Magna Carta

by Griff Hosker

  We had men following us. We were not fools. We knew that to ride the seventy miles to Lincoln we would have to conserve our horse’s strength. We halted in Grantham. I did not risk bringing harm to the lord of the manor there, Baron Aubigny, instead we stopped in the town square and used the water trough. One of Edward’s men, James of Thorpe had been watching the road. He galloped in. “Lord, the men of de Vesci are pursuing us. They are half a mile down the road.”

  I made an instant decision, “Ridley and Henry, take all of the squires to Lincoln. Tell the constable that she will soon be under attack.” I saw the question on his face and I remembered my wife’s words. “Save my sons!”

  He nodded, “Aye lord! They will be safe with me.”

  “No, father!”

  “Alfred, obey!”

  “Aye lord.”

  I donned my helmet and drew my sword as Ridley and Henry led the squires north. “We will block the road and when they ride up we will force them to slow down!”

  Edward shook his head, “You make life interesting, lord!”

  I shrugged, “The horses need the rest and my backside aches.”

  We stood in a line where the road turned. Those pursuing us would not see us until they turned the corner. They were in for a shock! We heard their hooves as they thundered. I did not know how many men there were. It did not matter. They would not have weapons ready. They were hunting us and until they cornered us they would concentrate on catching us. I was in the middle with Sir Edward and Sir William beside me. They were reassuring figures. We had fought together for so long that I felt I knew their thoughts!

  As the first horse came around the end house Padraig the Wanderer swung his sword. It connected with the side of the skull of the leading horse. His blade bit into its head and struck its brain. The horse fell and as it slid across the cobbled street, taking out two of the following horses. My men at arms leapt over the dying horse to slay the three men at arms who followed and fell. A man at arms appeared before me and he made his horse rear. Many men would be frightened by such an action. I lunged beneath the flailing hooves, relying on my mail and helmet to protect me. My sword drove deep into the animal’s chest. The rider fell backwards pulling his horse with him. The rest of my warriors all struck either horse or men.

  “Back to the horses, we have done enough!”

  The narrow streets of Grantham were blocked by dead and dying horses. None could pass quickly. We mounted and headed up the road. I knew that the castellan of Lincoln castle, although a woman was a supporter of the royal family. She was my best hope. Nicola de la Haie had been married to a brave knight, Gerard de Camville. He had been a friend of Henry the second and his widow had dedicated her life to his memory. If we could close the gates then we could thwart de Vesci and de Percy’s attempts to take this royal castle.

  The short and bloody skirmish had bought Ridley and my squires the time to get well ahead of us. We rode steadily north. I rode next to Edward and William. “Civil war, lord, it is our worst fear.”

  “You never know, Edward, the King may accede to their demands. We know that he has fewer men at his side. I have never seen so many banners before. It was as though it was a coronation.”

  William had lost his home in Anjou, La Lude. I could hear the apprehension in his voice as he asked, “But lord where does that leave us? We did not join the rebels. If they win then we are on the wrong side.”

  “No William the words are not ‘the wrong side’. It may be the losing side but we did what was right. De Percy and de Vesci said that the meeting in Northampton was to talk to the King. Patently that was not so. As far as I can tell no one has asked him to deal with their grievances. Who knows he may do so.”

  “I do not think so, lord; the die is cast. If they take London then they will do so with swords. That is insurrection. That is civil war.”

  Edward was right and I wondered, as we rode the last few miles to Lincoln, just what King Philip had had to do with this. He was a cunning and ambitious king. Fitzwalter had taken refuge at his court. It seemed to me that the baron had deliberately inflamed the barons to make their rash promise. The use of the Archbishop had been a master stroke. It gave their cause the apparent backing of the church. William was incorrect. We had not chosen the wrong side. We had chosen the right side. We had chosen England for it was clear to me now that King Philip had created this war. That could only mean one thing. The French were coming. We would have something we had not seen for a hundred and fifty years; an invasion of England!

  We rode into Lincoln and then the gates were slammed shut. As we passed through the town we were not greeted by those who cheered and welcomed us but by scowls. The castle was the King’s but the town belonged to the rebels. It was but a short way from the town gates to the castle and once we were inside the gates were slammed securely shut. This was a royal castle., My great grandfather and the Countess of Chester had helped to hold it against King Stephen and his army. My great grandfather had captured King Stephen after the battle. But for the disastrous rout of Winchester that would have ended the civil war t much earlier. As I slipped from my horse I could not help sensing that I was meant to come here and walk in the Warlord’s footsteps.

  Nicola de la Haie reminded me of my aunt. Although a little younger she had the steely stare of a warrior in a woman’s body. “Your son has told me of the events in Northampton. Fitzwalter shall not have my castle. We will defend it to the last.” She smiled, “I confess that we might have struggled to do so for there are but four knights here but with your retinues we shall watch them batter their blades against our stout walls.”

  Edward pointed behind him, “My lady I do not think that the burghers of Lincoln will stop the rebels. From what we saw as we rode through they are more likely to open the gates and welcome them.”

  She looked at me and I nodded, “It was scowls and not smiles which we saw as we rode through the streets, my lady.”

  “They are ungrateful for all that I have done for them!” She sighed and sat down. She waved a servant over, “Wine for these lords and see that their men and animals are housed.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  “Within these walls there is naught but loyalty. Outside?” She shook her head. “The rebels have been filling the ordinary folk of this land with nonsense. They have promised them that which they cannot deliver. We all know that the King has made mistakes but the rebels have said that once the King meets their demands then they will pay less tax and have more freedom. We all know that will never happen for these lords who are rebelling are doing so to get more coin and more power. The ordinary people would be worse off under such a regime.” The wine came and the servant left.

  I nodded, “You are right, lady. These are empty promises. I have spoken with some of these lords and while they smile and speak well I can now see that they are deceitful. They serve their own ends and worse.”

  “Worse lord?” I now had the attention of all of the knights in the room as well as Lady Nichola.

  “Yes William, King Philip’s fingers are all over this move. This civil war is just the beginning. I believe that the French will come.”

  Lady Nichola fingered her cross, “My husband is well out of this. I thought when he died it was too early. Now I see that he is the one who is better off.”

  I put my hand upon hers. “My lady we will endure.”

  She smiled, “Of course we will. If Robert Fitzwalter thinks that his bandits can take Lincoln then they have an old lady to contend with!”

  She was a mighty woman. I was lucky that it was she who held the castle. That evening the captain of her guard, Robert of Lincoln, took me around the walls. They were well made. “My grandfather served here, lord, alongside the Warlord. I am honoured that his great grandson is here with us and the hero of Arsuf to boot.”

  I laughed, “Arsuf was many years ago.”

  “Aye lord, we all have grey hairs to show for what we have learned.” He pointed to the mighty Lucy T
ower. “That was built in the wake of the first civil war lord. The keep is a strong one but we have the advantage of a keep on our walls which the enemy will have to force. The rabble of Lincoln might join with our attackers but the narrow streets preclude the use of mighty siege engines. They would have to use ladders and I have not seen a ladder big enough to scale the Lucy Tower.”

  As we walked I saw that they had embrasures. If I had had my archers with me then we could have easily held the castle. As it was we would be stretched to the limit. The weak point was the town gate. Unlike my castle there was no barbican. It was a gate with a second one behind but if one gate fell then there were neither murder holes nor traps to stop the second one being breached. All that it would do would be to allow the defenders to meet the attackers once they broke through.

  “Have we enough water and pig fat?”

  He nodded, “Aye lord. We can reach the River Witham from the north wall and haul water up in buckets.” He pointed to the huge metal cauldrons which hung from tripods on the two towers which flanked the gate. “These were put in after the last battle of Lincoln. There is stone beneath so that we can heat the pig fat here.”

  I nodded. That was sensible. Most castles had a wooden walkway. A fire would have been impossible while carrying boiling fat up to the fighting platform was risky. This way the fat could be heated and then brought to the walls to finish off the boiling. “And how many in the garrison?”

  He looked down. “The four knights of her ladyship have twenty men at arms and we have a further twenty.” My face showed the disappointment I felt. “I know lord. You have brought more men than we had in the garrison.” He made the sign of the cross. “God has sent you!”

  Lady Nichola was taking no chances. The gates were kept barred and a close watch on the town. When we awoke there was an eerie silence in the town. We did not know it but the men of the north, led by de Vesci and de Percy had arrived and they were formulating their plan. There were plenty of supplies for us in the castle and we ate well for I feared it would be a long day. When young William appeared next to me in his short hauberk I felt guilty. I had promised his mother that he would be safe for we would be just talking. I had been wrong. The previous night when my youngest son had fallen asleep, through exhaustion, I had made Alfred promise to watch his younger brother. I could not afford to worry about my son when I had a castle to defend. A momentary lapse in concentration could cost me more than my son’s life.

  A herald sounded a horn. I was already on the fighting platform over the town gate. Lady Nichola made her way to join me. She was sixty-six years old and yet she moved well. She joined me as De Vesci and de Percy rode up. It was de Vesci who spoke. “The council of barons have sent us to demand that you surrender this castle. We promise that will those within will be allowed to leave unharmed.”

  Edward, standing next to me, snorted, “Aye save us who would be ambushed as we headed north.”

  “Peace, let the snake speak, Edward and then we can scotch him!”

  He laughed, “Aye, lord, sorry lord.”

  Lady Nichola spoke, “This is the castle of King John. A month since he asked me to hold the castle for him in lieu of my dead husband. If King John asks me to relinquish this royal castle then I will do so. Until then you are committing treason by threatening the loyal subjects of the rightful King of England.”

  De Vesci’s face became angry as did his words, “Lady I cannot guarantee your safety! We will attack and you castle will fall!”

  She laughed, “Do you think I have lived these sixty odd years to be afraid of a cockerel like you? I have the great grandson of the Warlord by my side. Do your worst, de Vesci!”

  He raised his fist, “So be it! I gave you fair warning!”

  Ridley said, “And if David of Wales was here, lord then these two traitors would be already plucked from their horses.”

  “We cannot touch them for they came in peace.”

  “It did not sound like that, lord. In the tavern when a man threatens you punch him first! I am sorry but the way you lords fight has too many rules!”

  Lady Nichola laughed, “I like your giant and his sentiments. I will get out of your way, Sir Thomas. I will have the pig fat heated. They are in for a shock, I think!”

  I waved over Johann, “Take the squires and man the Lucy Tower. I am not certain that they will attack there but if they do we need you to defend it. The two most vulnerable places are the tower and the gate.”

  I was not certain that Johann believed me but so long as the squires did then I was happy. They would be safe there. I was confident that they would come to no harm but the walls of a castle being attacked was not the place for squires. The fighting would be brutal. If we had to use pig fat then the smell of burning hair and flesh would give young William nightmares for months to come.

  Once they had left us I organised the men. We had seven knights in total and I spread those out amongst the men at arms and the men of the garrison. I did not bother with either a shield or a helmet. The battlements would protect us from the crossbows the men of de Vesci and de Percy used. I needed good hearing and a clear sight of the foe. We had to hurt them so much in their first attack that they would break off and retire. Both the barons would be keen to get to London. They were ambitious men and the power lay around Fitzwalter. They would seek to be close to him. If they managed to overthrow the King then they wanted to be on hand to be given the best manors. I did not think it would come to that but the two barons would.

  I heard a great deal of noise from the cathedral. William looked at me quizzically. “It is the two barons. They are engaging in a little rabble rousing. If they can get the burghers of Lincoln to fight their battle for them then they will lose less men.” I nodded to the cauldrons. “Better light those and get the cauldrons hot.”

  Sure enough, a short while later a mob ran at the walls. They had ladders and improvised weapons. Behind them came the men who wore the liveries of de Vesci and de Percy. I lowered my sword and the ten archers from the garrison sent their arrows into the air. They were not as good as my men but the mob who ran at us had no protection and each time an arrow struck it found flesh. The crossbows the enemy used hit the embrasures or the crenulations. None found a warrior. That was de Vesci’s mistake. He was trying to use ordinary men to force the walls. I relied on warriors. We were outnumbered but they had to ascend a ladder and try to fight one handed.

  Despite the casualties suffered by the burghers as they attacked some still reached the walls and they raised the ladders. That was the reason the barons had sent them. Their men could ascend the ladders and fight. The burghers had just carried them for the barons.

  I heard a voice from behind me as the first men began to climb the eight ladders they had placed against the walls. “Pig fat coming up lord, ware behind!” The servants laboured up holding the cauldrons with the steaming pig fat. I stepped away for if it splashed it would burn.

  I went to the gate and peered along the wall. Robert of Lincoln had been correct. They made no attempt to take the Lucy Tower. I saw that Johann had managed to find some bows and javelins. The squires were using their elevated position to send their missiles at the flank of those attacking. It would not win the battle but it would weaken the resolve of the attackers. I saw men with axes, protected by shields run at the gate. The gates were studded with metal so that it would blunt the axes they used. It would add to the time it took to break down the gates.

  “Edward, take charge of the pig fat. When it is ready then it will be your decision when to use it.”

  “Aye lord!”

  I peered over the wall again. The men ascending were half way up. More than half of those climbing wore mail. The ones who did not were being struck by the arrows and javelins of our men.

  “Stand by to repel our enemies! The cry is ‘The Fair Lady of Lincoln.’”

  The cry, ‘The Fair Lady of Lincoln’, was taken up and rippled down the wall. When the squires in the Lucy Tower sho
uted it then it almost became an echo.

  The ladder which was closest to me was too far below me for me to dislodge it. The men who ascended would use the crenulations to pull themselves up. The first man who came thrust his spear up blindly. I was back from the edge but I feigned a cry as though he had struck me. If he was any kind of warrior then he would know that he had not. I pulled back my sword and waited for his hand as he used it to pull himself up and place a foot on the crenulation. I rammed my sword into his middle. He could not help himself. He tried to move away and stepped out into fresh air. My sword blow was not fatal but the crack as his body hit the cobbles was. I peered over the edge and saw that the next man was only half way up. I suspect the falling warrior had taken another with him. I glanced to the rear of the attackers and saw that the two barons were with their knights and standard bearers safely away from the fighting.

  I watched Sir William sweep his sword sideways. He had risked the crossbows for he had had to lean out but when he did he managed to hit the man at arms on the side of the head. As he fell he clutched at the ladder and he pulled it and the two men climbing. It fell towards the next ladder and that was knocked to the ground. The men on the third ladder jumped before they were hit.

  At that moment I heard Sir Edward shout, “Let go!” The two cauldrons of boiling pig fat emptied over the side of the gatehouse. There were thirty men crowded below. Pig fat burns on contact and, even worse, it insinuates itself through any crack and crease it can find. A man cannot rid himself of it. To make matters worse Edward had had two of his men light brands which they threw down on the mass of screaming men. The pig fat ignited then all those who were not already dead ran back towards the town. Some were on fire. Panic ensued as burning men ran blindly into buildings and their comrades. The attack ended almost instantly. With three ladders gone and the attack on the gatehouse ended the rest ran back to the town gate. They had had enough.