AGINCOURT, aj 'in-kort, or AZIN COURT, i-zhan-koor, France, a village, depart ment of Pas-de-Calais, famous for a battle fought there 25 Oct. 1415. Henry V, King of England, eager to conquer France, landed at Harfleur, took the place by storm and wished to march through Picardy to Calais, in order to fix i his winter quarters in its neighborhood. With a powerful force the Dauphin advanced against him. Henry V, retreated to the Somme. The French followed to harass his retreat and to defend the passage from Abbeville to Saint Quentin, which he gained only through the in attention of the enemy. The English, however, being destitute of everything and reduced by sickness, Henry asked for peace on disadvan tageous terms. The French refused his pro posals and succeeded in throwing themselves between Calais and the English. These latter consisted of 2,000 men-at-arms and 12,000 archers, and were arranged in order of battle between two hills, with the archers on the wings. Stakes, of which every man carried one, were fixed in front of them. The French, commanded by the Constable d'Albret, num bered 50,000 troops, of whom 8,000 were men at-arms; but other estimates make the French strength much greater. They arranged them selves in two divisions, with the men-at-arms, of whom 2,000 were mounted, in front. The English first put themselves in motion. The
French horse instantly hastened to meet them, but were received with such a shower of arrows by the archers that they fell back on the first division and threw it into confusion. The light armed English archers seized their clubs and battle-axes and broke through the ranks of the French knights, who could hardly move on ac count of their heavy coats of mail and the closeness of their array. The English horse rushed to assist the archers; the first French division retreated; the second could not sus tain the charge of the victors; and the whole French army was soon entirely routed. The victorious army, in the pursuit of the flying enemy, took 14,000 prisoners in addition to those previously captured; 10,000 Frenchmen lay dead on the battlefield. Among them was the Constable of France, with six dukes and princes. Five princes, among whom were the Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, were taken prisoners. The English lost 1,600 men killed; among them the Duke of York, Henry's uncle, whom the Duke d'Alencon slew at his side while pressing toward the King. D'Alencon had dashed the crown from Henry's head and lifted his hand for a more effectual blow, when the King's attendants surrounded him and he fell covered with wounds.