noese forward and begin the
battle, in the name of God and St. Denis." There were about fifteen
thousand Genoese cross-bowmen, but they were quite fatigued, having
marched on foot that day six leagues, completely armed and with their
cross-bows. They told the constable they were not in a fit condition to
do any great things that day in battle. The Earl of Alencon, hearing
this, said, "This is what one gets by employing such scoundrels, who
fall off when there is any need for them." During this time a heavy rain
fell, accompanied by thunder and a very terrible eclipse of the sun, and
before this rain a great flight of crows hovered in the air over all
those battalions, making a loud noise. Shortly afterward it cleared up
and the sun shone very bright, but the Frenchmen had it on their faces
and the English on their backs. When the Genoese were somewhat in order
and approached the English they set up a loud shout[48] in order to
frighten them, but they remained quite still and did not seem to attend
to it. They then set up a second shout and advanced a little forward,
but the English never moved.

They hooted a third time, advancing with their cross-bows presented and
began to shoot. The English archers then advanced one step forward and
shot their arrows with such force and quickness that it seemed as if it
snowed. When the Genoese felt these arrows, which pierced their arms,
heads, and through their armor, some of them cut the strings of their
cross-bows; others flung them on the ground and all turned about and
retreated quite discomfited. The French had a large body of men-at-arms
on horseback, richly dressed, to support the Genoese. The King of France
seeing them thus fall back cried out, "Kill me those scoundrels, for
they stop up our road without any reason." You would then have seen the
above-mentioned men-at-arms lay about them, killing all they could of
these runaways.

The English continued shooting as vigorously and quickly as before; some
of their arrows fell among the horsemen, who were sumptuously equipped,
and, killing and wounding many, made them caper and fall among the
Genoese, so that they were in such confusion they could never rally
again. In the English army there were some Cornish and Welshmen on foot
who had armed themselves with large knives. These, advancing through the
ranks of the men-at-arms and archers, who made way for them, came upon
the French when they were in this danger, and, falling u