saint george for england-第29章

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se　by　the　act　of　treachery　Walter　instantly　rallied　his　men　although　several　had　been　killed　at　the　first　onslaught。　He；　with　Ralph　and　two　or　three　of　the　staunchest　men；　covered　the　retreat　of　the　rest　through　the　streets；　making　desperate　charges　upon　the　body　of　armed　burghers　pressing　upon　them。　Ralph　fought　as　usual　with　a　mace　of　prodigious　weight；　and　the　terror　of　his　blows　in　no　slight　degree　enabled　the　party　to　reach　the　gate　in　safety；　but　Walter　had　no　idea　of　retreating　further。　He　despatched　one　of　his　followers　to　gallop　at　full　speed　to　overtake　the　rear…guard　of　the　army；　which　was　still　but　two　miles　distant；　while　with　the　rest　he　formed　a　line　across　the　gate　and　resisted　all　the　attempts　of　the　citizens　to　expel　them。

The　approach　to　the　gate　was　narrow；　and　the　overwhelming　number　of　the　burghers　were　therefore　of　little　avail。　Walter　had　dismounted　his　force　and　all　fought　on　foot；　and　although　sorely　pressed　they　held　their　ground　until　Lords　Cobham　and　Holland；　with　their　followers；　rode　up。　Then　the　tide　of　war　was　turned；　the　town　was　plundered　and　burnt；　and　great　numbers　of　the　inhabitants　slain。　Walter　gained　great　credit　for　holding　the　gate；　for　had　he　been　driven　out；　the　town　could　have　resisted；　until　the　arrival　of　Louis；　all　assaults　of　the　English。

The　river　Somme　now　barred　the　passage　of　Edward。　　Most　of　the　bridges　had　been　destroyed；　and　those　remaining　were　so　strongly　fortified　that　they　could　not　be　forced。

The　position　of　the　English　was　now　very　critical。　On　one　flank　and　in　front　were　impassable　rivers。　The　whole　country　was　in　arms　against　them；　and　on　their　rear　and　flank　pressed　a　hostile　army　fourfold　their　strength。　　The　country　was　swampy　and　thinly　populated；　and　flour　and　provisions　were　only　obtained　with　great　difficulty。　Edward；　on　finding　from　the　reports　of　his　marshals　who　had　been　sent　to　examine　the　bridges；　that　no　passage　across　the　river　could　be　found；　turned　and　marched　down　the　river　towards　the　sea；　halting　for　the　night　at　Oisemont。

Here；　a　great　number　of　peasantry　attempted　a　defence；　but　were　easily　defeated　and　a　number　of　prisoners　taken。　　Late　in　the　evening　the　Earl　of　Warwick；　who　had　pushed　forward　as　far　as　Abbeville　and　St。　Valery；　returned　with　the　news　that　the　passages　at　those　places　were　as　strongly　guarded　as　elsewhere；　but　he　had　learnt　from　a　peasant　that　a　ford　existed　somewhere　below　Abbeville；　although　the　man　was　himself　ignorant　of　its　position。

Edward　at　once　called　the　prisoners　belonging　to　that　part　of　the　country　before　him；　and　promised　to　any　one　who　would　tell　him　where　the　ford　lay　his　freedom　and　that　of　twenty　of　his　companions。　A　peasant　called　Gobin　Agase　stepped　forward　and　offered　to　show　the　ford；　where　at　low　tide　twelve　men　could　cross　abreast。　It　was；　he　said；　called　〃La　Blanche　Tache〃。



Edward　left　Oisemont　at　midnight　and　reached　the　ford　at　daylight。　The　river；　however；　was　full　and　the　army　had　to　wait　impatiently　for　low　tide。　　When　they　arrived　there　no　enemy　was　to　be　seen　on　the　opposite　bank；　but　before　the　water　fell　sufficiently　for　a　passage　to　be　attempted；　Sir　Godemar　du　Fay　with　12；000　men；　sent　by　King　Phillip；　who　was　aware　of　the　existence　of　the　ford；　arrived　on　the　opposite　side。

The　enterprise　was　a　difficult　one　indeed；　for　the　water；　even　at　low　tide；　is　deep。　Godemar　du　Fay；　however；　threw　away　part　of　his　advantage　by　advancing　into　the　stream。　　The　English　archers　lined　the　banks；　and　poured　showers　of　arrows　into　the　ranks　of　the　enemy；　while　the　Genoese　bowmen　on　their　side　were　able　to　give　comparatively　little　assistance　to　the　French。



King　Edward　shouted　to　his　knights；　〃Let　those　who　love　me　follow　me；〃　and　spurred　his　horse　into　the　water。　　Behind　him　followed　his　most　valiant　knights；　and　Walter　riding　close　to　the　Prince　of　Wales　was　one　of　the　foremost。

The　French　resisted　valiantly　and　a　desperate　battle　took　place　on　the　narrow　ford；　but　the　impetuosity　of　the　English　prevailed；　and　step　by　step　they　drove　the　French　back　to　the　other　side　of　the　river。　The　whole　army　poured　after　their　leaders；　and　the　French　were　soon　entirely　routed　and　fled；　leaving　two　thousand　men…at…arms　dead　on　the　field。

King　Edward；　having　now　freed　himself　from　the　difficulties　which　had　encompassed　him　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　prepared　to　choose　a　ground　to　give　battle　to　the　whole　French　army。

Louis　had　advanced　slowly；　feeling　confident　that　the　English　would　be　unable　to　cross　the　river；　and　that　he　should　catch　them　hemmed　in　by　it。　His　mortification　and　surprise　on　finding；　when　he　approached　La　Blanche　Tache；　that　twelve　thousand　men　had　been　insufficient　to　hold　a　ford　by　which　but　twelve　could　cross　abreast；　and　that　his　enemy　had　escaped　from　his　grasp；　were　great。　　The　tide　had　now　risen　again；　and　he　was　obliged　to　march　on　to　Abbeville　and　cross　the　river　there。

King　Edward　now　advanced　into　the　Forest　of　Cressy。

Hugh　de　le　Spencer；　with　a　considerable　force；　was　despatched　to　Crotoy；　which　he　carried　by　assault　after　a　severe　conflict；　in　which　four　thousand　of　the　French　men…at…arms　were　slain。　The　capture　of　this　city　removed　all　danger　of　want　from　the　army；　for　large　stores　of　wine　and　meal　were　found　there；　and　Sir　Hugh　at　once　sent　off　a　supply　to　the　tired　army　in　the　field。

The　possession　of　Crotoy　and　the　mouth　of　the　Somme　would　have　now　rendered　it　easy　for　the　English　monarch　to　have　transported　his　troops　to　England；　and　to　have　returned　triumphant　after　the　accomplishment　of　his　extraordinary　and　most　successful　march　through　France。　The　army；　however；　was　elated　by　the　many　great　successes　it　had　won；　he　was　now　in　Ponthieu；　which　was　one　of　his　own　fiefs；　and　he　determined　to　make　a　stand　in　spite　of　the　immense　superiority　of　the　enemy。

Next　morning；　then　…　Friday　the　25th　of　August；　1346　…　he　despatched　the　Earl　of　Warwick　with　Godfrey　of　Harcourt　and　Lord　Cobham；　to　examine　the　ground　and　choose　a　site　for　a　battle。

The　plan　of　the　fight　was　drawn　out　by　the　king　and　his　councillors；　and　the　king　yielded　to　the　Black　Prince　the　chief　place　of　danger　and　honour　placing　with　him　the　Earl　of　Warwick；　Sir　John　Chandos；　and　many　of　his　best　knights。

The　ground　which　had　been　chosen　for　the　battle　was　an　irregular　slope　between　the　forest　of　Cressy　and　the　river　Maie　near　the　little　village　of　Canchy。　The　slope　looked　towards　the　south　and　east；　from　which　quarters　the　enemy　was　expected　to　arrive；　and　some　slight　defences　were　added　to　the　natural　advantages　of　the　ground。

On　the　night　of　the　25th　all　the　principal　leaders　of　the　British　host　were　entertained　by　King　Edward。　Next　morning；　Mass　was　celebrated；　and　the　king；　the　prince；　and　many　knights　and　nobles　received　the　Sacrament；　after　which　the　trumpet　sounded；　and　the　army　marched　to　take　up　its　position。　Its　numbers　are　variously　estimated；　but　the　best　account　puts　it　at　about　30；000　men　which；　considering　that　32；000　had　crossed　the　Channel　to　La　Hogue；　is　probably　about　the　force　which　would　have　been　present　allowing　that　2000　had　fallen　in　the　various　actions　or　had　died　from　disease。

The　division　of　the　Black　Prince　consisted　of　800　men…at…arms；　4000　archers；　and　6000　Welsh　foot。　The　archers；　as　usual；　were　placed　in　front；　supported　by　the　light　troops　of　Wales　and　the　men…at…arms；　on　his　left　was　the　second　division；　commanded　by　the　Earls　of　Arundel　and　Northampton；　its　extreme　left　rested　on　Canchy　and　the　river；　and　it　was　further　protected　by　a　deep　ditch；　this　corps　was　about　7000　strong。

The　king　himself　took　up　his　position　on　a　knoll　of　rising　ground　surmounted　by　a　windmill；　and　12；000　men　under　his　personal　command　were　placed　here　in　reserve。

In　the　rear　of　the　Prince's　division　an　enclosure　of　stakes　was　formed；　in　this；　guarded　by　a　small　body　of　archers；　were　ranged　the　wagons　and　baggage　of　the　army；　together　with　all　the　horses；　the　king　having　determined　that　the　knights　and　men…at…arms　on　his　side　should　fight　on　foot。

When　the　army　had　taken　up　its　position；　the　king；　mounted　on　a　small　palfrey；　with　a　white　staff　in　his　hand；　rode　from　rank　to　rank　exhorting　his　soldiers　to　do　their　duty　gallantly。　It　was　nearly　noon　before　he　had　passed　through　all　the　lines；　and　permission　was　then　given　to　the　soldiers　to　fall　out　from　their　ranks　and　to　take　refreshments　while　waiting　for　the　coming　of　the　enemy。　This　was　accordingly　done；　the　men　eating　and　drinking　at　their　ease　and　lying　down　in　their　ranks　on　the　soft　grass　with　their　steel　caps　and　their　bows　or　pikes　beside　them。

In　the　meantime　the　French　had；　on　their　side；　been　preparing　for　the　battle。　　Phillip　had　crossed　the　Somme　at　Abbeyville　late　on　Thursday　afternoon；　and　remained　there　next　day　marshalling　the　large　reinforcements　which　were　hourly　arriving。　His　force　now　considerably　exceeded　100；000　men；　the　number　with　which　he　had　marched　from　Amiens　three　days　previously。

Friday　was　the　festival　of　St。　Louis；　and　that　evening　Phillip　gave　a　splendid　banquet　to　the　whole　of　the　nobles　of　his　army。

On　the　following　morning　the　king；　accompanied　by　his　brother　the　Count　d'Alencon；　the　old　King　of　Bohemia　and　his　son；　the　King　of　Rome；　the　Duke　of　Lorraine；　the　Count　of　Blois；　the　Count　of　Flanders；　and　a　great　number　of　other　feudal　princes；　heard　Mass　at　the　Abbey；　and　then　marched　with　his　great　army　towards　Cressy。　He　moved　but　slowly　in　order　to　give　time　to　all　the　forces　scattered　over　the　neighbourhood　to　come　up；　and　four　knights；　headed　by　one　of　the　King　of　Bohemia's　officers；　went　forward　to　reconnoitre　the　English　position。　They　approached　within　a　very　short　distance　of　the　English　lines　and　gained　a　very　exact　knowledge　of　the　position；　the　English　taking　no　measures　to　interrupt　the　reconnaissance。　They　returned　with　the　information　they　had　gathered；　and　the　leader　of　the　party；　Le　Moyne　de　Basele；　one　of　the　most　judicious　officers　of　his　time；　strongly　advised　the　king　to　halt　his　troops；　pointing　out　that　as　it　was　evident　the　English　were　ready　to　give　battle；　and　as　they　were　fresh　and　vigorous　while　the　French　were　wearied　and　hungry；　it　would　be　better　to　encamp　and　give　battle　the　next　morning。

Phillip　saw　the　wisdom　of　the　advice　and　ordered　his　two　marshals　the　Lord　of　St。　Venant　and　Charles　de　Montmorency　to　command　a　halt。　They　instantly　spurred　off；　one　to　the　front　and　the　other　to　the　rear；　commanding　the　leaders　to　halt　their　banners。　Those　in　advance　at　once　obeyed；　but　those　behind　still　pressed　on；　declaring　that　they　would　not　halt　until　they　were　in　the　front　line。　All　wanted　to　be　first；　in　order　to　obtain　their　share　of　the　honour　and　glory　of　defeating　the　English。　Those　in　front；　seeing　the　others　still　coming　on；　again　pressed　forward；　and　thus；　in　spite　of　the　efforts　of　the　king　and　his　marshals；　the　French　nobles　with　their　followers　pressed　forward　in　confusion；　until；　passing　through　a　small　wood；　they　found　themselves　suddenly　in　the　presence　of　the　English　army。





CHAPTER　XIV：　CRESSY


The　surprise　of　the　French　army　at　finding　themselves　in　the　presence　of　the　English　was　so　great　that　the　first　line　recoiled　in　confusion。　Those　marching　up　from　behind　imagined　that　they　had　been　already　engaged