he should fight, to come out of
the business with honor; after which, about midnight, he went and lay
down. On the morrow he rose pretty early, for good reason, heard mass
with the Prince of Wales, his son, and both of them communicated. The
majority of his men confessed and put themselves in good ease. After
mass the king commanded all to get on their arms and take their places in
the field according as he had assigned them the day before." Edward had
divided his army into three bodies; he had put the first, forming the
van, under the orders of the young Prince of Wales, having about him the
best and most tried warriors; the second had for commanders earls and
barons in whom the king had confidence; and the third, the reserve, he
commanded in person. Having thus made his arrangements, Edward, mounted
on a little palfrey, with a white staff in his hand and his marshals in
his train, rode at a foot-pace from rank to rank, exhorting all his men,
officers and privates, to stoutly defend his right and do their duty; and
"he said these words to them," says Froissart, "with so bright a smile
and so joyous a mien that whoso had before been disheartened felt
reheartened on seeing and hearing him." Having finished his ride, Edward
went back to his own division, giving orders for all his folk to eat
their fill and drink one draught: which they did. "And then they sat
down all of them on the ground, with their head-pieces and their bows in
front of them, resting themselves in order to be more fresh and cool when
the enemy should come."

Philip also set himself in motion on Saturday, the 26th of August, and,
after having heard mass, marched out from Abbeville with all his barons.
"There was so great a throng of men-at-arms there," says Froissart, "that
it were a marvel to think on, and the king rode mighty gently to wait for
all his folk." When they were two leagues from Abbeville, one of them
that were with him said, "Sir, it were well to put your lines in order of
battle, and to send three or four of your knights to ride forward and
observe the enemy and in what condition they be." So four knights pushed
forward to within sight of the English, and, returning immediately to the
king, whom they could not approach without breaking the host that
encompassed him, they said by the mouth of one of them, "Know, sir, that
the English be halted, well and regularly, in three lines of battle, and
show no sign of meaning to fly, but