Froissart. 1324. When queen Isabel (age 29) was arrived at Boulogne [Map], and her son (age 11) with her and the earl of Kent (age 22), the captains and abbot of the town came against her and joyously received her and her company into the abbey, and there she abode two days: then she departed and rode so long by her journeys that she arrived at Paris [Map]. Then king Charles (age 29) her brother, who was informed of her coming, sent to meet her divers of the greatest lords of his realm, as the lord sir Robert de Artois (age 37), the lord of Coucy, the lord of Sully, the lord of Roye and divers other, who honourably did receive her and brought her into the city of Paris to the king her brother (age 29). And when the king (age 29) saw his sister (age 29), whom he had not seen long before, as she should have entered into his chamber he met her and took her in his arms and kissed her, and said, ' Ye be welcome, fair sister, with my fair nephew your son,' and took them by the hands and led them forth. The queen, who had no great joy at her heart but that she was so near to the king her brother, she would have kneeled down two or three times at the feet of the king, but the king would not suffer her, but held her still by the right hand, demanding right sweetly of her estate and business. And she answered him right sagely, and lamentably recounted to him all the felonies and injuries done to her by sir Hugh Spencer (age 38), and required him of his aid and comfort. When the noble King Charles of France (age 29) had heard his sister's lamentation, who weepingly had shewed him all her need and business, be said to her: ' Fair sister, appease yourself, for by the faith I owe to God and to Saint Denis I shall right well purvey for you some remedy.' The queen then kneeled down, whether the king would or not, and said: 'My right dear lord and fair brother, I pray God reward you.' The king then took her in his arms and led her into another chamber, the which was apparelled for her and for the young Edward her son, and so departed from her, and caused at his costs and charges all things to be delivered that was behoveful for her and for her son. After it was not long, but that for this occasion Charles king of France (age 29) assembled together many great lords and barons of the realm of France, to have their counsel and good advice how they should ordain for the need and besynes of his sister queen of England. Then it was counselled to the king that he should let the queen his sister to purchase for herself friends, whereas she would, in the realm of France or in any other place, and himself to feign and be not known thereof; for they said, to move war with the king of England (age 39), and to bring his own realm into hatred, it were nothing appertinent nor profitable to him nor to his realm. But they concluded that conveniently he might aid her with gold and silver, for that is the metal whereby love is attained both of gentlemen and of poor soldiers. And to this counsel and advice accorded the king, and caused this to be shewed to the queen privily by sir Robert d'Artois (age 37), who as then was one of the greatest lords of all France.

Froissart. 1326. When the Queen (age 31) heard this tidings, she knew not what to say nor what advice to take; for as then the barons of the realm of France were withdrawn from her by the commandment of the king of France, and so she had no comfort nor succour, but all only of her dear cousin Sir Robert de Artois (age 39); for he secretly did counsel and comfort her as much as he might, for otherwise he durst not, for the king had defended him. But he knew well that the Queen (age 31) was chased out of England and also out of France for evil will and by envy, which grieved him greatly. Thus was Sir Robert de Artois (age 39) at the queen's commandment; but be durst not speak nor be known thereof, for he had heard the king and the Earl of Kent (age 24) and Sir Roger Mortimer (age 38), and to put them all in the hands of the king and of Sir Hugh Spencer (age 40). Wherefore he came on a night and declared all this to the queen (age 31), and advised her of the peril that she was in. Then the queen (age 31) was greatly abashed, and required biro all weeping of his good counsel. Then he said: 'Madam, I counsel you that ye depart and go into the Empire, whereas there be many great lords, who may right well aid you, and specially the earl Guilliam of Hainault (age 40) and sir John of Hainault (age 38) his brother. These two are great lords and wise men, true, drad and redoubted of their enemies.' Then the queen (age 31) caused to be made ready all her purveyance, and paid for everything as secretly as she might, and so she and her son (age 13), the Earl of Kent (age 24) and all her company departed from Paris and rode toward Hainault, and so long she rode that she came to Cambresis; and when she knew she was in the Empire, she was better assured than she was before, and so passed through Cambresis and entered into Ostrevant in Hainault, and lodged at Bugnicourt, in a knight's house who was called sir d'Aubrecicourt, who received her right joyously in the best manner to his power, insomuch that afterward the queen of England (age 31) and her son (age 13) had with them into England for ever the knight and his wife and all his children, and advanced them in divers manners. The coming thus of the queen of England (age 31) and of her son and heir into the country of Hainault was anon well known in the house of the good earl of Hainault, who as then was at Valenciennes; and sir John of Hainault (age 38) was certified of the time when the queen arrived at the place of sir d'Aubrecicourt, the which sir John (age 38) was brother to the said earl Guilliam (age 40), and as he that was young and lusty, desiring all honour, mounted on his horse and departed with a small company from Valenciennes, and came the same night to Bugnicourt, and did to the queen all honour and reverence that he could devise. The queen, who was right sorrowful, began to declare (complaining to him right piteously) her dolours; whereof the said sir John (age 38) had great pity, so that the water dashed in his eyen, and said, ' Certainly, fair lady, behold me here your own knight, who shall you into your estates in England, by the grace of God and with the help of your friends in that parts: and I and such other as I can desire shall put our lives and goods in adventure for your sake, and shall get men of war sufficient, if God be pleased, without the danger of the king of France your brother.' Then the queen would have kneeled down for great joy that she had, and for the good-will he offered her, but this noble knight took her up quickly in his arms and said: 'By the grace of God the noble queen of England shall not kneel to me; but, madam, recomfort yourself and all your company, for I shall keep you faithful promise; and ye shall go see the earl my brother (age 40) and the [his wife] countess his wife (age 32) and all their fair children, who shall receive you with great joy, for so I heard them report they would do.' Then the queen said: 'Sir, I find in you more love and comfort than in all the world, and for this that ye say and affirm me I thank you a thousand times; and if ye will do this ye have promised in all courtesy and honour, I and my son shall be to you for ever bound, and will put all the realm of England in your abandon; for it is right that it so should be.' And after these words, when they were thus accorded, sir John of Hainault (age 38) took leave of the queen (age 31) for that night, and went to Denaing and lay in the abbey; and in the morning after mass he leapt on his horse and came again to the queen (age 31), who received him with great joy. By that time she had dined and was ready to mount on her horse to, depart with him; and so the queen departed from the castle of Bugnicourt, and took leave of the knight and of the lady, and thanked them for their good cheer that they bad made her, and said that she trusted once to see the time that she or her son should well remember their courtesy. Thus departed the queen in the company of the said sir John to the countess his wife, and feasted her right nobly. And as then this earl (age 40) had four fair daughters, [his step-daughter] Margaret (age 14), [his step-daughter] Philippa (age 11), [his step-daughter] Jane (age 11) and Isabel (age 3), among whom the young Edward (age 13) yet most his love and company on Philippa (age 11), and also the young lady in all honour was more conversant with him than any of her sisters. Thus the queen Isabel (age 31) abode at Valenciennes by the space of eight days with the good earl (age 40) and with the countess Jane de Valois. In the meantime the queen apparelled for her needs and business, and the said sir John wrote letters right affectuously unto knights and such companions as he trusted best in all Hainault, in Brabant and in Bohemia, and prayed them for all amities that was between them, that they would go with him in this enterprise into England; and so there were great plenty, what of one country and other, that were content to go with him for his love. But this said sir John of Hainault (age 38) was greatly reproved and counselled the contrary both of the earl his brother (age 40) and of the chief of the council of the country, because it seemed to them that the enterprise was right high and perilous, seeing the great discords and great hates that as then was between the barons of England among themselves, and also considering that these Englishmen most commonly have ever great envy at strangers. Therefore they doubted that the said sir John of Hainault and his company should not return again' with honour. But howsoever they blamed or counselled him, the gentle knight would never change his purpose, but said he had but one death to die, the which was in the will of God; and also said that all knights ought to aid to their powers all ladies and damosels chased out of their own countries, being without counsel or comfort.

Froissart. 1339. When the Friday came in the morning, both hosts apparelled themselves ready, and every lord heard mass among their own companies and divers were shriven.

First we will speak of the order of the Englishmen, who drew them forward into the field and made three battles afoot, and did put all their horses and baggages into a little wood behind them, and fortified it. The first battle led¹ the duke of Gueldres, the marquis of Meissen, the marquis of Brandebourg, sir John of Hainault, the earl of Mons, the earl of Salm, the lord of Fauquemont, sir William of Duvenvoorde, sir Arnold of Baquehem and the Almains; and among them was twenty-two banners and sixty pennons in the whole, and eight thousand men. The second battle had the duke of Brabant and the lords and knights of his country - first the lord of Cuyk, the lord Berg, the lord of Breda, the lord of Rotselaer, the lord of Vorsselaer, the lord of Borgneval, the lord of Schoonvorst, the lord of Witham, the lord of Aerschot, the lord of Gaesbeck, the lord of Duffel, sir Thierry of Walcourt, sir Rasse of Gres, sir John of Kesterbeke, sir John Pyliser, sir Giles of Coterebbe, sir Walter of Huldeberg, the three brethren of Harlebeke, sir Henry of Flanders, and divers other barons and knights of Flanders, who were all under the duke of Brabant's banner, as the lord of Halewyn, the lord of Gruthuse, sir Hector Vilain, sir John of Rhodes, sir Wulfart of Ghistelles, sir William of Straten, sir Gossuin de la Moere, and many other: the duke of Brabant had a twenty-four banners and eighty pennons, and in all a seven thousand men. The third battle and the greatest had the king of England and with him his cousin the earl of Derby (age 29), the bishop of Lincoln (age 47), the bishop of Durham, the earl of Salisbury (age 38), the earl of Northampton (age 29), and of Gloucester (age 48), the earl of Suffolk (age 40), sir Robert d'Artois (age 52), as then called earl of Richmond⁵, the lord Raynold Cobham (age 44), the lord Percy, the lord Ros (age 54), the lord Mowbray (age 28), sir Lewis and sir John Beauchamp, the lord Delaware (age 62), the lord of Langton, the lord Basset, the lord Fitzwalter, sir Walter Manny (age 29), sir Hugh Hastings (age 29), sir John Lisle (age 20), and divers other that I cannot name: among other was sir John Chandos (age 19), of whom much honour is spoken in this book². The king had with him twenty-eight banners and ninety pennons, and in his battle a six thousand men of arms and six thousand archers; and he had set another battle as in a wing, whereof the earl of Warwick (age 25), the earl of Pembroke (age 19), the lord Berkeley (age 43), the lord Multon and divers other were as chief, and they were on horseback³. Thus when every lord was under his banner, as it was commanded by the marshals, the king of England mounted on a palfrey, accompanied all only with sir Robert d'Artois (age 52), sir Raynold Cobham (age 44) and sir Walter of Manny, and rode along before all his battles, and right sweetly desired all his lords and other that they would that day aid to defend his honour. And they all promised him so to do. Then he returned to his own battle and set everything in good order and commanded that none should go before the marshals' banners.

Now let us speak of the lords of France, what they did. They were eleven score banners, four kings, six dukes, twenty-six earls, and more than four thousand knights, and of the commons of France more than sixty thousand. The kings that were there with king Philip of Valois was the king of Bohemia, the king of Navarre, and king David of Scotland: the duke of Normandy, the duke of Bretayne, the duke of Bourbon, the duke of Lorraine and the duke of Athens: 2 of earls, the [his brother-in-law] earl of Alencon (age 42) brother to the king, the earl of Flanders, the earl of Hainault, the earl of Blois, the earl of Bar, the earl of Forez, the earl of Foix, the earl of Armagnac, the earl Dolphin of Auvergne, the earl of Joinville, the earl of Etampes, the earl of Vendome, the earl of Harcourt, the earl of Saint-Pol, the earl of Guines, the earl of Boulogne, the earl of Roucy, the earl of Dammartin, the earl of Valentinois, the earl of Auxerre, the earl of Sancerre, the earl of Geneva, the earl of Dreux; and of Gascoyne and of Languedoc so many earls and viscounts, that it were long to rehearse. It was a great beauty to behold the banners and standards waving in the wind, and horses barded, and knights and squires richly armed. The Frenchmen ordained three great battles, in each of them fifteen thousand men of arms and twenty thousand men afoot.

Note 1. Perhaps a misprint for 'had.' The original is 'eut.'

Note 2. In the later revision the writer says: 'I, Froissart, writer of these chronicles, more than once heard the gentle knight sir John Chandos say that he was made knight by the hand of the king Edward of England on this Friday that the assembly was at Buironfosse; and since that he was more valiant than any other who took arms on the side of the English, I make mention of this here.'

Note 3. The original says: ' So these remained on horseback to support those battles which should waver, and were as a rear-guard.'

Note 4. The name of the duke of Burgundy is omitted.

Note 5. TT. Robert III Artois (age 52) wasn't created Earl Richmond until 1341?