him knight.  He was of his body one of the biggest knights in all England.  Lister and his company thought to have had this knight with them and to make him their chief captain, to the intent to be the more feared and beloved:  so they sent to him that he should come and speak with them in the field, or else they would bren the town.  The knight considered that it was better for him to go and speak with them rather than they should do that outrage to the town:  then he mounted on his horse and issued out of the town all alone, and so came to speak with them.  And when they saw him, they made him great cheer and honoured him much, desiring him to alight off his horse and to speak with them, and so he did:  wherein he did great folly; for when he was alighted, they came round about him and began to speak fair to him and said:  ’Sir Robert, ye are a knight and a man greatly beloved in this country and renowned a valiant man; and though ye be thus, yet we know you well, ye be no gentleman born, but son to a villain such as we be.  Therefore come you with us and be our master, and we shall make you so great a lord, that one quarter of England shall be under your obeisance,’ When the knight heard them speak thus, it was greatly contrarious to his mind, for he thought never to make any such bargain, and answered them with a felonous regard:  ’Fly away, ye ungracious people, false and evil traitors that ye be:  would you that I should forsake my natural lord for such a company of knaves as ye be, to my dishonour for ever?  I had rather ye were all hanged, as ye shall be; for that shall be your end.’  And with those words he had thought to have leapt again upon his horse, but he failed of the stirrup and the horse started away.  Then they cried all at him and said:  ‘Slay him without mercy.’  When he heard those words, he let his horse go and drew out a good sword and began to scrimmish with them, and made a great place about him, that it was pleasure to behold him.  There was none that durst approach near him:  there were some that approached near him, but at every stroke that he gave he cut off other leg, head or arm:  there was none so hardy but that they feared him:  he did there such deeds of arms that it was marvel to regard.  But there were more than forty thousand of these unhappy people:  they shot and cast at him, and he was unarmed:  to say truth, if he had been of iron or steel, yet he must needs have been slain; but yet, or he died, he slew twelve out of hand, beside them that he hurt.  Finally he was stricken to the earth, and they cut off his arms and legs and then strake his body all to pieces.  This was the end of sir Robert Sale, which was great damage; for which deed afterward all the knights and squires of England were angry and sore displeased when they heard thereof.

Now let us return to the king.  The Saturday the king departed from the Wardrobe in the Royal and went to Westminster and heard mass in the church there, and all his lords with him.  And beside the church there was a little chapel with an image of our Lady, which did great miracles and in whom the kings of England had ever great trust and confidence.  The king made his orisons before this image and did there his offering; and then he leapt on his horse, and all his lords, and so the king rode toward London; and when he had ridden a little way, on the left hand there was a way to pass without London.[1]