The two battalions of the marshals came, on Friday in the afternoon, to
where the King was, and they fixed their quarters, all three together,
near Crecy in Ponthieu. The King of England, who had been informed that
the King of France was following him, in order to give him battle, said
to his people: "Let us post ourselves here, for we will not go farther
before we have seen our enemies. I have good reason to wait for them on
this spot; as I am now upon the lawful inheritance of my lady mother,
which was given her as her marriage portion, and I am resolved to defend
it against my adversary, Philip de Valois." On account of his not having
more than an eighth part of the forces which the King of France had, his
marshals fixed upon the most advantageous situation, and the army went
and took possession of it. He then sent his scouts toward Abbeville, to
learn if the King of France meant to take the field this Friday,
but they returned and said they saw no appearance of it; upon which he
dismissed his men to their quarters with orders to be in readiness by
times in the morning and to assemble in the same place. The King of
France remained all Friday in Abbeville, waiting for more troops. He
sent his marshals, the Lord of St. Venant and Lord Charles of
Montmorency, out of Abbeville, to examine the country and get some
certain intelligence of the English. They returned about vespers with
information that the English were encamped on the plain. That night the
King of France entertained at supper in Abbeville all the princes and
chief lords. There was much conversation relative to war; and the King
entreated them after supper that they would always remain in friendship
with each other; that they would be friends without jealousy, and
courteous without pride. The King was still expecting the Earl of Savoy,
who ought to have been there with a thousand lances, as he had been well
paid for them at Troyes in Champaign, three months in advance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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