When the King of England arrived in the Hogue Saint-Vaast, the King
issued out of his ship, and the first foot that he set on the ground
he fell so rudely that the blood brast out of his nose. The knights
that were about him took him up and said, "Sir, for God's sake enter
again into your ship, and come not aland this day, for this is but an
evil sign for us." Then the King answered quickly and said,
"Wherefore? This is a good token for me, for the land desireth to have
me." Of the which answer all his men were right joyful. So that day
and night the King lodged on the sands, and in the mean time
discharged the ships of their horses and other baggages; there the
King made two marshals of his host, the one the Lord Godfrey of
Harcourt and the other the Earl of Warwick, and the Earl of Arundel
constable. And he ordained that the Earl of Huntingdon should keep the
fleet of ships with a hundred men of arms and four hundred archers;
and also he ordained three battles, one to go on his right hand,
closing to the seaside, and the other on his left hand, and the King
himself in the midst, and every night to lodge all in one field.
Thus they set forth as they were ordained, and they that went by the
sea took all the ships that they found in their ways; and so long they
went forth, what by sea and what by land, that they came to a good
port and to a good town called Barfleur, the which incontinent was
won, for they within gave up for fear of death. Howbeit, for all that,
the town was robbed, and much gold and silver there found, and rich
jewels; there was found so much riches, that the boys and villains of
the host set nothing by good furred gowns; they made all the men of
the town to issue out and to go into the ships, because they would not
suffer them to be behind them for fear of rebelling again. After the
town of Barfleur was thus taken and robbed without brenning, then they
spread abroad in the country and did what they list, for there was not
to resist them. At last they came to a great and a rich town called
Cherbourg; the town they won and robbed it, and brent part thereof,
but into the castle they could not come, it was so strong and well
furnished with men of war.
OF THE GREAT ASSEMBLY THAT THE FRENCH KING MADE TO RESIST THE KING OF
ENGLAND
Thus by the Englishmen was brent, exiled, robbed, wasted, and pilled
the good plentiful country of Normandy. Then the French King sent for
the Lord John of Hainault, who came to him with a great number; also
the King sent for other men of arms, dukes, earls, barons, knights,
and squires, and assembled together the greatest number of people that
had been seen in France a hundred year before. He sent for men into so
far countries, that it was long or they came together, wherefore the
King of England did what him list in the mean season. The French King
heard well what he did, and sware and said how they should never
return again unfought withal, and that such hurts and damages as they
had done should be dearly revenged; wherefore he had sent letters to
his friends in the Empire, to such as were farthest off, and also to
the gentle King of Bohemia and to the Lord Charles his son, who from
thenceforth was called King of Almaine; he was made King by the aid of
his father and the French King, and had taken on him the arms of the
Empire: the French King desired them to come to him with all their
powers, to the intent to fight with the King of England, who brent and
wasted his country. These Princes and Lords made them ready with great
number of men of arms, of Almains, Bohemians, and Luxemburgers, and so
came to the French King. Also King Philip sent to the Duke of
Lorraine, who came to serve him with three hundred spears; also there
came the Earl [of] Salm in Saumois, the Earl of Sarrebruck, the Earl
of Flanders, the Earl William of Namur, every man with a fair company.
Ye have heard herebefore of the order of the Englishmen; how they went
in three battles, the marshals on the right hand and on the left, the
King and the Prince of Wales his son in the midst. They rode but small
journeys, and every day took their lodgings between noon and three of
the clock, and found the country so fruitful that they needed not to
make no provision for their host, but all only for wine; and yet they
found reasonably sufficient thereof. It was no marvel, though, they of
the country were afraid; for before that time they had never seen men
of war, nor they wist not what war or battle meant. They fled away as
far as they might hear speaking of the Englishmen, and left their
houses well stuffed, and granges full of corn; they wist not how to
save and keep it. The King of England and the Prince had in their
battle a three thousand men of arms and six thousand archers, and a
ten thousand men afoot, beside them that rode with the marshals....
Then the King went toward Caen, the which was a greater town and full
of drapery and other merchandise, and rich burgesses, noble ladies and
damosels, and fair churches, and specially two great and rich abbeys,
one of the Trinity, another of Saint Stephen; and on the one side of
the town one of the fairest castles of all Normandy, and captain
therein was Robert of Wargny, with three hundred Genoways, and in the
town was the Earl of Eu and of Guines, Constable of France, and the
Earl of Tancarville, with a good number of men of war. The King of
England rode that day in good order and lodged all his battles
together that night, a two leagues from Caen, in a town with a little
haven called Austrehem, and thither came also all his navy of ships
with the Earl of Huntingdon, who was governour of them.
The constable and other lords of France that night watched well the
town of Caen, and in the morning armed them with all them of the town:
then the constable ordained that none should issue out, but keep their
defenses on the walls, gate, bridge, and river; and left the suburbs
void, because they were not closed; for they thought they should have
enough to do to defend the town, because it was not closed but with
the river. They of the town said how they would issue out, for they
were strong enough to fight with the King of England. When the
constable saw their good wills, he said, "In the name of God be it,
ye shall not fight without me." Then they issued out in good order,
and made good face to fight and to defend them and to put their lives
in adventure.