When King John of France had re-conquered all the towns and castles in Lower Normandy, which belonged to the King of Navarre, whom he detained in prison, he returned to the city of Paris. He had not been long there before he heard that the Prince of Wales, with his whole army, had invaded his kingdom,[23] and was advancing toward the fertile country of Berry. When this was told him, the king said, with an oath, that he would immediately set out after him, and give him battle wherever he should find him. He issued out a special summons to all nobles and others who held fiefs under him, that they should not, under any pretence whatever, absent themselves without incurring his highest displeasure, but, immediately on the receipt of these letters, set out to meet him on the borders of Touraine and Blois; for he was determined to fight the English. The king, to hasten the business, marched from Paris,—for he had at this time a large body of men at arms in the field,—and went to Chartres, to gain more certain intelligence of the enemy. He remained there some time; and great crowds of troops and men at arms came to him from the different countries of Auvergne, Berry, Burgundy, Lorraine, Hainault, Vermandois, Picardy, Brittany, and Normandy. They passed through the town on their arrival, to show their musters, and took up their quarters in the fields, according to the orders of the two marshals, the Lord John de Clermont and Lord Arnold d’Andreghen. The king gave orders for all the towns in Anjou, Poitou, Maine, and Touraine, to be well garrisoned, and provided with all things,—especially those on the borders, by which it was hoped the English would pass,—that they might be enclosed, and cut off from any subsistence for themselves and horses. In spite of this, however, the prince, who had with him two thousand men at arms and six thousand archers, rode on at his ease, and collected everywhere provisions in plenty. They found the country of Auvergne, which they had entered and overrun, very rich, and all things in great abundance; but they would not stop there, as they were desirous of combating their enemies.

They marched toward Romorantin. The King of France sent into Berry three gallant barons,—the Lord of Craon, the Lord of Boucicault, and the Hermit of Chaumont,—to defend the frontiers, and to observe the motions of the English. They had with them three hundred lances; and, skirting the borders of the province, they followed them for six days, without finding any opportunity of intercepting or of attacking the enemy: such good and close order did the English maintain on their march. The French therefore had recourse to an ambuscade, near to Romorantin, in a wonderfully narrow spot which the English were obliged to pass. That same day there left the prince’s army, from the battalion of the marshals, by permission of the prince, the Lord Bartholomew Burghersh, the Lord of Muyssidan, a Gascon, the Lord Petiton Courton, the Lord Delawar, the Lord Basset, Sir Walter Pavely, Sir Richard Pontchardan, Sir Nesle Loring, the young Lord Despencer, Sir Eustace and Sir Sanchez d’Ambreticourt, with about two hundred combatants, in order to push forward to Romorantin. They passed through the ambuscade of the French without molestation; but, the moment they were clear of it, the French, who were mounted on excellent and well-dressed horses, stuck spurs into them to overtake them. The English, who had got far forward, hearing the sound of horses’ feet, turned round, and found it was the enemy. They immediately halted, to wait for the French, who advanced on a gallop, fully determined what to do, with their lances in their rests. The English, seeing them thus charge full speed, opened on each side, and let them pass through, so that no more than five or six were unhorsed. They then closed their ranks, and fell upon the rear of the French. This engagement was very sharp: many knights and squires were unhorsed, raised up again, and rescued on both sides. It lasted a long time, and no one could tell, so valiantly was it disputed, to which side victory would incline, when the battalion of the marshals appeared in sight. The French first noticed it, as it marched, skirting along a wood, and immediately thought of saving themselves as fast as they could, taking the road to Romorantin. The English followed on full gallop, overthrowing all they could, without sparing themselves or their horses. The slaughter was great, and many were killed and unhorsed. One-half of them, however, got safe into the castle of Romorantin, whose gates were opened to receive them. There the three barons saved themselves, as well as some knights and squires who were the best mounted. The town of Romorantin was taken on the first arrival of the English, for it was not fortified. The remainder of the French endeavored to escape by getting into the castle.