“And send thee better fortune than old Bertram ! “I would that I were young again to meet “These haughty English in the field of fight; Such as I was when on the fatal plain

Of Azincour I met them.”

"Wert thou then

“A sharer in that dreadful day's defeat ?”

Exclaim'd the Bastard, “didst thou know the chief

"Of Orleans?"

"Know him!" the old veteran cried,

"I saw him ere the bloody fight began "Riding from rank to rank, his beaver up, "The long lance quivering in his mighty grasp. "Full was his eye and fierce, yet beaming still "On all his countrymen, chearful and mild, "Winning all hearts. Looking at thee Sir Knight, "Methinks I see him now; such was his eye

"So mild in peace, such was his manly brow; "Beshrew me but I weep at the remembrance."

"Full was his eye," exclaim'd the Bastard Son
Of Orleans, "yet it beam'd benevolence.
"I never yet saw love so dignified!

"There lived not one his vassal, but adored

"The good the gallant Chief. Amid his halls
"High blazed the hospitable hearth, the pilgrim
"Of other countries, seeing his high towers,

Rejoiced, for he had often heard of Orleans.
"He lives, my brother! bound in the hard chain
"He lives most wretched."

The big tear roll'd down

The Warriors cheeks. "But he shall live, Dunois,"
Exclaim'd the Mission'd Maid, "but he shall live
"To hear good tidings; hear of liberty,

"Of his own liberty, by his brother's arm
"Atchiev'd in hard fought battle. He shall live
Happy:* the memory of his prison'd years

*The Maid declared upon her trial, that God loved the Duke of Orleans, and that she had received more revelations

"Shall heighten all his joys, and his grey hairs

"Go to the grave in peace."

"I would fain live

"To see that day," replied their aged host,

"How would my heart leap once more to behold "The gallant generous chieftain! I fought by him "When all the hopes of victory were lost,

"And down his batter'd arms the blood stream'd fast

"From many a wound. like wolves they hemm'd us in
"Fierce in unhoped for conquest: all around
"Our dead and dying countrymen lay heap'd;

"Yet still he strove;-I wondered at his valour !
"There was not one who on that fatal day
"Fought bravelier."

"Fatal was that day to France,"

concerning him, than any person living, except the King. Rapin.

Orleans during his long captivity "had learnt to court the fair ladies of England in their native strains," among the Harleian M.S.S. is a collection of " love poems, roundels and songs,"composed by the French Prince during is confinement.

Exclaim'd the Bastard; "there Alencon died "Valiant in vain; and he the haughty chief

"D" Albert, who rashly arrogant of strength

Impetuous rush'd to ruin. Brabant fell,

"Vaudemont, and Marle, and Bar, and Faquenberg, "Her noblest warriors; daring in despair

Fought the fierce foe; ranks fell on ranks before them; "The prisoners of that shameful day out-summ'd

"Their + victors!

"There are those," old Bertram cried,

"Who for his deeds will honour Henry's name.
"That honour that a conqueror may deserve
"He merits, for right valiantly he fought

+ According to Holinshed the English army consisted of only 15,000 men, harrassed with a tedious march of a month, in very bad weather, through an enemy's country, and for the most part sick of a flux. He states the number of the French at 60,000, of whom 10,000 were slain and 1500 of the higher order taken prisoners. Some historians make the disproportion in numbers still greater. Goodwin says, that among the slain there were one Archbishop, three Dukes, six Earls, ninety Barons, fifteen hundred Knights, and seven thousand Esquires or Gentlemen.

"On that disastrous day; nor deem thou Chief "That cowardice disgraced the sons of France. "They by their leaders arrogance led on

"With heedless fury, found all numbers vain "All efforts fruitless there; and hadst thou seen, "Skilful as brave, how Henry's ready eye

"Lost not a thicket, not a hillock's aid;

"From his hersed * bowmen how the arrows fled

*This was the usual method of marshalling the bowmen. At Crecy" the archers stood in manner of an herse, about two hundred in front and but forty in depth, which is undoubtedly the best way of embattelling archers, especially when the enemy is very numerous, as at this time: for by the breadth of the front the extension of the enemies front is -matched; and by reason of the thinness in flank, the arrows do more certain cxecution, being more likely to reach home." Barnes.

The visory at Poitiers is chiefly attributed to the herse of archers. After mentioning the conduct and courage of the English leaders in that battle, Barnes says "but all this courage had been thrown away to no purpose, had it not been seconded by the extraordinary gallantry of the English archers, who behaved themselves that day with wonderful constancy,