THE FAIR OF LINCOLN (1217).
Source.—Annals of Dunstable, pp. 49-50. (Annales Monastici, vol. iii.—Rolls Series.)
Meanwhile the Earl of Chester laid siege to the Castle of Mount Sorel with the King's army; but the Barons, who had been delaying in London, set out with the Count of Perche, the Marshal of France, and a thousand men, granted to them by Louis, and proceeded innocently enough as far as Dunstable, but thereafter devastated everything, sparing not even widows and churches. They forced the Earl to raise the siege of the above-mentioned castle, and then, after changing its garrison, and renewing its stock of provisions, they continued on their way to Lincoln, where, joining Gilbert de Gaunt and other Barons there present, they besieged the Castle of Lincoln, which was gallantly defended by a noble lady, Nicola by name. But some days afterwards, the legate, with William Marshal and the Bishops, Earls, and other partisans of the King, wearing white crosses on the breasts of their tunics reached Newark in pursuit; the legate advanced no further, but delegated to the Bishop of Winchester his duties of absolving the loyal subjects of the King from their sins, and of encouraging them to make a bold stand. When the King's party approached Lincoln from the west, the Barons who were within drew up their line of battle and placed their scaling-ladders outside the city on the west side; but when they perceived the Royalists coming on with a powerful force, they adopted some coward's base counsel, and began to retreat within the city, being pursued by the royal army up to the gate and walls which give on the north. A brave knight, Fawkes de Breauté, who had been admitted by a guard into the castle through the postern gate, assaulted the Barons in the rear; whereupon they, seeing themselves attacked from both sides, left the walls, and descending towards Wigford, turned their weapons against Fawkes. But Simon de Peschi, with Henry Braybrook and eighty thousand Frenchmen, fled, and proceeded to London by way of Lynn and St. Edmunds.
Meanwhile the royal troops entered the city from every side, and, coming up with the Count of Perche defending himself gallantly in a churchyard, killed him, having first put his horse to death. Then the citizens, seized with panic, took to flight and perished in great numbers in the rivers. All the Barons were taken prisoners, one after another, and the city was given over to plunder, the victors even despoiling the churches, heedless of the divine favours bestowed on them. Many foot soldiers, also—Frenchmen especially—were seized here and there as they fled towards London and put to death by the peasants. Those who were taken became the prisoners of their captors; of these, all, except a few who delayed paying any penalty until peace was signed, ransomed themselves. Louis, when he heard what had happened to his men at Lincoln, burned his huts and gave up the siege (of Dover); then he came to London, and sent to France for reinforcements.