The night being spent but Titan not yet risen above the horizon, scarce
had Friday dawned (on which the day the martyrdom of the blessed
Crispin and Crispinian is celebrated) than the King neglected not to
lead out his troops into the field, having first said matins and heard
mass, and thinking that his enemies would be more engaged in fighting
than in plundering, he ordered the horses of his men and whatever other
things his army had brought with them except their arms, to be left in
the village in which they had been quartered in the night, and assigned
to the care of a few soldiers.... But in order that his army, which was
very small in comparison to the French, might be able to fight without
a wide separation, he arrayed it for battle in this wise: to the middle
battalion, which he himself led, and in which under the mercy of God
he proposed to fight, he assigned and chose a likely place about the
middle of the field, so that it might meet the middle battalion of the
enemy. On his right, at scarcely any distance, he placed the vanguard
of his army and joined it to the wing at his right hand. But on the
King's left was the rearward of the army, to which the left wing was
likewise joined. These being so placed the providence of the divine
grace was manifestly displayed, which provided for so small an army so
apt a field enclosed within hedges and bushes ... to protect them from
being surrounded by the ambuscades of the enemy. Now the King was clad
in strong and very glittering armour; on his head he bore a helmet with
a large resplendent crest and a crown of gold glistening with precious
stones; his body begirt with a surcoat with the arms of England and
France, from which heavenly splendour there sprang forth, on the one
side, three golden flowers in a field of azure, on the other side
three golden leopards sporting in a ruby field.... [He], seated on a
noble horse of snowy whiteness, having also horses following bedecked
in kingly fashion with the richest trappings, wondrously incited his
army to deeds of valour. The nobles also, by the King's side, were
arrayed with coats of arms as became those about to engage in conflict.
And when the King heard someone wishing that whatever nobles of the
realm of England, who were well-disposed thereto, were present at this
affair, with kingly steadfastness he thus replied, "Truly I would not
that by one single person the number of this army should be increased.
For if in the number of fighting men, we were equal to, or perhaps,
stronger than, our enemies, and they were delivered into our hands
by the hazards of war, our indiscreet judgement would attribute the
victory to the greatness of our strength, and so due praise would by
no means be accorded. But if, after God's own manifold chastisement
for our sins, the divine judgement should determine to deliver us into
the hands of the enemy,... certainly then our army would be too great
to be exposed (which God forbid!) to so great a calamity. But if the
divine mercy should deign to deliver so many adversaries to so trifling
a force of fighting men, we should deem so great a victory certainly
bestowed by God upon us and return thanks to Him and not to our own
numbers. Lo! he who is splendidly and safely defended and armed in body
is fortified in mind much more gloriously by stern hope and unbroken
fortitude."