The armie of the earle of Leicesters sonne is discomfited.
N. Triuet.
The castell of Monmouth taken.
The battell of Euesham.
Polydor.
On the last day of Iulie, prince Edward with his host came to Killingwoorth aforesaid, and there fighting with the said Simon de Montfort and his armie, with little slaughter discomfited the same, and tooke prisoners the erle of Oxford, the lords William de Montchensie, Adam de Newmarch, Baldwine Wake, and Hugh Neuill, with diuers others: the lord Simon himselfe fled into the castell, and so escaped. In this meane while the earle of Leicester hauing raised his power, came to the castell of Monmouth, which the earle of Glocester had latelie taken and fortified: but they that were within it being driuen to yéeld, it was now raced downe to the ground. This doone, the earle of Leicester entring into Glamorganshire, and ioining his power with the prince of Wales, wasted and burned the lands of the said earle of Glocester: but hearing what his aduersaries went about in other places, he returned from thence, and came forward towards the said prince Edward, who likewise made towards him, and at Euesham they met on the sixt day of August, where was fought a verie fierce and cruell battell betwixt the parties.
The Welshmen fled.
The earle of Leicester slaine.
Matth. Westm.
¶ Some write that the earle of Leicester placed king Henrie in the front of his battell, whom he had there with him as captiue, and had arraied him in his owne cote-armour, that if fortune went against him, whilest the enimies should be earnest to take the king bearing the semblance of the chéefe capteine, he might himselfe escape: but king Henrie, when they came to ioine, fought not, but called to his people, and declared who he was, whereby he escaped the danger of death, for being knowne of them he was saued. The Welshmen which in great numbers the earle of Leicester had there on his side, at the first onset fled and run awaie; which their demeanor, when the earle saw, he exhorted those that were about him to plaie the men, and so rushing foorth into the prease of his enimies, he was inclosed about and slaine, togither with his sonne Henrie. Herevpon, his death being knowne, his people tooke them to flight as men vtterlie discomfited. There died in that battell about 4000 men (as Polydor saith.) But Richard Southwell saith, there were killed of knights or rather men of armes 180, and of yeomen or rather demilances 220, of Welshmen 5000, and of such footmen as were of the earle of Leicesters owne retinue 2000, so that there died in all to the number of ten thousand men, as the same Southwell affirmeth. Among whom of noblemen, these are reckoned, Hugh Spenser lord chéefe iustice, the lord Rafe Basset, the lord Peter de Montfort, the lord Iohn Beauchampe, sir William Yorke, the lord Thomas de Esterlie, the lord Walter de Creppings, Guie de Balioll a Frenchman, the lord William de Mandeuill, the lord Roger S. Iohn, the lord Robert Tregoz, and others.