all intention to flée, and so made themselues readie to set forward.

King Stephan hauing no pleasant voice of himselfe, appointed earle
Baldwin to giue an exhortation to his armie, wherevpon getting himselfe
to an high place where he might be seene & heard of them, he thus began.
[Sidenote: Earle Baldwin his oration on the behalfe of king Stephan.]
"All such as shall giue battell, ought to foresée thrée things:
[Sidenote: Thrée things to be foreséene by them that shall giue
battell.] first, that their cause be righteous: secondlie, the number of
their men to be equall at the least: and thirdlie, the goodnesse and
sufficiencie of them. The righteousnes of their cause ought to be
regarded, least men runne in danger of the soule; the number of men is
to be respected, least they should be oppressed with multitude of
enimies; and the goodnesse of the soldiers is to be considered, least
trusting in the multitude, they should presume vpon the aid of feeble
persons, & such as are of small valure. In all these points we see our
selues sufficientlie furnished. The iustice of our cause is this: that
obseruing the thing which we vowed to our king before God, we stand to
the same against those that haue falsified their faith, euen to the
perill of death. Our number is not much lesse in horssemen, and in
footmen we excéed them. As for the goodnesse or sufficiencie of our men,
who is able to expresse the noble prowesse of so manie earles, of so
manie lords and soldiers, trained vp euer in warres: The passing
valiancie of our king may stand in place of innumerable souldiers. Sith
then he being the lords annointed, is here amongst you, vnto whom ye
haue vowed allegiance, performe your vow. For the more earnestly and
faithfully ye serue your prince in this battell, which you are readie to
fight against periured persons, the more shall your reward be at the
hands of God and him. Therfore be of good comfort, & haue in remembrance
against whom you doo darraine the battell. [Sidenote: Erle Robert.] The