Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/503

I Hundred Years War 467 take heed that day to his right and honor. He spake it so King sweetly and with so good countenance and merry cheer that Edward , . _ , , ... , cheers his all such as were discomfited took courage in the seeing and f orces , who hearing of him. And when he had thus visited all his bat- arrange ties [i.e. divisions] it was then nine of the day. Then he tj ^ lsel f a caused every man to eat and drink a little, and so they did and deliber- at their leisure. And afterward they ordered again their ation - battles. Then every man lay down on the earth, his hel- met and his bow by him, to be the more fresher when their enemies should come. This Saturday the French king rose betimes and heard Hasty and mass in Abbeville, in his lodging in the abbey of St. Peter, disorderly and he departed after the sun rising. [He dispatched four the* French, knights to view the English, who let them alone and per- mitted them to return to the king as they had come. The knights advised the king that the French should defer the attack until the morrow.] Then the king commanded that it should be so done. Then his two marshals rode, one before, another behind, saying to every banner, " Tarry and abide here in the name of God and St. Denis." They that were foremost tarried, but they that were behind would not tarry, but rode forth, and said how they would in no wise abide till they were as far forward as the foremost. And when they that were before saw them come on behind, then they rode forward again, so that the king nor his marshals could not rule them. So they rode without order or good array till they came in sight of their enemies ; and as soon as the foremost saw them, they reculed them aback without good array, whereof they behind had marvel and were abashed, and thought that the foremost company had been fighting. Then they might have had leisure and room to have gone forward if they had listed, but some went forth while some abode still. The commons, of whom all the ways between Abbeville and Crecy were full, when they saw that they were near to their enemies, took their swords and cried, "Down with them ! Let us slay them all." There were no man, though he were present, that could imagine or show the truth of the