The disloiall demeanor of the two erles.
The king then in a great chafe burst out & sware, "By God sir earle, either thou shall go or hang." "And I sweare (saith the earle) the same oth, that I will neither go nor hang:" and so he departed from the king without leaue taking. Immediatlie herevpon those two earles assembled manie noble men, and other of their fréends togither to the number of thirtie banerets and aboue, so that in all they were found to be fiftéene hundred men of armes appointed and readie for battell, and herewith they withdrew into their countries, and kept such stir there, that they would not permit the kings officers to take neither wools, leather, nor any thing against the owners will, but forbad them on paine of loosing their heads to come within their roomes, and withall prepared themselues to resist if néed were.
They had with them 600 men of armes, and 10000 footmen as Abington saith.
Battell betwixt the earle of Lincolne and the earle of Arthois, who had with him 1500 men of armes, as Abingtō saith.
In this meane time the warre was prosecuted in Gascoine. ¶ The thursdaie before the Purification of our ladie, Henrie earle of Lincolne, and the lord Iohn saint Iohn departing from Baion towards Bellegard, a place besieged as then by the earle of Arthois, to succour them within the same with vittels, (whereof they stood in néed) as they approched to a wood distant from the fortresse thrée miles, they diuided themselues into two seuerall battels, the lord Iohn saint Iohn leading the first, and the earle of Lincolne the second. The lord saint Iohn therefore hauing passed the wood with his battell, and entring into the plaine fields, was incountred by the earle of Arthois, who tarried there for him with a great power, where immediatlie at the first ioining of the battels, the earle of Lincolne retired backe: so that the lord Iohn saint Iohn and his companie ouerset with preasse of enimies were vanquished: and the said lord saint Iohn with sir William de Mortimer, sir William Burmengham and other to the number of eight knights, and diuerse esquires were taken, the which were sent to Paris as prisoners.
Other write somewhat otherwise of this battell, as that vpon the first incounter the Englishmen droue backe one regiment of the earle of Arthois his men of armes, whom he diuided into foure parts; but when they once ioined with the second regiment, to the which they were beaten backe, forward they came againe, and so charging the Englishmen, with helpe of their third squadron, which was now come to them also, they easilie put the Englishmen oppressed with multitude vnto flight, & followed them in chase. After this came the Englishmen which were in the rereward, and incountring with the fourth squadron or regiment of the Frenchmen, streightwaies brake the same. Herewith was the night come vpon them, so that one could not know an other, a fréend from an enimie, and so both the Englishmen and Frenchmen were dispersed till the moone rose, and the Frenchmen withdrew to their fortresses, and amongst them certeine Englishmen were mingled, which being discouered were taken prisoners, as the lord Iohn saint Iohn, and others.
Matth. West.
Abington.
The slaughter was not great, for there were no footmen on either part, to spoile or kill the men of armes that were throwne beside their horsses: for the English footmen remained in the wood, or were withdrawne backe, as before ye haue heard, without attempting any exploit worthie of praise. Indéed some laie the blame in the Gascoine footmen for the losse of this battell, bicause that they withdrew backe, and left the English horssemen in danger of the enimies which had compassed them about on euerie side. Thrée hundred of the men of armes came through to the towne of Bellegard, but bicause it was night, so that they could not be discerned whether they were frends or foes, they within the towne would not suffer them to enter: wherevpon they departed, and went to S. Seuere foure leagues off. Yet further in the night, other of the Englishmen were receiued into Bellegard, which came thither after the other, and so in the morning they of the garison with their assistance issued foorth, and comming to the place where the battell had béene, gathered the spoile of the field, and conueied into their towne such prouision of vittels as they found there.
The earle of Lincolne escaped.