Great Britain -- History -- Henry III, 1216-1272 -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Outlaws -- Fiction
And so it was that the forces under the King of the Romans pushed back
the men of Henry de Montfort, and ever and ever closer to the car came
the royalists until they were able to fall upon it, crying out insults
against the old Earl and commanding him to come forth. And when they
had killed the occupants of the car, they found that Simon de Montfort
was not among them, but instead he had fastened there three important
citizens of London, old men and influential, who had opposed him, and
aided and abetted the King.
So great was the wrath of Prince Richard, King of the Romans, that he
fell upon the baronial troops with renewed vigor, and slowly but
steadily beat them back from the town.
This sight, together with the routing of the enemy’s left wing by
Prince Edward, so cheered and inspired the royalists that the two
remaining divisions took up the attack with refreshed spirits so that,
what a moment before had hung in the balance, now seemed an assured
victory for King Henry.
Both De Montfort and the King had thrown themselves into the melee with
all their reserves. No longer was there semblance of organization.
Division was inextricably bemingled with division; friend and foe
formed a jumbled confusion of fighting, cursing chaos, over which
whipped the angry pennons and banners of England’s noblest houses.
That the mass seemed moving ever away from Lewes indicated that the
King’s arms were winning toward victory, and so it might have been had
not a new element been infused into the battle; for now upon the brow
of the hill to the north of them appeared a great horde of armored
knights, and as they came into position where they could view the
battle, the leader raised his sword on high, and, as one man, the
thousand broke into a mad charge.
Both De Montfort and the King ceased fighting as they gazed upon this
body of fresh, well armored, well mounted reinforcements. Who might
they be? To which side owned they allegiance? And, then, as the black
falcon wing on the banners of the advancing horsemen became
distinguishable, they saw that it was the Outlaw of Torn.
Now he was close upon them, and had there been any doubt before, the
wild battle cry which rang from a thousand fierce throats turned the
hopes of the royalists cold within their breasts.
“For De Montfort! For De Montfort!” and “Down with Henry!” rang loud
and clear above the din of battle.
Instantly the tide turned, and it was by only the barest chance that
the King himself escaped capture, and regained the temporary safety of
Lewes.
The King of the Romans took refuge within an old mill, and here it was
that Norman of Torn found him barricaded. When the door was broken
down, the outlaw entered and dragged the monarch forth with his own
hand to the feet of De Montfort, and would have put him to death had
not the Earl intervened.
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