fighting/ , Thofe who heard him replied ; '.Sir,, through God's afliftanée, we will moft cheerfully meet them/ . At this inftant the three knights returned, and pufhing through thé crowd, qawe to tbe king, who alked what news they had brought : fir Euftace de Kibeaumont, whom his companions had requeued! to be their fpokefman, anfwered ; ' Sir, we havp obferved accurately the Englilh : they may amount^ according to our eftimate, to about two thoufand men at arras, four thoufand archers, and fifteen, hundred footmen.. They are in a very ftropg; pofition ; but we do not imagine they can make more than one battalion : neverthelefs, they have polled themfelves with great judgment, havefortified all the road along the hedge-fide, and lined the hedges -with part of their archers ; for,, as that is the only road for an attack, one muft pafs through the midft; of them. This lane bas no other entry ; and. it is fo narrow, that fcarcely can four men ride through it abreaft. At the end of this lane, amidft vines and thorns, where it is impoflfible to ride or march in any regular order, are polled the men at arms qp foot ; and they have drawn up before them their archers, in the manner of a harrow, fo that it will • be no eafy matter to defeat them/ ' % The king alked, in what manner they would ad-vife him to attack them : ' Sir/ replied fir Euftace, f on foot : except three hundred of the moft expert and boldeft of your army, who muft be well armed and excellently mounted, in order to break, if poffible, this body of archers ; and then your bat- X & • talions