Their chiefe capteins were these: Saer de Quincie earle of Winchester, Robert Fitzwater, and others, and they did set forward vpon the last of Aprill, which was the mondaie before the Ascension daie, passing through S. Albons, where they lodged the first night, and so to Dunstable, and by the waie such souldiers as were vsed to spoile and pillage, plaied their parts, not sparing to rob and ransacke as well religious houses as other. From Dunstable kéeping on their iournie northwards, at length they came to Mountsorell, but the earle of Chester and the other lords, aduertised of their approch, were retired before to Notingham, determining there to abide, till they might vnderstand what waie the enimies would take. [Sidenote: _Bernewell._] [Sidenote: The poore estate of the French soldiers.] In the meane time the earle of Winchester and the other barons, finding their enimies departed and the siege raised, determined foorthwith to go vnto Lincolne, where Gilbert de Gaunt and other had kept siege a long time before the castell, but yet in vaine. For there was a noble ladie within that castell named Nichola, who demeaned hir selfe so valiantlie in resisting all assaults and enterprises, which the enimies that besieged hir could attempt by anie meanes against hir, that they rather lost than wan honour and estimation at hir hands dailie. Therefore Robert Fitzwater and the other leaders of this armie, to the end they might get that castell out of hir and other their enimies hands, tooke their iournie forward, and passing through the vale of Beauuere, all things there that came to sight fell into the hands of the gréedie souldiers. For the French footmen, which were as it had béene the scum & reffuse of their countrie, leaft nothing vntouched that they might lay hands vpon, not sparing church or churchyard, nor hallowed place more than common or prophane. For they were so poore and ragged, that they had scarse anie tatters to couer their priuie parts withall. Finallie comming vnto Lincolne, they assaulted the castell with all maner of engins, and assaied by all waies possible whereby they hoped to aduance their purpose. [Sidenote: Summons to raise an armie for the king.]