OF THE BATTLE OF BLANCHE-TAQUE BETWEEN THE KING OF ENGLAND AND SIR GODEMAR DU FAY

The king of England slept not much that night, for at midnight he arose and sowned his trumpet:  then incontinent they made ready carriages and all things, and at the breaking of the day they departed from the town of Oisemont and rode after the guiding of Gobin Agace, so that they came by the sun-rising to Blanche-taque; but as then the flood was up, so that they might not pass:  so the king tarried there till it was prime; then the ebb came.

The French king had his currours in the country, who brought him word of the demeanour of the Englishmen.  Then he thought to close the king of England between Abbeville and the river of Somme, and so to fight with him at his pleasure.  And when he was at Amiens he had ordained a great baron of Normandy, called sir Godemar du Fay, to go and keep the passage of Blanche-taque, where the Englishmen must pass or else in none other place.  He had with him a thousand men of arms and six thousand afoot, with the Genoways:  so they went by Saint-Riquier in Ponthieu and from thence to Crotoy, whereas the passage lay; and also he had with him a great number of men of the country, and also a great number of them of Montreuil, so that they were a twelve thousand men one and other.

When the English host was come thither, sir Godemar du Fay arranged all his company to defend the passage.  The king of England let not for all that; but when the flood was gone, he commanded his marshals to enter into the water in the name of God and Saint George.  Then they that were hardy and courageous entered on both parties, and many a man reversed.  There were some of the Frenchmen of Artois and Picardy that were as glad to joust in the water as on the dry land.

The Frenchmen defended so well the passage at the issuing out of the water, that they had much to do.  The Genoways did them great trouble with their cross-bows:  on the other side the archers of England shot so wholly together, that the Frenchmen were fain to give place to the Englishmen.  There was a sore battle, and many a noble feat of arms done on both sides.  Finally the Englishmen passed over and assembled together in the field.  The king and the prince passed, and all the lords; then the Frenchmen kept none array, but departed, he that might best.  When sir Godemar saw that discomfiture, he fled and saved himself:  some fled to Abbeville and some to Saint-Riquiers.  They that were there afoot could not flee, so that there were slain a great number of them of Abbeville, Montreuil, Rue and of Saint-Riquiers:  the chase endured more than a great league.  And as yet all the Englishmen were not passed the river, and certain currours of the king of Bohemia and of sir John of Hainault came on them that were behind and took certain horses and carriages and slew divers, or they could take the passage.