It is true
that the French have been having more fighting of late than we have, but
the nobles are less united now than they were then, and are likely to be
just as headstrong and incautious as they were at Crecy. I doubt not that
we shall be greatly outnumbered, but numbers go for little unless they are
well handled. The Constable d'Albrett is a good soldier, but the nobles,
who are his equals in rank, will heed his orders but little when their
blood is up and they see us facing them. We may be sure, at any rate, that
we shall be well led, for the king has had much experience against the
Scotch and Welsh, and has shown himself a good leader as well as a brave
fighter. I hope, Tom, that you have by this time come to be well
accustomed to your new bow."
"That have I. I have shot fourscore arrows a day with it from the time I
reached home, not even omitting my wedding day, and I think that now I
make as good shooting with it as I did with my old one. 'Tis a pity we are
not going to Calais; if we had been joined by thirty archers there we
should have made a brave show, and more than that, they would have done
good service, for they are picked men. A few here may be as good, but not
many. You see when we last sailed with our lord the times were peaceful,
and we were able to gather the best shots for fifty miles round, but now
that the king and so many of the nobles are all calling for archers we
could not be so particular, and have had to take what we could get; still,
I would enlist none who were not fair marksmen.
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