Now we will return to the
king of England and recount to you a little of his dispositions.
SHF 1-274 syncThat Friday, as I told you, the
king of England encamped in the midst of the fields with his entire host. They lived well on what they had as there was plenty of it, for they found land rich and abundant in all manner of provisions, and what is more, plentiful supplies were following them in carts. The
king therefore gave a supper for the earls and barons of his army and entertained them well, then he gave them leave to go and rest. That same night, as I have since heard, when everyone had taken leave of him and he remained with the lords of his chamber, he entered his oratory and spent time praying before his altar, devoutly calling upon God, if he should fight the following day, to allow him to emerge from the event with honour. After his prayers, around midnight, he went to bed. The next day he arose early in the morning and heard mass with the
prince of Wales, his son, and they received communion. Most of his men did the same, confessing their sins and making themselves ready. After mass the
king commanded all of his men to arm themselves, come forth from their lodgings and draw up in the fields in the places they had settled on the day before. The
king had a vast waggon park constructed close by a wood, behind his host, where he sent the baggage train. He also brought all of the horses into this area, leaving his men-at-arms and archers on foot. There was only one way into the park. Afterwards he had his constable and marshals organise the army into three divisions.
In the first was installed his son, the
prince of Wales, and selected to stay at the
prince's side were the
earl of Warwick, the
earl of Oxford,
Sir Godfrey de Harcourt,
Sir Reginald Cobham,
Sir Thomas Holland,
Sir Richard Stanford, the
lord of Mauny, the
lord of La Ware,
Sir John Chandos,
Sir Barthélemy de Burghersh,
Sir Robert de Neville,
Sir Thomas de Clifford, the
lord Bourchier, the
lord Latimer, and several other fine knights and squires whose names I do not know. In the prince's division there might have been around eight hundred men-at-arms and two thousand archers, and a thousand brigands along with the
Welsh. This division marched in good order across the fields, each lord under his banner or pennon, or among his people. In the second division were the
earl of Northampton, the
earl of Arundel, the
lord Ros, the
lord Lucy, the
lord Willoughby, the
lord Basset, the
lord St Aubin, Sir Lewis Tufton, the lord Multon, the lord La Salle, and many others. In this division there were around five hundred men-at-arms and twelve hundred archers. The third division was for the king's own person and consisted of many fine knights and squires, in accordance with his needs. In his company there may have been around seven hundred men-at-arms and two thousand archers. When these three divisions were organised and each knew what it must do, the
king of England mounted a small palfrey, with a white staff in his hand and his marshals on his right. He then rode back and forth through the ranks, urging and entreating the earls, barons and knights to protect his honour and defend his rights.
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