The Battaile of Agincourt Part 6

[Stanza 81: _The braue solemnity at the departing of the Fleet._]

From euery Ship when as the Ordnance rore, Of their depart, that all might vnderstand, When as the zealous people from the sh.o.r.e, Againe with fires salute them from the Land, For so was order left with them before, To watch the Beacons, with a carefull hand, Which being once fierd, the people more or lesse, Should all to Church, and pray for their successe.

[Stanza 82: _The Nauy Landing in the mouth of Seyne._]

They shape their Course into the Month of Seyne, That destin'd Flood those Nauies to receiue, Before whose fraught her France had prostrate laine, As now she must this, that shall neuer leaue, Vntill the Engines that it doth containe, Into the ayre her heightned walls shall heaue; Whose stubborne Turrets had refus'd to bow, To that braue Nation that shall shake them now.

[Stanza 83]

Long Boates with Scouts are put to land before, Vpon light Naggs the Countrey to discry, (Whilst the braue Army setting is on sh.o.r.e,) To view what strength the enemy had nie, Pressing the bosome of large France so sore, That her pale Genius, in affright doth flye To all her Townes and warnes them to awake, And for her safety vp their Armes to take.

[Stanza 84]

At Paris, Roan, and Orleance, she calls, And at their gates with gronings doth complaine: Then cries she out, O get vp to your walls: The English Armies are return'd againe, Which in two Battailes gaue those fatall falls, At Cressie, and at Poyteers, where lay slaine Our conquered Fathers, which with very feare Quake in their Graues to feele them landed here.

[Stanza 85]

The King of France now hauing vnderstood, Of Henries entrance, (but too well improu'd,) He cleerly saw that deere must be the blood, That it must cost, e'r he could be remou'd; He sends to make his other Sea Townes good, Neuer before so much it him behou'd; In eu'ry one a Garison to lay, Fearing fresh powers from England eu'ry day.

[Stanza 86: _The braue encouragement of a couragious King._]

To the high'st earth whilst awfull Henry gets, From whence strong Harflew he might easl'est see, With sprightly words, and thus their courage whets, In yonder walls be Mynes of gold (quoth he) He's a poore Slaue, that thinkes of any debts; Harflew shall pay for all, it ours shall be: This ayre of France doth like me wondrous well, Lets burne our Ships, for here we meane to dwell.

[Stanza 87: _A charitable Proclamation made by the King._]

But through his Hoast, he first of all proclaim'd In paine of death, no English man should take From the Religious, aged, or the maym'd, Or women that could no resistance make: To gaine his owne for that he onely aym'd; Nor would haue such to suffer for his sake: Which in the French (when they the same did heare) Bred of this braue King, a religious feare.

[Stanza 88: _The Kings mayne Standard (for the ponderousnes thereof,) euer borne vpon a Carriage._]

His Army rang'd, in order fitting warre, Each with some greene thing doth his Murrian crowne, With his mayne standard fixt vpon the Carre; Comes the great King before th'intrenched Towne, Whilst from the walls the people gazing are, In all their sights he sets his Army downe; Nor for their shot he careth not a pin, But seekes where he his Battery may begin.

[Stanza 89: _The King makes his approches on three parts._]

And into three, his Army doth diuide, His strong aproaches on three parts to make; Himselfe on th'one, Clarence on th'other side, To Yorke and Suffolke he the third doth take, The Mines the Duke of Glocester doth guide; Then caus'd his Ships the Riuer vp to Stake, That none with Victuall should the Towne relieue Should the Sword faile, with Famine them to grieue.

[Stanza 90: _The King summons Harflew._]

From his Pauillion where he sate in State, Arm'd for the Siedge, and buckling on his Shield, Braue Henry sends his Herault to the Gate, By Trumpets sound, to summon them to yeeld, And to accept his Mercy, ere to late, Or else to say ere he forsooke the field, Harflew should be but a meere heape of Stones, Her buildings buried with her Owners bones.

[Stanza 91]

France on this sudaine put into a fright, With the sad newes of Harflew in distresse, Whose inexpected, miserable plight, She on the suddaine, knew not to redresse, But vrg'd to doe the vtmost that she might, The peoples feares and clamours to suppresse, Raiseth a power with all the speede she could, Somewhat thereby, to loose King Henries hold.

[Stanza 92: _Charles de Alibert, and Iohn Bowcequalt._]

The Marshall, and the Constable of France, Leading those Forces levied for the turne, By which they thought their t.i.tles to aduance, And of their Countrey endlesse praise to earne, But it with them farre otherwise doth chance, For when they saw the Villages to burne, And high-towr'd Harflew round ingirt with fires, They with their powers to Cawdebeck retire.

[Stanza 93: _A Simile of the French powers._]

Like as a Hinde when shee her Calfe doth see, Lighted by chance into a Lions pawes, From which should shee aduenture it to free, Shee must her selfe fill his deuouring Iawes, And yet her young one, still his prey must be, (Shee so instructed is by Natures Lawes:) With them so fares it, which must needs goe downe If they would fight; and yet must loose the Towne:

[Stanza 94: _A description of the siege of Harflewe, in the 19 following Stanzaes._]

Now doe they mount their Ordnance for the day, Their scaling Ladders rearing to the walls, Their battering Rammes against the gates they lay, Their brazen slings send in the wilde-fire b.a.l.l.s, Baskets of twigs now carie stones and clay, And to th'a.s.sault who furiously not falls; The Spade and Pickax working are belowe, Which then vnfelt, yet gaue the greatest blowe.

[Stanza 95]

Rampiers of earth the painefull Pyoners raise With the walls equall, close vpon the Dike, To pa.s.se by which the Souldier that a.s.sayes, On Planks thrust ouer, one him downe doth strike: Him with a mall a second English payes, A second French transpearc'd him with a Pyke: That from the height of the embattel'd Towers, Their mixed blood ranne downe the walls in showers.

[Stanza 96]

A French man back into the Towne doth fall, With a sheafe Arrow shot into the head; An English man in scaling of the wall, From the same place is by a stone struck dead; Tumbling vpon them logs of wood, and all, That any way for their defence might sted: The hills at hand re-ecchoing with the din Of shouts without, and fearefull shrickes within.

[Stanza 97: _Crosbowe Arrowes._]

When all at once the English men a.s.saile, The French within all valiantly defend, And in a first a.s.sault, if any faile, They by a second striue it to amend: Out of the Towne come quarries thick as haile; As thick againe their Shafts the English send: The bellowing Canon from both sides doth rore, With such a noyse as makes the Thunder pore.

[Stanza 98]

Now vpon one side you should heare a cry, And all that Quarter clowded with a smother; The like from that against it by and by; As though the one were eccho to the other, The King and Clarence so their turnes can ply: And valiant Gloster showes himselfe their brother; Whose Mynes to the besieg'd more mischiefe doe, Then with th'a.s.saults aboue, the other two.

[Stanza 99]

An olde man sitting by the fier side, Decrepit with extreamity of Age, Stilling his little Grand-childe when it cride, Almost distracted with the Batteries rage: Sometimes doth speake it faire, sometimes doth chide, As thus he seekes its mourning to a.s.swage, By chance a Bullet doth the chimney hit, Which falling in, doth kill both him and it.

[Stanza 100]

Whilst the sad weeping Mother sits her downe, To giue her little new-borne Babe the Pap: A lucklesse quarry leueld at the Towne, Kills the sweet Baby sleeping in her lap, That with the fright shee falls into a swoone, From which awak'd, and mad with the mishap; As vp a Rampire shreeking she doth clim, Comes a great Shot, and strikes her lim from lim.

[Stanza 101]

Whilst a sort runne confusedly to quench, Some Pallace burning, or some fired Street, Call'd from where they were fighting in the Trench; They in their way with b.a.l.l.s of Wilde-fire meet, So plagued are the miserable French, Not aboue head, but also vnder feet: For the fierce English vowe the Towne to take, Or of it soone a heape of stones to make.

[Stanza 102]

Hot is the Siege the English comming on, As men so long to be kept out that scorne, Carelesse of wounds as they were made of stone; As with their teeth the walls they would haue torne: Into a Breach who quickly is not gone; Is by the next behind him ouer-borne: So that they found a place that gaue them way, They neuer car'd what danger therein lay.

[Stanza 103]

From eu'ry Quarter they their course must plye, As't pleas'd the King them to th'a.s.sault to call: Now on the Duke of Yorke the charge doth lye: To Kent and Cornwall then the turne doth fall: Then Huntingdon vp to the walls they crye: Then Suffolke, and then Excester; which all In their meane Souldiers habits vs'd to goe, Taking such part as those that own'd them doe.

[Stanza 104]

The men of Harflew rough excursions make, Vpon the English watchfull in their Tent, Whose courages they to their cost awake, With many a wound that often back them sent, So proud a Sally that durst vndertake, And in the Chase pell mell amongst them went, For on the way such ground of them they win, That some French are shut out, some English in.

[Stanza 105]

Nor idely sit our Men at Armes the while, Foure thousand Horse that eu'ry day goe out; And of the Field are Masters many a mile, By putting the Rebellious French to rout; No Peasants them with promises beguile: Another bus'nesse they were come about; For him they take, his Ransome must redeeme, Onely French Crownes, the English men esteeme.