onths marched
through and ravaged the districts adjoining, the French army, although
greatly superior in force, offering no effectual resistance. Many towns
were taken, and he returned at Christmas to Bordeaux after a campaign
attended by a series of unbroken successes.

The following spring the war recommenced, and a diversion was effected
by the Duke of Lancaster, who was in command of Brittany, joining his
forces with those of the King of Navarre, and many of the nobles of
Normandy, while King Edward crossed to Calais and kept a portion of the
French army occupied there. The Black Prince, leaving the principal
part of his forces under the command of the Earl of Albret to guard the
territory already acquired against the attack of the French army under
the Count of Armagnac, marched with 2000 picked men-at-arms and 6000
archers into Auvergne, and thence turning into Berry, marched to the
gates of Bourges.

The King of France was now thoroughly alarmed, and issued a general
call to all his vassals to assemble on the Loire. The Prince of Wales,
finding immense bodies of men closing in around him, fell back slowly,
capturing and levelling to the ground the strong castle of Romorentin.

The King of France was now hastening forward, accompanied by his four
sons, 140 nobles with banners, 20,000 men-at-arms, and an immense force
of infantry. Vast accessions of forces joined him each day, and on the
17th of September he occupied a position between the Black Prince and
Guienne. The first intimation that either the Black Prince or the King
of France had of their close proximity to each other was an accidental
meeting between a small foraging force of the English and three hundred
French horse, under the command of the Counts of Auxerre and Joigny, the
marshal of Burgundy, and the lord of Chatillon. The French hotly pursued
the little English party, and on emerging from some low bushes found
themselves in the midst of the English camp, where all were taken
prisoners. From them the Black Prince learned that the King of France
was within a day's march.

The Prince despatched the Captal de Buch with 200 men-at-arms to
reconnoitre the force and position of the enemy, and these coming upon
the rear of the French army just as they were about to enter Poitiers,
dashed among them and took some prisoners. The King of France thus first
learned that the enemy he was searching for was actually six miles in
his rear. The Captal de Buch an