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
After that sir Matthew Redman was returned to Newcastle and had shewed
to divers how he had been taken prisoner by sir James Lindsay, then it
was shewed him how the bishop of Durham had taken the said sir James
Lindsay and how that he was there in the town as his prisoner. As soon
as the bishop was departed, sir Matthew Redman went to the bishop's
lodging to see his master, and there he found him in a study, lying in
a window,[1] and said: 'What, sir James Lindsay, what make you here?'
Then sir James came forth of the study to him and gave him good
morrow, and said: 'By my faith, sir Matthew, fortune hath brought me
hither; for as soon as I was departed from you, I met by chance the
bishop of Durham, to whom I am prisoner, as ye be to me. I believe ye
shall not need to come to Edinboro to me to make your finance: I think
rather we shall make an exchange one for another, if the bishop be so
content.' 'Well, sir,' quoth Redman, 'we shall accord right well
together, ye shall dine this day with me: the bishop and our men be
gone forth to fight with your men, I cannot tell what shall fall, we
shall know at their return.' 'I am content to dine with you,' quoth
Lindsay. Thus these two knights dined together in Newcastle.
[1] Or rather, 'very pensive leaning against a window,' and
afterwards the expression 'came forth of the study to him'
should be 'broke off his thought and came towards him.'
When the knights of Scotland were informed how the bishop of Durham
came on them with ten thousand men, they drew to council to see what
was best for them to do, other to depart or else to abide the
adventure. All things considered, they concluded to abide, for they
said they could not be in a better nor a stronger place than they were
in already; they had many prisoners and they could not carry them
away, if they should have departed; and also they had many of their
men hurt and also some of their prisoners, whom they thought they
would not leave behind them. Thus they drew together and ordered so
their field, that there was no entry but one way, and they set all
their prisoners together and made them to promise how that, rescue or
no rescue, they should be their prisoners. After that they made all
their minstrels to blow up all at once and made the greatest revel of
the world. Lightly it is the usage of Scots, that when they be thus
assembled together in arms, the footmen beareth about their necks
horns in manner like hunters, some great, some small, and of all
sorts, so that when they blow all at once, they make such a noise,
that it may be heard nigh four miles off: thus they do to abash their
enemies and to rejoice themselves. When the bishop of Durham with his
banner and ten thousand men with him were approached, within a league,
then the Scots blew their horns in such wise, that it seemed that all
the devils in hell had been among them, so that such as heard them and
knew not of their usage were sore abashed. This blowing and noise
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