The duke of Orleans sent, in the night-time, for the count de Richemonte, who commanded the duke of Acquitaine's men and the Bretons, to join him; and when this was done, they amounted to about two hundred men at arms and archers, they advanced near to the quarters of the English, who suspecting they meant to surprise them, drew up in battle array, and a smart skirmish took place. The duke of Orleans and several others were, on this occasion, knighted, but the action did not last long,--and the French retired to their camp,--and nothing more was done that night. The duke of Brittany was, at this time, come from Rouen, to Amiens, to join the French with six thousand men, if the battle had been delayed until the Saturday. In like manner, the marshal de Longny was hastening to their aid with six hundred men. He was quartered that night only six leagues from the main army, and had set out very early the following morning to join them. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 37: Ancre or Albert,--four leagues from Peronne, seven from Amiens.] [Footnote 38: Forceville,--a village near Ancre.] [Footnote 39: Lucheux,--a town in Picardy, near Dourlens.] [Footnote 40: Blangy,--a village in Picardy, near Amiens.] CHAP. XXXI. THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH MEET IN BATTLE ON THE PLAINS OF AZINCOURT. THE ENGLISH GAIN THE VICTORY. On the ensuing day, which was Friday the 25th of October, in the year 1415, the constable and all the other officers of the king of France, the dukes of Orleans, Bourbon, Bar and Alençon; the counts de Nevers, d'Eu, de Richemonte, de Vendôme, de Marle, de Vaudemont, de Blaumonte, de Salines, de Grand Pré, de Roussy, de Dampmartin, and in general all the other nobles and men at arms, put on their armour and sallied out of their quarters. Then, by the advice of the constable and others of the king of France's council, the army was formed into three divisions, the vanguard, the main body, and the rearguard. The van consisted of about eight thousand helmets, knights, and esquires, four thousand archers, and fifteen hundred cross-bows. This was commanded by the constable, having with him the dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, the counts d'Eu and de Richemonte, the marshal Boucicaut, the master of the cross-bows, the lord de Dampierre admiral of France, sir Guichart Dauphin, and some others. The count de Vendôme, and others of the king's officers were to form a wing of fifteen hundred men at arms, to fall on the right flank of the English; and another wing, under the command of sir Clugnet de Brabant admiral of France, sir Louis Bourdon and eight hundred picked men at arms, was to attack the left flank: with this last were included, to break in on the english archers, sir William de Saveuses, with his brothers sir Hector and sir Philippe, Ferry de Mailly, Aliaume de Gaspammes, Allain de Vendôme, Lamont de Launoy, and many more.