Friers suborned to treat a peace.
In the meane time the barons gaue assault to the castell, but they within valiantlie defended themselues, with whose hardie dooings prince Edward incouraged, gathered his people togither againe, and meant eftsoones to giue battell; but the subtill head of the earle of Leicester beguiled them all, for he caused certeine friers to take in hand to be intreators betwixt them, which comming to the king and to the prince his sonne, declared that the barons, to auoid that more christian bloud should not be spilt, would be contented to haue the matter put in compromise of indifferent persons; but if it were so, that the king and his sonne would néeds stand to the vttermost triall of battell, they would not faile but strike off the heads of the king of Almaine and other prisoners, which they would set vpon the ends of their speares in stéed of standards.
An agréement taken.
Matth. West.
The king and his people hauing the respect of pitie before their eies, changed their purposed intent to fight, and falling to a parle (which continued for the most part of all the night next following) at length it was agréed vpon, that the French king with thrée prelats and thrée other noble men of the temporaltie, should choose foorth and name two noble men of France, which comming into England should take a third person to them whom they thought good, and they thrée should haue the hearing of all controuersies betwixt the king and the barons, and what order so euer they tooke therein, the same should stand, and be receiued for a perfect conclusion and stable decrée. This agréement was confirmed, and prince Edward and Henrie sonne to the king of Almaine were appointed to remaine as hostages with the barons.
Polydor.
Matth. Westm.
Lords taken on the kings side.
¶Other write otherwise of this battell at Lewes, affirming, that not onelie the king of Romans, but also king Henrie himselfe, hauing his owne horsse thrust through on both sides, was taken, and likewise his sonne prince Edward with other on their side, to the number of fiue and twentie barons and bannerets: and that moreouer, there died on the kings side that day in the battell and chase, six thousand and fiue hundred men, as Polydor noteth: howbeit, Richard Southwell saith, there died on both parts onlie 3400. But Matth. Westminster waiteth, that as the report went, there died fiue thousand on both sides, and amongst other, these he nameth as chéefe, William de Wilton one of the kings iustices, & the lord Fouke Fitz Waren a baron that tooke the kings part. On the barons side, the lord Rafe Heringander a baron also, and William Blunt the earles standard bearer. Of them that were taken on the kings side, beside such as before are recited, we find these named, Humfrie de Bohun earle of Hereford, William lord Bardolfe, Robert lord of Tatshale, Roger lord Somerie, Henrie lord Percie, Iohn de Balioll, Robert de Bruis, and Iohn Comin, with other barons of Scotland, hauing lost all their footmen whom they had brought with them to the kings aid.
Fabian.