ABSTRACT
Though the preliminaries of Bretigny and the Peace of Calais had brought a nominal end to the great war, they did not terminate the troubles of France. Indeed the state of that country remained most miserable. Though many English soldiers returned to their native land at the conclusion of peace, many also stayed to swell the number of unlicensed bands which preyed upon the country. The carelessness or calculated dilatoriness of both sides, which had left unexecuted the mutual renunciation of claims after the Peace of Bretigny, now enabled Charles to assert the rights of overlordship, and the Prince's blustering reply that he would answer the summons at the head of 60,000 men deceived no one. Desperate efforts were made to drive back the French, but the only expedient that occurred to Edward was another plundering expedition, which might provoke a pitched battle.
