For, walking into a village, we saw men, women, and children, all gathered, gaping about one that stood beside a horse nearly foundered, its legs thrust wide, its nostrils all foam and blood.

The man, who seemed as weary as his horse, held a paper in his hands, which the priest of that parish took from him and read aloud to us.

The rider was a royal messenger, one Thomas Scott of Easter Buccleuch, in Rankel Burn, whom I knew later, and his tidings were evil.

The Dauphin bade his good towns know that, on the 12th of February, Sir John Stewart, constable of the Scottish forces in France, had fallen in battle at Rouvray, with very many of his company, and some Frenchmen.

They had beset a convoy under Sir John Fastolf, that was bringing meat to the English leaguered about Orleans.