William Morris

“ CHAPTER XLV. THE RED LAD SCATTERS THE HOST OF THE BARONS.
SO wore the seasons into winter, and all was tidingless at Longshaw. Long were it indeed to tell the whole tale of the warfare of the house of Longshaw, even for those years while Osberne abode with Sir Godrick. For the Knight was not only a fearless heart in the field and of all deftness in the handling of weapons, but he was also the wisest of host-leaders of his day and his land, so that with him to lead them an hundred was as good as five hundred, take one time with another. ”

“ Let us draw away little by little and get behind our walls, and there gather force again. But soon they found that they would have no such leave to depart but as broken men fleeing at all adventure, for their foemen had entered too far into them, and had cleft their array in many places. ”

“ But their proud stomachs had not yet come down so far, and they but sent back their defiance renewed; for they thought that, though they were not strong enough to meet Longshaw in the field, yet they might hold their strengths in despite of it, and so dally out the time until the King and the Porte were strong enough to come to their help. Now was this put to the test; for straightway, when Sir Godrick had their answer, he rose up and led a host against the castle of the greatest of those Barons, and took it in ten days, after much loss of his men. ”