Therewith the three knights returned again to the king, who demanded of them tidings.  Then sir Eustace of Ribemont answered for all and said:  ’Sir, we have seen the Englishmen:  by estimation they be two thousand men of arms and four thousand archers and a fifteen hundred of other.  Howbeit they be in a strong place, and as far as we can imagine they are in one battle; howbeit they be wisely ordered, and along the way they have fortified strongly the hedges and bushes:  one part of their archers are along by the hedge, so that none can go nor ride that way, but must pass by them, and that way must ye go an ye purpose to fight with them.  In this hedge there is but one entry and one issue by likelihood that four horsemen may ride afront.  At the end of this hedge, whereas no man can go nor ride, there be men of arms afoot and archers afore them in manner of a herse, so that they will not be lightly discomfited,’[3] ‘Well,’ said the king, ’what will ye then counsel us to do?’ Sir Eustace said:  ’Sir, let us all be afoot, except three hundred men of arms, well horsed, of the best in your host and most hardiest, to the intent they somewhat to break and to open the archers, and then your battles to follow on quickly afoot and so to fight with their men of arms hand to hand.  This is the best advice that I can give you:  if any other think any other way better, let him speak.’

[3] The translation of this passage is unsatisfactory.  It should be:  ’Howbeit they have ordered it wisely, and have taken post along the road, which is fortified strongly with hedges and thickets, and they have beset this hedge on one side (or according to another text, on one side and on the other) with their archers, so that one cannot enter nor ride along their road except by them, and that way must he go who purposes to fight with them.  In this hedge there is but one entry and one issue, where by likelihood four men of arms, as on the road, might ride a-front.  At the end of this hedge among vines and thorn-bushes, where no man can go nor ride, are their men of arms all afoot, and they have set in front of them their archers in manner of a harrow, whom it would not be easy to discomfit.

The king said:  ‘Thus shall it be done’:  then the two marshals rode from battle to battle and chose out a three hundred knights and squires of the most expert men of arms of all the host, every man well armed and horsed.  Also it was ordained that the battles of Almains should abide still on horseback to comfort the marshals, if need were, whereof the earl of Sarrebruck, the earl of Nidau and the earl of Nassau were captains.  King John of France was there armed, and twenty other in his apparel; and he did put the guiding of his eldest son to the lord of Saint-Venant, the lord of Landas and the lord Thibault of Vaudenay; and the lord Arnold of Cervolles, called the archpriest,[4] was armed in the armour of the young earl of Alencon.