605th Anniversary of Agincourt 1415

A Henry! A Henry!  

A Oxford! A Oxford!

It was one of those days. From a French perspective, everything that should have happened did not. Ditto from the English perspective. It is safe to say neither Jean II le Meingre Boucicaut nor Henry V were expecting the battle to follow the pattern illustrated in the popular Agincourt Hymn written sometime in the early 15th Century. We now have Jean II le Meingre Boucicaut's plan for the battle which included two attacks by Mounted Men at Arms on the flanks of the Archers. A plan foiled on the day by delays and Henry V taking the initiative and marching forward to a point on the battlefield where his flanks were protected. Or that is the assumption. We do not know if Henry marched forward in an attempt to goad the French into attacking and guard his flanks. That argument will go on for many years to come. That is the way of things.

A Camoys! A Camoys!

Suffice to say:

Deo gratias Anglia redde pro victoria!

[Give thanks, England, to God for victory!]

Owre Kynge went forth to Normandy

With grace and myght of chyvalry

Ther God for hym wrought mervelusly;

Wherefore Englonde may call and cry}}

Chorus

Deo gratias!

Deo gratias Anglia redde pro victoria!

He sette sege, forsothe to say,

To Harflu towne with ryal aray;

That toune he wan and made afray

That Fraunce shal rewe tyl domesday.

Chorus

Then went hym forth, owre king comely,

In Agincourt feld he faught manly;

Throw grace of God most marvelously,

He had both feld and victory.

Chorus

Ther lordys, erles and barone

Were slayne and taken and that full soon,

Ans summe were broght into Lundone

With joye and blisse and gret renone.

Chorus

Almighty God he keep owre kynge,

His people, and alle his well-wyllynge,

And give them grace wythoute endyng;

Then may we call and savely syng:

Chorus^[5]

Facsimile of the Agincourt Carol in the Trinity Carol Roll (Trinity MS O.3.58)