* Ah, the infolentfcoundrels!* faid the marfhal; * by St. George, they fhall be well punifhed for this ; and, unlefs ray lord of Lancafter fhall order otherwife, never will I quit this place until I have reduced it under his obedience Let us now. eat and drink to refrefh ourfelves, and then march to the a/fault % for I will fee this town nearer, and what is its ftrength, that makes the fcoundrels thus infolent, and induces them.to hold us fo cheap/ c When they bad finifhed their repaft, they mounted their horfes, and, with trumpets found-ing, rode gently on, for the weather was as fweet m in the month of May. On coming before the place, fome knights and fquires, to make a difplay, galloped up to the barriers, where they found a large body of crofs-bowmen drawn up in front of the gate, who by their (hooting killed and wounded many horfes* The archers then ad-vanced, and, pofting themfelves on the banks of the ditch, and at the barriers, attacked the crofs-bowraen. The afiauit was fevere, and lafted a conftderable time; for the town was tolerably ftrong, and difficult to be conquered. One fide is fituated on a perpendicular rock, impoffibte to be mounted ; the other, indeed, is on the plain, but forrounded by wide ditches, which, though not ftlled with water, cannot eafily be croffed. * The knights and fquires, however, did croft them, and afcended the banks to the walls, with targets on their heads, to defend themfelves front the arrows or whatever might be thrown down frofcq the battlements. The archers fhot fo well, that fcarcely 91