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Lewes

When they had approached the town of Lewes, at a place Battle of scarcely two miles distant from the town, Simon with his men ascended the hill, and, placing his wagon in the midst of his baggage and packs, he stationed his standard thereon, arranging many of his armed men about it in a circle. He himself with his army held the wings and awaited the outcome of the affair. In this wagon he had placed four citizens of London, who had conspired for his betrayal, a little while before, when he was spending the night in Southwark. He did this for a precaution.

When the lines had been carefully arranged he ordered White white crosses to be sewed on their breasts and on their backs, crosses as badges of the above the armorial sign, in order that they might be recog- barons' army nized by the enemy, and might show that they were fighting for justice. In the morning the army of the barons suddenly attacked the followers of the king, who had gone forth to seek food and forage, and killed many of them.

The king, assured of the arrival of the barons, advanced immediately with his men, displaying his standards. The royal standard preceded him, bearing the fatal sign which they call "The Dragon." His army was divided into three parts. The first line was in charge of Edward, the eldest son of the king, with William de Valence, earl of Pembroke, and John de Warenne, earl of Surrey and Sussex. The second was in charge of the king of Germany, with his son Henry. The third, King Henry himself commanded. The army of the barons was divided into four lines; the first was under Henry de Montfort, with the earl of Hereford; the second under Gilbert de Clare, with John Fitzjohn and William de Munchensy; in the third were the Londoners and Nicholas de Segrave; the fourth, Earl Simon himself commanded, with Thomas de Pelvestone.

defeats the

Edward with his line rushed upon the enemy with such The Prince force that he forced them to retreat; many were drowned, it of Wales is reported about sixty; then the Londoners were put to flight. Londoners Edward, thirsting for their blood on account of the insult formerly offered to his mother, followed them a distance of four miles and inflicted severe loss; but the strength of the royal army was much lessened by his absence.

Simon

Success of In the meantime many powerful men in the royal army, seeing the standard of the earl on the hill, and thinking that he was there, hastened thither and fell suddenly upon the Londoners, not knowing that they were on their side. The earl and Gilbert de Clare rested nowhere, but struck down, overthrew, and sent to death many, straining every nerve to capture the king alive. Very many fell on the king's side. John, earl of Warenne, William de Valence, and Guy de Lusignan, all brothers of the king, Hugh Bigot, and about three hundred mailed knights, perceiving the ferocity of the barons, turned their backs. The king of Germany, Richard, Robert Bruce, and John Comyn, who had led the Scots thither, were all captured. Even King Henry himself, his horse having been killed under him, surrendered himself to Earl Simon de Montfort and was presently shut up in the priory under guard.

Many barons of Scotland were killed on that day, and many of the foot soldiers who had come with them were slain also. Besides, there were captured Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hereford, John, son of Alan, earl of Arundel, William Bardolf, Robert de Tateshale, Roger de Someri, Henry Percy, Philip Basset. On the king's side there fell the justiciars, William de Wilton, and Fulk, son of Warenne, the one by the sword, the other by drowning. On the side of the barons Ralph Hering and Baro and William Blunders, standard bearers of the earl, were killed. About five thousand are said to have fallen on each side.

Edward, in the meantime, with his soldiers, returned from the slaughter of the Londoners, not knowing what had happened to his father; and, going around the town, he came to the camp at Lewes, and not finding his father there entered the priory of Lewes, where he both found his father and realized the situation. The barons assaulted the fort, but when those within manfully defended themselves they withdrew. When the courage of the camp soldiers became known, Edward was greatly excited; he wished to collect his men again and offer battle. When this was known the barons sent mediators

declaring that they wished to treat finally concerning peace.

On the next day the Preaching Brothers and the Minorites Terms of went back and forth between the parties and accomplished peace this much, that on the sixth day following Edward and Henry were to give themselves up to Earl Simon for their fathers, the kings of England and Germany, for the sake of peace and quiet. There should then be a deliberate discussion as to what provisions and statutes ought to be established for the good of the kingdom, and which ought to be abolished. The captives were to be returned without ransom.

On the following Sabbath the king gave authority to all who had followed him to return to their estates, and wrote, at the wish of Earl Simon, to those who were within the fort at Tunbridge that, returning to their homes, they should not harm the barons. But these, nevertheless, advanced in arms when they heard that the Londoners who had escaped from the battle had been received at Croydon, and, hastening thither, killed many of them and carried off booty. Thence they hastened towards Bristol, where they remained in garrison until the liberation of Edward. Edward was sent to the castle of Wallingford to be confined. During that year five Disorder of months and two weeks were shaken with the severity of the the times war. When any one wished to defend his castle he laid waste everything belonging to his neighbor, devastated fields, and drove away the cattle, for the defense of his castle; nor did the churches or cemeteries escape. The homes of the poor peasants, even to the straw of their beds, were torn up and taken. And although the earl had given command that under penalty of death no one should presume to enter a holy church or cemetery for plunder, nor should any one inflict violence upon religious men or their servants, he accomplished nothing by his carefulness. For neither bishops nor abbots nor any religious men could go from town to town without being plundered by thieves.

VI. THE REIGN OF EDWARD I

Edward I came to the throne equipped with all the physical and mental characteristics suited to make him

the great ruler he became. The following description of his person and habits is from a later St. Alban's chronicler, William of Rishanger.

129. A con- Thereupon Edward, oldest son of Henry the Third, king of temporary England, and Eleanor, daughter of the count of Provence in description of Edward I Savoy, succeeded, in the thirty-fourth year of his age, to the kingdom of his father. He was prudent in the conduct of business, devoted from youth to the exercise of arms, by which he had acquired in various regions that knightly fame in which he excelled all Christian princes of his time. He was of graceful build and commanding stature, by which he rose head and shoulders above ordinary people. His hair in early life had been light yellow, in middle life much darker, and in old age it became white as a swan. He had a broad forehead, and the rest of his face was symmetrical, except that the lid of his left eye drooped, showing in this his likeness to his father. He had a stammering tongue, but nevertheless one which was not wanting in a certain eloquence and power of persuasion. His arms were long in proportion to his body, but in their nervous flexibility no man's were more suited to the use of the sword. His chest was more prominent than the rest of his body, and the wide separation of his legs gave him a firm seat on a running or leaping horse. When he was free from war he indulged in hunting wood birds and beasts, especially deer, which he was accustomed to chase on horseback, and, when captured, to cut down with a sword in place of a hunting knife.

The Great Councils or parliaments of the reign of Henry III, as of his predecessors, were made up, with a few exceptions, of nobles and prelates. The following summons issued in 1295 to the sheriff of each county, calling knights and townsmen to parliament, is worthy of careful study as showing the plan of representation established by Edward I, and giving the basis on which the House of Commons rests to the present day.

the election

tonshire

The king to the sheriff of Northamptonshire. Since we 130. Writ to intend to have a consultation and meeting with the earls, the sheriff for barons, and other principal men of our kingdom with regard of represento providing remedies against the dangers which are in these tatives from days threatening the same kingdom; and on that account Northamphave commanded them to be with us on the Lord's day next (1295) after the feast of St. Martin, in the approaching winter, at Westminster, to consider, ordain, and do as may be necessary for the avoidance of these dangers; we strictly require you to cause two knights from the aforesaid county, two citizens from each city in the same county, and two burgesses from each borough, of those who are especially discreet and diligent, to be elected without delay, and to cause them to come to us at the aforesaid time and place.

Moreover, the said knights are to have full and sufficient power for themselves and for the community of the aforesaid county, and the said citizens and burgesses for themselves and the communities of the aforesaid cities and boroughs separately, for doing then and there what shall be ordained by the common council in the premises; so that the aforesaid business shall not in any way remain unfinished for defect of this power. And you shall have there the names of the knights, citizens, and burgesses and this writ.

Witness the king at Canterbury on the third day of October.

The terrible attack on the Jews described in the following passage occurred a few years before the beginning of the period covered by this chapter. Similar outrages, however, continued to occur during the whole of this time, much as they have occurred in recent years in Austria and Russia.

at the coro

Richard, the only one of the kings from the beginning so 131. Attack called, was consecrated king at London, and solemnly crowned on the Jews by Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, on the third day of nation of September, which day from an early popular superstition is Richard I (1189) called unlucky, or Egyptian, as it were, by a certain presentiment of the outcome for the Jews. For that day proved to be

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