[Sidenote: The disorders among the Frenchmen.]
The French king before he approched néere to his enimies, sent foorth foure skilful knights to view the demeanor of his enimies, the which returning againe, made report as they had séene, and that forsomuch as they could gesse, the Englishmen ment to abide him, being diuided into thrée battels, readie to receiue him and his puissance, if he went forward, in purpose to assaile them. Here was the French king counselled to stay and not to giue battell that day, but to aduise all things with good deliberation and regard, to consider well how and what way he might best assaile them. Then by the marshals were all men commanded to staie, and not to go anie further, they that were formost and next to the enimies taried, but they that were behind would not abide but rode foorth, and said they would not staie till they were as far as the formost: and when they before saw them behind come forward, then they marched on also againe, so that neither the K. nor his marshals could rule them, but that they passed forward still without order, or anie good arraie, till they came in sight of their enimies: and as soone as the formost saw their enimies, then they reculed backe, whereof they behind had maruell, and were abashed, supposing that the formost companie had béene fighting. Then they might haue had roome to haue gone forward, if they had béene minded. The commons, of whome all the waies betwixt Abuile and Cressie were full, when they saw that they were néere their enimies, they tooke their swords and cried; "Downe with them, Let vs slea them all." There was no man, though he were present at the iornie, that could imagine or shew the truth of the euill order that was among the French partie, and yet they were a maruellous great number.
[Sidenote: Charles Grimaldi & Anthonie or Othone Doria were capteins of these Genowaies, which were not past six thousand, as _Gio. Villani_ saith.]
The Englishmen which beheld their enimies thus approching them, prepared themselues at leisure for the battell, which they saw to be at hand. The first battell, whereof the prince was ruler, had the archers standing in maner of an herse, and the men of armes in the botome of the battell. The earle of Northampton and the earle of Arundell with the second battell were on a wing in good order, readie to comfort the princes battell if néed were. The lords and knights of France came not to the assemblie togither, for some came after, in such hast and euill order, that one of them troubled another. There were of Genowaies crosbowes to the number of twelue or fiftéene thousand, the which were commanded to go on before, and with their shot to begin the battell; but they were so werie with going on foot that morning six leagues armed with their crosbowes, that they said to their constables; "We be not well vsed, in that we are commanded to fight this daie, for we be not in case to doo any great feat of armes, we haue more néed of rest." These words came to the hearing of the earle of Alanson, who said; "A man is well at ease to be charged with such a sort of rascals, that faint and faile now at most néed."