1.

ments stole away unperceived by the French; of which one was instructed to lie in ambush in a meadow at Tramecourt on their left flank, and the other to alarm them during the battle by setting fire to the houses in their rear. Just as the king had made every preparation for the attack, he was surprized by the approach of three French knights, who demanded permission to speak with him. One of them was the baron de Helly, who had been a prisoner in England, and had broken his parole. He took the opportunity to deny the charge, and offered to meet in single combat between the two armies any man, who should dare to repeat it. The king, who saw his object, instantly replied: "This is not a time for single combats. Go, tell your countrymen to

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66

prepare for battle before night, and doubt not "that for the violation of your word, you will a "second time forfeit your liberty, if not your

life." "Sir," returned Helly," I shall receive "no orders from you. Charles is our sovereign. "Him we obey: and for him we shall fight you, "whenever we think proper." "Away then," resumed the king, "and take care that we are not. "before you."" Immediately stepping forward,

38 Livius, p. 17. Elmham mentions the arrival of the knights, but not their object, p. 63. But the contemporary ballad says that they summoned him to surrender.

he exclaimed, "Banners, advance." At the CHAP. same moment sir Thomas Erpingham threw his warder into the air: and the men falling on their knees, bit the ground,39 arose, shouted, and ran towards the enemy. At the distance of twenty paces they halted to recover breath, and then repeated the shout. It was echoed back by the detachment in the meadow, which issuing from its concealment, instantly assailed the left flank of the French. At the same moment the archers, having planted their stakes, ran before them, discharged their arrows, and retired behind their rampart. The constable had appointed a select battalion of eight hundred men at arms to break this formidable body. Of the whole number not more than seven score ever came into action. These were quickly dispatched: the others, unable to face the incessant shower of arrows, turned their visors aside, and lost the government of their horses, which, frantic with pain, plunged in different directions into the close ranks of the first division. It was a moment of Defeat of irremediable confusion. Nor did the archers the first lose the opportunity. Slinging their bows be- the French.

39 A singulis in ore capta terræ particula. Tit. Liv. 18, 19. Elmh. 65. This singular custom had been introduced by the peasants of Flanders before the great victory, which they gained over the French cavalry at Courtray in 1302. A priest stood in front of the army, holding the consecrated host in his hand: and each man, kneeling down, took a particle of earth in his mouth, as a sign of his desire, and an acknowledgment of his unworthiness, to receive the sacrament. Spondan. ii. 339.

division of

CHAP.

1.

Of the second.

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

hind them, and with their swords or battle-axes: in their hands, they burst into the mass of the enemy, killed the constable and principal commanders, and in a short time totally dispersed the whole body.40

Henry, who had followed with the men at arms, ordered the archers to form again, and immediately charged the second division. The Frenchmen, though the fate of their fellows had checked their presumption, met the shock with courage, and maintained for two hours a most bloody and doubtful contest. The king's life was repeatedly in imminent danger. Seeing his brother, the duke of Clarence, wounded and lying on the ground, he hastily strode across the body, and bravely repelled the efforts of the assailants, till the prince was safely removed by. his own servants. Soon afterwards, he was charged by a band of eighteen French knights, who had bound themselves to each other to kill him or take him prisoner. One of them with a stroke of his mace brought the king on his knees: but he was instantly rescued by his guards, and his opponents were all slain. At. length the duke of Alençon, the French commander, fought his way to the royal standard. With one stroke he beat the duke of York to the ground with a second he cleaved the crown on the king's helmet. Every arm was instantly

40 Monstrel. i. 229. Wals. 392. Tit. Liv. 19.

I.

uplifted against him. The duke, aware of his CHAP. danger, exclaimed, "I yield: I am Alençon." Henry held out his hand but his gallant enemy had already fallen. The death of the duke was followed by the flight of the survivors."1

:

There still remained the third and most nu

merous division of the enemy. Though dismayed it was yet unbroken; and the English were preparing for the charge, when the alarming intelligence arrived, that a powerful force approached the rear of the army. In this emergency the king hastily gave orders that all the prisoners should be put to death orders which in most instances were unfortunately executed, before the mistake could be discovered. The force, which had been so greatly magnified, consisted only of six hundred peasants under Robinet de Bournonville, and Ysambert d'Azincourt; who had profited of the moment to enter Maisoncelles, plunder the baggage, and drive away the horses of the army. That this enterprise should prove so disastrous to their countrymen, they could not have foreseen: but they were afterwards called to account, and severely punished by their immediate lord, the duke of Burgundy. During this interval the ranks of the third division began to waver: and their irresolution was augmented by the flames kindled in their rear by the English detachment. Of the whole

41 Tit. Liv. 20. Elmh. 67. Monstrel. i. 231.

42 Monstrel. i. 229.

And of the

third.

I.

CHAP. number no more than six hundred could be persuaded to follow their leaders the earls of Falconberg and Marle, who boldly rushed on the conquerors, and found, what they probably sought, captivity or an honourable death. The English were in no condition to pursue the fugitives. As soon as resistance ceased, the king with his barons traversed the field, while the heralds examined the arms and numbered the bodies of the slain. He then called to him Montjoy, the French king at arms, and asked him to whom the victory belonged. To you, "sir," replied Montjoy. "And what," continued the king, "is that castle, which I see

Loss of

the ene

my.

.66

"at a distance ?"-" It is called the castle of Azincourt," was the answer. "Then," resumed Henry, "let this battle be known to posterity by the name of the battle of Azin"court."43

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The blood shed on this day was drawn from the noblest families in France. Among the slain were numbered eight thousand knights and esquires, more than a hundred bannerets, seven counts, the three dukes of Brabant, Bar, and

43 The king impressed with the conviction that he owed his extraordinary success to the protection of heaven, sent for the clergy and ordered a service of thanksgiving to be immediately performed in the presence of the whole army. In allusion to their escape from the enemy, they chaunted the psalm cxiv. When Israel came out of Egypt: and at the verse, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give the glory, every man knelt on the ground. The ceremony was concluded with the Te Deum. Hall, f. 50.