their discomfiture. Hireling soldiers, whose hearts are not in the
cause, have been the curse of many a battlefield; and though these
Genoese advanced with a great shouting against the foe, as though hoping
to affright them by their noise, they did little enough except shout,
till their cries were changed to those of agony and terror as their
ineffectual shower of bolts was answered by a perfect hail of shafts
from the English archers' dreaded longbows, whilst the sun shining full
into their dazzled eyes rendered ineffectual any farther attempt on
their part to shoot straight at the foe. The hired archers turned and
fled, and throwing into confusion the horsemen behind who were eager to
charge and break the ranks of the English archers, the luckless men were
mown down ruthlessly by their infuriated allies, whose wrath was burning
against them now that they had proved not only useless but a serious
hindrance.

This was by no means a promising beginning for the French; but still,
with their overwhelming superiority of numbers, they had plenty of
confidence left; and the English, though greatly encouraged by the
breaking and havoc in the ranks of the foe, were by no means recklessly
confident that the day was theirs.

Presumably the English King, who with the reserves was posted upon the
highest ground at some distance behind the two wings, had the best view
of the battle. The left wing, commanded by the Earls of Northampton and
Arundel, occupied the stronger position, being protected on their left
by the little river Maye. The young Prince was in the position of the
greatest danger; and as he and his companions stood in their ranks,
watching the onset of the battle with parted lips, and breath that came
and went with excitement, they began to see that upon them and their men
the brunt of the day would fall.