The third line of the French, being still fresh and in good order, might have renewed the battle; but on seeing the slaughter that had taken place, they refused to advance, leaving the flying troops of the second line exposed to the fury of their enemies. Hitherto the English had had no time to make prisoners; but they had now to exercise pity or cruelty, as they felt inclined, by slaying or making prisoners of their unresisting foes, who, unable to rally or to fly for want of room, were wholly at their mercy, and voluntarily offered themselves to death or captivity, as the victors pleased. Scarcely, however, had the English time to congratulate themselves on their success, when news was brought that the enemy was in force in the rear, and had already plundered the camp. The King ran hastily to the top of a hillock, from whence he saw the camp in great disorder, and the troops left to guard it endeavouring to save themselves by flight. Convinced that the enemy had rallied to renew the fight, he issued orders for putting all the prisoners, except the most illustrious, to death. The English soldiers, to their honour, murinured, and refused to kill men in cold blood, upon which two hundred of the most desperate characters in the army were ordered to attack the defenceless prisoners, and they slaughtered the greater part of them. Scarcely had this work of butchery been accomplished, when it was discovered that the party which had attacked the camp was merely a com. pany of fugitives, who, having retired by times from the battle, and knowing that the English camp was but weakly guarded, pillaged it while the two armies were engaged. For this conduct they were imprisoned by the Duke of Burgundy, who would have punished them more severely, for being the occasion of the massacre, but the Earl of Charolois, his son, found means to save their lives. Having returned thanks to Almighty God for this signal and unexpected victory, King Henry sent for a French herald (who, with three others, had been sent to request leave to bury the slain), and required of him to declare to whom the victory was to be ascribed? The herald replied, "Think you us officers-at-arms to be rude and bestial? If, with fear, or the affection that we bear to our natural country, we, either for favour or meed, hide or deny your glorious victory, the fowls of the air and the worms of the ground would bear witness against us, and so would the captives which are yet in your possession. Wherefore, according to the duty of our office, which is always indifferently to do right, and truly to judge, we say and affirm that the victory is yours, the honour is yours, and yours be the glory; advising you, as you have manfully gotten it, so politically to use it." “Then,” said Henry, "if such is the case, I demand the name of yonder castle," pointing to one near the field of battle. "That," said the herald, "is called Agincourt." "Then," rejoined the King, "let this battle henceforth be called the Battle of Agincourt." In this memorable battle, which lasted from ten in the morning until five in the afternoon, the French lost the Constable d'Albret, the Dukes of Alençon, Brabant, and Bar, the Earls of Nevers, Vaudemont, Merle, Roussi, and Fouquemberg, and many more officers of rank, besides ten thousand private soldiers. An English historian says that among the slain were the Archbishop of Sens, three dukes, six earls, 90 barons, 1,500 knights, 7,000 esquires and gentlemen, and about 1,600 of the lower class. Among the prisoners taken to England or ransomed in France were the Duke of Orleans (found under a heap of dead bodies by the archers in seeking for plunder), the Duke of Bourbon, the Earls of Eu, Vendôme, Richemont, Estouteville, and Marshal Bouçicault, besides 1,600 more persons of quality. On the part of the English the only persons of rank slain were the Duke of York, the young Earl of Suffolk, and, if certain English historians may be believed, not above four knights, one esquire, and 28 common soldiers Some, however, make their loss about 400 men, and Mezerai, with more probability, enlarges the number to 1,600. G THE GLOVE AND THE LIONS. LEIGH HUNT. King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport; And truly 'twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show, There ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws; They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws; With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled one on another, Till all the pit, with sand and main, was in a thund'rous smother; The bloody foam above the bars came whizzing through the air: Said Francis then, "Good gentlemen, we're better here than there!" De Lorge's love o’erheard the king—a beauteous, lively dame, With smiling lips, and sharp bright eyes, which always seem'd the same: She thought, "The Count, my lover, is brave as brave can be; He surely would do desperate things to show his love to me! King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the chance is wondrous fine; I'll drop my glove to prove his love-great glory will be mine!" She dropped her glove to prove his love; then looked on him and smiled; He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild. The leap was quick; return was quick; he soon regained his place; Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady's face! "Well done!" cried Francis, "bravely done!" and he rose from where he sat : "No love," quoth he, "but vanity, sets love a task like that!" ar'-sen-al.... as-so'-ci-ates......friends, companions an'-ec-dotes.......short stories road'-stead...an anchorage for vessels in-tel-li-gence.........news, in- talk-a-tive......chatty, inclined di-vert'.. .turn into another frig'-ate... spank'-ing......fresh, boisterous rend'-ez-vous. ..place of ..place where munitions of war are kept arm'-our-er....ship's blacksmith tar-paul-ins......sailcloth made waterproof with a coating of tar, etc. en-count'-ered ...met with rat'-tled.. ..fastened, secured a-taunt'-o...a term applied to a ship when she is completely rigged in'-let......entrance of water into the land mo-tion'-less.........still, quiet, tranquil pol'-ished.......so bright as to be able to reflect objects se-ren'-i-ty.... ..quietness, tranquility hal'-yards......ropes by which a flag is pulled up to the masthead or peak in-vert'-ed.. down chops ...turned upside .entrance con-trast'-ed.... .......shown in Among the many agreeable associates whom my different cruisings and wanderings have brought me acquainted with, I can scarcely call to mind a more pleasant and companionable one than Tom Scupper. Poor fellow! he is dead and gone now-a victim to that code of false honour which has robbed the navy of too many of its choicest officers. Tom and I were messmates during a short and delightful cruise, and a good part of the time we belonged to the same watch. He was a great hand at spinning yarns, which, to do him justice, he sometimes did tolerably well; and many a long mid-watch has his fund of anecdotes and sea-stories caused to slip pleasantly away. We were lying in the open roadstead of Laguayra, at single anchor, when Tom told me the story which I am about to relate, as nearly as I can remember, in his own words. A vessel from Baltimore had come into Laguayra that day, and by her I had received letters from home, in one of which there was a piece of intelligence that weighed heavily on my spirits. For some minutes after our watch commenced, Tom and I walked the deck in silence, which was soon, however, interrupted by my talkative companion, who, perceiving my depression, and wishing to divert my thoughts, told me the story which I am now about to relate for the entertainment of the reader. "The last cruise I made in the Mediterranean," said he, 66 was in old Ironsides, as we used to call our gallant frigate. We had been sailing backwards and forwards for several months on the western coast of Africa, from the Canaries down to Messurado, in search of slave-traders, and during that time we had had some pretty heavy weather. When we reached the Straits, there was a spanking wind blowing from about west-south-west; so we squared away, and without coming-to at Gibraltar, made straight for old Mahon, the general rendezvous and place of refitting for our squadrons in the Mediterranean. "Immediately on arriving there we warped in alongside the Arsenal quay, where we stripped ship to a girtline, broke out the holds, tiers, and store-rooms, and gave her a regular overhauling from stem to stern. "For a while everybody was busy, and all seemed bustle and confusion. Orders and replies in loud and dissimilar voices, the shrill pipings of the different boatswain's mates, each attending to separate duties, and the mingled clatter and noise of various kinds of work, all going on at the same time |