ith
the river. They of the town said how they would issue out, for they
were strong enough to fight with the King of England. When the
constable saw their good wills, he said, "In the name of God be it,
ye shall not fight without me." Then they issued out in good order,
and made good face to fight and to defend them and to put their lives
in adventure.

OF THE BATTLE OF CAEN, AND HOW THE ENGLISHMEN TOOK THE TOWN

The same day the Englishmen rose early and appareled them ready to go
to Caen.[A] The King heard mass before the sun-rising, and then took
his horse, and the Prince his son, with Sir Godfrey of Harcourt,
marshal and leader of the host, whose counsel the King much followed.
Then they drew toward Caen with their battles in good array, and so
approached the good town of Caen. When they of the town, who were
ready in the field, saw these three battles coming in good order, with
their banners and standards waving in the wind, and the archers, the
which they had not been accustomed to see, they were sore afraid and
fled away toward the town without any order or good array, for all
that the constable could do; then the Englishmen pursued them eagerly.
When the constable and the Earl Tancarville saw that, they took a gate
at the entry and saved themselves and certain with them, for the
Englishmen were entered into the town. Some of the knights and squires
of France, such as knew the way to the castle, went thither, and the
captain there received them all, for the castle was large. The
Englishmen in the chase slew many, for they took none to mercy.

Then the constable and the Earl of Tancarville, being in the little
tower at the bridge foot, looked along the street and saw their men
slain without mercy; they doubted to fall in their hands. At last they
saw an English knight with one eye, called Sir Thomas Holland, and a
five or six other knights with him; they knew them, for they had seen
them before in Pruce, in Granade, and in other viages. Then they
called to Sir Thomas and said how they would yield themselves
prisoners. Then Sir Thomas came thither with his company and mounted
up into the gate, and there found the said lords with twenty-five
knights with them, who yielded them to Sir Thomas; and he took them
for his prisoners and left company to keep them, and then mounted
again on his horse and rode into the streets, and saved many lives of
ladies, damosels, and cloisterers from defoiling,--for the soldiers
w