oton's
scouts, came down upon them like a whirlwind, overthrew them, and cut
them to pieces.[1287]

[Footnote 1287: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, p.
292. Monstrelet, vol. iii, pp. 329, 350.]

At this moment, Sir John Fastolf, at the head of the main body, was
preparing to join the vanguard. Feeling the French cavalry at his
heels, he gave spur and at full gallop led his men on to Lignerolles.
When those of the white standard saw him arriving thus in rout, they
thought he had been defeated. They took fright, abandoned the edge of
the wood, rushed into the thickets of Climat-du-Camp and in great
disorder came out on the Paris road. With the main body of the army,
Sir John Fastolf pushed on in the same direction. There was no battle.
Marching over the bodies of Talbot's archers, the French threw
themselves on the English, who were as dazed as a flock of sheep and
fell before the foe without resistance. Thus the French slew two
thousand of those common folk whom the _Godons_ were accustomed to
transport from their own land to be killed in France. When the main
body of the French, commanded by La Hire, reached Lignerolles, they
found only eight hundred foot whom they soon overthrew. Of the twelve
to thirteen thousand French on the march, scarce fifteen hundred took
part in the battle or rather in the massacre. Sir John Talbot, who had
leapt on to his horse without staying to put on his spurs, was taken
prisoner by the Captains La Hire and Poton.[1288] The Lords Scales,
Hungerford and Falconbridge, Sir Thomas Guerard, Richard Spencer and
Fitz Walter were taken and held to ransom. In all, there were between
twelve and fifteen hundred prisoners.[1289]

[Footnote 1288: "In the neighbourhood of Lignerolles there have been
found horse-shoes, a javelin-point, the iron pieces of carts, and
bullets." P. Mantellier, _Histoire du siege_, Orleans, 1867, 12mo, p.
139.]

[Footnote 1289: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 11. Gruel, _Chronique de
Richemont_, pp. 73-74. Perceval de Cagny, pp. 154 _et seq._ _Chronique
normande_, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 340. Eberhard Windecke, p. 180.
Lefevre de Saint-Remy, vol. ii, pp. 144, 145. Falconbridge, in
_Trial_, vol. iv, p. 452. _Commentaires de Pie_ II, in _Trial_, vol.
iv, p. 512. Morosini, vol. iii, pp. 72-75. _Chronique de la Pucelle_,
p. 306. Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 86. Monstrelet, vol.
iv, pp. 330-333. Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i,
p. 293. Le