rear-guard skirmish at a manor named La Chaboterie, on the road from Chauvigny to Poitiers, on September, 17.  That night the English lay in a wood hard by the scene of action, suffering terribly from want of water.  Next day, Sunday, September 18, Edward pursued the French as near as he could to Poitiers, halting in battle array within a league of the town.  A further check on his impatience now ensued.  Innocent VI.’s legate, the Cardinal Talleyrand, brother of the Count of Perigord, who was with the French army, crossed to the rival host with an offer of mediation.  Edward received the cardinal courteously and spent most of the day in negotiations.  But the French showed no eagerness to bring matters to a conclusion, and as every hour reinforcements poured into the enemy’s camp the scanty patience of the English was exhausted.  They declared that the legate’s talk about saving the effusion of Christian blood was only a blind to gain time, so that the French might overwhelm them.  Edward broke off the negotiations, and, retiring to a position more remote from the enemy, passed the night quietly.  Early next morning the cardinal again sought to treat, but this time his offers were rejected.  On his withdrawal, the French attack began.

The topographical details of the battle of Poitiers of September 19, 1356, cannot be determined with certainty.  We only know that the place of the encounter was called Maupertuis, which is generally identified with a farm now called La Cardinerie, some six miles south-east of Poitiers, and a little distance to the north of the Benedictine abbey of Nouaille.  The abbey formed the southern limit of the field.  On the west the place of combat was skirted by the little river Miausson, which winds its way through marshes in a deep-cut valley, girt by wooded hills.  The French left their horses at Poitiers, having resolved, perhaps on the advice of a Scottish knight, Sir William Douglas, to fight on foot, after the English and Scottish fashion, and as they had already fought at Mauron and elsewhere.  As at Mauron, a small band of cavalry was retained, both for the preliminary skirmishing which then usually heralded a battle, and in the hope of riding down some of the archers.  But the French did not fully understand the English tactics, and took no care to combine men-at-arms with archers or crossbowmen, though these were less important against an army weak in archers and largely consisting of Gascons.  Of the four “battles” the first, under the Marshals Audrehem and Clermont, included the little cavalry contingent; the second was under Charles, Duke of Normandy, a youth of nineteen; the third under the Duke of Orleans, the king’s brother; and the rear was commanded by the king.