The Duke Neuers, now in this sad retreat, By Dauid Gam and Morisby persude, (Who throughly chaf’d, neere melted into sweat, And with French blood their Poleaxes imbrud) They sease vpon him following the defeate, Amongst the faint, and fearefull multitude; When a contention fell betweene them twaine, To whom the Duke should rightfully pertaine. [Stanza 243: _Morisby and Gam at contention for the Duke of Neuers._] I must confesse thou hadst him first in chase, Quoth Morrisby; but lefts him in the throng, Then put I on; quoth Gam, hast thou the face, Insulting Knight, to offer me this wrong; Quoth Morrisby, who shall decide the case, Let him confesse to whom he doth belong; Let him (quoth Gam) but if’t be not to me, For any right you haue, he may goe free. [Stanza 244: _Morisby a braue young Knight._] [_Dauid Gam oft mentioned in this Poem._] With that couragious Morrisby grew hot, Were not said he his Ransome worth a pin, Now by these Armes I weare thou gett’st him not: Or if thou do’st, thou shalt him hardly win; Gam whose Welch blood could hardly brooke this blot, To bend his Axe vpon him doth begin: He his at him, till the Lord Beamount came Their rash attempt, and wisely thus doth blame. [Stanza 245] Are not the French twice trebl’d to our power, And fighting still, nay, doubtfull yet the day: Thinke you not these vs fast enough deuoure: But that your braues the Army must dismay: If ought but good befell vs in this howre: This be you sure your lyues for it must pay: Then first the end of this dayes Battaile see, And then decide whose prisoner he shall be. [Stanza 246: _The Duke of Excester cometh in with the Reare._] Now Excester with his vntaynted Reare Came on, which long had labour’d to come in: And with the Kings mayne Battell vp doth beare; Who still kept off, till the last houre had bin: He cryes and clamours eu’ry way doth heare: But yet he knew not which the day should win: Nor askes of any what were fit to doe, But where the French were thick’st, he falleth to. [Stanza 247] The Earle of Vandom certainly that thought, The English fury somewhat had beene stayde: Weary with slaughter as men ouer-wrought, Nor had beene spurr’d on by a second ayde: For his owne safety, then more fiercely fought, Hoping the tempest somewhat had been layde: And he thereby (though suff’ring the defeate,) Might keep his Reareward whole in his Retreate. [Stanza 248] On whom the Duke of Excester then fell, Reare with the Reare now for their Valours vy, Ours finde the French their lyues will dearely sell; And th’English meane as dearely them to buy: The English follow, should they runne through hell, And through the same the French must, if they flye, When too’t they goe, deciding it with blowes, With th’one side now, then with th’other’t goes. [Stanza 249]