Philip of Valois, for long have we made our suit before you by embassies and all other ways which we knew to be reasonable, to the end that you should be willing to have restored to us our right, our heritage of France which you have long kept back and most wrongly occupied. And for what we see well you are minded to continue in your wrongful withholding, without doing us right in our demand, we have entered into the land of Flanders, as sovereign Lord thereof and have passed through the country. And we make known to you that, by the help of our Lord Jesus Christ and our right, together with the power of the said land and with our people and allies, in regard to the right which we have in the heritage which you do wrongfully withhold from us, we are drawing nigh unto you to make an end of our rightful challenge, if you will come near. And for that so great a power of men assembled which come on our side and which we think you are leading on your side would never long be able to hold together without doing grievous hurt to the people and the country – which every good Christian ought to eschew, and especially princes and other who think themselves worthy to rule nations – so we do greatly desire that despatch be made and, for the avoiding the death of Christians, seeing that the quarrel is manifestly ours and yours, that the trial of our challenge be made between our two bodies; wherefore we offer ourself for the reason aforesaid, albeit that we consider well the great nobility of your person, your prudence also and discretion. And in case that you would not chose this way, then should our challenge be laid to make an end thereof by battle between yourself and one hundred of the fittest men of your side and ourself with so many others of our liegemen.

And, if you will neither the one nor the other way, that you assign unto us a certain day before the city of Tournai to fight, power against power, within ten days next after the date of this letter. And as to our offers aforesaid we wish it to be known through all the world that this is our desire, not from pride or presumption, but the reasons abovesaid, to the end that the will of our Lord Jesus Christ being shown between us, peace may grow more and more among Christians and thereby the power of the enemies of God be resisted and Christendom set free. And the way touching which of the offers aforesaid you choose, make you known unto us by the bearer of these letters and by your own causing thereof a speedy delivery. Given under our great seal at Chin, in the fields near Tournai the 27^th day of the month of July the year of our Lord 1340.

From the Continued Chronicle of Adam Murimuth