FRENCHMEN


On this Saturday, when the night was come and that the Englishmen
heard no more noise of the Frenchmen, then they reputed themselves to
have the victory, and the Frenchmen to be discomfited, slain and fled
away. Then they made great fires and lighted up torches and candles,
because it was very dark. Then the king avaled down from the little
hill whereas he stood; and of all that day till then his helm came
never on his head. Then he went with all his battle to his son the
prince and embraced him in his arms and kissed him, and said: 'Fair
son, God give you good perseverance; ye are my good son, thus ye have
acquitted you nobly: ye are worthy to keep a realm.' The prince
inclined himself to the earth, honouring the king his father.

This night they thanked God for their good adventure and made no boast
thereof, for the king would that no man should be proud or make boast,
but every man humbly to thank God. On the Sunday in the morning there
was such a mist, that a man might not see the breadth of an acre of
land from him. Then there departed from the host by the commandment of
the king and marshals five hundred spears and two thousand archers, to
see if they might see any Frenchmen gathered again together in any
place. The same morning out of Abbeville and Saint-Riquiers in
Ponthieu the commons of Rouen and of Beauvais issued out of their
towns, not knowing of the discomfiture of the day before. They met
with the Englishmen weening they had been Frenchmen, and when the
Englishmen saw them, they set on them freshly, and there was a sore
battle; but at last the Frenchmen fled and kept none array. There were
slain in the ways and in hedges and bushes more than seven thousand,
and if the day had been clear there had never a one escaped. Anon