. History of France and Normandy, from the earliest times to the revolution of 1848. Charles of Blois. PHILIP OF VALOIS. 133 lanks were a little disordered. Several other circumstancescontributed to increase this confusion; the sun and wind werein the face of the advancing army; an order to halt, partially-heard and still more partially obeyed, mingled the first andsecond lines; finally a heavy shower of rain damaged thebow-strings of the Genoese archers, on whom Philip placedhis principal reliance. 22. At length about four oclock inthe afternoon they came in sight of the English army, drawnup
. History of France and Normandy, from the earliest times to the revolution of 1848. Charles of Blois. PHILIP OF VALOIS. 133 lanks were a little disordered. Several other circumstancescontributed to increase this confusion; the sun and wind werein the face of the advancing army; an order to halt, partially-heard and still more partially obeyed, mingled the first andsecond lines; finally a heavy shower of rain damaged thebow-strings of the Genoese archers, on whom Philip placedhis principal reliance. 22. At length about four oclock inthe afternoon they came in sight of the English army, drawnup in three lines, of which the foremost was commanded byEdward the Black Prince, and the reserve by the king him-self. 23. Having made a brief pause, the count dAlenconordered the Genoese archers to begin in the name of God andSt. Dennis. They advanced in rather a strange way; theytook three leaps forward, setting up a shout after each; and. Battle of Crftjy. 12 134 HISTORY OF FRANCE. when they had given the third spring they discharged theirarrows. But as their strings had been damaged by the raintheir shot produced but little effect, while the English archers,who had kept their bows in cases, returned a flight of arrowsso close and well directed, that the Genoese fell into irreme-diable disorder. The count dAlencon, surprised and morti-fied at the conduct of the archers, called out treason, orderedthe cavalry to ride over the run-a-ways, and fall on the Eng-lish lines. This foolish command increased the confusion;the cavalry rode down their own archers, but were in theirturn entangled among the routed Genoese, while the Englisharchers kept up an incessant hail-shower of shafts, that didfearful execution. il There were besides, says an old histo-rian, some rough fellows in the English army, who beingarmed only with knives, ran out of the ranks when they sawa knight dismounted and cut his throat. 24. When Alencon at last
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