Medieval

Edward then planned to gather a number of warlike men and go out and fight the rebels. While the chances of Edward succeeding were slim, his potential death - along with the risk of growing support from royalists near Lewes, were there to be a protracted seige - meant that de Montfort had to move quickly to reach a settlement.

To force the matter, De Montfort therefore immediately threatened to execute Richard, Philip Basset and his other prisoners. Since the royalists also held prisoners and could reply in kind, de Montfort sent envoys into the priory offering concessions and stating that he was willing to negotiate a peace. As it was now late evening negotiations were postponed until the following morning.

Nearly three thousand men had been killed in the day's fighting within and immediately around Lewes, and more had been killed fleeing the battlefield. Of the total deaths, only a handful were knights whose names were recorded.

The 15th of May dawned with friars travelling between king and de Montfort, which resulted in a settlement, the Mise of Lewes. Those in the priory formally surrendered to de Montfort, with the king giving up his sword to Gilbert de Clare, and it was accepted that the Provisions of Oxford should stand "unbroken".

While this looked like total victory for the rebels, there were two concessions made from the de Montfort side. Firstly, of those Marcher lords in the priory, Roger Mortimer, James of Audley and their ally Roger Leyburne were allowed to go free, in return for Edward and Richard's son Henry to remain in custody as hostages. Secondly, de Montfort re-iterated his willingness to have any corrections to the Provisions of Oxford submitted to a process of arbitration. In effect, this was the same offer that he had made just before the battle.

(Much of this material is from Dr David Carpenter's highly convincing arguments outlined in "The Battle of Lewes and Evesham 1264/65". Mercia Publications Ltd., 1987. All quotes in italics are translated contemporary ones.)