the riuer of Some, was much displeased therewith, and assembling his
councell to the number of fiue and thirtie, asked their aduise what
was to be doone. There was amongst these fiue and thirtie, his sonne
the Dolphin, calling himselfe king of Sicill; the dukes of Berrie and
Britaine, the earle of Pontieu the kings yoongest sonne, and other high
estates. At length thirtie of them agréed, that the Englishmen should
not depart vnfought withall, and fiue were of a contrarie opinion,
but the greater number ruled the matter: and so Montioy king at armes
was sent to the king of England to defie him as the enimie of France,
and to tell him that he should shortlie haue battell. King Henrie
aduisedlie answered: "Mine intent is to doo as it pleaseth God, I will
not séeke your maister at this time; but if he or his séeke me, I will
méet with them God willing. If anie of your nation attempt once to stop
me in my iournie now towards Calis, at their ieopardie be it; and yet
I wish not anie of you so vnaduised, as to be the occasion that I die
your tawnie ground with your red bloud."
When he had thus answered the herald, he gaue him a princelie reward,
and licence to depart. Vpon whose returne, with this answer, it was
incontinentlie on the French side proclamed, that all men of warre
should resort to the constable to fight with the king of England.
Wherevpon, all men apt for armor and desirous of honour, drew them
toward the field. The Dolphin, sore desired to haue béene at the
battell, but he was prohibited by his father: likewise Philip earle of
Charolois would gladlie haue béene there, if his father the duke of
Burgognie would haue suffered him: manie of his men stale awaie, and
went to the Frenchmen. The king of England hearing that the Frenchmen
approched, and that there was an other riuer for him to passe with
his armie by a bridge, and doubting least if the same bridge should
be broken, it would be greatlie to his hinderance, appointed certeine
capteins with their bands, to go thither with all spéed before him,
and to take possession thereof, and so to kéepe it, till his comming
thither.
[Sidenote: King Henrie rideth foorth to take view of the French armie.]
Those that were sent, finding the Frenchmen busie to breake downe their
bridge, assailed them so vigorouslie, that they discomfited them, and
tooke and slue them; and so the bridge was preserued till the king
came, and passed the riuer by the same with his whole armie. This was
on the two and twentith day of October. The duke of Yorke that led the
vauntgard (after the armie was passed the riuer) mounted vp to the
heigth of an hill with his people, and sent out scowts to discouer the
countrie, the which vpon their returne aduertised him, that a great
armie of Frenchmen was at hand, approching towards them. The duke
declared to the king what he had heard, and the king therevpon, without
all feare or trouble of mind, caused the battell which he led himselfe
to staie, and incontinentlie rode foorth to view his aduersaries, and
that doone, returned to his people, and with chéerefull countenance
caused them to be put in order of battell, assigning to euerie capteine
such roome and place, as he thought conuenient, and so kept them still
in that order till night was come, and then determined to séeke a place
to incampe & lodge his armie in for that night.
[Sidenote: The number of the French m[=e] thrée score thousand.]
[Sidenote: _Enguerant._]
There was not one amongst them that knew any certeine place whither
to go, in that vnknowne countrie: but by chance they happened vpon a
beaten waie, white in sight; by the which they were brought vnto a
little village, where they were refreshed with meat and drinke somewhat
more plenteouslie than they had béene diuerse daies before. Order was
taken by commandement from the king after the armie was first set in
battell arraie, that no noise or clamor should be made in the host;
so that in marching foorth to this village, euerie man kept himselfe
quiet: but at their comming into the village, fiers were made to giue
light on euerie side, as there likewise were in the French host,
which was incamped not past two hundred and fiftie pases distant from
the English. The chéefe leaders of the French host were these: the
constable of France, the marshall, the admerall, the lord Rambures
maister of the crosbowes, and other of the French nobilitie, which came
and pitched downe their standards and banners in the countie of saint
Paule, within the territorie of Agincourt, hauing in their armie (as
some write) to the number of thréescore thousand horssemen, besides
footmen, wagoners and other.
[Sidenote: The battell of Agincourt, the 25 of October, 1415.]
They were lodged euen in the waie by the which the Englishmen must
néeds passe towards Calis, and all that night after their comming
thither, made great cheare, and were verie merie, pleasant, and full
of game. The Englishmen also for their parts were of good comfort, and
nothing abashed of the matter, and yet they were both hungrie, wearie,
sore trauelled, and vexed with manie cold diseases. Howbeit reconciling
themselues with God by hoossell and shrift, requiring assistance at
his hands that is the onelie giuer of victorie, they determined rather
to die, than to yéeld, or flée. The daie following was the fiue and
twentith of October in the yeare 1415, being then fridaie, and the
feast of Crispine and Crispinian, a daie faire and fortunate to the
English, but most sorrowfull and vnluckie to the French.
[Sidenote: The order of the French armie.]
In the morning, the French capteins made thrée battels, in the vaward
were eight thousand healmes of knights and esquiers, foure thousand
archers, and fiftéene hundred crosbowes which were guided by the lord
de la Breth, constable of France, hauing with him the dukes of Orleance
and Burbon, the earles of Ewe and Richmond, the marshall Bouciquault,
and the maister of the crosbowes, the lord Dampier admerall of France,
and other capteins. The earle of Vandosme with sixtéene hundred men of
armes were ordered for a wing to that battell. And the other wing was
guided by sir Guichard Dolphine, sir Clugnet of Brabant, and sir Lewes
Bourdon, with eight hundred men of armes, of elect chosen persons. And
to breake the shot of the Englishmen, were appointed sir Guilliam de
Saueuses, with Hector and Philip his brethren, Ferrie de Maillie, and
Allen de Gaspanes, with other eight hundred of armes.
[Sidenote: As manie in the battell.]
[Sidenote: The French estéemed six to one English.]
In the middle ward, were assigned as manie persons, or more, as were in
the formost battell, and the charge thereof was committed to the dukes
of Bar and Alanson, the earles of Neuers, Vaudemont, Blamont, Salinges,
Grant Prée, & of Russie. And in the rereward were all the other men
of armes guided by the earles of Marle, Dampmartine, Fauconberg, and
the lord of Lourreie capteine of Arde, who had with him the men of
the frontiers of Bolonois. Thus the Frenchmen being ordered vnder
their standards and banners, made a great shew: for suerlie they were
estéemed in number six times as manie or more, than was the whole
companie of the Englishmen, with wagoners, pages and all. They rested
themselues, waiting for the bloudie blast of the terrible trumpet,
till the houre betwéene nine and ten of the clocke of the same daie,
during which season, the constable made vnto the capteins and other
men of warre a pithie oration, exhorting and incouraging them to doo
valiantlie, with manie comfortable words and sensible reasons. King
Henrie also like a leader, and not as one led; like a souereigne, and
not an inferior, perceiuing a plot of ground verie strong & méet for
his purpose, which on the backe halfe was fensed with the village,
wherein he had lodged the night before, and on both sides defended with
hedges and bushes, thought good there to imbattell his host, and so
ordered his men in the same place, as he saw occasion, and as stood for
his most aduantage.
[Sidenote: The order of the English armie and archers.]
[Sidenote: The vaward all of archers.]
First he sent priuilie two hundred archers into a lowe medow, which
was néere to the vauntgard of his enimies; but separated with a great
ditch, commanding them there to kéepe themselues close till they had a
token to them giuen, to let driue at their aduersaries: beside this, he
appointed a vaward, of the which he made capteine Edward duke of Yorke,
who of an haultie courage had desired that office, and with him were
the lords Beaumont, Willoughbie, and Fanhope, and this battell was all
of archers. The middle ward was gouerned by the king himselfe, with his
brother the duke of Glocester, and the earles of Marshall, Oxenford,
and Suffolke, in the which were all the strong bilmen. The duke of
Excester vncle to the king led the rereward, which was mixed both with
bilmen and archers. The horssemen like wings went on euerie side of the
battell.
[Sidenote: Archers the greatest force of the English armie.]
[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._ out of _Fabian_ pag. 392 and _Polychron._]
[Sidenote: A politike inuention.]
[Sidenote: _Hall._]
Thus the king hauing ordered his battels, feared not the puissance of
his enimies, but yet to prouide that they should not with the multitude
of horssemen breake the order of his archers, in whome the force of
his armie consisted [¶ For in those daies the yeomen had their lims
at libertie, sith their hosen were then fastened with one point, and
their iackes long and easie to shoot in; so that they might draw bowes
of great strength, and shoot arrowes of a yard long; beside the head]
he caused stakes bound with iron sharpe at both ends, of the length of
fiue or six foot to be pitched before the archers, and of ech side the
footmen like an hedge, to the intent that if the barded horsses ran
rashlie vpon them, they might shortlie be gored and destroied. Certeine
persons also were appointed to remooue the stakes, as by the mooueing
of the archers occasion and time should require, so that the footmen
were hedged about with stakes, and the horssemen stood like a bulwarke
betwéene them and their enimies, without the stakes. This deuise of
fortifieng an armie, was at this time first inuented: but since that
time they haue deuised caltraps, harrowes, and other new engins against
the force of horssemen; so that if the enimies run hastilie vpon the
same, either are their horsses wounded with the stakes, or their féet
hurt with the other engins, so as thereby the beasts are gored, or else
made vnable to mainteine their course.
[Sidenote: K. Henries oration to his men.]
King Henrie, by reason of his small number of people to fill vp his
battels, placed his vauntgard so on the right hand of the maine
battell, which himselfe led, that the distance betwixt them might
scarse be perceiued, and so in like case was the rereward ioined on
the left hand, that the one might the more readilie succour an other
in time of néed. When he had thus ordered his battels, he left a small
companie to kéepe his campe and cariage, which remained still in the
village, and then calling his capteins and soldiers about him, he made
to them a right graue oration, moouing them to plaie the men, whereby
to obteine a glorious victorie, as there was hope certeine they should,
the rather if they would but remember the iust cause for which they
fought, and whome they should incounter, such faintharted people as
their ancestors had so often ouercome. To conclude, manie words of
courage he vttered, to stirre them to doo manfullie, assuring them that
England should neuer be charged with his ransome, nor anie Frenchman
triumph ouer him as a captiue; for either by famous death or glorious
victorie would he (by Gods grace) win honour and fame.
[Sidenote: A wish.]
[Sidenote: A noble courage of a valiant prince.]
It is said that as he heard one of host vtter his wish to another thus:
"I would to God there were with vs now so manie good soldiers as are
at this houre within England! the king answered: I would not wish a
man more here than I haue, we are indéed in comparison to the enimies
but a few, but, if God of his clemencie doo fauour vs, and our iust
cause (as I trust he will) we shall spéed well inough. But let no man
ascribe victorie to our owne strength and might, but onelie to Gods
assistance, to whome I haue no doubt we shall worthilie haue cause to
giue thanks therefore. And if so be that for our offenses sakes we
shall be deliuered into the hands of our enimies, the lesse number we
be, the lesse damage shall the realme of England susteine: but if, we
should fight in trust of multitude of men, and so get the victorie (our
minds being prone to pride) we should thervpon peraduenture ascribe
the victorie not so much to the gift of God, as to our owne puissance,
and thereby prouoke his high indignation and displeasure against vs:
and if the enimie get the vpper hand, then should our realme and
countrie suffer more damage and stand in further danger. But be you of
good comfort, and shew your selues valiant, God and our iust quarrell
shall defend vs, and deliuer these our proud aduersaries with all the
multitude of them which you sée (or at the least the most of them) into
our hands." Whilest the king was yet thus in spéech, either armie so
maligned the other, being as then in open sight, that eueris man cried;
Forward, forward. The dukes of Clarence, Glocester, and Yorke, were of
the same opinion, yet the king staied a while, least anie ieopardie
were not foreséene, or anie hazard not preuented. The Frenchmen in the
meane while, as though they had béene sure of victorie, made great
triumph, for the capteins had determined before, how to diuide the
spoile, and the soldiers the night before had plaid the Englishmen
at dice. The noble men had deuised a chariot, wherein they might
triumphantlie conueie the king captiue to the citie of Paris, crieng
to their soldiers; Haste you to the spoile, glorie and honor; little
wéening (God wot) how soone their brags should be blowne awaie.
[Sidenote: _Hall._]
Here we may not forget how the French thus in their iolitie, sent
an herald to king Henrie, to inquire what ransome he would offer.
Wherevnto he answered, that within two or thrée houres he hoped it
would so happen, that the Frenchmen should be glad to common rather
with the Englishmen for their ransoms, than the English to take thought
for their deliuerance, promising for his owne part, that his dead
carcasse should rather be a prize to the Frenchmen, than that his
liuing bodie should paie anie ransome. When the messenger was come
backe to the French host, the men of warre put on their helmets, and
caused their trumpets to blow to the battell. They thought themselues
so sure of victorie, that diuerse of the noble men made such hast
towards the battell, that they left manie of their seruants and men
of warre behind them, and some of them would not once staie for their
standards: as amongst other the duke of Brabant, when his standard was
not come, caused a baner to be taken from a trumpet and fastened to a
speare, the which he commanded to be borne before him in stéed of his
standard.
But when both these armies comming within danger either of other,
set in full order of battell on both sides, they stood still at the
first, beholding either others demeanor, being not distant in sunder
past thrée bow shoots. And when they had on both parts thus staied a
good while without dooing anie thing, (except that certeine of the
French horsemen aduancing forwards, betwixt both the hosts, were by the
English archers constreined to returne backe) aduise was taken amongst
the Englishmen, what was best for them to doo. Therevpon all things
considered, it was determined, that sith the Frenchmen would not come
forward, the king with his armie imbattelled (as yée haue hard) should
march towards them, and so leauing their trusse and baggage in the
village where they lodged the night before, onelie with their weapons,
armour, and stakes prepared for the purpose, as yée haue heard.
[Sidenote: The English gaue the onset.]
[Sidenote: The two armies ioine battell.]
These made somewhat forward, before whome there went an old knight sir
Thomas Erpingham (a man of great experience in the warre) with a warder
in his hand; and when he cast vp his warder, all the armie shouted,
but that was a signe to the archers in the medow, which therwith shot
wholie altogither at the vauward of the Frenchmen, who when they
perceiued the archers in the medow, and saw they could not come at
them for a ditch that was betwixt them, with all hast set vpon the
fore ward of king Henrie, but yer they could ioine, the archers in the
forefront, and the archers on that side which stood in the medow, so
wounded the footmen, galled the horsses, and combred the men of armes,
that the footmen durst not go forward, the horssemen ran togither
vp[=o] plumps without order, some ouerthrew such as were next them,
and the horsses ouerthrew their masters, and so at the first ioining,
the Frenchmen were foulie discomforted, and the Englishmen highlie
incouraged.
[Sidenote: The vauward of the French discomfited.]
[Sidenote: Their battell beaten.]
When the French vauward was thus brought to confusion, the English
archers cast awaie their bowes, & tooke into their hands, axes, malls,
swords, bils, and other hand-weapons, and with the same slue the
Frenchmen, vntil they came to the middle ward. Then approched the king,
and so incouraged his people, that shortlie the second battell of the
Frenchmen was ouerthrowne, and dispersed, not without great slaughter
of men: howbeit, diuerse were reléeued by their varlets, and conueied
out of the field. The Englishmen were so busied in fighting, and taking
of the prisoners at hand, that they followed not in chase of their
enimies, nor would once breake out of their arraie of battell. Yet
sundrie of the Frenchmen stronglie withstood the fiercenesse of the
English, when they came to handie strokes, so that the fight sometime
was doubtfull and perillous. Yet as part of the French horssemen set
their course to haue entered vpon the kings battell, with the stakes
ouerthrowne, they were either taken or slaine. Thus this battell
continued thrée long houres.
[Sidenote: A valiant king.]
[Sidenote: The French rereward discomfited.]
The king that daie shewed himselfe a valiant knight, albeit almost
felled by the duke of Alanson; yet with plaine strength he slew two of
the dukes companie, and felled the duke himselfe; whome when he would
haue yelded, the kings gard (contrarie to his mind) slue out of hand.
In conclusion, the king minding to make an end of that daies iornie,
caused his horssemen to fetch a compasse about, and to ioine with him
against the rereward of the Frenchmen, in the which was the greatest
number of people. When the Frenchmen perceiued his intent, they were
suddenlie amazed and ran awaie like shéepe, without order or arraie.
Which when the king perceiued, he incouraged his men, and followed so
quickelie vpon the enimies, that they ran hither and thither, casting
awaie their armour: manie on their knées desired to haue their liues
saued.
[Sidenote: The kings campe robbed.]
In the meane season, while the battell thus continued, and that the
Englishmen had taken a great number of prisoners, certeine Frenchmen on
horssebacke, whereof were capteins Robinet of Borneuille, Rifflart of
Clamas, Isambert of Agincourt, and other men of armes, to the number
of six hundred horssemen, which were the first that fled, hearing that
the English tents & pauillions were a good waie distant from the armie,
without anie sufficient gard to defend the same, either vpon a couetous
meaning to gaine by the spoile, or vpon a desire to be reuenged, entred
vpon the kings campe, and there spoiled the hails, robbed the tents,
brake vp chests, and carried awaie caskets, and slue such seruants as
they found to make anie resistance. For which treason and haskardie
in thus leauing their camp at the very point of fight, for winning of
spoile where none to defend it, verie manie were after committed to
prison, and had lost their liues, if the Dolphin had longer liued.
[Sidenote: All the prisoners slaine.]
But when the outcrie of the lackies and boies, which ran awaie for
feare of the Frenchmen thus spoiling the campe, came to the kings
eares, he doubting least his enimies should gather togither againe, and
begin a new field; and mistrusting further that the prisoners would be
an aid to his enimies, or the verie enimies to their takers in déed if
they were suffered to liue, contrarie to his accustomed gentleness,
commanded by sound of trumpet, that euerie man (vpon paine of death)
should incontinentlie slaie his prisoner. When this dolorous decrée,
and pitifull proclamation was pronounced, pitie it was to sée how some
Frenchmen were suddenlie sticked with daggers, some were brained with
pollaxes, some slaine with malls, other had their throats cut, and
some their bellies panched, so that in effect, hauing respect to the
great number, few prisoners were saued.
[Sidenote: A fresh onset.]
[Sidenote: A right wise and valiant challenge of the king.]
When this lamentable slaughter was ended, the Englishmen disposed
themselues in order of battell, readie to abide a new field, and
also to inuade, and newlie set on their enemies, with great force
they assailed the carles of Marie and Fauconbridge, and the lords of
Louraie, and of Thine, with six hundred men of armes, who had all that
daie kept togither, but now slaine and beaten downe out of hand. ¶ Some
write, that the king perceiuing his enimies in one part to assemble
togither, as though they meant to giue a new battell for preseruation
of the prisoners, sent to them an herald, commanding them either to
depart out of his sight, or else to come forward at once, and giue
battel: promising herewith, that if they did offer to fight againe, not
onelie those prisoners which his people alreadie had taken; but also so
manie of them as in this new conflict, which they thus attempted should
fall into his hands, should die the death without redemption.
[Sidenote: Thanks giuen to God for the victorie.]
[Sidenote: A woorthie example of a godlie prince.]
[Sidenote: _Titus Liuius._]
The Frenchmen fearing the sentence of so terrible a decrée, without
further delaie parted out of the field. And so about foure of the
clocke in the after noone, the king when he saw no appearance of
enimies, caused the retreit to be blowen; and gathering his armie
togither, gaue thanks to almightie God for so happie a victorie,
causing his prelats and chapleins to sing this psalme: In exitu Israel
de Aegypto, and commanded euerie man to knéele downe on the ground at
this verse: Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.
Which doone, he caused Te Deum, with certeine anthems to be soong,
giuing laud and praise to God, without boasting of his owne force
or anie humane power. That night he and his people tooke rest, and
refreshed themsleues with such victuals as they found in the French
campe, but lodged in the same village where he laie the night before.
[Sidenote: The battell of Agincourt.]
In the morning, Montioie king at armes and foure other French heralds
came to the K. to know the number of prisoners, and to desire buriall
for the dead. Before he made them answer (to vnderstand what they
would saie) he demanded of them whie they made to him that request,
considering that he knew not whether the victorie was his or theirs?
When Montioie by true and iust confession had cléered that doubt to
the high praise of the king, he desired of Montioie to vnderstand the
name of the castell néere adioining: when they had told him that it
was called Agincourt, he said, Then shall this conflict be called the
battell of Agincourt. He feasted the French officers of armes that
daie, and granted them their request, which busilie sought throngh the
field for such as were slaine. But the Englishmen suffered them not to
go alone, for they searched with them, & found manie hurt, but not in
ieopardie of their liues, whom they tooke prisoners, and brought them
to their tents. When the king of England had well refreshed himselfe,
and his souldiers, that had taken the spoile of such as were slaine, he
with his prisoners in good order returned to his towne of Calis.
[Sidenote: The same day that the new maior went to Westminster to
receiue his oth, the aduertisement of this noble victorie came to the
citie in the morning betimes yer men were vp from their beds.]
[Sidenote: _Register of maiors._]
[Sidenote: Thrée graues that held fiue thousand and eight hundred
corpses.]