thousand men, he besieged the town of
Harfleur both by sea and land for five weeks; at the end of which time
the town surrendered, and the inhabitants were allowed to depart with
only fivepence each, and a part of their clothes. All the rest of their
possessions was divided amongst the English army. But, that army
suffered so much, in spite of its successes, from disease and privation,
that it was already reduced one half. Still, the King was determined not
to retire until he had struck a greater blow. Therefore, against the
advice of all his counsellors, he moved on with his little force towards
Calais. When he came up to the river Somme he was unable to cross, in
consequence of the fort being fortified; and, as the English moved up the
left bank of the river looking for a crossing, the French, who had broken
all the bridges, moved up the right bank, watching them, and waiting to
attack them when they should try to pass it. At last the English found a
crossing and got safely over. The French held a council of war at Rouen,
resolved to give the English battle, and sent heralds to King Henry to
know by which road he was going. 'By the road that will take me straight
to Calais!' said the King, and sent them away with a present of a hundred
crowns.

The English moved on, until they beheld the French, and then the King
gave orders to form in line of battle. The French not coming on, the
army broke up after remaining in battle array till night, and got good
rest and refreshment at a neighbouring village. The French were now all
lying in another village, through which they knew the English must pass.
They were resolved that the English should begin the battle. The English
had no means of retreat, if their King had any such intention; and so the
two armies passed the night, close together.

To understand these armies well, you must bear in mind that the immense
French army had, among its notable persons, almost the whole of that
wicked nobility, whose debauchery had made France a desert; and so
besotted were they by pride, and by contempt for the common people, that
they had scarcely any bowmen (if indeed they had any at all) in their
whole enormous number: which, compared with the English army, was at
least as six to one. For these proud fools had said that the bow was not
a fit weapon for knightly hands, and that France must be defended by
gentlemen only. We shall see, presently, what hand the gentlemen made of