"But since the King remained in puissant Lei'ster's power, De Montfort, indeed, was recalled from his enterprise, by the apprehension of his communications in the rear being intercepted, the enemy having made more rapid progress in another quarter than he had expected. Prince Edward, being joined by de Clare at Ludlow, had lost no time in raising troops within his own county of Chester, which, as well as Shropshire, was quickly overrun. The energetic Prince then directed his march by Worcester upon Gloucester', where de Ros had been left in garrison, but with a force insufficient to prevent its capture after fifteen days' siege. This result was made yet easier by the treachery of Grimbald Pancefot, who gained knighthood in reward from his new party. Though he fought against his former friends at Evesham, he was despised even by those who profited by his baseness': "Ac ther was never eft of him so god word as er."-ROB. GLOUC. De Ros surrendered on June 293, at a time when the Earl of Leicester was on his distant expedition with the 1 A letter from G. de Morle to H. de Mauley (725 Chanc. Rec. 5th Report) represents the Earl of Gloucester, Prince Edward, and William de Valence as besieging the castle of Gloucester; the King and the Earl of Montfort at Hereford, and expected at Gloucester, where Simon junior was also to come with his forces. H. de Mauley is advised to send a man to take care of his property. 2 Grimbald Pancefot held lands in Herefordshire [as also in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Kent. Rot. Hund. 1. pp. 284, 416; 1. pp. 181, 186]. He married, 1253, Constantia, daughter of John de Lingayn, whose dower from her father was to be six score and ten marcs, twelve oxen, and one hundred sheep. Being made a prisoner at Tunis in after-life, it is said he was redeemed by his wife maiming herself of her left hand, when she heard that his release could only be procured by the limb of another person. Their effigies, representing this, were formerly in the church of Cowarne Magna. - Duncumb's Herefordsh. Vol. II. pp. 97, 98. 3 W. Rish. King. From Monmouth all the wardens of the counties were commanded to attack the adherents of the rebels in all directions, and Simon de Montfort, junior, who had been besieging Pevensey castle, was at the same time' summoned to the immediate help of his father, now confessedly in danger. The order was readily obeyed by the son, and he led all his troops in reinforcement. Meeting with some resistance at Winchester on his march, he not only took, but plundered the city (July 14), and proceeded onward to the family castle of Kenilworth'. All de Montfort's sons are spoken of by several chroniclers as full of pride and addicted to riotous living. Some knight remonstrated with their father on his blindness in suffering their conduct : "For thou has ille sonnes foles and vnwise, Ther dedes thou not mones, ne nouht wille tham chastise: I rede thou gyue gode tent, and chastise tham sone, Young Simon certainly acted with little heed of the quick and bold enemy he had to deal with, after his arrival at Kenilworth*. Despising the security of the castle enclosure, he lodged with many of his soldier-nobles in the neighbouring village, either for the convenience of bathing early in the morning, or from motives of pride or "riotrie," for all these reasons' are variously assigned: 1 "Rex custodi Simoni de Monteforti juniori, Custodi pacis Comitatuum de Surreyæ et Sussexiæ, Monemue, June 28, 1265."-Rymer. A messenger was paid 8d. for going from Odiham to young Simon at Pevensey, May 1.-Househ. Exp.T. Wyke. It appears from two letters (Add. MSS. 6166, Nov. 27, 28, pp. 388, 389) that the Bishop of Winchester was ordered, Nov. 24, 1264, to pay over 700 marcs, the surplus of a fine due to the Crown, to young Simon de Montfort, towards the expenses of the siege of Pevensey. De Montfort gave a quittance for 300 marcs of this sum at Winchester, July 16, 1265. 2 Fabian. W. Rish. Simon de Montfort summoned also the northern chiefs (Magnates Boreales) on this occasion to bring their forces to Evesham.--Walt. Hem. 3 For thou hast wicked sons, foolish and unwise; you do not reprove their deeds, nor will you at all chastise them. I warn you to give good heed, and correct them soon; you may be blamed for them, for vengeance is a granted boon. 4 "Kellingiswurthe."-Chr. Mailr. 5 "Forte minus sobrius dormiebat."-T. Wyke. "Dormientes in villa et abbatiâ, et erant multi mu "And ther it fel, alas, his heie hert him sende, Vor so muche he told of him sulf, and of his grete mighte, ROB. GLOUC. The Earl of Leicester had advanced from Hereford to meet his son, and his tactics were skilfully arranged, with the view of thus surrounding Prince Edward at Worcester, but his plan was entirely marred by the careless conduct of his son. After six days' negligence, a woman of the name of Margoth, employed as a spy in male disguise, transmitted to the Prince information of the unguarded state of the barons, by which he resolved immediately to profit. Making a rapid march by night, accompanied by William de Valence and the Earl de Warenne, the Prince entered Kenilworth in the early morning of August 25, before any alarm of his approach arose. The first notice of danger to the barons were the outcries in the streets; "Come out, traitors! by the death of God, you shall all be killed.” Though many were seized in their beds, others were roused and betook themselves to a dishonoured flight from the backs of their houses. Some were seen to fly with only their hose on, some with only a shirt or drawers, while others ran off with their clothes under their arms; few or none had time to put on all their garments, and young Simon de Montfort himself escaped with difficulty, almost naked, by a boat across the lake to the castle"." "Of soft awakunge hii toke lute gome, Vor to wel clothi hom, hii ne geve hom no tome, niti sanguine vineæ."-Walt. Heming. prope locum castri:" here, while arming, the Royalists heard the tramp of the enemy's foragers (longæ quadriga), and immediately seized them, and distributed the horses to the weary. Walt. Heming. 4 Lib. de Ant. Leg. 5 Prince Edward left Worcester in the evening of the Feast of St Peter ad Vincula.-MS. Chr. Roff. 6 Chr. Mailr. Ac Sir Symond him sulf among alle is fon, In to the castel of scapede an naked man vnnethe1." ROB. GLOUC. Among the prisoners were twenty bannerets, including Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, William de Monchensy, Richard de Gray, Baldwin Wake, and Hugh Neville, who had all fought at Lewes. Adam de Neumarket, after a similar calamity at Northampton, was now a second time a captive. So much rich baggage and so many horses were taken by this surprise, that the very foot-boys of the Royalists rode back in triumph on the choice horses they found deserted by the routed knights. The prisoners were sent in custody to Gloucester, while the young conqueror prepared at once without any relaxation to follow up his advantage by a still more decisive blow3. 1 They took little care to awaken them softly, for they gave them no time to clothe themselves well, and Sir Simon himself scarcely escaped through all his enemies, a naked man, into the castle. 2 Hugh Neville received his pardon in 1266 for his adherence to Simon de Montfort, and to Simon, junior.-Rot. Pat. Walter Colville was either killed or taken here.W. Knighton, W. Rish., Rob. Glouc., Rob. Brune. "Johannes de Gray, filius Ricardi de Gray," is added to the list by Harl. MS. 542, p. 49. This was more probably the son of Richard II. (see pp. 180, 181) than the brother, who was a Royalist. William Montgomery (Monchensy?) was also a prisoner, according to Lansd. MS. 255, p.507. 3 A charge of cowardice was afterwards brought against Edward which seems to refer to this surprise. "These are the words that Sir Wm. de Vescy said to Sir John Fitz-Thomas concerning our Lord the King of England." "And he told of a good chance that happened to him, and how it was despite himself, that he came to Kenilworth where he took many of the hostages and great people, and slew of the host of Sir Simon de Montfort the young and discomfited all beside. But before he came to Kenilworth he sent out people to know what company was with Sir Simon de Montfort. And when he had heard how many were there he said he would turn back, for all the host of England would have enough to do to encounter them. And then said Sir Roger de Clifford that if he turned back it would be great shame and blame to him and all the rest of his army, and might ruin England. And then the King that now is said that all the blame should be upon himself and he would turn back. 'Indeed,' said Sir Roger de Clifford, 'you will reap more shame and blame from this matter and this business than the rest of England.' And then said Sir Roger, however it be we will go on;' and he said, 'Banners forward!' And he rode ahead, and the King could not but go on for shame, and they carried it out well, as has before been said."-Rolls of Parliament, Vol. 1. p. 127. P. THIS disaster, in itself important, was still more so in its consequences; for de Montfort was now hemmed in by the forces of de Clare and de Mortimer in different directions on the Welsh frontier, while he was anxiously awaiting the re-inforcement of his son. Llewellyn', Prince of Wales, had, indeed, sent some troops to his aid, having held a conference at Hawarden Castle with de Montfort, when a treaty of alliance had been established, by which that castle was ceded to the Welsh Prince; a condition reluctantly assented to by the King. Before the news of the rout at Kenilworth could be known to the Earl of Leicester, the very expectation of young Simon de Montfort's arrival was skilfully taken advantage of to deceive and ruin him. The earl, in order to hasten the junction of his son, had advanced from Hereford, and crossed the Severn at Kempsey3 (four miles south of 1 How differently this Prince was valued by friends and foes appears by his two epitaphs. The Welsh one extols him as"Gemma coævorum, flos regum præteritorum, Forma futurorum, dux, laus, lex, lux populorum.” While to English eyes he seemed "Errorum princeps et prædo virorum, Proditor Anglorum - trux, dux -Stirps mendax causa malorum.” 2 Dated Hereford, June 22, 1265.Rot. Pat. T. Wyke. 3 W. Rish. |