A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



John de Bohun of Midhurst, Matthew de Hastings, John de la Haye, 

 John de la Lind, Waleran de Munceaux,' William Maufe, John 

 Mucegros and William de Northye. The Sussex royalists, whose names 

 have been recovered, and of whom most were probably present on this 

 occasion, included, besides the lords of the castles already mentioned, 

 William Aguillon of Perching castle, William Bardolf, Henry Percy of 

 Petworth, Robert Pierpoint and Thomas de Audeham.' 



While Montfort's troops were taking up the positions assigned 

 them the royalists in Lewes were hastily arming and forming up. The 

 first division to take the field was that forming the right wing under 

 Prince Edward with the Earl of Warenne, William de Valence and the 

 flower of the army ; they had been quartered in the castle and had 

 probably maintained better discipline than had been observed by the 

 forces stationed at the priory. The left wing under the King of the 

 Romans was now advancing towards the Ashcombe Hill, and in the centre 

 where Henry himself was in command his standard of the golden 

 dragon^ had been unfurled, when the order to charge was given. Prince 

 Edward, whose gallant spirit scarcely needed the spur of his personal 

 animosity to the Londoners who were his present opponents, dashed 

 impetuously up the slope and hurled his picked force of cavalry upon 

 the half-disciplined and ill-armed levies of Hastings and Segrave who 

 gave way before the furious attack, and broke and fled. Down the 

 slopes of OfFham Hill the victorious royalists pursued their flying foes 

 and across the level ground towards Hamsey and Barcombe, where the 

 waters of the Ouse added their complement to the tale of the slain.* At 

 last, the rout of the Londoners being complete and the river probably 

 checking the pursuit, the Prince recalled his men and turned back to 

 rejoin the army, when his attention was caught by a small force of men 

 close to the barons' camp on the summit of the Downs guarding 

 Montfort's banner and his litter.' 



The chance of killing or capturing the leader of the revolt, combined 

 with the prospect of plundering the enemy's camp, induced the victorious 

 force to direct their advance towards this spot and a desperate struggle 

 ensued round the litter, in the course of which the standard-bearer, 

 William le Blund, was slain. Within the car Simon de Montfort had 

 placed certain prominent citizens of London who had opposed him, but 

 in the excitement of the fight and their belief that they were dealing 

 with Earl Simon himself, the royalists destroyed the car and its un- 

 fortunate occupants. ° More time was spent in plundering the barons' 

 camp, and it was late in the evening before Prince Edward's troops 



» Custody of his lands and those of W. de Northye and of Geoffrey St. Leger had been granted to 

 W. de Warenne on 30 April. (Pat. 48 Hen. III. m. 14.) 



2 Blaauw, op cit. passim ; see also Pat. and Close R. etc. 



* Said by Oxenedes and Rishanger to imply the resolution to give no quarter. 



* Ibid. 194-5. 



^ This appears to have been a sort of large palanquin with the sides formed of grilles. It had been 

 made for his use after he had injured his leg in the previous December, and so ill-informed were the 

 royalists that they believed him to be still confined to it. Ibid. 173. 



8 Ibid. 196-7. 



498 



