Early in 1415, when it was known that Henry was about to go

ahroad, the Council made provision for the custody of the sea during the king's absence, and ordered two ships of 190 tons, two barges of 100 tons, and one hallinger to be stationed between I'lymouth nd the Isle of Wight; two brges of 100 tous and two hallingers to he stationed between the Isle of Wight nd Orfordness, and one hrge and two b;;llingers to be stationed hctveen Orfordness and Berwick, ech ship and b;rge to have forty-eight mariners, twenty-six 1hen-at-arms, and twenty-six archers, nd each hallinger, forty mariners, ten men-at-arms, nd en rche.

The imminence of ctive wr, the fct that the enemy hd large fleet t se, nd the bsence of the Admiral of Englud on the king's service ;brod, necessitated the ppointment of dditionM fiag-ocers; nd on February 18th, Sir Thomas ('rew ud Sir Gilbert T;dbot of Ircheneld were made captains and laders of the men-at-arms destined for sea, and were given the usuM powers of admirals. A little later, l{ichard Clyderow, who had been the merchant's admiral in 1406, ws sent to Holland to treat for ships for the king's service, a and all vessels of twenty tons or more, foreign as well as English, in English ports were ordered to be arrested and collected at Southampton, London, or XVinchelsea, hy May 8th. The masters of the royal vessels were empowered to impress men; an army was rMsed, and every other preparation for ;n expedition on a grand scale was made.

The French became Manned, and dispatched ambassdo, who met Henry at Winchester in June, and offered large concessions of territory and the hand of the l'rincess Katherine, with an immense marriage portion; but the overtures were rejected, and the king proceeded to Titchfield Abbey, near Southampton, where the fleet was assembled. He embarked on Saturday, August 10th, in the TriMty loyal, and at once ordered her yard to he hoisted to the middle of her mast as a signal th;t he was ready for sea, and that all the vessels in the neighbouring ports were to join the fleet? Saint Remy says that during this period a large ship took fire, and that the flames extended to two others, being constuned; but the circumstance is not mentioned by English writers of the time.

Pr,. and h'd. of Privy Ct,uncil, ii. 145, 14;.

'11ist. of the Battle of Agincourt,' 25-. Much of what follows is fr.m this Cott. M. Julius E. iv. f. 1155. St. Remy, 82.