AGINCOURT, a village of the French Netherlands, situated in N. lat. 50. 35. E. long. 2. 10. famous on account of the victory obtained by Henry V. of England over the French.

On the morning of Friday the memorable 25th of October, A. D. 1415, the day of Crispin and Crispianus, the English and French armies were ranged in order of battle, each in three lines, with bodies of cavalry on each wing. The constable D’Albert, who commanded the French army, fell into the snare that was laid for him, by drawing up his army in the narrow plain between the two woods. This deprived him, in a great measure, of the advantage he should have derived from the prodigious superiority of his numbers; obliged him to make his lines unnecessarily deep, about 30 men in file; to crowd his troops, particularly his cavalry, so close together, that they could hardly move or use their arms; and, in a word, was the chief cause of all the disasters that followed. The French, it is said, had a considerable number of cannon of different sizes in the field; but we do not hear that they did any execution, probably for want of room. The first line of the French army, which consisted of 8000 men-at-arms on foot, mixed with 4000 archers, with 500 men-at-arms mounted on each wing, was commanded by the constable D’Albert, the dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, and many other nobles; the dukes of Alençon, Brabant, and Bar, &c. conducted the second line; and the earls of Marie, Damartine, Fauconberg, &c. were at the head of the third line. The king of England employed various arts to supply his defect of numbers. He placed 200 of his best archers in ambush, in a low meadow, on the flank of the first line of the French. His own first line consisted wholly of archers, four in file; each of whom, besides his bow and arrows, had a battle-axe, a sword, and a stake pointed with iron at both ends, which he fixed before him in the ground, the point inclining outwards, to protect him - from cavalry. This was a new invention, and had a happy effect. That he might not be encumbered, he dismissed all his prisoners on their word of honour to surrender themselves at Calais if he obtained the victory, and lodged all his baggage in the village of Agincourt, in his rear, under a slender guard. The command of the first line was, at his earnest request, committed to Edward duke of York, assisted by the lords Beaumont, Willoughby, and Fanhope; the second was conducted by the king, with his youngest brother Humphrey duke of Gloucester, the earls of Oxford, Marshal, and Suffolk; and the third was led by the duke of Exeter, the king’s uncle. The lines being formed, the king, in shining armour, with a crown of gold adorned with precious stones on his helmet, mounted on a fine white horse, rode along them, and addressed each corps with a cheerful countenance and animating speeches. To inflame their resentment against their enemies, he told them that the French hail determined to cut off three fingers of the right hand of every prisoner; and to rouse their love of honour, he declared, that every soldier in that army who behaved well should from henceforth be deemed a gentleman, and entitled to bear coat armour.

When the two armies were drawn up in this manner, they stood a considerable time gazing at one another in solemn silence. But the king, dreading that the French would discover the danger of their situation, and decline a battle, commanded the charge to be sounded, about ten o’clock in the forenoon. At that instant the first line of the English kneeled down and kissed the ground; and then starting up, discharged a flight of arrows, which did great execution among the crowded ranks of the French. Immediately after, upon a signal being given, the archers in ambush arose, and discharged their arrows on the flank of the French line, and threw it into some disorder. The battle now became general, and raged with uncommon fury. The English archers, having expended all their arrows, threw away their bows, and rushing forward, made dreadful havock with their swords and battle-axes. The first line of the enemy was by these means defeated, its leaders being either killed or taken prisoners. The second line, commanded by the duke D’Alençon (who had made a vow either to kill or take the king of England, or to perish in the attempt), now advanced to the charge, and was encountered by the second line of the English, conducted by the king. This conflict was more close and furious than the former. The duke of Gloucester, wounded and unhorsed, was protected by his royal brother till he was carried off the field. The duke D’Alençon forced his way to the king, and assaulted him with great fury; but that prince brought him to the ground, where he was instantly dispatched. Discouraged by this disaster, the second line made no more resistance, and the third fled without striking a blow; yielding a complete and glorious victory to the English, after a violent struggle of three hours’ duration.