Page:The Queens of England.djvu/159

PHILIPPA OF HAINAULT. I3S In less than two months after the battle of Crecy — that is, on the 17th of October — was fought the battle of Neville's Gross, in England. Froissart gives Queen Philippa the credit of this great victory over the Scots, and it is thus related by a modern historian : — "It was now Philippa's turn to do battle royal with a king. As a diversion in favor of France, David of Scotland advanced into England a fortnight after the battle of Crecy, and burned the suburbs of York. At this juncture, Philippa herself hastened to the relief of her northern subjects. Froissart has detailed with great spirit the brilliant conduct of the queen at this crisis : 'The Queen of England, who was very anxious to defend her kingdom, in order to show that she was in earnest about it, came herself to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She took up her residence there, to wait for her forces. On the mor- row, the King of Scots, with full forty thousand men, advanced within three short miles of the town of Newcastle ; he sent to inform the queen, that if her men were willing to come forth from the town, he would wait and give them battle. Philippa answered, that she accepted his offer, and that her bairns would risk their lives for the realm of their lord their king.' "The queen's army drew up in order for battle at Neville's Cross. Philippa advanced among them mounted on her white charger, and entreating her men to do their duty well in de- fending the honor of their lord the king, and urged them for the love of God to fight manfully. They promised that they would acquit themselves loyally to the utmost of their power. The queen then took her leave of them, and recommended them to the care of God and St. George. "There is no vulgar personal bravado of the fighting woman in the character of Philippa. Her courage was wholly moral courage, and her feminine feelings of mercy and tenderness led her, when she had done all that a great queen could do by encouraging her army, to withdraw from the work of carnage, and pray for the invaded kingdom while the battle joined. "The English archers gained the battle, which was fought on the lands of Lord Neville. King David was taken prisoner on his homeward retreat, but not without making the most gal- lant resistance, which, Knighton says, was terrific, knowing the miseries which his captivity would cause his country. He dashed his gauntlet on his adversary's mouth when called on to surrender, and knocked out several of his teeth. Copeland, his captor, kept his temper, and succeeded in securing him alone.