[1] The French king aduertised that the king of Eng|land was come ouer into France, to the aid of the earle of March, and other his subiects against him, prepared a mightie armie, in the which were rec|koned to be to the number of foure thousand men of armes, well prouided and armed at all points, be|sides twentie thousand esquires, gentlemen,The French king inuadeth the earle of Marches land. yeo|men and crossebowes: and with the same immedi|atlie he entred the dominions of the earle of March, and tooke from him diuerse townes and castels, as Fountney, wherein he tooke one of the earls sonnes: also Meruant with diuers other. In the meane while the king of England was aduanced forward and come neere vnto Tailborge, lieng with his armie in the faire medow by the riuer side of Charent fast by the castell of Thonay: & he had there with him in campe sixtéene hundred knights, or rather men of armes, and twentie thousand footmen,The number of the English armie. with seauen hundred that bare crossebows. He made there his two halfe brethren, the sonnes of the earle of March knights, and gaue to the one of them fiue hundred marks, and to the other six hundred marks yearelie, to be paid out of his escheker, till he had otherwise prouided for them in lands and reuenues equall to that pension.