r a few hours. At midnight he again set out, and in the morning
arrived safely at Amiens.

The Black Prince held his station until night without yielding a
single step to all the efforts of the French. Gradually, however, the
assailants became less and less numerous, the banners disappeared,
and the shouts of the leaders and the clang of arms died away, and
the silence which prevailed over the field at once announced that the
victory was complete and the enemy in full flight. An immense number
of torches were now lighted through the English lines, and the king,
quitting for the first time his station on the hill, came down to
embrace his gallant son. Edward and his host rejoiced in a spirit
of humility over the victory. No songs of triumph, no feastings or
merriment were permitted, but a solemn service of the church was held,
and the king and his soldiers offered their thanks to God for the
victory He had given them. The English army lay all night under arms,
and a number of scattered parties of the French, wandering about in the
darkness, entered the lines and were slain or taken prisoners.

The dawn of the next morning was thick and foggy, and intelligence
coming in that a large body of the enemy were advancing upon them, the
Earls of Northampton, Warwick, and Norfolk, with 500 men-at-arms and
2000 archers, went out to reconnoitre, and came in the misty twilight
upon an immense force composed of the citizens of Beauvais, Rouen, and
some other towns, led by the Grand Prior of France and the Archbishop of
Rouen, who were approaching the field.

By some extraordinary accident they had not met any of the fugitives
flying from Cressy, and were ignorant that a battle had been fought.
The English charged them at once. Their advance-guard, consisting of
burghers, was easily overthrown. The second division, which was composed
of men-at-arms, fought bravely, but was unable to withstand the charge
of the triumphant English, and was completely broken and defeated.
The Grand Prior was killed and a vast number of his followers slain or
captured. During the whole of the morning detached parties from Edward's
army scoured the country, dispersing and slaughtering bands of French
who still remained together, and towards night the Earl of Northampton
returned to the camp with the news that no enemy remained in the
vicinity that could offer a show of resistance to the English force.

It is said that a far greater number of French were