until it was proper time for them to use their bows. The rest of the English army remained with King Henry, and were shortly after drawn up in battle array, by Sir Thomas Erpingham, a knight grown grey with age, who placed the archers in front, and the men-at-arms behind them. He then formed two wings of men-at-arms and archers, and posted the horses and baggage in the rear. Each archer planted a stake before him sharpened at both ends. Sir Thomas, in the name of the king, exhorted them all most earnestly to fight for their lives, and thus saying he rode along the ranks. When all was prepared he flung into the air a baton which he held in his hand, crying out "Nestrocque !" (now strike), and then dismounted, as the king and others had done. When the English saw Sir Thomas throw up his baton, they set up a loud shout, to the very great astonishment of the French. The English seeing the enemy not inclined to advance, marched slowly towards them in order of battle, and again uttered a very loud shout, when they stopped to recover their breath. The archers, who were hidden in the field, re-echoed these shoutings, at the same time vigorously discharging their arrows, while the English army kept advancing on the French. The archers amounting to at least thirteen thousand, first discharged a shower of arrows with all their might, and at as great a distance as possible. They were, for the most part, without any armour, and in doublets, with their hosen loose *, and hatchets or swords hanging to their girdles; some were bare-footed and without hats. The English loudly sounded their trumpets as they approached; and the French stooped to prevent the arrows entering through the visors of their bacinets; thus, the distance was now but small between the two armies, although the French had retired some paces; before, however, the general attack commenced, numbers of the French were slain and severely wounded by the English bowmen. When the English reached them they were so close and crowded, that excepting some of the front line, who had cut their lances in two, that they might be stronger, they could not raise their hands. The division under Sir Cligny de Brabant, of eight hundred men-at-arms, who were intended to break through the English archers, were reduced to seven score, who vainly attempted it. True it is, Sir William de Savenses, who had been ordered on this service, quitted his troop, thinking they would follow him, to attack the English, but he was shot dead from his horse. The others had their horses so severely handled by the archers, that they galloped on the advanced guard, and threw it into the utmost confusion, breaking the line in many places. The horses were become unmanageable, so that horses and riders were tumbling on the ground, and the whole army was thrown into disorder, and forced back upon some lands that had been just sown with corn. Others, from fear of death, fled; and this caused so universal a panic in the army, that great part followed the example. The English took instant advantage of the disorder in the advanced guard, and throwing down their bows, fought lustily with swords, hatchets, mallets, and billhooks, slaying all before them, till they came to the second battalion, which had been posted in the rear of the first; and the archers were closely followed by King Henry and his men-at-arms. The whole reardivision being on horseback, witnessing the defeat of the two others, began to fly, except some of its leaders.

The greater portion were afflicted with a constant diarrhoea.

During the heat of the combat, the English made several prisoners; and news was brought to King Henry that the French were attacking his rear, and had already captured the greater part of his baggage and sumpter-horses. This was true; for Robinal de Bouronville, Rifflart de Clamasse, Ysambert d'Azincourt, and some other men-at-arms, with about six hundred peasants, had fallen upon and taken a great part of King Henry's baggage, and a number of horses, while the guard were occupied in battle. When the English perceived this, the King commanded that every one should kill his prisoners; but those who had captured them would not do so, because they had only taken those for whom they expected a great ransom. As soon as the King was informed of the fact, he appointed a gentleman, with 200 archers, to kill all the prisoners; and the said squire so executed the King's orders that it was a most lamentable thing; for all those noblemen of France were there killed in cold blood, and cut to pieces, heads and faces, which was a fearful sight to see. The Count de Marle, the Count de Fauquemberg, the Lords de Lonvroy and de Chin, had, with some difficulty, retained about six hundred men-at-arms, with whom they made a gallant charge on the English; but it availed nothing, for they were all killed or taken prisoners.

There were other small bodies of French on different parts of the plain; but they were soon routed, slain, or taken. The conclusion was a complete victory on the part of the King of England, who only lost about 1600 men of all ranks. Among the slain was the Duke of York, uncle to the King.

When the King of England saw himself master of the field of battle, and that the French, except such as had been taken, were flying in all directions, he made the circuit of the plain, attended by his princes; and, while his men were employed in stripping the dead, he called to him the French herald, Mountjoye, king-at-arms, and with him many other French and English heralds, and said to them, "It is not we who have made this great slaughter, but the omnipotent God, and, as we believe, for a punishment of the sins of the French." He then asked to whom the victory belonged-to him or to the King of France? Mountjoye replied that the victory must be attributed to him, and not to the King of France. The King then asked the name of a castle he saw near him? He was told it was called Azincourt *. Then," said he, "since all battles should bear the name of the fortresses nearest to the spot where they were fought, this battle shall henceforth and for ever bear the name of AZINCOURT."

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The English remained a considerable time on the field; but seeing they were free from their enemies, and that night was approaching, they returned in a body to Maisonçelle, where they had lodged the preceding night. They again fixed their quarters there, carrying with them many of the wounded. After they had quitted the field of battle, several of the French, half dead with wounds, crawled away to an adjoining wood, and some went to villages and other places as well as they could.

On the morrow, very early, King Henry dislodged, with his army and all his prisoners, from Maisonçelle, and again went to the field of battle. All the French they found there alive were put to death or

*I could discover no traces of this fortress.

made prisoners. Then, pursuing the road towards the sea-coast, they marched away. Three parts of the army were on foot, sorely fatigued with their efforts in the late battle, and greatly distressed by famine and other wants.

The number of prisoners, including princes, knights, esquires, and men of every rank, slain that day, amounted to upwards of ten thousand. The bodies of the greater part were carried away by their friends, after the departure of the English, and buried where it was agreeable to them. Of these ten thousand, it was supposed only sixteen hundred were varlets, the rest all gentlemen; for it was found, on counting the princes, six hundred banners were killed.

During the battle, the Duke of Alençon, with the assistance of his followers, most valiantly broke through the English line, and advanced fighting near to the King, insomuch that he wounded and struck down the Duke of York. Then King Henry, seeing this, stepped forth and leaned a little to raise him, when the Duke of Alençon gave him a blow upon his bacinet, that struck off part of his crown. The King's bodyguard surrounded him; when, seeing he could not escape death, he lifted up his hand, and said to the King, "I am the Duke of Alençon; I yield myself to you;" but as the King was about to receive his pledge, he was put to death by the guards.

During five days succeeding the battle, the bodies of the most important persons were raised from the heaps, and having been washed, many were interred in the church of the Friars Minor at Hesdin. It was not, however, until Philip Count of Chartlois commanded it, that the remaining corpses were interred. That prince ordered the Abbot of Roussainville and the Bailiff of Aire to see it performed; who caused a square of twenty-five yards to be measured, in which three trenches were dug, each twelve feet wide, and 5800 men were there buried. The ground was afterwards consecrated by the Bishop of Guisnes, and was surrounded with a strong hedge of thorns, to prevent the wolves and dogs from devouring its contents. The ground continued in this state till 1734. At that period the plain of Gacogne (Agincourt) was possessed by the house of Tramecourt, which shared a part of the property of the family of Agincourt in the sixteenth century. The Marchioness of Tramecourt made a vow to build a chapel on the spot in case her son Eugene François returned safe from Italy, where he was then serving under the Marquis de Coigny. Her prayer was granted; and a small chapel, remarkable for its architectural decorations, was erected. This chapel, the record of a mother's piety, was totally destroyed during the revolution of 1794, and the materials used to construct pigstyes.

An English colonel, whose name I could not learn, resided for a considerable period at the château de Tramecourt, and employed a number of men in excavating this immense grave. His search was, as I am informed, rewarded by the discovery of a number of relics. It is said he carried away a "cartload" of pieces of armour, shields, breastplates, swords, spear-heads, bridle and stirrup irons, spurs, &c. These antiquities must constitute a very unique and interesting museum.

Though equally zealous in the search, yet as I could not spare time to superintend a digging upon the spot, I obtained nothing, until I reached Blangi. This pleasant village, most delightfully situated in a

fine country, and, as usual, embowered in trees, is celebrated as the spot where King Henry forded the Ternois, a river on whose banks it is built. This stream is very narrow, but deep, and has always been remarkable for producing fine trout. While engaged in whisking an artificial May-fly upon its surface-(thousands of the natural insect hovered over the river)—the marishal or smith of Blangi accosted me with great civility, inquiring if I was not searching for relics of "the great battle fought in the neighbourhood." On answering in the affirmative, he produced from his pocket what he styled " un morceau de fer," but which my more practised eye instantly discovered to be an old English arrow-head of that kind used by our archers for piercing the highly-tempered coats of mail worn by the knights of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. I quickly transferred it from the honest smith's pocket to my own. It is altogether about three inches and a quarter in length, including the ferule by which it was attached to the stele or shaft. The point is solid and triangular; the weight about an ounce. Upon trying it with a file, it appeared very highly tempered; and when projected from one of those powerful yew-bows wielded by the archers of that period, must have acted upon a coat of mail like a punch driven by a heavy sledge hammer. The arrow-point in question is deeply encrusted with rust, as might be expected after lying in the moist earth upwards of four centuries. Again fitted to a cloth-yard shaft, feathered with the grey goose wing, and inscribed with the interesting name of " Agincourt," it now occupies a conspicuous situation among a small collection of similar antiquities.

The helmet and saddle used by Henry V. in this memorable contest are still preserved near his monument in Westminster Abbey; but, from their position, it is impossible to examine and very difficult to see them. Of these interesting relics, which deserve more attention than has hitherto been bestowed upon them, it may be remarked that the helmet is of the casque kind, deeply indented in two places, as if by the strokes of a battle-axe, and is otherwise bruised. Some faint traces of foliage are visible in the front plates, though greatly corroded with rust, and the lower rim is still ornamented with quatre-foils. It is very probable this very helmet was worn by Henry during the conflict, and, as appears from our annals, was the means of twice preserving his life. "His bruised helmet and his bended sword," though he would not suffer them to be borne before him, nor shown to the people, when he made his triumphant entry into London, are known to have been objects of great interest; and it can scarcely be doubted they were deposited here along with the other memorials of his prowess that once adorned his chapel, but of which this and the saddle and shield are alone remaining. The saddle, which was originally covered with blue velvet, powdered with golden fleurs-de-lis, is nearly reduced to the wood and first covering of buckram on the seat. It is twenty-seven inches in length, fifteen inches high in front, and thirteen inches high behind. The shield, which is small, had a green damask lining, with semée of fleurs-de-lis, and across the middle, worked on rich crimson velvet, ardres carbuncle. Both the shield and saddle are now fastened up against the large columns adjacent to the towers.

FRENCH PRIVATEERING IN THE WEST INDIES.

THE depredations committed upon our commerce by the notorious privateer's man, Captain Love; his spirit of enterprise; his daring intrepidity, and many qualifications, forming altogether an extraordinary character, had created a sort of emulation among our naval officers for his capture, and all were on the qui vive to intercept him; and as he was considered to be a native of some part of Great Britain or Ireland, the Commander-in-Chief was determined, should he be taken, to send him to England for trial as a rebel against our king and country. Since the demoniac Teach, better known by his piratical name of "Blackbeard," and other sea-robbers in these seas, whose infamous exploits have been so well recorded, no rover had made himself more conspicuous than the said Captain Love. He had been captured. revolutionary war by H. M. S. Thetis, and sent home for trial in the Proselyte frigate; but effected his escape the same night that ship anchored in Plymouth Sound, and was not heard of until the renewal of hostilities, when he again appeared on the Jamaica station, enriching himself by the capture of our merchant vessels. Captain Perkins, commanding the Tartar frigate, who was himself a very extraordinary character, accidentally took Captain Love prisoner; but such was the insinuating address and persuasive manner, covering the most consummate dissimulation, of that wonderful rover, that, to the astonishment of most persons, he cajoled the Captain of the Tartar, and got clear off! I do not now recollect exactly the circumstances of the event, but I think he obtained a boat for the purpose, as he made Captain Perkins believe, of searching for some barrels of salted meat, among which the Spaniards had put a great quantity of doubloons, and buried in the sand, until a favourable opportunity of recovering them. As may be supposed, he disappeared in the woods, and was believed to have perished; but he soon came to life again, creating terror among the merchantmen.

It was after this escape that all eyes were on the look-out for him; and it fell to the lot of the Hon. Lieut. (noble by deeds as by birth) to take the king of the rovers. H. M. S.- -, whilst cruising off St. Jago de Cuba, sent an armed boat away in chase of a schooner, there being at the time no wind. In the morning the boat returned, having recaptured the schooner, which had been taken two days previously by a large French privateer, commanded by the celebrated Captain Love, who was himself in the captured vessel, on his way, it appeared, to St. Jago, to superintend the sale of his numerous prizes. When the Lieutenant boarded the schooner, which was an American, he was met by a gentlemanly man, who welcomed him on board, and congratulated him upon his success in recapturing the vessel, of which, he said, he was the master. He then stated that the privateer's men belonging to Love's vessel, on the approach of the man-of-war's boat the last evening, had taken away a large amount of specie, and landed in a sandy cove not far off. After detailing this circumstance with seeming anxiety and earnestness, he requested the Lieutenant to allow

*Continued from p. 72,