prince,
and in his own words, "to let the day be his."

To insure his success, most of the famous knights were placed in the
division which the Black Prince (as he was now called, from the sable
suit of armor he usually wore) was to command; while the Earl of
Warwick and the celebrated Sir John Chandos were ordered not to quit
his side, but be ever ready to direct and aid him.

Early on the morning of August 26, 1346, the trumpets sounded, and the
army marched to take up the position which had been selected on the
previous day. The ground was an irregular slope, looking toward the
south and east--the quarters from which the army were expected. The
prince's division, composed of 800 men-at-arms, 4,000 archers, and
6,000 Welsh foot, was stationed nearly at the bottom of the hill; the
archers, as usual, in front, the light troops next, and then the
men-at-arms, in the midst of whom was the prince himself, with twelve
earls and lords, as his staff. To the left of this, and higher on the
slope, appeared the second division, of about 7,000 men, commanded by
the Earls of Arundel and Northampton. On a rising ground, surmounted
by a windmill, aloof from the rest, was King Edward himself, with
12,000 men, as a reserve. The wagons and baggage were in the rear of
the prince, under the charge of a small body of archers. As the battle
was to be fought entirely on foot, all the horses were also left with
these.

Mounted on a palfrey, with a white staff in his hand, the king, with a
smiling and cheerful countenance, rode from rank to rank. By noon he
had passed through all the lines exhorting the men to do their duty
gallantly, and defend his honor and right.

The soldiers now had permission to refresh themselves, while waiting
the enemy's approach. They accordingly ate and drank at ease, and
afterward lay down in ranks on the long grass, with their bows and
steel caps beside them.

Meantime the French army had approached very near. Four knights had
ridden forward, and observed King Edward's plan of battle; when,
having seen how fresh and vigorous the English troops appeared, they
advised Philip, the French king, to delay the engagement till next
day, by which time his troops, now hungry and wearied, would be
refreshed. Philip at once saw the wisdom of this counsel, and one of
his marshals immediately galloped to the front, and the other to the
rear.

"Halt your banners, in the name of God, the king, and St. Denis!" was
the co