Sickness broke out among Henry's troops after they landed, so
that their number was reduced to about fifteen thousand. Fifty or
sixty thousand Frenchmen were encamped on the field of Agincourt
(azh-an-koor') to oppose this little army.
The odds were greatly against Henry. The night before the battle
one of his officers said he wished that the many thousand brave
soldiers who were quietly sleeping in their beds in England were
with the king.
"I would not have a single man more," said Henry. "If god give
us victory, it will be plain we owe it to His grace. If not, the
fewer we are the less loss for England."
The men drew courage from their king. The English archers poured
arrows into the ranks of their opponents; and although the French
fought bravely, they were completely routed. Eleven thousand
Frenchmen fell. Among the slain were more than a hundred of the
nobles of the land.
II
Agincourt was not the last of Henry's victories. He brought a
second army of forty thousand men over to France. Town after town
was captured, and at last Henry and his victorious troops laid siege
to Rouen, which was then the largest and richest city in France.
Pages:
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203