Excerpts from Le Chronique de Jean le Bel, ed. Jules Viard and Eguen Déprez, 2 vols. (Paris, 1904).
 

• Combat of the Thirty (French text, translation by Steve Muhlberger) This is the source of Froissart's account of the incident, and it is worth comparing the two.

Deeds of Arms Index -- Historical Materials on Knighthood and Chivalry -- KCT Library

Vol. 2, pp. 194-7.

The Combat of the Thirty

In this same season, there took place in Brittany a most marvelous deed of arms which should never be forgotten.  And so that you are better able understand the situation, you should know that there was constant war in Brittany between the parties of the two ladies, and that Messire Charles of Blois was imprisoned in England, and although there were truces between the kings, the parties of the two ladies made war on each other.

Messire Robert de Beaumanoir, a  valiant knight of a great family in Brittany, was castellan of Castle Joselin, where he had a great many men-at-arms and squires of his lineage.  And it so happened one day that he came  near the  castle of Ploeremel, whose castellan was a German mercenary called Blandebourch, who had with him a great many German, Breton, and  English mercenaries, and he was of the party of the Countess.

When Messire Robert saw that none of the garrison was coming out, he went to the gate and called out this Blandebourch, under a guarantee of safety, and asked him whether he had any companion, or perhaps two or three, who wished to joust with steel lances against three, for the love of their ladies. Blandebourch replied and said to him, that their lady  loves would hardly wish that they should get themselves killed in a single joust, for this kind of venture was over too soon, and in it one got more of a reputation for presumption and folly than for honor and worth.

"But I will tell you what we will do.  If  you like, you will choose twenty or thirty of your companions  from your garrison, and I will choose as many from ours  and we will go to a field where no one will be able to disturb or prevent us, and command on pain of the noose to all of our companions on either side, and all those who watch us, that none should give the combatants reinforcement or help."

"By my faith," replied Messire Robert, "I agree to thirty against thirty, and I swear it thus by my faith."

"I, too," said Bradebourch, "swear it, for he who carries himself well there will gain more honor than in a joust."   And so this affair was agreed and an appointment was made for the following Wednesday, four days hence.

During that time, each party chose their own thirty, just as they wished, and each of the sixty procured such armor for himself as he was able.

When the day had come, the thirty companions of Blandebourch heard Mass and then armed themselves and left for the field where the battle was to take place.  And they dismounted and ordered all those who were there that none of them should be so bold as to intervene for any reason whatever.

Those thirty companions whom we will call "the English"  waited a long time for those whom we will call "the French."

When the thirty French had come, they dismounted and commanded just as the English had done, that no one should give them help or aid.   Some say that four or five of the French remained on horseback at the entrance to the field, and that twenty-five dismounted, just as the English had; but I don't know for certain, for I wasn't there.   However it was, they spoke a little, all sixty of them, and then stepped back, each party to its own side, and made all their people retreat well back from field.

Then one of them gave a signal and immediately they ran over and fought powerfully all in a pile, rescuing one another nobly when they got turned around and in trouble.

Soon after they had come together, one of the Frenchmen was killed, but the others did not leave off fighting on this account, but they held themselves as valiantly on both sides as if they had been all Roland or Olivier.  I do not know enough to say truthfully if one side did better than the other, but they fought so long that they all lost strength and the ability to fight, due to lack of breath; it seemed a good idea for them to rest by mutual agreement.   At this point there were dead one of the Frenchman and two of the English.   They rested a long time, and those who had it drank some wine, and they tightened their armor which had broken and washed their wounds.

When they had rested enough, the first who got up made a sign and called the others.   The battle recommenced and it lasted a long time.  But in the end  the English were worsted; for so I heard tell from  those who were there.  One of the Frenchmen who was on horseback split them up and badly trod them underfoot, so that  Blandebourch their captain and eight of their companions were killed there, and the others were taken captive, when they saw that their resistance could not help them, it only remained for them to surrender or die, for they neither could nor should flee.

The same Messire Robert and his companions who remained alive took them and led them to Castle Josselin with great joy, but they left at that place, dead, six of their companions, and then many of the others died because of the wounds they had suffered.

I have not heard ever before speech or story in which such a warlike enterprise was fulfilled or went further than this one.   So they who remain from this battle ought to be more honored, everywhere they go.   This was in the year of grace 1351.