man would stay safe at home, knowing all the while that he would not, or felt he could not.
A group of riders came trotting towards them from the Tower, and cheering started, from those who recognised the figure of Simon de Montfort. The sound was taken up all across the field, and de Montfort and his companions William de Monchesny, Hugh
Dispenser, and others rode in among them, smiling broadly.
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De Montfort forced his horse through the mob, until he met fitzThomas coming towards him, with Puleston on one side and Bukerel on the other.
"Well, my Lord Mayor!" said Simon in high good humour. "We have many allies, I perceive."
"Indeed, my lord," said fitzThomas, oozing satisfaction. He nodded his head cursorily in the direction of Monchesny and Hugh Dispenser. Hugh snorted audibly at the man s arrogance, but inclined his head courteously in return, although Monchesny stared coldly and did nothing.
Simon raised himself slightly from his saddle and gazed around over the heads of the throng, who were still giving forth ragged cheers. He sat back again, and spoke to the leaders of the Londoners, under cover of the noise around them all.
"Do these men understand what we require of them? That many of them may face injury and even death?" he said.
Bukerel spoke up, before fitzThomas could say anything.
"They are your loyal followers, my lord," he said, respectfully. "They are willing to lay down their lives in your cause."
"Hmmm," said Simon, thoughtfully. He stared down at the three men standing before him. Bukerel stared back, drawing himself up and stiffening his spine, daring de Montfort to disbelieve him, despite the evident admiration in his voice. The other two looked more ill at ease, and Puleston was positively shifty.
Monchesny leaned across to Simon and spoke softly to him.
"Why worry yourself about their safety, my lord?" he said. "We need them and they are in a fever of excitement at the thought of fighting. Leave them their dreams, and do not undermine their confidence."
De Montfort smiled sadly at Monchesny and nodded.
"It gives me no pleasure to lead men to their deaths in this fashion," he said. "Yet you are right: we must count on this very ignorance of theirs to get them into battle. No-one is foolish enough to walk into danger if they are made aware of it. Very well my words to them will not contain any warning."
He rose in his stirrups again and prepared to speak. The last faint cheers died away and there was a sudden silence.
"I call on you again, men of London!" he said. "To ask for your help in our crusade against the King, who listens to no-one and take no-one s counsel but his own. While he may have a divine right to be our King, he has no divine right to rule alone, as a tyrant rules."
He paused for breath, and there were shouts of agreement from the crowd. He held up his hand.
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"We know that the King is now at Battle. If he wants a Battle, then a battle I shall give him! Will you come with me?"
"Aye, my lord!" came back from every throat, in a single roar.
"We leave at once," shouted de Montfort. "You will follow after the army has left the Tower. Food and shelter will be provided for you!"
There was another roar from the crowd, as he wheeled his horse round, and headed back to the Tower, with Monchesny and the others close beside him. When they got to the gates, de Montfort paused a moment.
"Tell everyone inside to start moving," he said to Monchesny. "Let those who will follow us see that we have soldiers with us, and that they will not be an unruly mob. We must make good time, if we are to fight the King at a site to our advantage. There can be no rioting or sacking on the way we head south with all speed!"
"Aye my lord," said Monchesny, trying to keep the doubt out of his voice. This mob of men and boys for he
had seen that some of them were very young would be hard to control. Londoners were famous for their refusal to be ruled by any other than their own leaders. He turned back to de Montfort.
"My lord," he said. "Give me time to tell the leaders of the mob that they must control them. They will take no notice of anyone else."
"You are right, William," said de Montfort. He clapped the younger man on