Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 1.djvu/548

534 to make battle still. But a short time discovered the real cause of the alarm, which the fears of the English had converted into a formidable assault. It was merely a body of peasants under Robinet do Bournonville and Ysambert d'Azincourt, who thought they would profit by the battle, and, while the combatants were in the heat of the action, drive off the English horses, which were all left with the baggage. They little dreamed that their scheme would prove so disastrous to their countrymen, many a noble French knight falling the victim of this stratagem, for which they were afterwards severely punished by their feudal lord, the Duke of Burgundy.

Ruins of Monmouth Castle, the Birthplace of Henry V

The mistake being discovered, Henry gave instant orders to stop the slaughter of the prisoners, and the third division of the French army also coming at the truth, galloped off the field at full speed. Only about 600 could be prevailed upon to face the enemy, and following their commanders, the Earls of Marie and Falconberg, they charged bravely on the conquerors, and either perished or were made captives.

Henry's little army was too much exhausted and too much encumbered with prisoners to be able to pursue the flying legions. He gave orders to see to the wounded, and then summoning the heralds, he traversed the fields, accompanied by his chief barons, and saw the coats of arms of the fallen princes and knights examined, and their names registered. While this was doing, and others were busy stripping the dead, he called to him the French king-at-arms, Mountjoye, who came attended by the other heralds French and English, and he said—"We have not made this slaughter, but the Almighty, as we believe, for the sins of France." Then turning to Mountjoye, he asked—"To whom does this victory belong?" "To the King of England," replied Mountjoye, "and not to the King of France." "And what castle is that which I see at a distance?" continued Henry. "It is called the castle of Azincourt, "replied the herald. "Then," said Henry, "since all battles ought to be named after the nearest castle, let this henceforth and lastingly bear the name of the battle of Azincourt."

Having named the field, and "lastingly," according to his own phrase, for it is a name which will stand for ever amongst the most wonderfully fought fields in all the annals of nations, Henry, as if impressed with what appeared to be his sincere idea, that it was the work of Heaven, and that he was its instrument, called together the clergy, and ordered them to perform a service of thanksgiving on the field before the whole army. In allusion to their escape from the enemy and the terrible destruction of their self-confident assailants, they chaunted the Psalm cxiv:—"When Israel came out of Egypt;"