But the battles of the great lords were so eager to go forward and fight their enemies that they did not wait for any ordinance or array, but rushed on all mingled together until they shut in the Genoese between themselves and the English, so that they could not escape, but the horses fell among them, the strong stumbling over the weak who were down. Those who were behind took no heed of the press, so that they were thrown down among others who were unable to rise. On the other hand the archers were shooting so relentlessly upon those in front and on the flanks, that the horses, feeling the sharp arrows, behaved in an extraordinary fashion, rearing and plunging wildly; some refused to advance, while some, in spite of their masters, dashed towards the enemy, and those mortally hurt were falling to the ground. The English men-at-arms, who were drawn up on foot now advanced among these lords and their men, carrying knives, axes, and short spiked staves, and killed them without difficulty and with little resistance, for they could not rise or extricate themselves. There was never before seen so great misadventure, 49 or so many good men lost with so little fighting. In such manner this great mischief for the French lasted until nightfall, for the darkness separated them; it was already evening when the battle began, and the King of France could not get up to the fight at all, nor any of those under his banner, nor the levies from the good towns of France. * . . . The Count Louis of Blois, nephew of King Philip, came up with the men under his banner to attack the English, and bore himself right valiantly, as did the Duke of Lorraine. And most men say that if the battle had been as well begun in the morning as it was at vespers there would have been many rallies on the French side, and many fine feats of arms. Even so, there were some lords, knights, and squires among the French, and others on their side, both Germans and Savoyards who fought their way through the archers of the Prince’s battle and got right up to the men-at-arms, fighting hand to hand with their swords.
There were on the English side two gallant knights, Sir Reginald Cobham and Sir John Chandos, with many others whose names I cannot set down, for there round the Prince was the flower of English chivalry. Then the Earl of Northampton and the Earl of Arundel . . . came up to support the Prince’s battle, and well there was need of it, for without this he would have been hard put to it. . . . 6
You must know that the discomfiture of the French was very severe and the losses on their side very terrible; and all too many noble and valiant men were left on the field, dukes, counts, barons, and knights, whereby the realm of France was since much impoverished in honour, might, and good counsel. And you may be sure that if the English had pursued the enemy as they did at Poitiers 50 still more would have lain dead there, even the King of France himself. . . . For he stayed on the field until it was very late, and when he departed he had with him not more than sixty men all told. Then my lord John of Hainault, who was guarding and advising him, and had already remounted him (for the King’s charger had been killed by an arrow) took his bridle and led him away by force, saying, “Sire, come away, for it is time; do not so unwisely let yourself be undone here; you will recover another time what you have lost now”. . . .
I assure you that this day the archers of England gave great support to their side, for most men say that it was by their shooting that the affair was decided, although indeed there were valiant knights among the English who fought bravely, performing splendid feats of arms. But it should be clearly understood and admitted that the archers performed a great feat, for it was by their volleys when the battle began that the Genoese were defeated, the which gave great advantage. For all too many men-at-arms, richly armed and equipped, and well mounted, were thrown into confusion and undone through the Genoese, because they stumbled among them and fell one over another, so they could not rise or recover themselves.
And among the English there were plunderers and ruffians, Welshmen and Cornishmen, carrying great knives, and following up the men-at-arms and archers who opened the way for them; they found the French men in their perilous plight, and killed them all, great lords as they were. In this way there were many men killed that evening, which was great pity and harm; and the King of England was afterwards greatly angered, because they had not been held to ransom.
When Sunday morning came, there was so thick a mist that one could scarcely see the distance of half an acre. 51 There departed from the army, by order of the King and the marshals, some five hundred men-at-arms and two thousand archers, to make an excursion and see if they could discover any bodies of French collected together. This Sunday morning the levies of troops from Rouen and Beauvais had set out from Abbéville in Ponthiu who knew nothing of the previous evening’s defeat, and they came right upon this party of Englishmen, thinking at first they were some of their own people. As soon as the English saw who they were they fell upon them, and there was a sharp fight; but the French were soon routed and put to flight, in great disorder. There were slain in the fields, by hedges and bushes as they fled, more than 7000, and had it been clear weather, not one would have escaped. . . . I was told that of the levies of men on foot sent from the cities and good towns there were slain this Sunday morning four times as many as in the great battle.
1 Here Froissart exactly follows Jean le Bel. But in the third redaction of his "Chronicle," he claims to have obtained his information from Sir John Chandos and Sir Bartholomew Burghersh; and, on the French side, from the Lord of Montmorency also.
2 MS. de Rome.
3 The number is exaggerated — there were perhaps some 6000 (Luce).
4 MS. d'Amiens.
5 MS d'Amiens, to *. Reproduced very closely from le Bel (Luce).
6 Froissart here tells the story of the sending of a request for help to the King, and of his refusal, with the words, “Let the boy win his spurs”.
Right dear and well-beloved kinsman, true it is that the King of England has already landed in the parts of our realm towards Cotentin, and is tarrying there near his ships; and the land of England is left void of defence and unfortified, for the greater part of his army is with him, and another part is in Gascony, and another divided between the parts of Flanders and Brittany. Hence there cannot be in England great store of armed and able men; and it seems to all men that if you will put diligence and care to the matter, you can inflict very great damage upon him. Wherefore there are those who do not cease to 52 marvel greatly that as yet you have in no way done him mischief, and do not yet do so, for you can never have greater advantage than you have at present. And so we ask and entreat you, by our mutual affection and alliance, that you will not fail to take means of damaging him and his whole country as well and stoutly as you can, since the moment is now most favourable; so heartily proving by your deeds the affection and promises that you have pledged us. And we assure you that should he hasten to return to England, we will at once, and without delay send over our fleet with abundance of armed men, for it is now fully prepared and ready. Make all speed, therefore, to harm the said king, our enemy and your own, for if you will take the business in hand well, you can destroy and subdue the greater part of his land. And cause us to be informed as to the news of your parts and of your estate, the which may Our Lord prosper. May the Holy Spirit vouchsafe to have you in his keeping. Given at St. Denis in France, the 22nd day of July; to our right dear and well-beloved kinsman the King of Scots.
After David King of Scotland had carried out many grievous raids in King Edward’s absence upon the northern parts of England, with much plunder and slaughter of the inhabitants (to the grave scandal of the Northern magnates, because they were thought by many to have been complices in these wrongs, and consenting to them) at last he invaded the East march of England, 53 in the year of Our Lord 1346, with a large army to the number of 36,000 men, well armed and arrayed after the manner of the French. They marched straight towards Durham, utterly refusing a truce, for they would not hear of it, or have any mercy until they should have tribute, head and foot, of all the inhabitants as far as the river Trent. For they had been led to suppose that there remained none in England who were not at the siege of Calais, save peasants and shepherds, and feeble and unwarlike priests. Wherefore the lord William de la Zouche, Archbishop of York, the lord Percy, and all others of those parts, knights and squires, chaplains and clerks, with one accord ready to live and die for the salvation of the realm, all came together on one day, the Monday before the Feast of St. Luke, four miles beyond Durham. The Scots were a little distance beyond them, right valiant and full of confidence.
Lord William Douglas had gone on before the Scottish army, when the English suddenly fell upon him, and he was taken prisoner by a squire of the lord d’Eyncourt, a great many of his men being slain. When the King of Scots learned this, he prepared to fight with all speed, drawing up his army in lines of battle; they filled the air with the sound of trumpets and bugles, and threw their battalions against the English. These however, putting their whole trust in God, holding the cause of right above death, and with full confidence in the sign of the Cross, which was borne before them among other banners, commended themselves to the divine mercy, by which no man is deceived, and flung themselves into the conflict with the greatest boldness. . . . At length by the divine mercy they were granted a joyful victory over their enemies. . . When the monks who were in the belfry of their Church saw the flight of the Scots, they lifted up their voices and filled the skies with loud shouts, calling 54 out and praising God, and singing the Te Deum laudamus with tears of joy. The English heard the sound as though they had been close behind them, whence they derived stronger faith and courage, and pursued their enemies the more fiercely and drove them back. For the monks of Durham had made fine of £100 with the Scots, for themselves and their manors, and their tenants in the district, to be paid on the following day without further delay, and thus they were freed from the yoke. The Scots had purposed to march to Beverley and thence to York, for they thought there were none in the land able to resist them, but that they were all at the siege of Calais. . . .
The King of Scotland, who fled from the battle wounded in the head with an arrow, was taken at Merington by a yeoman of John Coupland and carried to Bamburgh Castle, where, because he could not travel, he stayed for a time in the keeping of Lord Percy, with many other great men, until they were brought to London by the King’s command. In the meantime King Edward sent orders to all the sheriffs and others, that no Scottish prisoner should be set at liberty for any ransom whatsoever, but that all should be kept in close custody; promising that the King himself would make full satisfaction to all the captors for the ransom of all and singular. This command was issued generally throughout all parts of the realm, on pain of forfeit of life and limb. Then, immediately after the battle the English entered Scotland, and took great booty of cattle and other goods, which they carried off to England.
A certain man, who used to relate how he had seen it, declared that when the priests of the Northern parts were called out to battle against the Scots, he saw a great crowd of them gathered together at Beverley; and when they came to the end of the town, they took off their shoes, and with bare heads, swords and arrows at their thighs, 55 and bows under their arms, ready for the expedition whereto they were summoned, advanced thus in procession. As they marched they called ceaselessly upon God and His saints, entreating His mercy and grace to prosper the business of their journey, to free the English people from their enemies who were seeking to destroy them. And truly, the country people, seeing their indescribable devotion, were stirred to wondrous contrition, and bowed their heads with tears and pious exclamations, imploring the Saviour’s compassion to bring help in their great need. . . . The same thing is said to have been done by priests and people at York, and many other places.
1 should try.
2 turn back.
3 object.
4 To ride.
5 terrify.
6 hinder.
7 “bag-carriers.”
8 seized.
9 waning moon, “with bad luck”.
10 “Those rascals were disgraced.”
11 “fared ill.”
12 cease.
13 weapons.
14 wakened.
15 dexterous.
16 “active in armour.”
17 “taught him a lesson.”
18 John, Duke of Normandy, Philip’s eldest son.
57As for news of these parts, know that full three days before the Feast of Our Lady’s Assumption1 we marched from La Réole towards the parts of Bergerac, and brought together there all the lords of Gascony and others who were not then employed, with the intent of making a raid, and we took counsel there with these lords. But before our departing thence, some folk, knights and others, came to us to ask for a truce on behalf of the French, who were still laying siege to Aiguillon. But because we knew that our lord the King was come into Normandy, we would not agree to any truce; whereupon the enemy raised the siege, on the Sunday next before the Feast of St. Bartholomew, and went off in a sorry fashion, for they lost great part of their goods and men, and left behind them their tents and most of their harness. So that as soon as we knew of it, we held straight on our march into Agenais, and came before Ville Réal, one of the King’s good towns, which surrendered to us, and other towns and castles round about in great numbers. When we had secured this town and the district round it, we rode through the whole country, going straight towards Tonneins and Aiguillon, which towns we also caused to be made secure, and the surrounding districts. Then we turned back again to La Réole, and stayed there full eight days, holding all the country round it; and there we took counsel. We divided our army into three parts, and left 58 the lord of la Brette, Sir Bernard de Brette, as Seneschal of Gascony; Sir Alexander de Camont and others in the parts of Bazadois; and the lord of Duras and other lords of Agenais we left in that region. Ourselves kept straight on our march towards the parts of Saintonge with a thousand men-at-arms. We dislodged on the 12th day of September, and lay that night in a good town that had surrendered to us the same day, the town of Sauveterre. On the morrow, when we had taken oaths of the men of the town, we continued our march a good eight days, without attacking town or castle until we came to Chateauneuf, which is on the river Charente; and there we caused the bridge, that was broken, to be repaired, for the water was so deep that one could not cross elsewhere, and crossed over on the morrow. The same day we had news that Sir Walter Manny‘s men, who had safe-conduct from the French to go to the King by land, were seized and imprisoned in the town of St. Jean d‘Angely; and so it proved; Sir Walter, with two others, had with much difficulty made his escape. So we kept on our road towards the said town, and assaulted it, and took it by storm, thank God, setting free the men from prison. We stayed there eight days, and secured the town; the townspeople made oath to us and became English, and they have bound themselves to find 200 men-at-arms and 600 foot at their own cost as garrison of the town during the war; in time of peace they will increase their payments each year to the King by 4,000 crowns more than they were wont to pay to the King of France. On the morrow of Michaelmas we rode towards the city of Poitiers, camping one night before the town of Lusignan, which is a strong town, so that we attacked it and took it by storm; the castle, one of the noblest and strongest in France or Gascony, was surrendered to us. We secured the castle and the town, and left there a full hundred 59 men-at-arms, and others on foot. Then we rode before the city of Poitiers, and summoned it, but they would do nothing, for they thought their city was strong, and there were men enough to hold it. So we assaulted the city on the Wednesday after Michaelmas, and took it by storm, and all those within were taken or slain. The lords that were there, a bishop and some four barons, fled away on the other side when they saw that the city was taken. And we stayed there full eight days. At the writing of these letters we were at the town of Saint-Jean, and we are holding good towns and castles round about that have surrendered to us. So we have made a fair raid, God be thanked, and are come back to Saint-Jean; we think to continue our march from here to Bordeaux, but this will be hard to do, for the enemy are mustered in the district. But with God’s help we hope to do well.
1 15 August.
Right dear Lord, please you to know that the next day the wind, that was in the West, veered towards the East 60 between 9 a.m. and noon, so that the Earls of Northampton and Pembroke, the lords Morley, Talbot, Bradeston, and the two admirals, with a great number of archers and their retinues, and of the town levies, went on board our ships and sailed towards Boulogne and Crotoy to look out for the enemy, who had planned to victual Calais. About the hour of Vespers they fell in with them on this side of Crotoy, numbering, as far as our people could see, 44 vessels, flunes,2 galleys, and victuallers, loaded with various provisions. Some of the enemy who were in the rear threw their victuals into the sea, and sailed away in the direction of England, others to the port of Crotoy. The ten galleys abandoned their boats and cargoes, and made for the open sea. One flune and twelve victuallers with their cargoes, that were in the van were so hotly pursued that they ran as close to the land as they could, and all on board leapt into the sea, and swam off so that there remained not a single person alive in their ships. But the next night, just at daybreak, two boats came out from the town into the open sea, the which were quickly sighted by a mariner called William Roke, with one Hickman Stephen; whereupon one boat got back to the town with much difficulty, and the other was chased ashore. In this there was taken a great master, the captain of the Genoese galleys, and leader of the Genoese who are in the town, and seventeen of these men with him, as well as a good forty letters. But before the said captain was taken, he bound to an axe one letter containing matter of great charge, and threw it into the sea; but this axe and letter were found when the tide ebbed — of the which you will find a copy enclosed within this. And know that what I have told you before about this matter is true, for I learned it from a knight who was on board with the ships.
1 As early as March, 1346, Philip had arranged for the help of a large Genoese fleet and 10,000 men. During the winter the French captains Mistral and Marant had been revictualling the town, but this had become more difficult in the spring. On 21 June, 1347, a large convoy was given in charge of the Genoese captain d’Oria.
2 A flune, or flouin — a light, swift ship.
Right dear and most dread lord, I recommend me to you as earnestly as I may, as one desiring greatly to hear good news of your estate, the which may Our lord by His grace always maintain in prosperity. And if it please you to hear the state of our town of Calais, be assured that at the writing of these letters we were all well and of good courage, greatly desiring to serve you, and to do whatever may be to your honour and profit. But, most dear and dread Lord, know that although our people are all well and of good courage, yet the town is in sore need of corn, wine, and meat. For know that there is nothing within it that has not been eaten up, cats, dogs, and horses, so that we can find nothing more in the town to live upon, except we eat human flesh. For once before you wrote that I should hold the town as long as there was food left in it; and now we have come to that point that we have no longer anything to live upon. And so we have agreed among ourselves that unless we shall shortly have succour, we will sally forth from the town into the open, and fight for life or death. For it were better for us to die honourably in the open than to eat one another. Wherefore, most dread lord, apply what remedy you may see fitting, for if remedy or counsel be not shortly had, you will not have any letters more from me, and the town will be lost, and we who are within it. Our Lord grant you long and prosperous life, and make you of such mind, that if we die for you, you will requite it to our heirs.