Northampton taken by force.
Thus the king hauing these Noble men about him, with his armie sped him towards Northampton, and comming thither tooke the towne by force, slue diuerse, and tooke prisoners Peter Mountfort, and Simon Mountfort the earle of Leicesters son, William Ferries, Baldwin Wake, with Nicholas his brother, Berengarius de Wateruile, Hugh Gubiun, Robert Buteuilein, Adam of Newmarch, Robert Newton, Philip Dribie, Grimbald Pauncefoet, Roger Beltram, Thomas Mansell, and diuerse other, to the number of 80 knights (or as Matthew Westminster hath 15 barons, and 60 knights) besides a great number of esquires and burgesses, the which were bestowed abroad in sundrie prisons. The towne (as some write) was taken by this meanes. Whilest diuerse of the capteins within were talking with the king on the one side of the towne towards the meadowes, the lord Philip Bassett approched the walles néere vnto the monasterie of S. Andrew, and there with his people hauing spades, mattocks, and other instruments prouided for the purpose, vndermined a great paine of the wall, and reuersed the same into ditches, making such a breach, that fortie horssemen might enter afront. Some put the blame in such moonks of the abbeie as were strangers, as though they should prepare this entrie for the enimie: but howsoeuer it was, the king got the towne out of his enimies hands.
Scholers fight against the king.
Some write that Iohn de Balioll and Robert de Bruis, and Peter de Bruis, came to him here and not before.
This also is to be remembred, that where by reason of variance, which had chanced that yere betwixt the scholers of Oxford and the townesmen, a great number of the same scholers were withdrawen to Northampton and there studied. They had raised a banner to fight in defense of the towne against the king, and did more hurt to the assailants than anie other band; wherevpon the king threatened to hang them all, and so had he doone indéed, if by the persuasion of his councell he had not altered his purpose, doubting to procure the hatred of their fréends, if the execution should haue béene so rigorouslie prosecuted against them: for there were amongst them manie yoong gentlemen of good houses and noble parentage. Thus was the towne of Northampton taken on a saturdaie being Passion sundaie euen, and the morrow after the daie of S. Ambrose which is the fift of Aprill. On the monday following, the king led his armie towards Leicester, where the burgesses receiued him into the towne at his comming thither. From thence he marched to Notingham, burning and wasting the houses and manors of the barons and other of his enimies, and speciallie those that belonged to the earle of Leicester. Here he also gathered more people, and so increased his power: in somuch that diuerse Noblemen, as Roger Clifford, Henrie Percie, Richard Gray, Philip Basset, Richard Sward, and Hubert earle of Kent, doubting the lacke of power in their companions, reuolted incontinentlie to the kings side.
Matt. West.
The castell of Tutburie defaced.
The castell of Warwike taken.
The castell of Warwike raced.