confufion. Confident of fuccefs, and prefuming on their numbers, they apprehended they were marching to certain victory; they confequently would fubmit to no regulation, but rufhed on in the greatest disorder. Philip had difpatched four Noblemen to discover the pofture of the English; by them he was informed of their excellent difpofition, and advised to defer giving battle till the next day. The French King faw the propriety of this advice; he was fenfible that the diforderly and fatigued condition of his troops, tired with a long and impetuous march, rendered them not a match for their cool and intrepid enemies; he therefore gave his commands for a general halt. But the rafhnéfs and impetuofity of the French nobility rendered it impracticable to put these orders in execution. One divifion preffing upon another, this immenfe body became ungovernable, and was hurried on without order, till they came within fight of their adversaries. deadly palenefs diffufed itself over the countenance

2

Α

tenance of Philip, when he first discerned the regularity and compofure of the English; and he gave command to prepare for battle with unusual trepidation.

ge

He divided his army as well as the neral confufion would admit into three divifions. The charge of the van he committed to his brother the Count d'Alençon, to John of Luxemburgh King of Bohemia, and to Charles Marquis of Moravia, fon of the Bohemian King; accompanied by many Nobles of diftinguished rank. The first line of this body confifted of fifteen thoufand Genoefe, armed with cross-bows, and led on by Antonio Doria and Carolo Grimaldi. The center the King commanded in perfon; James King of Majorca, Prince Albert the Elector Palatine, and Otho Duke of Austria serving under him. The rear was brought up by the Earl of Savoy.

It was about three o'clock in the afternoon before this unwieldy body, amounting

to

to upwards of one hundred and twenty thoufand men, more than four times the number of the English, could be ranged in order of battle. The Genoefe were the firft to begin the attack; but whilft they were preparing for the charge, a fmart shower of rain, with loud claps of thunder, for a while withheld the contention: the air however foon cleared, and the fun fhone with redoubled power on the faces of the French. The Genoefe had imprudently neglected to cover the ftrings of their bows during the shower, fo that they were in a manner useless; and they difcharged their first flight of arrows without doing any execution. The English archers, who had not neglected this precaution, in their turn poured upon them a fhower of well-aimed darts, which inftantly put the Genoefe into diforder; fo that no longer able to keep their ranks, they retreated in confufion on the French troops behind them. The Count d'Alençon, finding himself thus incommoded, and enraged at their cowardice,

ordered

ordered his men to clear their way through them with their fwords; and at the fame time fpurred his horfe into the midst of them. This fiery Prince had offended thefe troops before the engagement, when they alledged how unfit they were for battle, after a long wearifome march loaded. with armour now, contrary to all policy, instead of striving to rally them, he endeavoured to drive them from the field; where they might at least have been of fervice in receiving the first flights of English arrows. From this imprudent conduct of the French General, the Genoefe were not only miferably trodden under foot and put to the fword, but great numbers of his own troops being entangled with them, were exposed to the arrows of the English archers, who took their aim at the fpot where they perceived the tumult and confufion was the greatest.

At length however the Count, with the braveft of his men, having made their

way

It

way through the broken Genoefe, attacked with great fury the battalion, at the head of, which stood the Prince of Wales. was now that this young Prince for the first time had an opportunity of proving that his valour was genuine, and that his nerves were well ftrung. The Count was received with fo much fteadinefs and refolution, that the greateft part of the forces which attended him were cut to pieces. The Prince of Wales had no fooner repulfed this body, than three fresh squadrons, compofed of the most resolute French and German troops, forced their way through the archers, and came pouring in upon him. Thefe alfo he boldly withftood; but the Earls of Warwick and Oxford, apprehenfive for a life which, from its budding glory, promifed to be fo great an ornament to his country, dispatched a meffenger to the King to inform him of his Son's danger, and to beg he would move to their affiftance.