Saer de Quincie erle of Winchester.
About the same time Ranulfe earle of Chester, William earle of Albermarle, William earle Ferrers, Robert de Veipount, Brian de Lisle, William de Cantlow, Philip de Marc, Robert de Gaugi, Fouks de Brent, & others assembled their powers, and comming to Mountsorell beside Loughborough in Leicestershire, besieged the castell there, the capteine whereof was one Henrie de Braib. Henrie defended the place right manfully, and doubting to be in distres by long siege, sent with all spéed to the earle of Winchester, Saer de Quincie as then being at London with the Frenchmen, requiring him to send some succour to remoue the siege. Herevpon the earle of Winchester, to whom that castell belonged, required Lewes that some conuenient power might be sent, whereby the siege might be remooued. Wherefore vpon councell taken with deliberate aduise, it was ordeined that an armie should be sent thither with all spéed, not onlie to raise the siege, but also to subdue that countrie vnto the obedience of Lewes. Herwith there went out of London 600 knights, and with them aboue twentie thousand men in armour, gréedie (as it séemed) to haue the spoile of other mens goods.
The earle of Chester raiseth his siege.
Their chiefe capteins were these: Saer de Quincie earle of Winchester, Robert Fitzwater, and others, and they did set forward vpon the last of Aprill, which was the mondaie before the Ascension daie, passing through S. Albons, where they lodged the first night, and so to Dunstable, and by the waie such souldiers as were vsed to spoile and pillage, plaied their parts, not sparing to rob and ransacke as well religious houses as other. From Dunstable kéeping on their iournie northwards, at length they came to Mountsorell, but the earle of Chester and the other lords, aduertised of their approch, were retired before to Notingham, determining there to abide, till they might vnderstand what waie the enimies would take.
Bernewell.
The poore estate of the French soldiers.
In the meane time the earle of Winchester and the other barons, finding their enimies departed and the siege raised, determined foorthwith to go vnto Lincolne, where Gilbert de Gaunt and other had kept siege a long time before the castell, but yet in vaine. For there was a noble ladie within that castell named Nichola, who demeaned hir selfe so valiantlie in resisting all assaults and enterprises, which the enimies that besieged hir could attempt by anie meanes against hir, that they rather lost than wan honour and estimation at hir hands dailie. Therefore Robert Fitzwater and the other leaders of this armie, to the end they might get that castell out of hir and other their enimies hands, tooke their iournie forward, and passing through the vale of Beauuere, all things there that came to sight fell into the hands of the gréedie souldiers. For the French footmen, which were as it had béene the scum & reffuse of their countrie, leaft nothing vntouched that they might lay hands vpon, not sparing church or churchyard, nor hallowed place more than common or prophane. For they were so poore and ragged, that they had scarse anie tatters to couer their priuie parts withall. Finallie comming vnto Lincolne, they assaulted the castell with all maner of engins, and assaied by all waies possible whereby they hoped to aduance their purpose.
Summons to raise an armie for the king.
Thus whiles the barons with the Frenchmen were much busied about the siege of Lincolne castell, W. Marshall earle of Penbroke, by the aduise of the legat Gualo or Walo, and of Peter bishop of Winchester, and other of the councell with king Henrie, caused summons to be giuen to all capteins and chateleins on the kings part, to be at Newarke vpon mondaie in Whitsunwéeke, with such power as they might make, from thence to march to Lincolne, there to raise the siege, and deliuer the countrie from imminent oppression. Wherevpon there assembled at the daie and place prefixed, a great puissance of people desirous to fight for the defense of their countrie against the Frenchmen and other aduersaries, rebels to the pope, and excommunicated persons, so that when the muster was taken, there was numbered 400 knights, 250 crossebowes, besides demilances and horssemen in great numbers, which for néed might haue supplied and serued in stéed of men of armes, being verie well furnished for the purpose, and armed at all points.