Tell or order someone to tell those in the castle that they should not worry about their man and that we shall take him with us so that he may accomplish his venture, not as a prisoner, and when he has been obliged, provided he escapes with his life, we shall return him to them entirely unscathed."
The
earl's words were acted on and the French squire heard from the marshal, "Frenchman, you will ride with us in safety, and when it pleases my lord, you will be satisfied."
Gauvain replied, "May God be in the matter!"
It was late and they went to take a meal. A herald was sent to the castle who repeated to them the words you have heard. Such were the events of this day and nothing more was done.
SHF 2-161 syncThe following day the trumpets were sounded to decamp in the early morning, and so all manner of men made preparations and departed, riding in orderly fashion as they had done before towards
Yanville in
Beauce. It was a very fine and clear day and they were formed up into three battalions; the battalion of the constable and marshal in front, then the
earl of Buckingham, the
earl of Stafford and the
earl of Devon and their battalion and baggage train, then came the rearguard which the lord of Windsor was captaining. And I can tell you that, as they marched through the realm of
France, they were never so confident of encountering the enemy each day, for they knew that they were being followed and shadowed by the
French who were at least as numerous as they were. In truth, the lords, dukes, counts, barons, knights, squires and men-at-arms of the kingdom of
France who were trailing them were very willing and eager to engage them, and many said among themselves out in the fields and in their lodgings that it was very reprehensible and shameful not to fight them.
And all of this refusal to fight was down to the
king of France, who was more afraid of the reverses of fortune than any other king, for the nobles of the kingdom of
France had lost so much through the battles they had fought against the
English that they were hard pressed to recover it. When they spoke to him of the enterprise he replied,
"Let them go their way. They will destroy themselves of themselves."
The
king's words reined back his men from engaging the
English in combat, who continued on their way with the intention of entering
Brittany, for from the very outset it was upon this very objective that they had set their course in
England, as you have heard.
SHF 2-162 syncWithin the
fortress of Yanville in
Beauce there were over three hundred
French lance, including, of the barons, the
Barois des Barres, the
lord of Villaines,
Sir Guillaume the Bâtard de Langres,
Sir Jean de Rely, the
lord of Hangest, the
lord of Mauvoisin, and several other knights and squires. And so the vanguard, rearguard and the entire army passed before
Yanville, and there was a slight skirmish in front of the barriers, but the rearguard and the rest of the army passed by
Yanville; for the assaults were soon over since the
English were wasting their efforts.
pb 42 r