Saint George for England

G >> G. A. Henty >> Saint George for England

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The prince had been greatly interested in the details of Walter's escape
from Van Artevelde's house, the king himself expressed his approval of his
conduct, and Walter was generally regarded as one of the most promising
young aspirants to the court. His modesty and good temper rendered him a
general favourite, and many even of the higher nobles noticed him by their
friendly attentions, for it was felt that he stood so high in the goodwill
of the prince that he might some day become a person of great influence
with him, and one whose goodwill would be valuable.

It was generally supposed, when the fleet started, that Guienne was their
destination, but they had not gone far when a signal was made to change the
direction in which they were sailing and to make for La Hogue in Normandy.
Godfrey of Harcourt had great influence in that province, and his
persuasions had much effect in determining the king to direct his course
thither. There was the further advantage that the King of France, who was
well aware of the coming invasion, would have made his preparations to
receive him in Guienne. Furthermore, Normandy was the richest and most
prosperous province in France. It had for a long time been untouched by
war, and offered great abundance of spoil. It had made itself particularly
obnoxious to the English by having recently made an offer to the King of
France to fit out an expedition and conquer England with its own resources.

The voyage was short and favourable, and the expedition landed at La Hogue,
on the small peninsula of Cotentin, without opposition. Six days were spent
at La Hogue disembarking the men, horses, and stores, and baking bread for
the use of the army on the march. A detachment advanced and pillaged and
burnt Barileur and Cherbourg and a number of small towns and castles.

In accordance with custom, at the commencement of the campaign a court was
held, at which the Prince of Wales was dubbed a knight by his father. A
similar honour was bestowed upon a number of other young aspirants, among
whom was Walter Somers, who had been highly recommended for that honour to
the king by Sir Walter Manny.

The force was now formed into three divisions - the one commanded by the
king himself, the second by the Earl of Warwick, and the third by Godfrey
of Harcourt. The Earl of Arundel acted as Lord High Constable, and the Earl
of Huntingdon, who was in command of the fleet, followed the army along the
sea- coast. Valognes, Carentan, and St. Lo were captured without
difficulty, and the English army advanced by rapid marches upon Caen,
plundering the country for six or seven leagues on each side of the line of
march. An immense quantity of booty was obtained. As soon as the news of
Edward's landing in Normandy reached Paris, Phillip despatched the Count
d'Eu, Constable of France, with the Count of Tankerville and 600
men-at-arms, to oppose Edward at Caen. The Bishop of Bayeux had thrown
himself into that city, which was already garrisoned by 300 Genoese. The
town was not defensible, and the only chance of resistance was by opposing
the passage of the river Horn, which flowed between the suburbs and the
city. The bridge was barricaded, strong wooden towers were erected, and
such was the confidence of the inhabitants and their leaders that Edward's
promise of protection for the person and property of the citizens was
rejected with scorn, and the whole male population joined the garrison in
the defence of the bridge. Marching through the deserted suburbs the
English army attacked the bridge with such vehemence that although the
enemy defended the barricades gallantly they were speedily forced, and the
English poured into the town. Before the first fury of the attack was over
near 5000 persons were slain. The Count of Tankerville, 140 knights, and as
many squires were made prisoners. The plunder was so enormous as to be
sufficient to cover the whole expenses of the expedition, and this with the
booty which had been previously acquired was placed on board ship and
despatched to England, while the king marched forward with his army. At
Lisieux he was met by two cardinals sent by the pope to negotiate a truce;
but Edward had learned the fallacy of truces made with King Phillip, and
declined to enter into negotiations. Finding that Rouen had been placed in
a state of defence and could not be taken without a long siege he left it
behind him and marched along the valley of the Eure, gathering rich booty
at every step.

But while he was marching forward a great army was gathering in his rear.
The Count of Harcourt brother of Godfrey, called all Normandy to arms.
Every feudal lord and vassal answered to the summons, and before Edward
reached the banks of the Seine a formidable army had assembled.

The whole of the vassals of France were gathering by the orders of the king
at St. Denis. The English fleet had now left the coast, and Edward had only
the choice of retreating through Normandy into Brittany or of attempting to
force the passage of the Seine, and to fight his way through France to
Flanders. He chose the latter alternative, and marched along the left bank
of the river towards Paris, seeking in vain to find a passage. The enemy
followed him step by step on the opposite bank, and all the bridges were
broken down and the fords destroyed.

Edward marched on, burning the towns and ravaging the country until he
reached Poissy. The bridge was as usual destroyed, but the piles on which
it stood were still standing, and he determined to endeavour to cross here.
He accordingly halted for five days, but despatched troops in all
directions, who burned and ravaged to the very gates of Paris. The
villages of St. Germain, St. Cloud, Bourg la Reine, and many others within
sight of the walls were destroyed, and the capital itself thrown into a
state of terror and consternation. Godfrey of Harcourt was the first to
cross the river, and with the advance guard of English fell upon a large
body of the burghers of Amiens, and after a severe fight defeated them,
killing over five hundred. The king himself with his whole force passed on
the 16th of August.

Phillip, with his army, quitted St. Denis, when he heard that the English
army had passed the Seine, and by parallel marches endeavoured to interpose
between it and the borders of Flanders. As his force was every hour
increasing he despatched messengers to Edward offering him battle within a
few days on condition that he would cease to ravage the country; but Edward
declined the proposal, saying that Phillip himself by breaking down the
bridges had avoided a battle as long as he could, but that whenever he was
ready to give battle he would accept the challenge. During the whole march
the armies were within a few leagues of each other, and constant skirmishes
took place between bodies detached from the hosts.

In some of these skirmishes Walter took part, as he and the other newly
made knights were burning to distinguish themselves. Every day the progress
of the army became more difficult, as the country people everywhere rose
against them, and several times attempted to make a stand but were defeated
with great loss. The principal towns were found deserted, and even Poix,
which offered great capabilities of defence, had been left unguarded. Upon
the English entering, the burghers offered to pay a large ransom to save
the town from plunder. The money was to be delivered as soon as the English
force had withdrawn, and Walter Somers was ordered by the king to remain
behind with a few men-at-arms to receive the ransom.

No sooner had the army departed than the burghers, knowing that the French
army was close behind, changed their minds, refused to pay the ransom, and
fell upon the little body of men-at-arms. Although taken quite by surprise
by the act of treachery Walter instantly rallied his men although several
had been killed at the first onslaught. He, with Ralph and two or three of
the staunchest men, covered the retreat of the rest through the streets,
making desperate charges upon the body of armed burghers pressing upon
them. Ralph fought as usual with a mace of prodigious weight, and the
terror of his blows in no slight degree enabled the party to reach the gate
in safety, but Walter had no idea of retreating further. He despatched one
of his followers to gallop at full speed to overtake the rear-guard of the
army, which was still but two miles distant, while with the rest he formed
a line across the gate and resisted all the attempts of the citizens to
expel them.

The approach to the gate was narrow, and the overwhelming number of the
burghers were therefore of little avail. Walter had dismounted his force
and all fought on foot, and although sorely pressed they held their ground
until Lords Cobham and Holland, with their followers, rode up. Then the
tide of war was turned, the town was plundered and burnt, and great numbers
of the inhabitants slain. Walter gained great credit for holding the gate,
for had he been driven out, the town could have resisted, until the arrival
of Louis, all assaults of the English.

The river Somme now barred the passage of Edward. Most of the bridges had
been destroyed, and those remaining were so strongly fortified that they
could not be forced.

The position of the English was now very critical. On one flank and in
front were impassable rivers. The whole country was in arms against them,
and on their rear and flank pressed a hostile army fourfold their strength.
The country was swampy and thinly populated, and flour and provisions were
only obtained with great difficulty. Edward, on finding from the reports of
his marshals who had been sent to examine the bridges, that no passage
across the river could be found, turned and marched down the river towards
the sea, halting for the night at Oisemont.

Here, a great number of peasantry attempted a defence, but were easily
defeated and a number of prisoners taken. Late in the evening the Earl of
Warwick, who had pushed forward as far as Abbeville and St. Valery,
returned with the news that the passages at those places were as strongly
guarded as elsewhere, but he had learnt from a peasant that a ford existed
somewhere below Abbeville, although the man was himself ignorant of its
position.

Edward at once called the prisoners belonging to that part of the country
before him, and promised to any one who would tell him where the ford lay
his freedom and that of twenty of his companions. A peasant called Gobin
Agase stepped forward and offered to show the ford, where at low tide
twelve men could cross abreast. It was, he said, called "La Blanche Tache".

Edward left Oisemont at midnight and reached the ford at daylight. The
river, however, was full and the army had to wait impatiently for low tide.
When they arrived there no enemy was to be seen on the opposite bank, but
before the water fell sufficiently for a passage to be attempted, Sir
Godemar du Fay with 12,000 men, sent by King Phillip, who was aware of the
existence of the ford, arrived on the opposite side.

The enterprise was a difficult one indeed, for the water, even at low tide,
is deep. Godemar du Fay, however, threw away part of his advantage by
advancing into the stream. The English archers lined the banks, and poured
showers of arrows into the ranks of the enemy, while the Genoese bowmen on
their side were able to give comparatively little assistance to the French.

King Edward shouted to his knights, "Let those who love me follow me," and
spurred his horse into the water. Behind him followed his most valiant
knights, and Walter riding close to the Prince of Wales was one of the
foremost.

The French resisted valiantly and a desperate battle took place on the
narrow ford, but the impetuosity of the English prevailed, and step by step
they drove the French back to the other side of the river. The whole army
poured after their leaders, and the French were soon entirely routed and
fled, leaving two thousand men-at-arms dead on the field.

King Edward, having now freed himself from the difficulties which had
encompassed him on the other side of the river, prepared to choose a ground
to give battle to the whole French army.

Louis had advanced slowly, feeling confident that the English would be
unable to cross the river, and that he should catch them hemmed in by it.
His mortification and surprise on finding, when he approached La Blanche
Tache, that twelve thousand men had been insufficient to hold a ford by
which but twelve could cross abreast, and that his enemy had escaped from
his grasp, were great. The tide had now risen again, and he was obliged to
march on to Abbeville and cross the river there.

King Edward now advanced into the Forest of Cressy.

Hugh de le Spencer, with a considerable force, was despatched to Crotoy,
which he carried by assault after a severe conflict, in which four thousand
of the French men-at-arms were slain. The capture of this city removed all
danger of want from the army, for large stores of wine and meal were found
there, and Sir Hugh at once sent off a supply to the tired army in the
field.

The possession of Crotoy and the mouth of the Somme would have now rendered
it easy for the English monarch to have transported his troops to England,
and to have returned triumphant after the accomplishment of his
extraordinary and most successful march through France. The army, however,
was elated by the many great successes it had won, he was now in Ponthieu,
which was one of his own fiefs, and he determined to make a stand in spite
of the immense superiority of the enemy.

Next morning, then - Friday the 25th of August, 1346 - he despatched the
Earl of Warwick with Godfrey of Harcourt and Lord Cobham, to examine the
ground and choose a site for a battle.

The plan of the fight was drawn out by the king and his councillors, and
the king yielded to the Black Prince the chief place of danger and honour
placing with him the Earl of Warwick, Sir John Chandos, and many of his
best knights.

The ground which had been chosen for the battle was an irregular slope
between the forest of Cressy and the river Maie near the little village of
Canchy. The slope looked towards the south and east, from which quarters
the enemy was expected to arrive, and some slight defences were added to
the natural advantages of the ground.

On the night of the 25th all the principal leaders of the British host were
entertained by King Edward. Next morning, Mass was celebrated, and the
king, the prince, and many knights and nobles received the Sacrament, after
which the trumpet sounded, and the army marched to take up its position.
Its numbers are variously estimated, but the best account puts it at about
30,000 men which, considering that 32,000 had crossed the Channel to La
Hogue, is probably about the force which would have been present allowing
that 2000 had fallen in the various actions or had died from disease.

The division of the Black Prince consisted of 800 men-at-arms, 4000
archers, and 6000 Welsh foot. The archers, as usual, were placed in front,
supported by the light troops of Wales and the men-at-arms; on his left was
the second division, commanded by the Earls of Arundel and Northampton; its
extreme left rested on Canchy and the river, and it was further protected
by a deep ditch; this corps was about 7000 strong.

The king himself took up his position on a knoll of rising ground
surmounted by a windmill, and 12,000 men under his personal command were
placed here in reserve.

In the rear of the Prince's division an enclosure of stakes was formed; in
this, guarded by a small body of archers, were ranged the wagons and
baggage of the army, together with all the horses, the king having
determined that the knights and men-at-arms on his side should fight on
foot.

When the army had taken up its position, the king, mounted on a small
palfrey, with a white staff in his hand, rode from rank to rank exhorting
his soldiers to do their duty gallantly. It was nearly noon before he had
passed through all the lines, and permission was then given to the soldiers
to fall out from their ranks and to take refreshments while waiting for the
coming of the enemy. This was accordingly done, the men eating and drinking
at their ease and lying down in their ranks on the soft grass with their
steel caps and their bows or pikes beside them.

In the meantime the French had, on their side, been preparing for the
battle. Phillip had crossed the Somme at Abbeyville late on Thursday
afternoon, and remained there next day marshalling the large reinforcements
which were hourly arriving. His force now considerably exceeded 100,000
men, the number with which he had marched from Amiens three days
previously.

Friday was the festival of St. Louis, and that evening Phillip gave a
splendid banquet to the whole of the nobles of his army.

On the following morning the king, accompanied by his brother the Count
d'Alencon, the old King of Bohemia and his son, the King of Rome, the Duke
of Lorraine, the Count of Blois, the Count of Flanders, and a great number
of other feudal princes, heard Mass at the Abbey, and then marched with his
great army towards Cressy. He moved but slowly in order to give time to all
the forces scattered over the neighbourhood to come up, and four knights,
headed by one of the King of Bohemia's officers, went forward to
reconnoitre the English position. They approached within a very short
distance of the English lines and gained a very exact knowledge of the
position, the English taking no measures to interrupt the reconnaissance.
They returned with the information they had gathered, and the leader of the
party, Le Moyne de Basele, one of the most judicious officers of his time,
strongly advised the king to halt his troops, pointing out that as it was
evident the English were ready to give battle, and as they were fresh and
vigorous while the French were wearied and hungry, it would be better to
encamp and give battle the next morning.

Phillip saw the wisdom of the advice and ordered his two marshals the Lord
of St. Venant and Charles de Montmorency to command a halt. They instantly
spurred off, one to the front and the other to the rear, commanding the
leaders to halt their banners. Those in advance at once obeyed, but those
behind still pressed on, declaring that they would not halt until they were
in the front line. All wanted to be first, in order to obtain their share
of the honour and glory of defeating the English. Those in front, seeing
the others still coming on, again pressed forward, and thus, in spite of
the efforts of the king and his marshals, the French nobles with their
followers pressed forward in confusion, until, passing through a small
wood, they found themselves suddenly in the presence of the English army.

CHAPTER XIV: CRESSY

The surprise of the French army at finding themselves in the presence of
the English was so great that the first line recoiled in confusion. Those
marching up from behind imagined that they had been already engaged and
repulsed by the English, and the disorder spread through the whole army,
and was increased by the common people, who had crowded to the field in
immense numbers from the whole country round to see the battle and share in
the plunder of the English camp.

From King Edward's position on the rising ground he could see the confusion
which prevailed in the French ranks, and small as were his forces he would
probably have obtained an easy victory by ordering a sudden charge upon
them. The English, however, being dismounted, but small results would have
followed the scattering of the great host of the French. The English army
therefore remained immovable, except that the soldiers rose from the
ground, and taking their places in the ranks, awaited the onslaught of the
enemy.

King Phillip himself now arrived on the field and his hatred for the
English led him at once to disregard the advice which had been given him
and to order the battle to commence as soon as possible.

The army was divided into four bodies, of which Phillip commanded one, the
Count D'Alencon the second, the King of Bohemia the third, and the Count of
Savoy the fourth. Besides these were a band of 15,000 mercenaries, Genoese
crossbow-men, who were now ordered to pass between the ranks of cavalry and
to clear the ground of the English archers, who were drawn up in the usual
form in which they fought - namely, in very open order, line behind line,
the men standing alternately, so that each had ample room to use his bow
and to fire over the heads of those in front. The formation was something
like that of a harrow, and, indeed, exactly resembled that in which the
Roman archers fought, and was called by them a quincunx.

The Genoese had marched four leagues beneath a hot sun loaded with their
armour and heavy cross-bows, and they remonstrated against the order,
urging that they were in no condition to do good service without some
repose. The Count D'Alencon, furious at their hesitation, ordered them up,
but as they advanced a terrible thunderstorm, with torrents of rain, broke
over the armies, and wetting the cords of the crossbows rendered many of
them unserviceable. At length the crossbow-men were arranged in front,
while behind them were the vast body of French cavalry, and the order was
given for the battle to begin.

The Genoese advanced with loud shouts but the English archers paid no
attention to the noise, but waited calmly for the attack. At this moment
the sun, now approaching the west, shone out brightly between the clouds
behind the English, its rays streaming full in the faces of the French.
The Genoese were now within distance, and began to discharge their quarrels
at their impassive enemies, but as they opened fire the English archers
drew their bows from the cases which had protected them from the rain, and
stepping forward poured their arrows among the Genoese. The crossbow-men
were smitten as with a storm, numbers were struck in the face and other
unprotected parts, and they were instantly thrown into confusion, and
casting away their cross-bows they recoiled in disorder among the horsemen
behind them.

Phillip, passionate and cruel as ever, instead of trying to rally the
Genoese, ordered the cavalry behind them to fall upon them, and the
men-at-arms at once plunged in among the disordered mass of the
crossbow-men, and a wild scene of carnage and confusion ensued, the English
archers continuing to pour their unerring arrows into the midst.

The Count D'Alencon, who was behind, separated his division into two
bodies, and swept round on one side himself, while the Count of Flanders
did the same on the other to attack the Prince of Wales in more regular
array. Taking a circuitous route, D'Alencon appeared upon a rising ground
on the flank of the archers of the Black Prince, and thus, avoiding their
arrows, charged down with his cavalry upon the 800 men-at-arms gathered
round the Black Prince, while the Count of Flanders attacked on the other
flank. Nobly did the flower of English chivalry withstand the shock of the
French, and the prince himself and the highest nobles and simple
men-at-arms fought side by side. None gave away a foot.

In vain the French, with impetuous charges, strove to break through the
mass of steel. The spear-heads were cleft off with sword and battle-axe,
and again and again men and horses recoiled from the unbroken line. Each
time the French retired the English ranks were formed anew, and as attack
followed attack a pile of dead rose around them. The Count D'Alencon and
the Duke of Lorraine were among the first who fell. The young Count of
Blois, finding that he could not ride through the wall of steel, dismounted
with his knights and fought his way on foot towards the banner of the
Prince of Wales. For a time the struggle was desperate, and the young
prince, with his household knights, was for a time well-nigh beaten back.

Walter, fighting close beside the prince, parried more than one blow
intended for him, and the prince himself slew the Count of Blois, whose
followers all fell around him. The Count of Flanders was also slain, and
confusion began to reign among the assailants, whose leaders had now all
fallen. Phillip himself strove to advance with his division into the
fight, but the struggle between the Genoese and the men-at-arms was still
continuing, and the very multitude of his troops in the narrow and
difficult field which the English had chosen for the battle embarrassed his
movements.

Charles of Luxembourg, King of the Romans, and afterwards Emperor of
Germany, son of the old King of Bohemia, with a large body of German and
French cavalry, now assailed the English archers, and in spite of their
flights of arrows came to close quarters, and cutting their way through
them joined in the assault upon the men-at-arms of the Black Prince. Nearly
40,000 men were now pressing round the little body, and the Earls of
Northampton and Arundel moved forward with their divisions to his support,
while the Earl of Warwick, who was with the prince, despatched Sir Thomas
of Norwich to the king, who still remained with his powerful reserve, to
ask for aid.

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