Λ.Β. 1217.] FLIGHT OK Till: BAKONS ANI) TIIK FKF.NCII. 397 seized on every kind of property, so that nothing remained in any corner of the houses, they each returned to their lords as rich men, and peace with king Henry having been declared hy all throughout the city, they ate and drank amidst mirth and festivity. This battle, which, in derision of Louis and the barons, they called "The Fair," took place on the 19th of May, which was on the Saturday in Whitsun-wcek ; it commenced between the first and third hour, and was finished by these good managers before the ninth. Many of the women of the city were drowned in the river, for, to avoid insult, they took to small boats with their children, female servants, and household property, and perished on their journey ; but there were afterwards found in the river by the searchers, goblets of silver, and many other articles of great benefit to the tinders; for the boats were overloaded, and the women not knowing how to manage the boats, all perished, for business done in haste is always badly done. After thus finishing this business, William Marshall ordered all the castellans to return to their castles with the prisoners, and there to keep them in close custody till they should learn the king's pleasure concerning them. The said William Marshall returned the same day, before he took any food, to the king, and told bini in presence of the legate what had happened, and they, who had been praying to God with weeping, soon changed tlieir tears to smiles. In the morning messengers came to the king and told him that the knights at Montsorcl had left that eastle and fled ; on which the king ordered the sheriff of Nottingham to go in person to the castle and to raze it to the ground. Of the flight of the barons and the French from Lincoln. After the count of Perche was slain, as above stated, they all took to flight, horse as well as foot-soldiers, towards the city of London, and the. foremost among them was the miireschnl of France, with the castellan of Arras, and all the French : many of them however, and especially almo-t all the foot-soldiers, were slain before they got to Louis; for the inhabitants of the towns through which they pns-ed in their flight, went to meet them with swords and blmlg is, and. laying snares for them, killed numbers. About two hundred knights reached London and went before to Louis