the study to him and gave him good morrow, and said:  ’By my faith, sir Matthew, fortune hath brought me hither; for as soon as I was departed from you, I met by chance the bishop of Durham, to whom I am prisoner, as ye be to me.  I believe ye shall not need to come to Edinboro to me to make your finance:  I think rather we shall make an exchange one for another, if the bishop be so content.’  ‘Well, sir,’ quoth Redman, ’we shall accord right well together, ye shall dine this day with me:  the bishop and our men be gone forth to fight with your men, I cannot tell what shall fall, we shall know at their return.’  ‘I am content to dine with you,’ quoth Lindsay.  Thus these two knights dined together in Newcastle.

      [1] Or rather, ‘very pensive leaning against a window,’ and
      afterwards the expression ‘came forth of the study to him’
      should be ‘broke off his thought and came towards him.’

When the knights of Scotland were informed how the bishop of Durham came on them with ten thousand men, they drew to council to see what was best for them to do, other to depart or else to abide the adventure.  All things considered, they concluded to abide, for they said they could not be in a better nor a stronger place than they were in already; they had many prisoners and they could not carry them away, if they should have departed; and also they had many of their men hurt and also some of their prisoners, whom they thought they would not leave behind them.  Thus they drew together and ordered so their field, that there was no entry but one way, and they set all their prisoners together and made them to promise how that, rescue or no rescue, they should be their prisoners.  After that they made all their minstrels to blow up all at once and made the greatest revel of the world.  Lightly it is the usage of Scots, that when they be thus assembled together in arms, the footmen beareth about their necks horns in manner like hunters, some great, some small, and of all sorts, so that when they blow all at once, they make such a noise, that it may be heard nigh four miles off:  thus they do to abash their enemies and to rejoice themselves.  When the bishop of Durham with his banner and ten thousand men with him were approached, within a league, then the Scots blew their horns in such wise, that it seemed that all the devils in hell had been among them, so that such as heard them and knew not of their usage were sore abashed.  This blowing and noise endured a long space and then ceased:  and by that time the Englishmen were within less than a mile.  Then the Scots began to blow again and made a great noise, and as long endured as it did before.  Then the bishop approached with his battle well ranged in good order and came within the sight of the Scots, as within two bow-shot or less:  then the Scots blew again their horns a long space.  The bishop stood still to see what the Scots would do and aviewed them well and saw how they were in a strong ground greatly to their advantage.  Then the bishop took counsel what was best for him to do; but all things well advised, they were not in purpose to enter in among the Scots to assail them, but returned without doing of anything, for they saw well they might rather lose than win.