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of France had not about him more than sixty men, every one included. Sir John of Hainault, who was of the number, had once remounted the King, whose horse had been killed under him by an arrow. Sir," he said to him, "retreat while you have an opportunity, do not expose yourself so rashly; if you have lost this battle, another time you will be the conqueror." After he had said this, he took hold of the bridle of the King's horse and led him off by force.

The King rode on until he came to the castle of La Broyes, where he found the gates shut, as it was now very dark. He ordered the governor of the castle to be summoned, who came upon the battlements and asked who it was who called at such an hour. The King answered, "Open, open, governor, it is the fortune of France." The governor hearing the King's voice, immediately descended, opened the gate, and let down the bridge. The King and his company entered the castle: his company, I must tell you, consisted only of five barons, Sir John of Hainault, the Lord Charles of Montmorency, the Lord of Beaujeu, the Lord of Aubigny, and the Lord of Montfort. He would not stay long in such a place as the castle; but having taken some refreshments, set out again with his attendants about midnight, and rode on under the direction of guides who were well acquainted with the country until about day-break, when he came to Amiens, where he halted.

This Saturday the English never quitted their ranks

in pursuit of any one, but remained on the field, guarding their position, and defending themselves against all who attacked them. The battle ended at the hour of vespers. When the English heard no more hooting or shouting, nor any more crying out to particular lords or their banners, they looked upon the field as their own, and considered their enemies to be beaten. The night was very dark; they made large fires, and lighted torches. King Edward, who during the day had never once put on his helmet, now came down from his post, and with his whole battalion advanced to the Prince of Wales, whom he affectionately embraced, saying, "Sweet son, GOD give you good perseverance: you are my son, for most loyally have you acquitted yourself this day; you are worthy to be a sovereign." The Prince bowed very low and humbled himself, giving all honour to the King his father.

The English during the night made frequent thanksgivings to the LORD for the happy issue of the day, and passed their time without rioting; for the King had forbidden all riot and noise.

On Sunday morning there was so dense a fog that one could scarcely see the distance of half an acre. King Edward ordered a detachment from the army under command of the two marshals, consisting of about five hundred lances, and two thousand archers, to make an excursion, and see if there were any parties of French collected together. A quota of troops from Rouen and Beauvais had this Sunday morning left Abbeville and S. Ricquier, in Ponthieu, to join the

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French army, being ignorant of the defeat of the ceding evening; they met this detachment, and hastened to join them, thinking they must be French. As soon as the English found who they were they fell upon them; for a time there was a sharp engagement; but the French soon turned and fled in great disorder. Upwards of seven thousand were slain in their flight in the open fields, and under hedges, and bushes, and had it been clear weather, not one soul would have escaped. A little afterwards, the same party fell in with the Archbishop of Rouen, and the great Prior of France, who were also ignorant of the discomfiture of the French: they had been informed that the King was not to fight before Sunday. Here then a fresh battle began, for these two lords were well attended by good men-at-arms; however, they could not withstand the English, but were almost all slain, with the two chiefs who commanded them, very few only escaping.

In the course of the morning the English found many Frenchmen who had lost their road on the Saturday, and had lain in the open fields, not knowing what was become of the King, or their own leaders. All these they put to the sword; and it has been asserted for a fact, that of foot soldiers sent from the cities, towns, and municipalities, there were slain this Sunday morning four times as many as in the battle on Saturday. This detachment which had been sent to look after the French, returned as the King was coming from mass, and related to him what they

had seen and met with; and after he had been assured by them that there was no appearance of the French collecting another army, he sent to have the number and condition of the dead examined. Upon this business he ordered Lord Reginald Cobham, Lord Stafford, three heralds to examine their arms, and two secretaries to write down all the names. These were the whole day upon the field of battle, and did not return until the King was just sitting down to supper. They gave a very circumstantial report of all they observed, and said that they found eighty banners, the bodies of eleven princes, twelve hundred knights, and about thirty thousand common men. The English halted at Crecy that day, and on Monday morning prepared to march off. The King ordered the bodies of the principal knights to be taken from the field of slaughter, and carried to the monastery of Montenay, which was hard by, there to be interred in consecrated ground. He had it proclaimed in the neighbourhood that he should grant a truce of three days for the burial of the dead; after this he marched on and came before the strong town of Calais.

WHILE King Edward was carrying on the siege of Calais, the Scots determined to make war upon his kingdom, thinking it a good opportunity to be revenged for the many disasters which he had brought upon them. There were at this time very few men-at-arms in England, as the king had a large number with him before Calais, and very many were employed in his other armies in Brittany, Poitou, and Gascony. The King of France took great pains to foment the invasion, in order that the English might have so much to do at home that it would oblige them to raise the siege of Calais and return to England. David, King of Scotland, issued his summons for a parliament to be holden at Perth; which was well attended by his earls, prelates, and barons, who were unanimous for invading England as speedily as possible. Raynald, lord of the isles, who governed the wild Scots, and whom alone they would obey, was sent to and entreated to attend the parliament. He complied with

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