Part 10
[Sidenote: _Iohn Villani_ saith there were 2500 horsemen, and 30000 footmen and archers, that passed ouer with the K. but when he commeth to speake of the battell, he séemeth to increase the number.]
After this, in the moneth of Iulie following, he tooke shipping, and sailed into Normandie, hauing established the lord Percie, and the lord Neuill, to be wardens of his realme in his absence, with the archbishop of Yorke, the bishop of Lincolne, and the bishop of Duresme. The armie which he had ouer with him, was to the number of foure thousand men of armes, and ten thousand archers, beside Irishmen, & Welshmen, that folowed the host on foot. The chéefest capteins that went ouer with him were these. First his eldest sonne Edward prince of Wales, being as then about the age of thirtéene yeares, the earles of Hereford, Northampton, Arundell, Cornewall, Huntington, Warwike, Suffolke, and Oxford; of barons the lord Mortimer, who was after erle of March, the lords, Iohn, Lewes, and Roger Beauchampe; also the lords Cobham, Mowbraie, Lucie, Basset, Barkeley, and Willoughbie, with diuerse other lords, besides a great number of knights and other worthie capteins. They landed by the aduise of the lord Godfrey of Harecourt, in the Ile of Constantine, at the port of Haguc saint Wast, néere to saint Sauiour le Vicount. The earle of Huntington was appointed to be gouernour of the fléet by sea, hauing with him a hundred men of armes, and foure hundred archers.
[Sidenote: The ordering of the kings armie.]
[Sidenote: Harflew.]
[Sidenote: Chierburge.]
[Sidenote: Mountburge.]
[Sidenote: Carentine.]
After that the whole armie was landed, the king appointed two marshals, the lord Godfrey of Harecourt, and the earle of Warwike, and the earle of Arundell was made constable. There were ordeined thrée battels, one to go on his right hand, following by the coast of the sea; and another to march on his left hand, vnder the conduct of the marshals; so that he himselfe went in the middest with the maine armie, and in this order forward they passed towards Caen, lodging euerie night togither in one field. They that went by the sea, tooke all the ships they found in their waie, and as they marched foorth thus, what by water & land, at length they came to a towne called Harflew, which was giuen vp, but yet neuerthelesse it was robbed, and much goods found in it. After this they came to Chierburge, which towne they wan by force, robbed it, and burnt part of it, but the castell they could not win. Then came they to Mountburge and tooke it, robbed it & burnt it cleane. In this manner they passed foorth, and burnt manie towns and villages in all the countrie as they went. The towne of Carentine was deliuered vnto them against the will of the soldiers that were within it. The soldiers defended the castell two daies, and then yéelded it vp into the Englishmens hands, who burnt the same, and caused the burgesses to enter into their ships. All this was doone by the battell that went by the sea side, and by them on the sea togither.
[Sidenote: Saint Lo.]
On the other side, the lord Godfrie of Harecourt, with the battell on the right hand of the king, road foorth six or seuen leagues from the kings battell, in burning and exiling the countrie. The king had with him (beside those that were with the marshals) 3000 men of armes, six thousand archers, and ten thousand men on foot. They left the citie of Constance, and came to a great towne called saint Lo, a rich towne of draperie, hauing manie wealthie burgesses within it: it was soone taken and robbed by the Englishmen vpon their first approch. From thence the king marched streight to Caen, wherein were capteins Rafe earle of Ewe and Guines constable of France, & the earle of Tankeruile. These noble men meant to haue kept their defenses on the walles, gate, bridge, and riuer, and to haue left the suburbes void, bicause they were not closed, but onelie with the riuer: but they of the towne said they would issue forth, for they were strong inough to fight with the king of England.
[Sidenote: There were slaine in all without and within the towne 5000 men, as _Gio. Villani_ writeth.]
[Sidenote: Peter Legh.]
When the constable saw their good willes, he was contented to follow their desire, and so foorth they went in good order, and made good face to put their liues in hazard: but when they saw the Englishmen approch in good order, diuided into thrée battels, & the archers readie to shoot, which they of Caen had not séene before, they were sore afraid, and fled awaie toward the towne without any order or arraie, for all that the constable could doo to staie them. The Englishmen followed, and in the chase slue manie, and entered the towne with their enimies. The constable, and the earle of Tankeruile tooke a tower at the bridge foot, thinking there to saue themselues, but perceiuing the place to be of no force, nor able long to hold out, they submitted themselues vnto sir Thomas Holland. ¶ But here whatsoeuer Froissard dooth report of the taking of this tower, and of the yéelding of these two noble men, it is to be proued that the said earle of Tankeruile was taken by one surnamed Legh, ancestor to sir Peter Legh now liuing, whether in the fight or within the tower, I haue not to saie: but for the taking of the said earle, and for his other manlike prowes shewed here and elsewhere in this iournie, king Edward in recompense of his agréeable seruice, gaue to him a lordship in the countie of Chester called Hanley, which the said sir Peter Legh now liuing dooth inioy and possesse, as successor and heire to his ancestor the foresaid Legh, to whom it was so first giuen.
[Sidenote: Caen taken.]
[Sidenote: 40000 clothes, as _Gio. Villani_ writeth, were got by the Englishmen in one place and other in this iournie.]
But to returne now to the matter where we left. The Frenchmen being entred into their houses, cast downe vpon the Englishmen below in the stréets, stones, timber, hot water, and barres of iron, so that they hurt and slue more than fiue hundred persons. The king was so mooued therewith, that if the lord Godfrie of Harecourt had not asswaged his mood, the towne had béene burnt, and the people put to the edge of the sword: but by the treatie of the said lord Godfrie, proclamation was made, that no man should put fire into any house, nor slea any person, nor force any woman, and then did the townesmen and souldiers submit themselues, and receiued the Englishmen into their houses. There was great store of riches gotten in this towne, and the most part thereof sent into England, with the fléet which the king sent home with the prisoners, vnder the guiding of the earle of Huntington, accompanied with two hundred men of armes, and foure hundred archers.
[Sidenote: Louiers.]
[Sidenote: Gisors.]
[Sidenote: Vernon.]
[Sidenote: _Gio. Villani._]
[Sidenote: S. Germans in Laie. S. Clowd.]
[Sidenote: Beauuois.]
[Sidenote: Burners executed.]
When all things were ordred in Caen as the king could desire, he marched from thence in the same order as he had kept before, burning and exiling the countrie. He passed by Eureux & came to Louiers, which the Englishmen soone entred and sacked without mercie. Then went they foorth and left Roan, and came to Gisors, the towne they burnt, but the castell they could not get: they burnt also Vernon, and at Poissie they repared the bridge which was broken, and so there they passed ouer the riuer of Saine. The power of the Englishmen increased dailie, by such numbers as came ouer foorth of England in hope to win by pillage. Also manie gentlemen of Normandie, and other of the French nation, which loued not nor owght any good will vnto the French king, came to the king of England, offering to serue him, so that there were in his armie foure thousand horssemen and fiftie thousand footmen with the Normans, and of this number there were thirtie thousand English archers, as Giouan Villani writeth. The English marshals ran abroad iust to Paris, and burnt S. Germans in Laie: also Mountioy, and S. Clowd, and petie Bullongne by Paris, & the quéenes Burge. In the meane time had the French king assembled a mightie armie vpon purpose to fight with the Englishmen. ¶ The lord Godfrey of Harecourt, as he rode foorth with fiue hundred men of armes, and 13 hundred archers, by aduenture incountered with a great number of the burgesses of Amiens on horssebacke, who were riding by the kings commandement to Paris. They were quickelie assailed, and though they defended themselues manfullie for a while, yet at length they were ouercome, and eleuen hundred of them slaine in the field, beside those that were taken. The Englishmen had all their cariage and armour. Thus passed foorth the king of England, and came into Beauuoisin, and lodged néere vnto the citie of Beauuois one night in an abbeie called Messene, and for that after he was dislodged, there were that set fire in the same abbeie, without any commandement giuen by him; he caused twentie of them to be hanged that were the first procurers of that fire.
[Sidenote: Piqueney.]
[Sidenote: The French kings armie.]
So long the king of England passed forward, that finallie he approched néere to the water of Some, the which was large and déepe, and all the bridges broken and the passages well kept, wherevpon he caused his two marshals with a thousand men of armes, & two thousand archers, to go along the riuer, to the end to find some passage. The marshals assaied diuerse places, as at Piqueney, and other where, but they could not find any passage vnclosed, capteins with men of warre being set to defend the same, in somuch that the marshalls returned to the king, and declared what they had séene and found. At the same instant time was the French king come to Amiens, with more than a hundred thousand men, and thought to inclose the king of England, that he should no waie escape, but be constreined to receiue battell in some place greatlie to his disaduantage.
[Sidenote: Sir Godmare du Foy.]
[Sidenote: Gobin Agace.]
The king of England well perceiuing himselfe in danger, remooued from the place where he was incamped, and marched forward through the countries of Pontiew and Vimew, approching vnto the good towne of Abuile, and at length by one of the prisoners named Gobin de Grace, he was told where he might passe with his armie ouer the riuer of Some, at a foord in the same riuer, being hard in the bottome, and verie shallow at an eb water. The French king vnderstanding that the K. of England sought to passe the riuer of Some, sent a great baron of Normandie, one sir Godmare du Foy, to defend the passage of the same riuer, with a thousand men of armes, and six thousand on foot with the Genowaies. This sir Godmare had with him also a great number of them of Mutterell and others of the countrie, so that he had in all to the number of twelue thousand men, one and other, and hearing that the king of England was minded to passe at Blanchetake (which was the passage that Gobin Agace had informed the king of England of) he came thither. When the Englishmen approched, he arranged all his companie to defend the passage.
[Sidenote: The English men wan the passage ouer the water of Some.]
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
[Sidenote: The number slaine.]
[Sidenote: _Froissard._]
[Sidenote: Crotay burnt.]
And suerlie when the Englishmen at the lowe water entred the foord to passe ouer, there was a sharpe bickering, for diuerse of the Frenchmen incountred the Englishmen on horssebacke in the water, and the Genowaies did them much hurt, and troubled them sore with their crosbowes: but on the other side, the English archers shot so wholie togither, that the Frenchmen were faine to giue place to the Englishmen, so that they got the passage and came ouer, assembling themselues in the field, and then the Frenchmen fled, some to Abuile, some to saint Riquier. They that were on foot could not escape so well as those on horssebacke, insomuch that a great number of them of Abuile, Mutterell, Arras, and S. Riquier were slaine and taken, for the chase indured more than a great league. There were slaine in all to the number of two thousand. When the K. of England had thus passed the riuer, he acquitted Gobin Agace, and all his companie of their ransomes, and gaue to the same Gobin an hundred nobles, and a good horsse, and so the king rode foorth as he did before. His marshals road to Crotaie by the sea side, and burnt the towne, and tooke all such wines and goods as were in the ships and barks which laie there in the hauen.
One of the marshals road to the gates of Abuile, and from thence to S. Riquier, and after to the towne of Rue saint Esperit. This was on a fridaie, and both the marshals returned to the kings host about noone, and so lodged all togither about Cressie in Pontiew, where hauing knowledge that the French king followed to giue him battell, he commanded his marshalls to choose a plot of ground, somewhat to his aduantage, that he might there abide his aduersaries. In the meane time the French king being come with all his puissance vnto Abuile, and hearing how the king of England was passed ouer the riuer of Some, and discomfited sir Godmare du Foy, was sore displeased in his mind: but when he vnderstood that his enimies were lodged at Cressie, and meant there to abide him, he caused all his people to issue out of Abuile, and earlie on the saturdaie in the morning, anon after sunne rising he departed out of the towne himselfe, and marched towards his enimies. The king of England vnderstanding that his aduersarie king Philip still followed him, to giue him battell, & supposing that the same saturdaie he would come to offer it, rose betimes in the morning, and commanded euerie man first to call vpon God for his aid, then to be armed, and to draw with spéed into the field, that in the place before appointed they might be set in order of battell. Beginning his enterprise at inuocation or calling vpon God, he was the more fortunate in his affaires, and sped the better in the progresse of his actions, as the issue of the warre shewed. A notable example to euerie priuat man, to remember to call vpon God when he purposeth anie thing, for as the poet saith, and that verie christianlie,
[Sidenote: _Mar. Pal. in sag._]
---- nihil est mortalibus ægris Vtilius, quàm coelestem, sanctéq; piéq; Orando sibi quærere opem.
[Sidenote: _Giov[=o] Villani_ saith, that when they should ioine in battell, the Englishmen were 30000 archers English & Welsh, beside other footmen with axes & iauelins, and not fullie 4000 horssemen.]
[Sidenote: _Froissard._]
[Sidenote: The kings demeanor before ye battell.]
Beside this, he caused a parke to be made and closed by the wood side behind his host, in the which he ordeined that all the carts and carriages should be set, with all the horsses (for euerie man was on foot.) Then he ordeined thrée battels, in the first was the prince of Wales, and with him the earle of Warwike, the lord Godfrey of Harecourt, the lord Stafford, the lord de la Ware, the lord Bourchier, the lord Thomas Clifford, the lord Reginald Cobham, the lord Thomas Holland, sir Iohn Chandos, sir Bartholomew de Browash, sir Robert Neuill. They were eight hundred men of armes, and two thousand archers, and a thousand of other with the Welsh men. In the second battell was the earle of Northhampton, the earle of Arundell, the lords Ros and Willowbie, Basset, S. Albine, Multon, and others. The third battell the king led himselfe, hauing with him seauen hundred men of armes, and two thousand archers, and in the other battell were to the number of eight hundred men of armes, and twelue hundred archers. Thus was the English armie marshalled according to the report of _Froissard._ When euerie man was gotten into order of battell, the king leapt vpon a white hobbie, and rode from ranke to ranke to view them, the one marshall on his right hand, and the other on his left, desiring euerie man that daie to haue regard to his right and honour. He spake it so courteouslie, and with so good a countenance, that euen they which before were discomforted, tooke courage in hearing him speake such swéet and louing words amongst them. It was nine of the clocke yer euer he had thus visited all his battels, & therevpon he caused euerie man to eat and drinke a little, which they did at their leisure.
[Sidenote: The disorders among the Frenchmen.]
The French king before he approched néere to his enimies, sent foorth foure skilful knights to view the demeanor of his enimies, the which returning againe, made report as they had séene, and that forsomuch as they could gesse, the Englishmen ment to abide him, being diuided into thrée battels, readie to receiue him and his puissance, if he went forward, in purpose to assaile them. Here was the French king counselled to stay and not to giue battell that day, but to aduise all things with good deliberation and regard, to consider well how and what way he might best assaile them. Then by the marshals were all men commanded to staie, and not to go anie further, they that were formost and next to the enimies taried, but they that were behind would not abide but rode foorth, and said they would not staie till they were as far as the formost: and when they before saw them behind come forward, then they marched on also againe, so that neither the K. nor his marshals could rule them, but that they passed forward still without order, or anie good arraie, till they came in sight of their enimies: and as soone as the formost saw their enimies, then they reculed backe, whereof they behind had maruell, and were abashed, supposing that the formost companie had béene fighting. Then they might haue had roome to haue gone forward, if they had béene minded. The commons, of whome all the waies betwixt Abuile and Cressie were full, when they saw that they were néere their enimies, they tooke their swords and cried; "Downe with them, Let vs slea them all." There was no man, though he were present at the iornie, that could imagine or shew the truth of the euill order that was among the French partie, and yet they were a maruellous great number.
[Sidenote: Charles Grimaldi & Anthonie or Othone Doria were capteins of these Genowaies, which were not past six thousand, as _Gio. Villani_ saith.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: _Froissard._]
[Sidenote: The earle of Alanson.]
The Englishmen which beheld their enimies thus approching them, prepared themselues at leisure for the battell, which they saw to be at hand. The first battell, whereof the prince was ruler, had the archers standing in maner of an herse, and the men of armes in the botome of the battell. The earle of Northampton and the earle of Arundell with the second battell were on a wing in good order, readie to comfort the princes battell if néed were. The lords and knights of France came not to the assemblie togither, for some came after, in such hast and euill order, that one of them troubled another. There were of Genowaies crosbowes to the number of twelue or fiftéene thousand, the which were commanded to go on before, and with their shot to begin the battell; but they were so werie with going on foot that morning six leagues armed with their crosbowes, that they said to their constables; "We be not well vsed, in that we are commanded to fight this daie, for we be not in case to doo any great feat of armes, we haue more néed of rest." These words came to the hearing of the earle of Alanson, who said; "A man is well at ease to be charged with such a sort of rascals, that faint and faile now at most néed."
[Sidenote: Raine and thunder with an eclipse.]
[Sidenote: The Genowaies.]
[Sidenote: The battell is begun.]
Also at the same instant there fell a great raine, and an eclipse with a terrible thunder, and before the raine, there came flieng ouer both armies a great number of crowes, for feare of the tempest comming: then anon the aire began to wax cleare, and the sunne to shine faire and bright, which was right in the French mens eies, and on the Englishmens backs. ¶ When the Genowaies were assembled togither, and began to approch, they made a great leape and crie, to abash the Englishmen, but they stood still and stirred not at all for that noise. Then the Genowaies the second time made an other leape and huge crie, and stepped forward a little, and the Englishmen remooued not a foot. The third time againe the Genowaies leapt, and yelled, and went foorth till they came within shot, and fiercelie therwith discharged their crossbowes. Then the English archers stept foorth one pase, and let flie their arrowes so wholie and so thicke togither, that it séemed to snowe. When the Genowaies felt the arrowes persing their heads, armes and breasts, manie of them cast downe their crosbowes, and cut the strings, and returned discomfited. When the French king saw them flée awaie, he said: "Slea these rascals, for they will let and trouble vs without reason."
[Sidenote: The king of Boheme.]
Then ye might haue séene the men of armes haue dasht in amongst them, and killed a great number of them, and euer the Englishmen shot where they saw the thickest prease: the sharpe arrowes ran into the men of armes, and into their horsses, and manie fell horsse and man amongst the Genowaies, and still the Englishmen shot where they saw the thickest prease, and when they were once downe they could not recouer againe. The throng was such that one ouerthrew another; & also among the Englishmen, there were certeine of the footmen with great kniues, that went in among the men of armes, and killed manie of them as they laie on the ground, both earles, barons, knights, and esquires. The valiant king of Bohem being almost blind, caused his men to fasten all the reines of the bridels of their horsses ech to other, and so he being himselfe amongst them in the formost ranke, they ran on their enimies.
[Sidenote: The earle of Alanson.]
The lord Charles of Boheme sonne to the same king and late elected emperour, came in good order to the battell, but when he saw how the matter went awrie on their part, he departed and saued himselfe. His father by the meanes aforesaid went so far forward, that ioining with his enimies he fought right valiantlie, and so did all his companie: but finallie being entred within the prease of their enimies, they were of them inclosed and slaine, togither with the king their master, and the next daie found dead lieng about him, and their horsses all tied ech to other. The earle of Alanson came right orderlie to the battell, and fought with the Englishmen, and so did the earle of Flanders also on his part. These two lords coasted the English archers, and came to the princes battell, and there fought right valiantlie a long time. The French king perceiuing where their banners stood, would faine haue come to them, but could not, by reason of a great hedge of archers that stood betwixt them and him. This was a perillous battell and sore foughten: there were few taken to mercie, for the Englishmen had so determined in the morning.
[Sidenote: The princes battell pearsed.]
[Sidenote: The earle of Northampt[=o] sendeth to the king.]
[Sidenote: The kings answer.]
[Sidenote: The French king departeth out of the field.]