our enemies, who
would gladly slay us, if they might have the better hand of us.' Sir
Robert Knolles counselled to go and fight with them and slay them all;
yet the king would not consent thereto, but said: 'Nay, I will not so:
I will send to them commanding them to send me again my banners and
thereby we shall see what they will do. Howbeit, other by fairness or
otherwise, I will have them.' 'That is well said, sir,' quoth the earl
of Salisbury. Then these new knights were sent to them, and these
knights made token to them not to shoot at them, and when they came so
near them that their speech might be heard, they said: 'Sirs, the king
commandeth you to send to him again his banners, and we think he will
have mercy of you.' And incontinent they delivered again the banners
and sent them to the king. Also they were commanded on pain of their
heads, that all such as had letters of the king to bring them forth
and to send them again to the king; and so many of them delivered
their letters, but not all. Then the king made them to be all to torn
in their presence; and as soon as the king's banners were delivered
again, these unhappy people kept none array, but the most part of them
did cast down their bows, and so brake their array and returned into
London. Sir Robert Knolles was sore displeased in that he might not go
to slay them all: but the king would not consent thereto, but said he
would be revenged of them well enough; and so he was after.

[5] 'Qui estoit des draps du roy.' He owned large estates in
Essex and also shops in London. He became one of the councillors
of Richard II.

Thus these foolish people departed, some one way and some another; and
the king and his lords and all his company right ordinately entered
into London with great joy. And the first journey that the king made
he went to the lady princess his mother, who was in a castle in the
Royal called the Queen's Wardrobe, and there she had tarried two days
and two nights right sore abashed, as she had good reason; and when
she saw the king her son, she was greatly rejoiced and said: 'Ah, fair
son, what pain and great sorrow that I have suffered for you this
day!' Then the king answered and said: 'Certainly, madam, I know it
well; but now rejoice yourself and thank God, for now it is time. I
have this day recovered mine heritage and the realm of England, the
which I had near lost.' Thus the king tarried that day with his
mother, and eve