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of his camp, and the sight of his intrepid face and cheerful step inspired his men with courage and hope. His commands were prompt and peremptory; there must be no noise and no delay. Thus passed the memorable night before Agincourt, in the English camp. The French employed themselves far differently. They were only about a mile distant, and their shouts and movements could be distinctly heard. Blazing fires were kindled to keep off the chill of the rain, which also lit up their camp to the view of their adversaries. There was a constant rushing to and fro, voices loud in anger and command, trumpets blasting, groups of men drinking and gambling, officers quarrelling, wine flowing freely, laughter and song, and boasting and yelling, through the long night. There was no order in the ranks; the generals, confident of their triumph, were careless in the preservation of discipline, and longed for the morrow, that their prowess might deal the fatal blow. The noblemen played at dice for the prisoners which they expected to take. The universal idea in the French camp was, that victory was sure, and that they could afford to avoid the tedious preparation for a doubtful conflict.

During the night the Constable D'Albret arrived at headquarters, and sought to restore order; but so violent were the jealousies of his generals, some of whom were princes of the blood royal, that his attempts were attended with but poor success.

About midnight Henry sent a small force to reconnoitre the ground between the armies, that he might know where to place his own. Not long after, the Count de Richemont, by order of Orleans, approached the English camp at the head of two thousand men, with the supposed design of surprising

them. Henry at once put his troops in order of battle, and after a short skirmish Richemont retired to the French lines.

The two forces which confronted one another on the field of Agincourt are very differently estimated by the English and French contemporary writers. Sir William Bardolph states that the French had over one hundred and fifty thousand, whilst Otterbourne makes the number sixty thousand. Of the French chroniclers, Monstrelet says with Bardolph; St. Remy puts the number at only fifty thousand. The best judgment that can now be given in the presence of testimony so conflicting, is, that there were at least sixty thousand, probably more. The French army was divided into a van guard, a main body, a rear guard, and two wings. The van guard was commanded by the Constable of France, D'Albret, who was also General-inChief. It was composed entirely of infantry, divided into eight thousand bacinets, knights, and esquires, four thousand archers, and fifteen hundred crossbowmen. The latter corps was arranged in the rear of the men-at-arms, and embraced the flower of the French chivalry. The Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, princes of the blood, the Counts D'Eu and Richemont, Marshal Boucicault, commanding the bows, Dampierre, Admiral of France, and other nobles of renown held their commands in the van guard. The main body, immediately at the rear of the van guard, was commanded by the Duke de Bar, and under him the Counts of Nevers, Vaudemont, Blamont, Salines, Grandpré, and Roussi. There were about the same number of infantry in this body as in the van. The rear guard, consisting likewise of infantry, were led by the Count de Marle, having as his lieutenants the Counts of Damp

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martin, Fauquembergh, and the Baron de Lonroy. The number of this grand division is not definitely stated.

The Count de Vendôme commanded the right wing, which was composed of sixteen hundred menat-arms, and was designed to turn the English flank. Sir Clignet de Brabant and Louis Duc de Bourbon divided the command of the left wing, which was supplied by picked men-at-arms, mounted for cavalry service.

The English army, according to the most trustworthy writers, could not have amounted to much more than six thousand fighting men. The archers, under Sir Thomas Erpingham, steward of the royal household, were stationed at the immediate front, facing the van guard of the enemy. The main body, composed of men-at-arms, King Henry himself proposed to lead. The proper van guard it was necessary to use as a wing, on account of the smallness of numbers, and so was posted on the right, a little back of the archers. This division was intrusted, by his request, to the Duke of York. The rear guard, under Lord Camoys, likewise served as a wing, on the left. Among the lieutenants were the Duke of Gloucester, younger brother of the King; the Earl Marshal of England, John, Earl of Nottingham; the Earls of Oxford, March, Salisbury, Huntingdon, and Suffolk; Lords Fitzhugh, Talbot of Furnival, Ros, Clifford, Scroop of Bolton, Maltravers, Harrington, and Ferrers of Chartley, and scions of the illustrious houses of Courtenay, Shirley, Talbot, Hastings, Grey, Ashton, Berkeley, Percy, De La Pole, Stanley, and Legh. Seldom has an expedition boasted so distinguished a roll of names. It may be said truly that the flower of both nations were collected upon that memorable field.

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