[CHAP. XXXI.]
THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH MEET IN BATTLE ON THE PLAINS OF AZINCOURT. THE ENGLISH GAIN THE VICTORY.
On the ensuing day, which was Friday the 25th of October, in the year 1415, the constable and all the other officers of the king of France, the dukes of Orleans, Bourbon, Bar and Alençon; the counts de Nevers, d'Eu, de Richemonte, de Vendôme, de Marle, de Vaudemont, de Blaumonte, de Salines, de Grand Pré, de Roussy, de Dampmartin, and in general all the other nobles and men at arms, put on their armour and sallied out of their quarters. Then, by the advice of the constable and others of the king of France's council, the army was formed into three divisions, the vanguard, the main body, and the rearguard. The van consisted of about eight thousand helmets, knights, and esquires, four thousand archers, and fifteen hundred cross-bows.
This was commanded by the constable, having with him the dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, the counts d'Eu and de Richemonte, the marshal Boucicaut, the master of the cross-bows, the lord de Dampierre admiral of France, sir Guichart Dauphin, and some others. The count de Vendôme, and others of the king's officers were to form a wing of fifteen hundred men at arms, to fall on the right flank of the English; and another wing, under the command of sir Clugnet de Brabant admiral of France, sir Louis Bourdon and eight hundred picked men at arms, was to attack the left flank: with this last were included, to break in on the english archers, sir William de Saveuses, with his brothers sir Hector and sir Philippe, Ferry de Mailly, Aliaume de Gaspammes, Allain de Vendôme, Lamont de Launoy, and many more.
The main battalion was composed of an equal number of knights, esquires, and archers as the van, and commanded by the dukes of Bar and Alençon, the counts de Nevers, de Vaudemont, de Blaumont, de Salines, de Grand-pré, and de Roussy.
The rear guard consisted of the surplus of men at arms, under the orders of the counts de Marle, de Dampmartin, de Fauquembergh, and the lord de Louvroy, governor of Ardres, who had led thither the garrisons on the frontiers of the Boulonois.
When these battalions were all drawn up, it was a grand sight to view; and they were, on a hasty survey, estimated to be more than six times the number of the English. After they had been thus arranged, they seated themselves by companies as near to their own banners as they could, to wait the coming of the enemy; and while they refreshed themselves with food, they made up all differences that might before have existed between any of them. In this state they remained until between nine and ten o'clock in the morning, no way doubting, from their numbers, but the English must fall an easy prey to them. Some, however, of the wisest of them had their fears, and dreaded the event of an open battle.
The English on that morning, perceiving that the French made no advances to attack them, refreshed themselves with meat and drink. After calling on the divine aid against the French, who seemed to despise them, they dislodged from Maisoncelles, and sent some of their light troops in the rear of the town of Azincourt, where, not finding any men at arms, in order to alarm the French, they set fire to a barn and house belonging to the priory of St George at Hesdin. On the other hand, the king of England dispatched about two hundred archers to the rear of his army, with orders to enter the village of Tramecourt[41] secretly, and to post themselves in a field near the van of the French, there to remain quiet until it should be a proper time for them to use their bows. The rest of the English remained with king Henry, and were shortly after drawn up in battle array by sir Thomas Erpinghan; a knight grown grey with age and honour, who placed the archers in front, and the men at arms behind them. He then formed two wings of men at arms and archers, and posted the horses with the baggage in the rear.
Each archer planted before himself a stake sharpened at both ends.