Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/504

 468 Readings in European History The Genoese mercenaries forced to lead the attack. evil order that was among the French party, and yet they were a marvelous great number. What I write in this book I learned especially of the Englishmen, who beheld their dealing ; and also certain knights of Sir John of Hainault's, who was always about King Philip, showed me what they knew. The Englishmen, who were in three battles lying on the ground to rest them, as soon as they saw the Frenchmen approach, they rose upon their feet, fair and easily without any haste, and arranged their battles. The first was the prince's battle, and the archers there stood in manner of a harrow and the men-at-arms in the bottom of the battle. The earl of Northampton and the earl of Arundel with the second battle were on the wing in good order, ready to com- fort the prince's battle, if need were. The lords and knights of France came not to the engage- ment together in good order, for some came before and some came after, in such evil order that one of them did trouble another. When the French king saw the Englishmen his blood changed and he said to his marshals, " Make the Genoese go on before and begin the battle in the name of God and St. Denis." There were of the Genoese crossbows about fifteen thousand, but they were so weary of going afoot that day a six leagues armed with their crossbows that they said to their constables, "We be not well ordered to fight this day, for we be not in the case to do any great deed of arms ; we have more need of rest." . . . Also the same season there fell a great rain, and a flash of lightning with a terrible thunder, and before the rain there came flying over both battles a great number of crows for fear of the tempest coming. Then anon the air began to wax clear, and the sun to shine fair and bright, the which was right in the Frenchmen's eyen and on the Englishmen's backs. When the Genoese were assembled together and began to approach they uttered a great cry to abash the Englishmen, but these stood still and stirred not for all that. Then the Genoese a second time made a fell cry and stept forward a