Plainly our foes expected a rescue sent to us of Compiegne by our party.

But the forest, five hundred yards from our wall, lay silent and peaceable, a sea of brown and yellow leaves.
Then, while the English and Burgundian men-at-arms, that had marched south and east, were drawn up in order of battle away to the right between wood and water, behold, trumpets sounded, faint enough, being far off.

Then there was a glitter of the pale sun on long lines of lance- points, under the banners of French captains, issuing out from the forest, over against the enemy.

We who stood on the tower gazed long at these two armies, which were marshalled orderly, with no more than a bowshot and a half between them, and every moment we looked to see them charge upon each other with the lance.

Much we prayed to the Saints, for now all our hope was on this one cast.