Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
History
Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
England -- Social life and customs -- 16th century; Great Britain -- History -- Edward III, 1327-1377
Sir James Lindsay could not keep the right way as he came: it was dark
and a mist, and he had not ridden half a mile, but he met face to face
with the bishop of Durham and more than five hundred Englishmen with
him. He might well escaped if he had would, but he supposed it had
been his own company, that had pursued the Englishmen. When he was
among them, one demanded of him what he was. 'I am,' quoth he, 'sir
James Lindsay,' The bishop heard those words and stept to him and
said: 'Lindsay, ye are taken: yield ye to me.' 'Who be you?' quoth
Lindsay. 'l am,' quoth he, 'the bishop of Durham.' 'And from whence
come you, sir?' quoth Lindsay. 'I come from the battle,' quoth the
bishop, 'but I struck never a stroke there. I go back to Newcastle for
this night, and ye shall go with me,' 'I may not choose,' quoth
Lindsay, 'sith ye will have it so. I have taken and I am taken; such
is the adventures of arms.' 'Whom have ye taken?' quoth the bishop.
'Sir,' quoth he, 'I took in the chase sir Matthew Redman.' 'And where
is he?' quoth the bishop. 'By my faith, sir, he is returned to
Newcastle: he desired me to trust him on his faith for three weeks,
and so have I done,' 'Well,' quoth the bishop, 'let us go to
Newcastle, and there ye shall speak with him.' Thus they rode to
Newcastle together, and sir James Lindsay was prisoner to the bishop
of Durham.
Under the banner of the earl de la March and of Dunbar was taken a
squire of Gascoyne, called John of Chateauneuf, and under the banner
of the earl of Moray was taken his companion John de Camiron. Thus the
field was clean avoided, or the day appeared. The Scots drew together
and took guides and sent out scurrers to see if any men were in the
way from Newcastle, to the intent that they would not be troubled in
their lodgings; wherein they did wisely, for when the bishop of Durham
was come again to Newcastle and in his lodging, he was sore pensive
and wist not what to say nor do; for he heard say how his cousins the
Percies were slain or taken, and all the knights that were with them.
Then he sent for all the knights and squires that were in the town;
and when they were come, he demanded of them if they should leave the
matter in that case, and said: 'Sirs, we shall bear great blame if we
thus return without looking on our enemies,' Then they concluded by
the sun-rising every man to be armed, and on horseback and afoot to
depart out of the town and to go to Otterburn to fight with the Scots.
This was warned through the town by a trumpet, and every man armed
them and assembled before the bridge, and by the sun-rising they
departed by the gate towards Berwick and took the way towards
Otterburn to the number of ten thousand, what afoot and a-horseback.
They were not gone past two mile from Newcastle, when the Scots were
signified that the bishop of Durham was coming to themward to fight:
this they knew by their spies, such as they had set in the fields.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account