At length, the count de Charolois, fearful of the Parisians suddenly appearing to aid the king, and, by falling on his rear, attack him on all sides, and that, if he delayed the combat, his men would be starved from want of provision, consulted his principal officers, and resolved to begin the attack. They began their march in excellent order: one division by the side of a wood, the other by the village, and the center having the wood on its rear. The French, seeing this movement, made part of their army advance also, in front of the count's division, and crossed a ditch near the village; but the count's archers attacked them so fiercely with their arrows that they were glad to recross it, the count pursuing them into the village for some distance, having his banner beside him, which was borne that day by the lord du Boys. While this was passing, and the count had appointed a large body of archers, with a certain number of men at arms to defend them, and to guard the passage against three or four hundred french lances, who were stationed at a breach waiting for an opportunity to break through the archers and attack the count's artillery, it happened that the men at arms, observing the French were repulsed, and that the count was pursuing them even into the village, left their guard and galloped after the count, when the French seeing the archers without any to support them, and neglectful of their stakes, charged them like lightning, and killed or wounded the greater part, which was the severest loss the count suffered on that day. Having routed these archers, the French advanced toward the baggage and artillery, and killed some more, and also made several prisoners; but those who guarded the baggage, armed with leaden mallets, rallied as soon as they could, and turning the carriages round, inclosed these French within them, so that they could not issue out,--and the greater part were knocked on the head with these leaden mallets. Those that did escape having made for the village, met the count and his men returning from it, who instantly charged them, and put the remainder to death,--so that all these French were slain, either by the baggage-guard or by the count's party, notwithstanding that a body of French had followed the count, and had gallantly fought with him.