AGINCOURT. or AZIN COURT. A village in the department of Pas de-Calais, France, celebrated for the splendid victory over the French gained by Henry V. of England on St. Crispin's Day, October 25, 1415. Reviving the ancient claim of the Plantagenets to the French throne, Henry had invaded France and taken Harfleur: but disease and privations in his small army determined Idm to return to England for reinforcements. Setting out for Calais, he forded the Somme with great diffi culty. only to find a French army of 50,000 men blocking his way. Henry offered advantageous terms, to save his 14.000 men from destruction; but the French were so confident of annihilating the weakened English troops that they would hear of nothing but absolute surrender. Be tween two woods, near the villages of Agin court and Tramecourt. the English placed them selves, in sullen desperation. The French. main ly Armagnac soldiery and men-at-arms, were drawn up in two lines, cavalry in front, infantry behind. As the English marched forward, the
enemy's cavalry, peers and knights of France, charged to meet them. But the loamy ground held their horses' feet, and the rain of English cloth-yard arrows poured upon rider and horse, broke the front rank, which in confusion retreat ed on the second line, breaking that too. The English archers, with billhook and hatchet, dashed in among the heavily encumbered men at-arms and slaughtered them in great numbers, turning the fighting into a butchery. Those of the enemy who could, an; the rest perished. The French nobility was almost annihilated in this battle; among the 10,000 dead being the Constable d'Albret, the commander of the French force, six dukes and princes, and numberless lords and knights of lesser degree. The English lost 1000 men, among them the Duke of York. Consult Nicolas, History of the Battle of Agin court (London, 1833).