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

264 ^^' LORD BERNERS.;to them that sent you hyther, and say to them that theysende no more to me for any aduentm-e that falleth, as longas my sonne is a-lyue : and also say to the/w that they suffre130 hym this day to wynne his spurres ; for if god be pleased, IwoU this iourney be his, and the honoure therof, and tothem that be aboute hym.' Than the knyght retournedagayn to the;;/, and shewed the kynges wordes, the whichgretly encouraged them, and repoyned in that they had..:;5 sende to the kynge as they dyd. Syr Godfray of Harecourtwolde gladly that the erle of Harecourt his brother myghthaue bene saued, for he hard say by them that sawe his banerhowe that he was ther^ in the felde on the frenche partie,but sir Godfray coude nat come to hym betymes ; for he was140 slayne or he coude coz?^e at hym, and so was also the erle ofAlmare his nephue. In another place the erle of Alensonand therleof Flaunders fought valyantly, euery lorde vnderhis owne baner, but finally they coude nat resyst agaynstthe puyssaunce of the englysshemen ;and so ther^ they were145 also slayne, & dyuers other knyghtt'j- and squyers. Also therleLewes of Bloyes, nephue to the frenche kyng, and the dukeof Lorayne fought vnder their baners, but at last they wereclosed in among a co;;/pany of englysshmen and wallshemen,& there w'ere slayne for all their prowes. Also there wasr :^o slayne the erle of Ausser, therle of saynt Poule, and manyother ; in the euenynge the frenche kynge, who had lefteabout hym no mo than a threscore persons, one and otherwherof sirloh^n of Heynalt was one, who had remountedones the kynge, for his horse was slayne with an arowe ;tha«I ;; he sayde to the kynge, ' sir, departe hense, for it is tyme ; lesenat your selfe wylfully ; if ye haue losse at this tyme, yeshall recouer it agayne another season.' And soo he tokethe kynges horse by the bridell and ledde hym away in amaner perforce ;than the kyng rode tyll he came to the