The cardinall of Piergort the popes legat, as then lieng in the citie of Poictiers, came that morning to the king, and required him to absteine from battell, till he might vnderstand whether the prince would condescend vnto such conditions of peace as he himselfe should think reasonable, which if it might be brought to passe, the same should be more honorable for him, than to aduenture so manie noble men as were there with him at that present in hazard of battell. The king was contented that the cardinall should go to the prince, and sée what he could doo with him. The cardinall rode to the prince, and talked with him till he was contented to come to a treatie. The cardinall returned to the French king, and required of him that a truce might be granted till the next daies sun-rising: which truce obteined, he spent that daie in riding to and fro betwixt them.
The offer of the prince of Wales.
The French kings presumptuous demand.
The prince offered to render into the kings hands all that he had woone in that voiage, as well townes as castels, and also to release all the prisoners, which he or any of his men had taken in that iournie: and further he was contented to haue béene sworne not to beare armour against the French king within the terme of seuen yeares next following. But the French king would not agrée therevnto: the vttermost that he would agrée vnto, was this, that the prince and an hundred of his knights should yéeld themselues as prisoners vnto him, otherwise he would not haue the matter taken vp. But it was the French kings hap after (notwithstanding his hautines) to be taken captiue, as Okland noteth, saieng,
---- seruilia sub iuga missus
Disceret vt domino regi parêre Britanno.
But the prince in no wise cold be brought to any such vnreasonable conditions, and so the cardinall could not make them fréends, although he trauelled earnestlie betwixt them all that daie. When it drew towards night, he returned toward Poictiers.
The Englishmen fortifie their campe.
The cardinall trauelled in vaine.
The Englishmen were not idle, whilest the cardinall was thus in hand to bring the parties to some good agréement, but cast great ditches, and made hedges, and other fortifications about the place where their archers stood, and on the next morning, being mondaie, the prince and his people prepared themselues to receiue battell, as they had doone before, hauing passed the day before and that night in great defect of necessarie things, for they could not stir abroad to fetch forrage or other prouisions without danger to be surprised of their enimies. The cardinall came againe earlie in the morning vnto the French king, and found the French armie readie in order of battell by that time the sunne was vp, and though he eftsoones fell in hand to exhort the king to an agréement, yet it would not be. So he went to the prince, and declared to him how he could doo no good in the matter, and therefore he must abide the hazard of battell for ought that he could sée: wherewith the prince was content, and so the cardinall returned vnto Poictiers.
Tho. Wals.