Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-06-19
EvESHAM. ON THE AVON.
r. . Story of Simon De Montfort. Cham
pion of the PEOPLES Rights

II . Story of Simon De Montfort, Cham
pion of the Peoples Rights.
Returning, we passed on the brow of the
slope above Avon for longer ook. At
our feet was spread the vale of Eveshara
the river, bordered with meadows as green
and fat as billiard tables; the stream of Ar
row northward, which rises In the Hickey
Hills, and comes down through Alcester to
joine the Avoa here; the village of Stafford
Priors and Stafford Ahbots; farther to the
west, among its apple-trees, the roofs and
gables of Stafford Nunnery, the village of
Harrington. And all down the stream,
and around the meadows, and in and out
of these
slow farms,
Poor pelting villages, sheepcoates, and mills, "
are willows innumerable, some pollsel dat
year, and looking like green mops others,
with long curved branches ready to be
Topped and turned into fence poles next
winter, until they are lost in the hills
round Evesham, where the dim towers
stand up and the bold outline of Bredor
Hill shuts out the view of the Severn
Valley.
The mound on which we are standing
IS surmounted by the stone socket of a
cross, and beneath the cross are said tC
lie many of those who fell on Eveshan
battlefield; for the vale below was or
August 4, 1865, the scene Of one o the
bloodiest and most decisive conflicts in
English history. Simon de Montfort
Earl of Leicester, victor of Lewes, anC
champion of the peoples rights, was
Fastening back by forced MARCHES
from Wales, having King Henry III. IL
his train, a virtual hostage. He was
hurrying to meet his son, the young Simon
= 18th re-enforcements from the southeast
but young Simons troops had been surpris
ed by Prince Edward at Kenilworth il
the early morning and massacred in Their
| beds, their leader himself escaping with
difficulty, almost naked, in boat across
scious of their fate. the old earl reached
crossing the bridge into the town, sealed
And while yet Simon and his king were
Abbey Edwards troops were crossing the
river here at Cleexe Ford in the darkness
and moving on their sure prey.
A strange but horrible darkness lay
over the land on that fatal Tuesday morn
ing, shrouding the sun, and hiding their
books from the monks of Evesham as they
sang in the choir. The soldiers at their
breakfast could scarcely see the meats on
the board before them. They were ready
to start again; but before the march be-
gan, banners and lances and moving
troops were spied on the crest of the
green hill, coming toward the town.
at is my son, g." cried Simon; fear not
But nevertheless look out, less we be de-
ceived.
Nicholas, the earl's barber, being ex-
pert in the cognizance of arms; assembled
the bell tower of the abbey, and soon de
tected among the friendly banners that
were, in fact, but tOrphies of the raid at
Kenilworth, the three lions" of Prince
Edward and the rOyalists. The alarm
was given but it was quickely seen that
Simon's army would be utterly outnum-
bered.
'By the alarm of ST. James, " cried the
old warrior, they come on well! But 1t
was for me, " he added, with a touch of
soldiery pride-''it was from me they
learned it. But glance showed the
hopelessness of resting this array with
a handful of horse and a mob of wild
Welshmen. LET us commend our souls to
God, =" he said to his followers, for our
bodies are the foes"
And so he went forth; and while the
Welsh fed like sheep at the first onset,
cut down in standing corn and howery
garden, the old warrior of siIty-6ve hew-
ed his way like an impregnable tower
to the top of the Green Hill, until one by
one his friends had dropped beside him;
then at the summit his horse fell to, and
dlstainlng surrender, hemmed In by
twelve nights, he was struck down by a
lance wound. 'Itis gods will, - he said
and died. And whilst the butchery went
on, and the Welshmen fed homeward
through Parshore to Twkesbry, where the
citizens cut them down in the streets, and
whilts the darkness broke in drenching
rain and binding lightning, Simon s
head was Topped off, and carried on pole
in triumph to Wigmore.
Such was the murder of Evesham, for
battle none it was, sings Robert of
Gloucester And as the sun breaks
through and turns the gray day to silver,
we bass on either hand memorials of that
massacre By Harrington mill and weir
where the sand pipers fit before US, and
and by the spot where now stand the Fish
and Anchor Inn and l. row Of anglers
Edwards soldiery marched down through
the nigbt.-From The WarwickshIre
Avon, By A T. CUTLER Cough, In Harp
er's Magazine for June.