Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

l62 XV. LORD BERBERS.Luzenbourge, for all that he was nyghe blynde, whan hevnderstode the order of the batayle, he sayde to themabout hym, 'where is the lorde Charles my son?' his mensayde, * sir, we can nat tell, we thynke he be fightynge ;'^5 than he sayde, ' sirs, ye are my men, my companyons andfrendes in this iourney. I requyre you, bring me so farreforwarde, that I may stryke one stroke with my swerde;'they sayde they wolde do his commaundement, and to theintent that they shulde nat lese hym in the prease, they tyed70 all their raynes of their bridelles eche to other and settethe kynge before, to acomplysshe his desyre, and so theiwent on their ennemyes ; the lorde Charles of BehaygnehisSonne, who wrote hymselfe kyng of Behaygne and barethe armes, He came in good order to the batayle ; but>"•;whanwe he sawe that the matter wente a-wrie on their partie,he departed, I can nat tell you whiche waye ; the kynge hisfather was so farre forewarde, that he strake a stroke withhis swerde, ye, and mo than foure, and fought valyantly.And so dyde his company, and they adue/ztured themselfe^° so forwarde, that they were ther^ all slayne, and the next daythey were founde in the place about the kyng, and all theirhorses tyed eche to other. The erle of Alansone came tothe batayle right ordynatly and fought with thenglysshmen,and the erle of Flaunders also on his parte ; these two^•'lordes with their co;7^panyes coosted the englysshe archers,')oand came to the princes batayle and there fought valyantlylonge. The frenche kynge wolde fayne haue come thyderwhanne he sawe their baners, but there was a great hedgeof archers before hym. The same daye the frenche kyngehadde gyuen a great blacke courser to sir lohan of Heynault,and he made the lorde lohan of Fussels to ryde on hymand to bere his banerre ; the same horse tooke the bridell inthe tethe, and brought hym through all the currours of