your army here, and quartered them for the night; . for before the rear fhall come up, and the army be properly drawn out, it will be very late, your, men will be tired and in diforder, whilft they will find your enemies frefti and properly arrayed. On the morrow, you may draw up your army more at your eafe, and may reconnoitre at leifure on what part it will be moft advantageous to begin the at-tack; for, be aflured, they will wait for you/ The king commanded that it fhould be fo done : and the two marfhals rode, one towards the front, and the other to the rear, crying out, € Halt ban-. ners, in the name of God and St. Denis.' Thofe that were in the front halted ; but thofe behind faid they would not halt, until they were as for-ward as the front. When the front perceived the rear preffiog on, they pufhed forward; and neither the king nor the marfhals could flop them, but they marched on without any order until they came in fight of their enemies. As. foon as the foremoft rank faw them, they fell back ' at once, in great diforder which alarmed thofe in the rear, who thought they had been fighting. There was then fpace and room enough for them to have paled forward, had they been willing fo to do : fomç did fo, but others remained fhy.. • All the roads between Abbeville and Crecy were covered with common people, who, when they were come within three leagues of their enemies, drew their fwords, bawling out, * Kill, kill ;' and with them were many great lords that were eager to make fhew of their courage. There is no man, VOL. II. M % unlefs 161-