POLITICAL HISTORY went through the host giving absolution and encouraging all to fight for their just cause, while the Earl himself saw that all the commanders had full instruction for the morrow's march.' The frequency with which members of the same family were fighting in both armies rendered heraldic devices a source of confusion rather than an aid to identification, and it was therefore considered advisable for all the baronial troops to adopt a uniform badge, that chosen being the white cross, which had in other fields distinguished the English crusaders.' Throughout Montfort's camp military alertness and discipline reigned, but a very different aspect was presented by the royalist forces lying at Lewes. Here drunkenness and dissolute licence were rife, and the priory courts and even the holy altars were desecrated by vicious profanity/ Everything points to a total lack of discipline — military and moral — even the one picket posted on the hill, afterwards known as Mount Harry, commanding the barons' line of approach, was so ill-disciplined that the men composing it returned to Lewes, leaving only one of their number on duty.* Consequently when Montfort's forces, starting from Fletching before sunrise on Wednesday, 14 May, ascended the Downs about two miles north-west of Lewes the solitary outpost was captured asleep and made to give much useful information as to the royal army.^ Pressing on in splendid order they bid fair to have surprised the royalists in their beds had it not been that scarcity of hay and corn had compelled certain foragers to start out early in the morning to obtain fresh supplies, who, returning hastily to the town, gave the alarm." Before any of the King's troops could form up their enemies had come in sight of the priory tower. Here Earl Simon halted his army and after a brief address and prayer for victory set his lines in order and awaited the attack. He had the advantage of the ground, his flanks being defended by steep slopes, while along his front the enemy had to advance up a hill, not indeed steep but sufficient to handicap them in charging. On the left, upon the slope descending to the Wallands, were the Londoners under Nicholas de Segrave with Harvey de Boreham and Henry de Hastings, the latter of whom had been knighted with the Earl of Gloucester by Simon de Montfort on the way to the battle. The centre was under the Earl of Gloucester with John Fitz-John and William de Monchesney, and the right wing under Earl Simon's sons Henry and Guy, with whom were the younger Humphrey de Bohun and John de Burgh. The Earl of Leicester himself took command of the reserves, which were stationed on the higher ground commanding the whole field of battle." With the barons were several Sussex men, as, for instance. Sir Henry Hussey of Harting and Jordan de Sackville, and we may be sure that there were present a large number of the local gentry, who can be shown by the evidence of records to have favoured the popular side, including such representative names as Ralph de Camoys, Richard de Amundeville, » Blaauw, The Barons' War (ed. 1871), 163. » Ibid. 164. 3 Ibid. 166.
- Ibid. 171. Ibid. » Ibid. 175-85.
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