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

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

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XV. (b) translation <strong>of</strong> froissart. i6i<strong>the</strong> eyre beganne <strong>to</strong> waxe clere, and <strong>the</strong> sorme <strong>to</strong> shyne fayreand bright : <strong>the</strong> which was right in <strong>the</strong> frenchmens eyen,and on <strong>the</strong> englysshmens backes.assembled <strong>to</strong>guyder and beganne <strong>to</strong>Whan <strong>the</strong> genowayes w^re soaproche, <strong>the</strong>y made agreat leape and crye <strong>to</strong> abasshe <strong>the</strong>nglysshmen, but <strong>the</strong>ys<strong>to</strong>de styll and styredde nat for all that ; thanwe <strong>the</strong> genowayesagayne <strong>the</strong>seconde tyme made a-no<strong>the</strong>r leape and afell crye, and stepped forwarde a lytell, and <strong>the</strong>nglysshmen 35remeued nat one fote : thirdly agayne <strong>the</strong>y leapt and cryed,and w^ent for<strong>the</strong> tyll <strong>the</strong>y came within shotte ; than;ze <strong>the</strong>yshotte feersly wdth <strong>the</strong>ir crosbowes. Than <strong>the</strong>nglysshearchers stept for<strong>the</strong> one pase and lette fly <strong>the</strong>ir arowes soholly and so thycke that it semed snowe ; whan <strong>the</strong> geno- 40wayes felte<strong>the</strong> arowes persynge through heedes, armes, andbrestes, many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m cast downe <strong>the</strong>ir crosbowes and dydecutte <strong>the</strong>ir strynges, and re<strong>to</strong>urned dysconfited. Whan <strong>the</strong>frenche kynge sawe <strong>the</strong>m flye away, he sayd, * slee <strong>the</strong>serascals, for <strong>the</strong>y shall lette and trouble vs without reason ;' 45than ye shulde haue sene <strong>the</strong> men <strong>of</strong> armes dasshe in among<strong>the</strong>m, and kylled a great nombre <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m.And euer styll <strong>the</strong>englysshmen shot where as <strong>the</strong>y sawe thyckest preace ; <strong>the</strong>sharpe arowes ranne in<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> men <strong>of</strong> armes, and in<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>irhorses: and many fell, horse and men, amo;zge <strong>the</strong> genowayes: 50and whan <strong>the</strong>y were downe, <strong>the</strong>y coude nat relyue agayne<strong>the</strong> preace was so thycke, that one ouerthrewe a-no<strong>the</strong>r.And also amonge <strong>the</strong> englysshemen <strong>the</strong>re were certaynerascallesthat went a fote, with great knyues, and <strong>the</strong>y wentin among <strong>the</strong> men <strong>of</strong> armes, and slewe and murdredde 55many as <strong>the</strong>y lay on <strong>the</strong> grounde, bo<strong>the</strong> erles, barownes,knyght^i', and squyers ; wher<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> kyng <strong>of</strong> Englande wasafter dyspleased, for he had ra<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y had bene takenprisoners. The valyant kyng <strong>of</strong> Behaygne, called Charles<strong>of</strong> Luzenbourge, sonne <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> noble emperour Henry <strong>of</strong>6oM

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