led accounts of the chroniclers and of
Froissart himself, neither of the two kings was very anxious to come to
blows. The forces of Edward were much inferior to those of Philip; and
the former had accordingly taken up, as it appears, a position which
rendered attack difficult for Philip. There was much division of
opinion in the French camp. Independently of military grounds, a great
deal was said about certain letters from Robert, King of Naples, "a
mighty necromancer and full of mighty wisdom, it was reported, who,
after having several times cast their horoscopes, had discovered, by
astrology and from experience, that, if his cousin, the King of France,
were to fight the King of England, the former would be worsted."

"In thus disputing and debating," says Froissart, "the time passed till
full mid-day. A little afterward a hare came leaping across the fields,
and rushed among the French. Those who saw it began shouting and making
a great halloo. Those who were behind thought that those who were in
front were engaging in battle; and several put on their helmets and
gripped their swords. Thereupon several knights were made; and the Count
of Hainault himself made fourteen, who were thenceforth nicknamed
Knights of the Hare."

Whatever his motive may have been, Philip did not attack; and Edward
promptly began a retreat. They both dismissed their allies; and during
the early days of November Philip fell back upon St. Quentin, and Edward
went and took up his winter-quarters at Brussels.

For Edward it was a serious check not to have dared to attack the King
whose kingdom he made a pretence of conquering; and he took it
grievously to heart. At Brussels he had an interview with his allies and
asked their counsel. Most of the princes of the Low Countries remained
faithful to him and the Count of Hainault seemed inclined to go back to
him; but all hesitated as to what he was to do to recover from the
check. Van Artevelde showed more invention and more boldness. The
Flemish communes had concentrated their forces not far from the spot
where the two kings had kept their armies looking at one another; but
they had maintained a strict neutrality, and at the invitation of the
Count of Flanders, who promised them that the King of France would
entertain all their claims, Artevelde and Breydel, the deputies from
Ghent and Bruges, even repaired to Courtrai to make terms with him. But
as they got there nothing but ambiguous engagements