A.D . 1295. EDWARD PROPOSES TEEMS TO THE SCOTS. 515 saulted the city of Bourdeaux, and slew that day about thirty men with the arrows from their arbalists. And on the Wednesday in Easter week, the French secretly entering the city of Bourdeaux about evening, having broken the truce to which they had mutually agreed with the English, attacked the English dwelling in the wood near the city, who were suspecting nothing of the sort. And when this was reported by the reconnoitring parties, immediately the gallant soldiers, taking u p their warlike arms, went forth to meet them. But the citizens, when they heard the sound of the trumpets, seeing how small was the number of the enemy whom they had to encounter, and calculating that their whole army was now ready for battle, entered the city with all the speed possible. And while two knights of their number were pursuing the enemy, they entered the city, and immediately the gates were shut upon them. And the rest of the French remained outside, and were slain by the sword. But the two knights abovementioned, who had entered the city while pursuing the enemy, refused to surrender to their enemies, but resisted gallantly, preferring to die like men, rather than to be shamefully imprisoned. Therefore, on the Friday in that week, the naval and military forces, having taken counsel together, assailed the city with their united forces, and having battered down the outer wall of the city, effected an entrance into the suburbs, and made no little slaughter. And when the inhabitants of the suburbs saw this, they set fire to their houses, and fled within the walls of the city. There was among the rest at that time a certain son of Belial, who disturbed the whole army, saying that the count of Artois was present at Langes, with a body of nine hundred armed cavalry ; who having left the siege of Bourdeaux, turned aside thither, and not finding the count, searched the city, which was subsequently surrendered to them. After which, they made themselves masters of the town of Saint Macaire, which they not long afterwards shamefully lost, through the childish superstition of some false-speaking persons. In the month of March, on the first day of the month, king Edward, being at Newcastle-on-Tyne, collected a powerful army to chastise the ungracious conduct of the Scots, proposing to them three alternatives—either to endure voluntarily to submit themselves to his decision, or to quit their country and go into exile, or to prepare for a pitched battle in the plain. But they, preferring wholesome counsel, chose the battle.