Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/95

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MAGNA CHARTA.
49

no ſubſiſtence for his army in thoſe parts, but was forced to march another way, and came to the caſtle of Groſmund. Where, while he ſpent ſome days, the marſhal and his aſſociates ſent ſcouts to diſcover the poſture of his army; and on Martinmas-night, all of them but the marſhal, who would not invade the King, with a good army ſurprized the King’s camp, where they fled away almoſt naked: and the conquerors on the other ſide would not hurt any of them nor take one priſoner, excepting two knights, who indiſcretely[1] making reſiſtance were killed, rather by themſelves than by the others. But they took away all their carriages and proviſions, money and arms, and ſo retired again into their ſtrong holds.

I believe ſuch a modeſt victory was never read of; and Matt. Paris pleaſantly calls them for witneſſes of the truth of this rout, who run away and loſt all they had in it: the biſhops of Wincheſter, and Chicheſter, Segrave the juſticiary, Rivallis the treaſurer, the earls of Norfolk and Saliſbury, and many more. The King, who


  1. Indiſcrete rebellantes.
had