Chapter LXXIX

TWO FRENCHMEN, RUNNING AWAY FROM THE BATTLE OF POITIERS, ARE PURSUED BY TWO ENGLISHMEN, WHO ARE THEMSELVES MADE PRISONERS.

Among the battles, skirmishes, flights, and pursuits which happened in the course of this day, an adventure befell Sir Edward de Roucy which I cannot omit relating in this place. He had left the field of battle, as he perceived the day was irrecoverably lost; and, not wishing to fall in the hands of the English, was got about a league off, when he was pursued by an English knight, his lance in rest, who cried to him, “Sir knight, turn about! you ought to be ashamed thus to fly.” Upon this Sir Edward halted, and the Englishman attacked him, thinking to fix his lance in his target; but he failed, for Sir Edward turned the stroke aside, nevertheless he did not miss his own: with his spear he hit his enemy so violent a blow on the helmet, that he was stunned, and fell to the ground, where he remained senseless. Sir Edward dismounted, and, placing his lance on his breast, told him he would certainly kill him if he did not surrender himself his prisoner, rescued or not. The Englishman surrendered, and went with Sir Edward, who afterwards ransomed him.

It happened that in the midst of the general pursuit, a squire from Picardy, named John de Helennes, had quitted the king’s division, and, meeting his page with a fresh horse, had mounted him, and made off as fast as he could. At that time there was near to him the Lord of Berkeley, a young knight, who for the first time had that day displayed his banner: he immediately set out in pursuit of him. When the Lord of Berkeley had followed him for some little time, John de Helennes turned about, put his sword under his arm in the manner of a lance, and thus advanced upon the Lord Berkeley, who, taking his sword by the handle, flourished it, and lifted up his arm in order to strike the squire as he passed. John de Helennes, seeing the intended stroke, avoided it, but did not miss his own; for, as they passed each other, by a blow on the arm he made Lord Berkeley’s sword fall to the ground. When the knight found that he had lost his sword, and that the squire had his, he dismounted, and made for the place where his sword lay; but he could not get there before the squire gave him a violent thrust which passed through both his thighs, so that, not being able to help himself, he fell to the ground. John upon this dismounted, and, seizing the sword of the knight, advanced up to him, and asked him if he were willing to surrender. The knight required his name. “I am called John de Helennes,” said he; “what is your name?”--“In truth, companion,” replied the knight, “my name is Thomas, and I am Lord of Berkeley, a very handsome castle situated on the River Severn, on the borders of Wales.”--“Lord of Berkeley,” said the squire, “you shall be my prisoner: I will place you in safety, and take care you are healed, for you appear to me to be badly wounded.” The knight answered, “I surrender myself willingly, for you have loyally conquered me.” He gave him his word that he would be his prisoner, rescued or not. John then drew his sword out of the knight’s thighs, and the wounds remained open; but he bound them up tightly, and, placing him on his horse, led him a foot-pace to Châtelherault. He continued there, out of friendship to him, for fifteen days, and had medicines administered to him. When the knight was a little recovered, he had him placed in a litter, and conducted him safe to his house in Picardy, where he remained more than a year before he was quite cured, though he continued lame; and when he departed he paid for his ransom six thousand nobles, so that this squire became a knight by the great profit he got from the Lord of Berkeley.