The Holinshed Project

Holinshed Project Home

The Texts
1587

Previous | Next

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Those that were sent, finding the Frenchmen busie to breake downe their bridge, assailed them so vigorouslie, that they discomfited them, and tooke and slue them; and so the bridge was preserued till the king came, and passed the riuer by the same with his whole armie. This was on the two and twentith day of October. The duke of Yorke that led the vaunt|gard (after the armie was passed the riuer) mounted vp to the heigth of an hill with his people, and sent out scowts to discouer the countrie, the which vpon their returne aduertised him, that a great armie of Frenchmen was at hand, approching towards them. The duke declared to the king what he had heard,King Henrie rideth foorth to take view of the French armie. and the king therevpon, without all feare or trouble of mind, caused the battell which he led himselfe to staie, and incontinentlie rode foorth to view his ad|uersaries, and that doone, returned to his people, and with chéerefull countenance caused them to be put in order of battell, assigning to euerie capteine such roome and place, as he thought conuenient, and so kept them still in that order till night was come, and then determined to seeke a place to incampe & lodge his armie in for that night.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 There was not one amongst them that knew any certeine place whither to go, in that vnknowne countrie: but by chance they happened vpon a bea|ten waie, white in sight; by the which they were brought vnto a little village, where they were refre|shed with meat and drinke somewhat more plenti|ouslie than they had béene diuerse daies before. Or|der was taken by commandement from the king after the armie was first set in battell arraie, that no noise or clamor should be made in the host; so that in marching foorth to this village, euerie man kept him|selfe quiet: but at their comming into the village, fiers were made to giue light on euerie side, as there likewise were in the French host, which was incam|ped not past two hundred and fiftie pases distant from the English. The cheefe leaders of the French host were these: the constable of France, the mar|shall, the admerall, the lord Rambures maister of the crosbowes, and other of the French nobilitie, which came and pitched downe their standards and ban|ners in the countie of saint Paule,The number of the French mẽ threé [...] thousand. Engueran [...]. within the terri|torie of Agincourt, hauing in their armie (as some write) to the number of thréescore thousand horsse|men, besides footmen, wagoners and other.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 They were lodged euen in the waie by the which the Englishmen must needs passe towards Calis, and all that night after their comming thither, made great cheare and were verie merie, pleasant, and full of game. The Englishmen also for their parts were of good comfort, and nothing abashed of the matter, and yet they were both hungrie, wearie, sore trauel|led, and vexed with manie cold diseases. Howbeit re|conciling themselues with God by hoossell and shriff, requiring assistance at his hands that is the onelie giuer of victorie, they determined rather to die, than to yéeld, or flée. The daie following was the fiue and twentith of October in the yeare 1415,The battell of Agincourt, the 25 of Oc|tober 1415. being then fridaie, and the feast of Crispine and Crispini|an, a day faire and fortunate to the English, but most sorrowfull and vnluckie to the French.

Previous | Next