Thenglysshmen who were in thre batayls, lyeing on the grounde to rest them, assone as they saw the frenchmen aproche, they rose upon their fete, fayre and easely, without any hast, and arranged their batayls: the first, which was the princes batell, the archers there stode in manner of a herse,[7] and the men of armes in the botome of the batayle. Therle of Northāpton,[8] and therle of Arundell, with the second batell, were on a wyng in good order, redy to confort the princes batayle, if nede were. The lordes and knyghtes of France, cāe{A} not to the assemble togyder in good order, for some cāe before, and some came after, in such hast and yvell order, yᵗ[9] one of thē{A} dyd trouble another: whan the french kyng sawe the englysshmen, his blode chaunged, and sayde to his marshals, make the genowayes go on before, and begynne the batayle in the name of god and saynt Denyse; ther were of the genowayes crosbowes, about a fiftene thousand, but they were so wery of goyng a fote that day, a six leages, armed with their crosbowes, that they sayde to their constables, we be not well ordred to fyght this day, for we be not in the case to do any great dede of armes, we have more nede of rest: these wordes came to the erle of Alanson, who sayd, a man is well at ease to be charged wᵗ[10] suche a sorte of rascalles, to be faynt and fayle now at moost nede. Also the same season there fell a great rayne, and a clyps, with a terryble thunder, and before the rayne, ther came fleyng over both batayls, a great nombre of crowes, for feare of the tempest comynge. Than anone the eyre beganne to wax clere, and the sonne to shyne fayre and bright, the which was right in the french mens eyen and on the englysshmens backes. Whan the genowayes were assembled toguyder, and beganne to aproche, they made a great leape and crye, to abasshe thenglysshmen, but they stode styll, and styredde not for all that; tha[=n]e the genowayes agayne the seconde tyme made another leape, and a fell crye, and stepped forward a lytell, and thenglysshmen remeued not one fote; thirdly agayne they leapt and cryed, and went forthe tyll they come within shotte; tha[=n]e they shotte feersly with their crosbowes; than thenglysshe archers stept forthe one pase, and lette fly their arowes so hotly, and so thycke, that it semed snowe: when the genowayes felte the arowes persynge through heedes, armes, and brestes, many of them cast downe their crosbowes, and dyde cutte their strynges, and retourned dysconfited. Whan the frenche kynge sawe them flye away, he sayd, slee these rascals, for they shall lette and trouble us without reason: then ye shulde have sene the men of armes dasshe in among them, and kylled a great nombre of them; and ever styll the