That like the thunderbolt, where'er it fell, Flame in the brutal Ardan's robber hand, When, sick and cold as the grave, she turn'd away Nor the strong hauberk, nor the crested casque, Stay that descending sword. Dreadful she moved, Like as the Angel of the Lord went forth And smote his army, when the Assyrian King, Haughty of Hamath and Sepharvaim fallen, Blasphem'd the God of Israel. Yet the fight Hung doubtful, where exampling hardiest deeds, 2 Salisbury mow'd down the foe, and Fastolffe strove, And in the hottest doings of the war Towered Talbot. He, remembering the past day When from his name the affrighted sons of France Fled trembling, all astonish'd at their force And wontless valour, rages round the field Meeting a foe fearless, and in the faith Of Heaven's assistance firm. The clang of arms Reaches the walls of Orleans. For the war Prepared, and confident of victory, Speed forth the troops. Not when afar exhaled In the long siege, to wreak upon their foes * Now does the day grow blacker than before, Now quenched in blood their radiance. O'er the host Howl'd the deep wind that ominous of storms Even such a storm Before the walls of Chartres quell'd the pride The swords that glistered late, in purple gore And again Book 7. Mays Edward III. The glittering swords that shone so bright of late GOD in the tempest, and remembered him Il advint a luy et a toute sa gent, estant devant Chartres, qui moult humilia et brise son courage; car entendis que ces traicteurs Francois alloient et preschoient ledit roy et son conseil, et encores nulle responce agreable nen avoient eue. Une orage une tempeste et une fouldre si grande et si horrible descendit du ciel en lost du roy Dangleterre quil sembloit proprement que le siecle deust finer. Car il cheoit si grosses pierres que elles tuoyent hommes et chevaulx, et en furent les plus hardis tous esbahis. Adoncques regarda le roy Dangleterre devers leglise de nostre dame de Chartres, et se voua et rendit devotement a nostre dame, et promist, et confissa sicomme il dist depuis quil se accorderoit a la paix. Froissart. But whilst he lodged there, (before Chartres) his army making a horrible spoile of the whole country, there chanced an occasion, as the work of Heaven, which suddenly quailed his ambitious design to ruin France: for behold a horrible and extraordinary tempest of haile, thunder, and lightning, fals with such violence as many horses and men in the army perished, as if that God had stretched forth his hand from Heaven to stay his course. De Serres. Lo! where the holy banner waved aloft, It stream'd miraculous splendour. Then their hearts The sun stand still on Gibeon, at the voice Borne backward Talbot turns. Then echoed loud And Darkness, hovering o'er on raven wing, |