who made there his assembly of men of war and of companions such as he could get. Now let us speak of him and of sir Bertram of Guesclin1 and of a journey of battle between them the Tuesday before Trinity Sunday, that the duke of Normandy should be crowned king, as he was in the cathedral church of Rheims. When the captal of Buch had made his assembly in the city of Evreux of archers and brigands, and left in the city a captain called sir Leger d'Orgessin, and sent to Conches the lord Guy of Gauville to keep frontier war,2 then he departed from Evreux with all his men of arms and archers ; for he heard say how the Frenchmen were abroad, but he wist not where they were. Then he took the fields and had great desire to find them, and numbered his company and found that he was to the sum of seven hundred spears, three hundred archers and five hundred of -- other men of war, and with him were divers good knights and squires, and specially a banneret of the realm of Navarre called the lord of Sault, an expert man of arms ; but he that held the greatest sum of men of arms and archers in all the company was a knight of England called sir John jouel: there was also the lord Peter of Saquainville, sir William of Gauville, the lord Bertrand du Franc, the bascle of Mareuil and divers other, all in will to encounter sir Bertram of Guesclin and to fight with him. Then they drew to Passy [eHistory editor's note: "Passy" is a common mispelling referring to Pacy-sur-Eure] and to the Bridge of the Arch,3 for they thought that the Frenchmen should pass the river of Seine there, if they were not passed already. So it happened that the Friday in the Whitsun week the captal and his company rode out of a wood and by aventure they met a herald of arms called king Faucon, and the same morning he was departed from the French host. As soon as the captal saw him, he knew him well and made him great cheer, for he was pertaining to the king of England: then he demanded of

1 This name, which in the last chapter is written by the translator ' Guescyn,' appears here and generally elsewhere as `Clesquy.' The form in the French text is usually Clesquin. Froissart, who reports a conversation on the form of the name, probably wrote `Claiequin.'

2 `Pour faire frontiere sus le pays,' 'to hold the country against the enemy.'

3 Pont-de-l'Arche,

him from whence he came and if he knew any tidings of the Frenchmen. ` Sir,' quoth he, I in the name of God I know well where they be: I departed from them to-day they seek you as well as ye do them.' ` Where be they,' quoth the captal, `beyond the Bridge of the Arch or a this side ?' ` Sir,' quoth Faucon, `they be passed the bridge at Vernon, and, as I believe, they are now about Passy [eHistory editor's note: "Passy" is a common mispelling referring to Pacy-sur-Eure].' `What number be they,' quoth the capital, `and what captains have they? I pray you shew me.' ` Sir,' quoth Faucon, `they are well a fifteen hundred fighting men, and there is sir Bertram of Guesclin, who bath the greatest company of Bretons, also there is the earl of Auxerre, the viscount of Beaumont, the lord Louis of Chalon, the lord of Beaujeu, the master of the cross-bows,' the archpriest, the lord Oudart of Renty ; and of Gascoyne there is the company of the lord d'Albret, and the lord Aymenion of Pommiers, the lord soudic of Latrau.' 2 And when the captal heard those Gascons named, he marvelled greatly and blushed for displeasure, and said : ` Faucon, is this true ye say, that these lords of Gascoyne are there, and the lord d'Albret's company?' `Sir,' quoth the herald, `yea, without fail.' ` And where is the lord d'Albret himself?' quoth the captal. `Sir,' quoth Faucon, 'he is at Paris with the regent duke of Normandy, who apparelleth himself to go to Rheims, for it is said that on Sunday next coming he should be crowned king.' Then the captal laid his hand on his own head and said in great displeasure, ` By Saint Antony's cap,3 Gascon against Gascon.' `Sir,' quoth Faucon, ` hereby tarrieth for me a herald of the archpriest sent to speak with you from him; and as I understand by the herald, the archpriest would speak with you.' Then the captal said: ` Ah, Faucon, say to the French herald he