The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 11 : $b France, 843-1715
History
The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 11 : $b France, 843-1715
World history
The battle was ended at the hour of vespers. When, on this Saturday
night, the English heard no more hooting or shouting, nor crying out to
particular lords or their banners, they looked upon the field as their
own, and their enemies as beaten. They made great fires, and lighted
torches because of the obscurity of the night. King Edward then came down
from his post, who all that day had not put on his helmet, and, with his
whole battalion, advanced to the prince of Wales, whom he embraced in his
arms and kissed, and said, “Sweet son, God give you good perseverance:
you are my son, for most loyally have you acquitted yourself this day:
you are worthy to be a sovereign.” The prince bowed down very low, and
humbled himself, giving all honour to the king his father. The English,
during the night, made frequent thanksgivings to the Lord, for the happy
issue of the day, and without rioting; for the king had forbidden all
riot or noise. On the Sunday morning, there was so great a fog that
one could scarcely see the distance of half an acre. The king ordered
a detachment from the army, under the command of the two marshals,
consisting of about five hundred lances and two thousand archers, to
make an excursion, and see if there were any bodies of French collected
together. The quota of troops, from Rouen and Beauvais, had, this Sunday
morning, left Abbeville and St. Ricquier in Ponthieu, to join the French
army, and were ignorant of the defeat of the preceding evening: they met
this detachment, and, thinking they must be French, hastened to join them.
As soon as the English found who they were, they fell upon them; and
there was a sharp engagement; but the French soon turned their backs,
and fled in great disorder. There were slain in this flight in the open
fields, under hedges and bushes, upwards of seven thousand; and had it
been clear weather, not one soul would have escaped.
A little time afterwards, this same party fell in with the archbishop
of Rouen and the great prior of France, who were also ignorant of the
discomfiture of the French; for they had been informed that the king was
not to fight before Sunday. Here began a fresh battle, for those two
lords were well attended by good men-at-arms; however, they could not
withstand the English, but were almost all slain, with the two chiefs
who commanded them, very few escaping. In the course of the morning, the
English found many Frenchmen who had lost their road on the Saturday, and
had lain in the open fields, not knowing what was become of the king, or
their own leaders. The English put to the sword all they met[21]: and
it has been assured to me for fact, that of foot-soldiers sent from the
cities, towns, and municipalities, there were slain, this Sunday morning,
four times as many as in the battle of the Saturday.[e]
MICHELET ON THE RESULTS OF CRÉCY
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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