Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

l6o XV. LORD BERNERS.[(B)The Battle of Cre(j?^Of the batayle of Cressy bytwene the kyng of Englandand the frenche kyng. Cap. C.xxx.THewglysshmen who were in thre batayls lyeng on thegrounde to rest them, assone as they saw the frenchmenaproche, they rose vpon their fete fayre and easely, withoutany hast, and aranged their batayls. The first, which was5 the princes batell, the archers ther stode in maner of a herse,and the men of armes in the botome of the batayle ;Therleof Northampton & therle of Arundell with the second batellwere on a wyng in good, order, redy to confort the princesbatayle, if nede were. The lordd'j- «& knyght*?^ of France10 cawe nat to the assemble togyder in good order, for someQ.2.VIQ before and some came after, in such hast and yuell order,th^ one of the/zz dyd trouble another. Whan the frenchkyng sawe the englysshmen, his blode chaunged, and saydeto his marshals, 'make the genowayes go on before, andI-; begynne the batayle in the name of god and saynt Denyse:'ther^ were of thegenowayes crosbowes about a fiftene thousand,but they were so wery of goyng a fote that day a sixleages armed with their crosbowes, that they sayde to theirconstables, ' we be nat w^ell ordred to fyght this day, for we20 be nat in the case to do any great dede of armes, we hauemore nede of rest' These wordes came to the erle ofAlanson, who sayd, * a man is well at ease to be charged\\i\.h suche a sorte of rascalles, to be faynt and fayle noweat moost nede ! ' Also the same season there fell a great25 rayne and a clyps, with a terryble thonder ; and before therayne, ther^ came fleyng ouer bothe batayls a great nombreof Crowes, for feare of the tempest cowmynge. Than anone