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LEGiS

H I S T 0 RIE

OF THE ARRIVALL OF EDWARD IV. IN ENGLAND
AND THE FINALL RECOUERYE OF HIS KINGDOMES
FROM HENRY VI. A. D. M.CCCC.LXXI.

EDITED BY JOHN BRUCE, ESQ. F. S. A.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR THE CAMDEN SOCIETY

BY JOHN BOWYER NICHOLS AND SON, PARLIAMENT STREET.

M.DCCC.XXX.VIII.

C-1
no.

INTRODUCTION.

THE principal original historical authorities for the period to
which the following narrative relates are, I. The Second Con-
tinuation of the History of Croyland * ; II. Fabyan's Chronicle -f- ;
III. An English Chronicle from which there are large extracts
in Leland's Collectanea J ; IV. The Anglica Historia of Poly-
dore Vergil § ; and V. The Memoir es of Philip de Comines || :
to these is now added, in the following narrative, a sixth au-
thority, of greater value than any of them.

The Continuator of the History of Croyland is one of the best
of our English Historians of the class to which he belongs. His
name is unknown, but it appears in his work that he was a
Doctor of Canon Law, was one of Edward the Fourth's Council-
lors, and was employed by that monarch upon a foreign mission.

* Published in Gale's Rerum Anglicarum Script. Vet. I. 549.

f I have used Sir Henry Ellis's edition,4to. Lond. 1811.

t Vol. II. of the edition of 1774, p. 499.

§ I have used the Edition of Basil, fol. 1557.

|| My references are to the edition printed at Brussels m 1706,^4 vols. 8vo.

iv INTRODUCTION.

Thus connected with the house of York, but not writing until
after the battle of Bosworth,* he holds the balance pretty evenly
between the rival parties. He does not dwell much upon minute
facts; but the general current of events is clearly, and, in all
probability, accurately, detailed by him.

Fabyans narrative is such an one as might be expected from a
citizen and an alderman of the reign of Henry VII. ; full, and
no doubt correct, upon all points connected with the popular
feeling and with transactions which took place in the City of Lon-
don, but brief and inaccurate respecting events which passed
elsewhere. Fabyan's bias was towards the Lancastrian party.

Of the Chronicler from whom Leland extracted we know abso-
lutely nothing. The extracts contain many anecdotes and minute
particulars, and the spirit and feeling of a contemporary are
evident throughout, but I have not observed anything which
has enabled me to identify the author. He writes with a very
palpable inclination towards the party of " the innocent Henry."

From what sources Poly dor e Vergil derived his account of these
events is unknown ; but he has given an excellent narrative,
superior in style, more abundant in facts, and more copious in
description than any of those before mentioned* It of course
strongly favours the house of Lancaster ; and may indeed be
considered as the account which that party was desirous should
be believed.

* Gale, 1. 575.

INTRODUCTION. V

I have added Philip de Comines to the catalogue of authorities,
principally with a view to his account of Edward the Fourth's
proceedings on the Continent preparatory to his return into Eng-
land, and his narrative of the battle of Tewkesbury ; which last
he seems to have received from some of those who fled from
thence to the Continent.* His relation of the intermediate events
is extremely inaccurate.

Upon these authorities, which in many points are most singularly
contradictory, all our subsequent Chroniclers, with one exception,
which will be noticed hereafter, have based their statements.
Rastall abridges Fabyan ; Hall translates Polydore Vergil and
Philip de Comines ; Stowe transcribes the Chronicle quoted by
Leland ; and the rest follow some one author and some another.

The present narrative has higher claims to authority than any
of those I have noticed. It* was written upon the spot ; imme-
diately after the events to which it relates ; by some person pos-
sessed of full means of knowledge ; and it will be seen that it was
adopted by Edward IV. as an accurate relation of his achieve-
ments. All the other narratives either emanated from partisans of
"the adverse faction," or were written after the subsequent
triumph of the House of Lancaster, when it would not have been
prudent — perhaps not safe — to publish any thing which tended to
relieve the Yorkists from the weight of popular odium which
attached to the real or supposed crimes of their leaders. We have

* Comines, I. 209, " comment mont dit ceux qui ij estoieiit."

Vi INTRODUCTION.

here an authorised relation put forth by the Yorkists themselves,
and giving their own account of the events upon which many of
the heavy charges brought against their "house" have been
founded.

The author says of himself, that he was a servant of Ed-
ward the Fourth, and that he *' presently saw in eifect a
great parte of his exploytes, and the resydewe knew by true
relation of them that were present at every tyme;" (p. 1.) and
these assertions are corroborated, not merely by the narra-
tive itself, which possesses all the characteristics of a relation of
an eye-witness, but in a singular manner also by a communica-
tion made to the Society of Antiquaries in the year 1820, and
published in the Archaeologia, vol. xxi. p. 11. It appears from
that communication, and from a MS. relating to the same sub-
ject, in the possession of Thomas Amyot, Esq. with the use of
which I have been kindly favoured, that on the 29th May
1471, three days only after the termination of the following
narrative, Edward IV., being then at Canterbury, addressed a
letter in French to the Nobles and Burgomasters of Bruges,
thanking them for the courteous hospitality he had received from
them during his exile, apprising them of the great success which
had attended his expedition, and referring them to the bearer of
the letter for further particulars of his victories. Those " farther
particulars " were contained in a very brief French abridgment
of the following narrative ; and in the Public Library at Ghent
there is a quarto MS. volume in vellum, which contains a con-

INTRODUCTION. vii

temporary transcript of the abridgment, and of the King's letter,
all written with great care, and ornamented with four illumina-
tions, representing the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury, the
execution of the Duke of Somerset, and the attack of the Bastard
Fauconberge upon London. It is probable that the Ghent; MS.
is a copy of the communication received from Edward IV. which
was transmitted by the Citizens of Bruges to then* brethren of
Ghent, who were equally interested in the subject matter with
themselves.

The identity of the Ghent MS. as an abridgment of the pre-
sent narrative is unquestionable. Brief, meagre, and spiritless
as it is, it yet contains quite enough to render the connexion
indisputable. In both, the succession of events, even down to the
most minute that are stated, is precisely the same ; in both, when-
ever several persons or several facts are mentioned in one sen-
tence, they stand in the same order ; even in the re -translation
from the French back into English, which alone is published in
the Archaeologia, the same epithets are frequently applied to the
same events ; and with the exception of some obvious mistakes
in the publication in the Archseologia,* the same names, dates,
and numbers — as, for instance, the numbers of killed in the
several battles, and the numbers of the troops engaged, as to

* For example, in p. 20, for the Earl of Exeter, read the Earl of Essex.
In p. 21, the death of Henry VI. is said to have occurred on the 24th of the
said month of June ; May is the only month which can be alluded to, and the

Vlii INTRODUCTION.

which there is the greatest discrepancy in all the other accounts,
are'exactly the same.

The identity of the two narratives, the one as the original,
and the other as an abridgment of it, lifeless, uninteresting, and
almost useless for historical purposes, but still an abridgment of
the more important work now published, being established, we
become secure both as to the age and authority of the present
work ; and if we inquire further whether its contents be of
sufficient importance to justify its publication, the result will be
most satisfactory.

The events to which it relates have few parallels in history.
A fugitive and an exile, Edward IV. at the commencement of
the year 1471, seemed to have lost all present chance of resto-
ration. The imbecility of the actual monarch was amply com-
pensated by the vigour of the Earl of Warwick, the principal
regent, a nobleman whose importance both parties in the state
had by turns seen ample reason to appreciate, and whose present
measures gave sufficient indication of the energy with which he
was prepared to defend the throne he had raised. The inhabit-
ants of the eastern coast, from the Thames to the borders of
Scotland, were raised and arrayed to oppose any hostile land-
ing; the Duke of Clarence, one of Edward's brothers, was

day in our MS. is the 23d. Upon that point, it would be satisfactory if the
Ghent MS. were again consulted. In p. 22, the battle of Tewkesbury is dated
on the 14th of May, instead of the 4th.

INTRODUCTION. ix

bound to the restored dynasty by being associated, accord-
ing to some of the authorities, with the Earl of Warwick in
the regency, by a marriage with Warwick's elder daughter,
and by a parliamentary entailment of the crown upon him,
in exclusion of his elder brother, in case of failure of the
descendants of Henry VI. ; and the new order of things was
further strengthened, and the three great families of Lancaster,
York, and Neville bound together, as it were, with a triple cord,
by the union of the Prince of Wales with Warwick's younger
daughter, the sister of the Duchess of Clarence. Nor was
there wanting that only sure foundation for the throne — the
affection of the great majority of the people. The simplicity and
meek piety of Henry ; the generous hospitality of Warwick ; the
hard fortunes of the youthful Prince of Wales ; the licentious-
ness of Edward the Fourth's life ; his undignified marriage ; and
the unpopularity of his friend Worcester, " the butcher of Eng-
land ; "* all these circumstances, operating upon various classes of
the community, produced a wide-spread feeling in favour of the
cause of Henry VI.

The aspect of affairs upon the Continent seemed equally en-
couraging to the House of Lancaster. The Duke of Burgundy,
the only prince to whom Edward could look for support, was
little likely to enter warmly into his cause ; for, although mar-
ried to his sister, he was connected by relationship with

* Fabyan, 659.
CAMD. SOC. 1. b

x INTRODUCTION.

Henry VI. and was involved in a war with France, which would
become doubly perilous if, upon any opposition to the Lancas-
trian party, the influence of England were thrown into the scale
against him.

Whilst every thing seemed thus secure and prosperous, Queen
Margaret and the Prince of Wales prepared to pass into Eng-
land. Warwick went to the sea coast to receive them ; and, if
they had landed at that time, their progress to the capital would
have resembled a triumph. Detained on the coast of Normandy
from February until April by the unusual boisterousness of
the weather, they at length, with some difficulty, secured a land-
ing at Weymouth ; and what were the tidings with which they
were greeted ? That, amidst the tempests by which they had been
detained, Edward and a small band of followers had landed in
the north amongst a people up in arms to oppose him, but whom
he had deceived by false representations of the purpose of his
coming ; that he had obtained possession of the metropolis and
of the person of the King ; that Clarence — " false, fleeting, per-
jured Clarence " — had deserted the cause of Lancaster ; that a
great battle had been fought ; and that Warwick, the centre of all
their hopes, had been defeated and killed* " When," says Hall,
paraphrasing the words of Polydore Vergil, " when she harde all
these miserable chaunces and misfortunes, so sudainly, one in
another's necke, to have taken effect, she like a woman all dis-
maied for feare, fell to the ground, her harte was perced with

INTRODUCTION. xi

sorowe, her speache was in a manner passed, all her spirits were
tormented with malencholy." *

The remainder of the story may be soon told. The friends
of the House of Lancaster gathered around the Queen and
Prince ; a considerable force was raised ; a strong position was
taken near Tewkesbury ; and on the fourth of May 1471 the two
armies met. The results were fatal to the House of Lancaster.
The Prince of Wales was killed ; after the battle, sixteen of his
principal adherents were selected from amongst the prisoners
and beheaded ; and Edward returned to London, bearing Mar-
garet with him as a captive.

One death more brought the tragedy to a close. Edward IV.
entered London on the 21st of May, and on the 23rd, accord-
ing to the following narrative, Henry VI. died in the Tower " of
pure displeasure and melancoly."

The interest which attaches to the persons and situations of the
chief actors in these events; the controversies to which the
events themselves have given rise ; the picture they present of
the state of moral degradation to which the English people were
reduced by the long civil war, — to which alone Edward's rapid
recovery of the throne and the success of the deceptions and
crimes by which it was accompanied are to be attributed, —
are quite sufficient to justify the addition to our historical
authorities of a writer whose means of information were more

* Hall, p. 297.

Xii INTRODUCTION.

ample, and whose narrative is anterior in date to any that
we possess.

The deaths of the Prince of Wales and Henry VI. are popu-
larly considered to constitute deep blots upon the escutcheon of
the House of York ; and although the acuteness of some modern
writers has a little shaken the general faith in the justice of the
share in those deaths attributed to the Duke of Gloucester, it
has not at all affected the almost universal belief that those
Princes were murdered — and murdered through the instrumen-
tality of the heads of the House of York. In the following
pages we have a representation of the facts relating to both those
deaths set forth by the Yorkists themselves, within a few days after
their occurrence, and before the public mind had been filled with
the rumours which were soon afloat. This is not the place in
which to enter upon any disquisition as to the manner in which
the Yorkist narrative affects their cause ; at any event, we shall
all agree that they ought to be heard. In the notes, I have
brought together the statements of the various contemporary
authorities relating to the deaths of the Prince and Henry VI. ;
and the juxta-position will not only be useful to those who
are desirous to approximate towards the truth, but, by displaying
the contradictions between the existing authorities, will be found
to prove the importance of obtaining further information.

The fate of the following narrative has been singular. Adopted
as we have seen by Edward IV., and an abridgment of it trans-

INTRODUCTION. xi|i

lated and sent abroad at the time it was written, it either
remained unknown to the English writers of the period, or was
considered to be too entirely Yorkist in its tone and spirit to be
used during the subsequent ascendancy of the House of Lan-
caster, After the lapse of a century, a MS. of it is ascertained
to have been extant in the library of Fleetwood, the well-known
Recorder of London in the time of Queen Elizabeth ; and from
that MS. Fleetwood, without acknowledging his authority, com-
piled a narrative of Edward's restoration, which was inserted in
Holinshed's Chronicle,* and is referred to its author by the name
" W. Fleetwood " in the margin. In passing under Fleet-
wood's hand, the orthography was modernised, many passages
were omitted, many softened, and in some of the most important
places the narrative of Hall, translated from Polydore Vergil, was
adopted as " more pleasing to Lancastrian ear." After it had
been thus diluted by Fleetwood, it received an infusion of Lancas-
trian spirit from Abraham Fleming, the editor of that part of
Holinshed, who interpolated a number of passages from Stowe,
derived from the Chronicler with whom we are made acquainted
by the extracts in Leland's Collectanea. In these various ways
the red rose was blanched, the colour of the narrative was
changed in all its more important passages, and the servant
of Edward IV. was transformed into a Lancastrian Chronicler.

* Vol. III. p. 303, Edit, 1808.

INTRODUCTION.

It was through the partial representation in Holinshed
alone, that the facts contained in this narrative were at all
known, until Mr. Sharon Turner, whose endeavours to dis-
cover MS. historical authorities cannot be too highly praised,
drew attention to the narrative itself, by using and commending
it in his History of England during the Middle Ages.* To that
work I am indebted for my first knowledge of it ; and I am not
aware that it has ever been noticed by any other writer.

What became of Fleetwood's MSS. is not, I believe, known ;
but Stowe, who had access to them, made a copy of the original
of the following paper, and that copy, written in the small
clear hand of the Chronicler, found its way into the Harleian
Library through Sir Symonds D'Ewes. It now forms the
third article, in a small quarto volume of Stowe's Tran-
scripts, numbered 543, amongst the Harleian MSS. It com-
mences on folio 31, and is thus described in a title page written
by another hand ; " The Historic of the arrivall of King
E. 4. in England, and the finall recouerie of his Kingdomes
from H. 6. in A°. D*. 1471. Written by an Anonymus whoe
was liuing at the same time and a seruant to the saied King E. 4.
Transcribed by John Stowe the Chronicler with his owne hand."
The work now published is a copy of Stowe's MS.

I cannot conclude without an expression of my thanks to the

* Vol. III. p. 281. Edition 1830, 8vo.

INTRODUCTION. XV

Council of the Camden Society for the readiness with which they
adopted my suggestion for the publication of this Document, and
also for the kind assistance I have received from them whilst it
has been passing through the press.

8th May 1838. JOHN BRUCE.

THE

HISTORIE

OF THE

ARRIVALL OF KING EDWARD IV.

A.D, 1471.

Here aftarfolowethe the mannar how the moaste noble and right victorious
prince Edwarde, by the grace of Gody Kinge of England and of
Fraunce,and Lord of Irland, in the yere of grace 1471, in the monethe
of Marche, departed out of Zeland ; toke the sea; aryved in England ;
and, by his force and valliannes, of new e redewced and reconquered the
sayde realme, upon and agaynst th'Erle of Warwicke, his traytor and
rebell, calling himself e Lievetenaunte of England, by pretensed aucto-
ritie of the usurpowre Henry, and his complices ; and, also, upon and
agains Edward, callynge hymseJfe prince of Wales, sonne to the sayde
Henry than wrongfully occupienge the Royme and Crowne of England ;
and, upon many othar greate and myghty Lords, noble men, and othar,
beinge mightily accompaigned. Compiled and put in this forme suinge,
by a servaunt of the Kyngs, that presently saw in effect a great parte
of his exploytes, and the resydewe knewe by true relation of them that
were present at every tyme.

IN the yere of grace 1471, aftar the comptinge of the churche of Eng-
land, the ij. day of Marche, endynge the x. yere of the reigne of our sove-
raign Lord Kynge Edwarde the IV. by the grace of God Kynge of Eng-
land and of Fraunce, and Lord of Irland, the sayde moaste noble kynge
accompanied with ij thowsand Englyshe men, well chosen, entendynge to
passe the sea, and to reentar and recovar his realme of England, at that
tyme usurpyd and occupied by Henry, callyd Henry the VI., by the tray-

CAMD. SOC. 1. B

2 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

torous meanes of his greate rebell Richard, Erie of Warwicke, and his
complices, entred into his shipe, afore the haven of Flisshinge, in Zeland,
the sayde ij. day of Marche ; and, forasmoche as aftar he was in the shippe,
and the felowshipe also, with all that to them appertayned, the wynd fell
not good for hym, he therefore wold not retorne agayne to the land, but
abode in his shipe, and all his felowshipe in lyke wyse, by the space of ix
dayes, abydynge good wynde and wether; whiche had the xj. daye of
Marche, he made saile, and so did all the shipps that awayted upon hym,
takyng theyr cowrse streyght over [towards] the coste of Norfolke, and
came before Crowmere, the Tusedaye, agayne even, the xij. day of Marche ;
whithar the Kynge sent on land Ser Robart Chambarlayne, Syr Gilbert
Debenham, Knyghts, and othar, trustinge by them to have some know-
ledge how the land inward was disposed towards hym, and, specially, the
countries there nere adioyninge, as in party so they browght hym know-
ledge from suche as for that caws wer sent into thos parties, from his trew
servaunts and partakars within the land, whiche tolde them, for certayne,
that thos parties wer right sore beset by th'Erle of Warwyke, and his adhe-
rents, and, in especiall, by th'Erle of Oxenforde, in such wyse that, of lykly-
hood, it might riot be for his wele to lande in that contrye ; and a great
cawse was, for the Duke of Norfolke was had owt of the contrye, and all
the gentlemen to whom th'Erle of Warwyke bare any suspicion ware, afore
that, sent for by letars of privie scale, and put in warde about London, or
els found suerty ; natheles, the sayd ij Knyghts, and they that came on
land with them, had right good chere, and turned agayne to the sea.
Whos report herd, the Kynge garte make course towards the north par-
tyes. The same night followinge, upon the morne, Wenesday, and
Thursday the xiiij. daye of Marche, fell great stormes, wynds and tempests
upon the sea, so that the sayde xiiij. day, in great torment, he came to
Humbrehede, where the othar shipps were dissevered from hym, and every
from other, so that, of necessitye, they were dryven to land, every fere
from other. The Kynge, with his shippe aloone, wherein was the Lord
Hastings, his Chambarlayne, and other to the nombar of vc well chosen
men, landed within Humber, on Holdernes syde, at a place callyd Ravener-
sporne, even in the same place where somtime the Usurpowr Henry of
Derby, aftar called Kynge Henry the IV. landed, aftar his exile, contrary
and to the dissobeysance of his sovereigne lord, Kynge Richard the II.

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 3

whome, aftar that, he wrongfully distressed, and put from his reigne and
regalie, and usurped it falsely to hymselfe and to his isswe, from whome
was linially descended Kynge Henry, at this tyme usinge and usurpinge
the corone, as sonne to his eldest sonne, somtyme callyd Kynge Henry the V.
The Kyng^s brothar Richard, Duke of Glowcestar, and, in his company,
iijcmen, laridyd at an othar place iiij myle from thens. The Earle
Rivers, and the felowshipe beinge in his companye, to the nombar of ijc,
landyd at a place called Powle, xiiij myle from there the Kynge landyd,
and the reminaunt of the felowshipe wher they myght best get land. That
night the Kynge was lodgyd at a power village, ij myle from his landynge,
with a few with hym ; but that nyght, and in the morninge, the resydewe
that were comen in his shipe, the rage of the tempest somewhate appeasyd,
landyd and alwaye drewe towards the Kynge. And on the morne, the xv.
day of Marche, from every landynge place the felowshipe came hoole to-
ward hym. As to the folks of the countrye there came but right few to
hym, or almost none, for, by the scuringe of suche persons as for that
cawse were, by his said rebells, sent afore into thos partes for to move
them to be agains his highnes, the people were sore endwsed to be con-
trary to hym, and not to receyve, ne accepe hym, as for theyr Kynge ;
natwithstondynge, for the love and favour that before they had borne to
the prince of fulnoble memorye, his father, Duke of Yorke, the people bare
hym right great favowr to be also Duke of Yorke, and to have that of right
apartayned unto hym, by the right of the sayde noble prince his fathar.
And, upon this opinion, the people of the countrie, whiche in greate nom-
bar, and in dyvars placis, were gatheryd, and in harnes, redye to resiste
hym in chalenginge of the Royme and the crowne, were disposyd to con-
tent them selfe, and in noo wyse to annoy hym, ne his felowshipe, they
affirmynge that to such entent were [they] comen, and none othar. Where-
upon, the hoole felowshipe of the Kyngs comen and assembled togethar,
he toke advise what was best to doo, and concludyd brifely, that, albe it
his enemies and chefe rebells were in the sowthe partes, at London and
ther about, and that the next way towards them had be by Lyncolneshire,
yet, in asmooche as, yf they shulde have taken that waye, they must have
gon eft sones to the watar agayne, and passyd ovar Humbar, whiche they
abhoryd for to doo ; and also, for that, yf they so dyd it would have be
thowght that they had withdrawe them for feare, which note of sklaundar

4 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

they wer right lothe to suffar ; for thes, and othar goode considerations,
they determined in themselves not to goo agayne to the watar, but to holde
the right waye to his City of Yorke. The Kynge determined also, that,
for as longe as he shuld be in passynge thrughe and by the contrye, and to
the tyme that he myght, by th'assistaunce of his trew servaunts, subiects
and lovars, whiche he trustyd veryly in his progres shuld come unto hym,
be of suche myght and puissaunce as that were lykly to make a sufficient
party, he, and all thos of his felowshipe, shuld noyse, and say openly, where
so evar they came, that his entent and purpos was only to claime to be
Duke of Yorke, and to have and enioy th'enheritaunce that he was borne
unto, by the right of the full noble prince his fathar, and none othar.
Thrwghe whiche noysynge the people of the contrye that were gatheryd
and assembled in dyvars placis, to the number of vi or vij thowsand men,
by the ledinge and gwydynge of a priste the vycar of , in one

place, and a gentleman of the same contrye, callyd, Martyn of the See, to
th'entent to have resisted and lettyd hym his passage, by the stiringe of his
rebells, theyr complices, and adherents, toke occasyon to owe and beare
hym favowre in that qwarell, not discoveringe, ne remembringe, that his
sayd fathar, bisydes that he was rightfully Duke of Yorke, he was also
verrey trew and rightwise enheritoure to the roylme and corone of England
&c. and so he was declared by [the] iij astates of the land, at a parliament
holden at Westmynster, unto this day never repelled, ne revoked. And, under
this manar, he kepinge furthe his purpos with all his felowshipe, toke the
right way to a gode towne called Beverley, being in his high way towards
Yorke. He sent to an othar gode towne, walled, but vj myle thens, called
Kyngstown upon Hull, desyringe th'enhabitants to have openyd it unto
hym, but they refused so to doo, by the meanes and stirings of his rebells,
whiche aforne had sent thethar, and to all the contrye, strict commande-
ments willing, and also charginge, them, at all their powers, to withstonde
the Kinge, in caase he there aryved. And, therefore, levinge that towne,
he kept his way forthe streight to Yorke. And nere this way were also
assembled great compaignies in divars places, muche people of the con-
trie, as it was reported, but they cam not in syght, but all they suffred hym
to pas forthe by the contrye ; eythar, for that he and all his felowshipe
pretendyd by any manar langage none othar qwarell but for the right that
was his fathars, the Duke of Yorke ; or ells, for that, thowghe they were

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 5

in nombar mo than he, yet they durst not take upon them to make hym
any manifest warre, knowynge well the great curage and hardines that he
was of, with the parfete asswrance of the felowshipe that was with hym ;
or ells, paradventure, for that certayne of theyr capitaines and gadrers were
some whate enduced to be the more benivolent for money that the Kynge
gave them ; wherfore the Kynge, keping furthe his way, cam beforn Yorke,
Monday the xviij. day of the same monithe. Trewthe it is that aforne the
Kynge came at the citie, by iij myles, came unto him one callyd Thomas
Corners, Recordar of the citie, whiche had not bene afore that named trwe
to the Kyngs partie. He tolde hym that it was not good for hym to come
to the citie, for eyther he shuld not be suffred to enter, or els, in caas he
enteryd, he was lost, and undone, and all his. The Kynge, seeing so fer-
forthly he was in his iorney that in no wyse he might goo backe with that
he had begone, and that no good myght folowe but only of hardies,
decreed in hymselfe constantly to purswe that he had begon, and rathar to
abyde what God and good fortune woulde gyve hym, thowghe it were to
hym uncertayne, rathar than by laches, or defaulte of curage, to susteyne
reprooche, that of lyklihode therby shulde have ensued ; And so, therfore,
notwithstondynge the discoraginge words of the Recordar, which had be
afore suspecte to hym and his partie, he kept boldely forthe his iorney,
streyght towards the citie. And, within a while, came to hym, owt of the
citie, Robart Clifford and Richard Burghe, whiche gave hym and his
felowshipe bettar comforte, affirmyng, that in the qwarell aforesayde of his
father the Duke of Yorke, he shuld be receyvyd and sufferyd to passe ;
whereby, better somewhate encoragyd, he kepte his waye ; natheles efte
sonnes cam the sayde Coniers, and put hym in lyke discomforte as afore.
And so, sometyme comfortyd and sometyme discomfortyd, he came to the
gates afore the citie, where his felashipe made a stoppe, and himself and
xvj or xvij persons, in the ledinge of the sayde Clifford and Richard
Burgh, passed even in at the gates, and came to the worshipfull folks
whiche were assembled a little within the gates, and shewed them th'entent
and purpos of his comming, in suche forme, and with such maner langage,
that the people contentyd them therwithe, and so receyvyd hym, and all
his felawshipe, that night, when he and all his feloshipe abode and were
refreshed well to they had dyned on the morne, and than departed out of
the cite to Tadcastar, a towne of th'Erls of Northumbarland, x mile sowth-

6 ARRIVAL (5F KING EDWARD IV.

wards. And, on the morow after that, he toke his waye towards Wake-
fielde and Sendall, a grete lordshipe appartayninge to the Duke of Yorke,
leving the Castell of Porafrete on his lefte hand, wher abode, and was, the
Marqwes Montagwe, that in no wyse trowbled hym, ne none of his fellow-
shipe, but sufferyd hym to passe in peasceable wyse, were it with good
will, or noo, men may iuge at theyr pleaswre ; I deme ye ; but, trouth it is,
that he ne had nat, ne cowthe not have gatheryd, ne made, a felashipe of
nombar sufficient to have openly resistyd hym in hys qwarell, ne in Kyng
Henries qwarell ; and one great caws was, for great partie of the people in
thos partis lovyd the Kyngs person well, and cowthe nat be encoragyd
directly to doo agayne hym in that qwarell of the Duke of Yorke, which in
almannar langage of all his fellawshipe was covertly pretendyd, and none
othar. An othar grete cawse was, for grete partye of [the] noble men and
comons in thos parties were towards th'Erle of Northumbarland, and would
not stire with any lorde or noble man other than with the sayde Earle, or
at leaste by his commandement. And, for soo muche as he sat still, in
suche wise that yf the Marques wolde have done his besines to have assem-
bled them in any manier qwarell, neithar for his love, whiche they bare
hym non, ne for any commandement of higher auctoritie, they ne wolde in
no cawse, ne qwarell, have assisted hym. Wherein it may right well
appere, that the said Erie, in this behalfe, dyd the Kynge right gode and
notable service, and, as it is deemed in the conceipts of many men, he
cowthe nat hav done hym any beter service, ne not thowghe he had openly
declared hym selfe extremly parte-takar with the Kynge in his rightwys
qwarell, and, for that entent, have gatheryd and assemblyd all the people
that he might have made ; for, how be it he loved the Kynge trewly and
parfectly, as the Kynge thereof had certayne knowledge, and wolde, as of
himselfe and ah1 his power, have served hym trwely, yet was it demyd, and
lykly it was to be trewe, that many gentlemen, and othar, whiche would
have be araysed by him, woulde not so fully and extremly have deter-
myned them selfe in the Kyng's right and qwarell as th'Erle wolde have
done hymselfe ; havynge in theyr freshe remembraunce, how that the Kynge,
at the first en trie-winning of his right to the Roy me and Crowne of Eng-
land, had and won a great battaile in those same parties, where theyr
Maistar, th'Erlls fathar, was slayne, many of theyr fathars, theyr sonns,
theyr britherne, and kynsemen, and othar many of theyr neighbowrs ;

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 7

wherefore, and nat without cawse, it was thowght that they cowthe nat
have borne verrey good will, and done theyr best service, to the Kynge, at
this tyme, and in this quarell. And so it may be resonably judged that this
was a notable good service, and politiquely done, by th'Erle. For his sit-
tynge still caused the citie of Yorke to do as they dyd, and no werse, and
every man in all thos northe partes to sit still also, and suffre the Kynge
to passe as he dyd, nat with standynge many were right evill disposed of
them selfe agaynes the Kynge, and, in especiall, in his qwarell. Wherefore
the Kynge may say as Julius Cesar sayde, he that is nat agaynst me is
with me. And othar right greate cause why the Marqwes made nat a felaw-
shippe agaynst hym for to have trowbled hym [was] , for thowghe all the
Kynges [felowshipe] at that season were nat many in nombar, yet they
were so habiled, and so well piked men, and, in theyr werke they hadd on
hand, so willed, that it had bene right hard to right-a-great felashipe,
moche greatar than they, or gretar than that the Marquis, or his frends, at
that tyme, cowthe have made, or assembled, to have put the Kynge and
his sayde felawshipe to any distresse. And othar cawse [was,] where as
he cam thrwghe the cuntre there, the people toke an opinion, that yf the
people of the contries wherethrwghe he had passed aforne, had owght him
any mannar of malice, or evill will, they would some what have shewed it
whan he was amongs them, but, inasmoche as no man had so don aforne,
it was a declaration and evidence to all thos by whome he passyd after,
that in all the othar contries wer none but his goode lovars ; and greate
foly it had bene to the lattar cuntries to have attempted that the former
cuntries would not, thinkynge verilie that, in suche case, they, as his lo-
vars, would rathar have ayded hym thann he shulde have bene distressed ;
wherefore he passed with moche bettar will.

Abowte Wakefylde, and in thos parties, came some folks unto hym, but
not so many as he supposed wolde have comen ; nevarthelesse his nombar
was encreasyed. And so from thens he paseyd forthe to Doncastar, and
so forthe to Notyngham. And to that towne came unto hym two good
Knyghts, Syr William Parre, and Ser James Harington, with two good
bands of men, well arrayed, and habled for warr, the nombar of vi° men.

The Kynge, beinge at Notyngham, and or he came there, sent the
scorers alabowte the contries adioynynge, to aspie and serche yf any
gaderyngs were in any place agaynst hym 5 some of whome came to

8 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

Newerke, and undarstode well that there was, within the towne, the Duke
of Excestar, th'Erle of Oxforde, the Lord Bardolf, and othar, with great
felowshipe, which th'Erle and they had gatheryd in Essex, in Northfolke,
Sowthfolke, Cambridgeshire, Huntyngdonshire, and Lyncolneshire, to the
nombar of iiij M men. The sayde Duke and Erll, havynge knowledge
that the sayde forrydars of the Kyngs had bene aforne the towne in the
evenynge, thinkynge verily that the Kynge, and his hole hoste, were ap-
prochinge nere, and would have come upon them, determyned shortly
within themselfe that [they] might not abyde his comynge. Wherefore,
erly, abowte two of the cloke in the mornynge, they flede out of the towne,
and ther they lost parte of the people that they had gatheryd and browght
with them thethar. Trewthe it was, that, whan the Kynges aforne-ridars
had thus espyed theyr beinge, they acertaynyd the Kynge therof, at No-
tyngham, which, incontinent, assembled all his felowshipe, and toke the
streyght waye to-them-wards, within three myle of the towne. And, there,
came to hym certayne tydings that they were fledd owt of Newerke, gonn,
and disperpled ; wherefore he returnyd agayne to Notyngham, determyned
to kepe the next and right way towards his sayd great Rebell, th'Erle of
Warwike, the which he knew well was departyd out of London, and comen
into Warwikeshire, where he besterd hym, and in the countries nere
adioynynge, t'assemble all that he myght, to th'entent to have made a
myghty filde agaynst the Kynge, and to have distressyd hym. Wherefore,
from Notyngham, the Kynge toke the streyght way towards hym, by Lei-
cestre; but, as sonne as he hard of the Kyngs comyng onwards, and
approchinge nere, eythar for that hym thowght not to be of swfficient
powere to gyve hym batayle in that playne filde, or els, for that he lacked
hardines and cowrage soo to doo, albe it he had assembled greatar nom-
bar than the Kynge had at that tyme ; for by the pretensed auctoritie of
Henry, than callyd Kynge, he was constitute Lievetenaunt of England, and,
whereas he cowthe nat arrayse the people with good will, he streyghtly
charged them to come forthe upon payne of deathe ; he withdrew hym-
selfe, and all his fellowshipe, into a strong wallyd towne there nere by
hym, callyd Coventrye.

At Leycestar came to the Kynge ryght-a-fayre felawshipe of folks, to
the nombar of iij M men, well habyled for the wers, suche as were veryly
to be trustyd, as thos that wowlde uttarly inparte with hym at beste and

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 9

worste in his qwarell, withe all theyr force and myght to do hym theyr
trew service. And, in substaunce, they were suche as were towards the
Lorde Hastings, the Kyngs Chambarlayne, and, for that entent above
sayd, came to hym, stiryd by his messages sent unto them, and by his ser-
vaunts, frinds, and lovars, suche as were in the contrie.

And so, bettar accompanyed than he had bene at any tyme aforne, he
departyd from Leycestar, and cam before the towne of Coventrie, the xxix.
day of Marche. And when he undarstode the sayde Earle within the
towne [was] closyd, and with hym great people, to the nombar of vj or
vij M men, the Kynge desyred hym to come owte, with all his people, into
the filde, to determyne his qwarell in playne fielde, which the same Earle
refused to do at that tyme, and so he dyd iij dayes af tar-en suinge conti-
nually. The Kynge, seinge this, drwe hym and all his hooste streght to
Warwike, viij small myles from thens, where he was receyvyd as Kynge,
and so made his proclamations from that tyme forthe wards ; where he
toke his lodgyngs, wenynge thereby to have gyven the sayde Earle gretar
cowrage to have yssyed owte of the towne of Coventrye, and to have
taken the fielde, but he ne would so doo. Nathelesse dayly came certayne
personns on the sayde Erlls behalve to the Kinge, and made greate moynes,
and desired him to treat withe hym, for some gode and expedient appoynt-
ment. And, how be it the Kynge, by the advise of his Counseylors,
graunted the sayd Erie his lyfe, and all his people beinge there at that
tyme, and dyvers othar fayre offers made hym, consythar his great and
haynows offenses ; which semyd resonable, and that for the wele of peax
and tranquilitie of the Realme of England, and for ther-by to avoyde
th'effusyon of Christen bloode, yet he ne woulde accepte the sayde offars,
ne accorde thereunto, but yf he myght have had suche apoyntment unre-
sonable as myght nat in eny wyse stande with the Kyngs honowr and
swretye.

Here is to be remembride how that, at suche season aforne, as whan
the Kynge was in Holand, the Duke of Clarence, the Kyngs second bro-
thar, consyderinge the great inconveniences whereunto as well his bro-
ther the Kynge, he, and his brother the Duke of Glocestar, were fallen
unto, thrwghe and by the devisyon that was betwixt them, whereunto, by
the subtyle compassynge of th'Erle of Warwike, and his complices, they

CAMD. SOC. 1. C

10 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

were browght, and enduced ; as, first to be remembred, the disheritinge of
them all from the Royme and Crowne of England, and that therto apper-
teynyd ; and, besyds that, the mortall warre and detestable, lykely to falle
betwixt them ; and, ovar this, that yt was evident that to what party so
evar God woulde graunte the victorye, that, notwithstandynge, the wynner
shuld nat be in eny bettar suerty therefore of his owne estate and parson, but
abyde in as greate, or greatar, dangar than they wer in at that tyme. And,
in especiall, he considred well, that hymselfe was had in great suspicion,
despite, disdeigne, and hatered, with all the lordes, noblemen, and othar,
that were adherents and full partakers with Henry, the Usurpar, Margaret
his wyfe, and his sonne Edward, called Prince ; he sawe also, that they
dayly laboryd amongs them, brekynge theyr appoyntments made with hym,
and, of lyklihed, aftar that, shuld continually more and more- fervently
entend, conspire, and procure the distruction of hym, and of all his blode,
wherethrwghe it apperyd also, that the Roylme and Regalie shuld remaygne
to suche as thereunto myght nat in eny wyse have eny rightwyse title.
And, for that it was unnaturall, and agaynes God, to suffar any suche
werre to continew and endure betwixt them, yf it myght otharwyse be,
and, for othar many and great considerations, that by right wyse men and
virtuex were layed afore hym, in many behalfs, he was agreed to entend
to some good apointment for this pacification. By right covert wayes
and meanes were goode mediators, and mediatricis, the highe and myghty
princis my Lady, theyr mothar ; my lady of Exceter, my lady of South-
folke, theyre systars ; my Lord Cardinall of Cantorbery ; my Lord of Bathe ;
my Lord of Essex ; and, moste specially, my Lady of Bourgoigne ; and
othar, by mediacions of certayne priests, and othar well disposyd parsouns.
Abowte the Kyngs beinge in Holland, and in other partes beyond the
sea, great and diligent labowre, with all effect, was continually made by
the high and mighty princesse, the Duches of Bowrgine, which at no sea-
son ceasyd to send hir sarvaunts, and messengars, to the Kynge, wher
he was, and to my sayd Lorde of Clarence, into England ; and so dyd
his verrey good devowre in that behalfe my Lord of Hastings, the Kyng's
Chambarlayne, so that a parfecte accord was appoyntyd, accordyd, con-
cludyd, and assured, betwixt them ; wherein the sayde Duke of Clarence
full honorably and trwly acquited hym; for, as sune as he was ascer-
tavgned of the Kyngs arivall in the north parties, he assembled anon

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 1 I

suche as would do for hym, and, assone as he godly myght, drew towards
the Kynge, hym to ayde and assyste agaynste all his enemyes, accompa-
nied with mo than iiij M.

The Kynge, that tyme beinge at Warwyke, and undarstondynge his
neere approchinge, upon an aftarnone isswyd out of Warwike, with all
his felowshipe, by the space of three myles, into a fayre fylde towards
Banbery, where he saw the Duke, his brothar, in faire array, come to-
wards hym, with a greate felashipe. And, whan they were togedars,
within lesse than an halfe myle, the Kynge set his people in aray, the
bannars [displayed] and lefte them standynge still, takynge with hym his
brothar of Glocestar, the Lord Rivers, Lord Hastings, and fewe othar, and
went towarde his brothar of Clarence. And, in lyke wyse, the Duke, for
his partye takynge with hym a fewe noble men, and levinge his hoost in
good order, departyd from them towards the Kynge. And so they mett
betwixt both hostes, where was right kynde and lovynge langwage betwixt
them twoo, with parfite accord knyt togethars for evar here aftar, with as
hartyly lovynge chere and countenaunce, as might be betwix two bre-
therne of so grete nobley and astate. And than, in lyke wyse, spake
togethar the two Dukes of Clarence and Glocestar, and, aftar, the othar
noble* men beinge there with them, whereof all the people there that lovyd
them, and awght them theyr trew service, were right glade and ioyows,
and thanked God highly of that ioyows metynge, unitie, and accorde,
hopynge that, therby, shuld growe unto them prosperows fortune, in all
that they shuld aftar that have a doo. And than the trompetts and min-
strels blewe uppe, and, with that, the Kynge browght his brothar Clarence,
and suche as were there with hym, to his felowshipe, whom the sayd Duke
welcomyd into the land in his best manner, and they thanked God, and
hym, and honoryd hym as it apparteygned.

Aftar this, the Kynge, yet levinge his hooste standynge still, with the
sayd few persons went with his brothar of Clarence to his hoste, whome
he hertily welcomyd, and promised hym largely of his grace and good
love, and, from thens, they all came hoole togethars to the Kyngs hooste,
when ethar party welcomyd and jocundly receyvyd othar, with perfect
frindlynes ; and, so, with greate gladnes, bothe hostes, with theyr princes,
togethars went to Warwyke, with the Kynge, and ther lodged, and in the
countrie nere adioyninge.

Sone aftar this the Duke of Clarence, beinge right desyrows to have pro-

12 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

curyd a goode accorde betwyxt the Kynge and th'Erle of Warwyke ; not
only for th'Erle, but also for to reconsyle therby unto the Kyngs good grace
many lordes and noble men of his land, of whom many had largly taken
parte with th'Erle ; and this for the weale of peax and tranquilitie in the
land, and in advoydynge of cruell and mortall were, that, of the contrary,
was lykly, in shortyme, to enswe; he made, therefore, his mocions, as
well to the Kynge as to th'Erle, by messagis sendynge to and fro, bothe for
the well above sayde, as to acquite hym trwly and kyndly in the love he
bare unto hym, and his blood, whereunto he was allied by the marriage of
his dowghtar. The Kynge, at th'ynstaunce of his sayd brothar, the Duke,
was content to shew hym largly his grace, with dyvars good condicions,
and profitable for th'Erle yf that he woulde have acceptyd them. But
th'Erle, whether he in maner dispaired of any good pardurable continu-
aunce of good accord betwixt the Kynge and hym, for tyme to come, con-
syderinge so great attemptes by hym comytted agaynst the Kynge ; or els,
for that willinge to enterteigne the greate promises, pacts, and othes, to
the contrary, made solempriily, and also priuately sworne, to the Frenche
Kynge, Qwene Margarete, and hir sonne Edward, in the qwarell of them,
and of his owne sechinge, wherefrom he ne couthe departe, without grete
desklaundar ; or els, for that he had afore thowght, and therefore purveyed,
that, in caase he myght nat get to have the ovar-hand of the Kynge, his
meanes were founden of sure and certayne escape by the sea to Calais,
whiche was enswryd to hym selfe in every caas that myght hape hym, so
that it myght fortwne hym for to come thethar ; or els, for that certayne
parsons beinge with hym in companye, as th'Erle of Oxenforde, and othar,
beinge desposed in extrem malice agaynst the Kynge, wolde not suffre hym
t'accepte any mannar of appoyntment, were it resonable or unresonable,
but causyd hym to refuse almannar of appointements ; whiche as many
men deme was the verray cawse of none acceptinge of the Kyngs [grace] ;
wherefore all suche treaty brake and toke none effecte.

In this meane season of the Kyngs beinge at Warwyke, cam to the
Erie of Warwyke, to Coventrye, the Duke of Excestar, the Marques
Mountagwe, th'Erle of Oxenforde, with many othar in great nombar, by
whos than commynge dayly grew and encreasyd the felowshipe of that
partye. The Kynge, withe his brithern, this consyderinge, and that in
no wyse he cowthe provoke hym to come owt of the towne, ne thinkynge

ARRIVAL, OF KING EDWARD IV. 13

it behoffoll to assayl!, ne to tary for the asseginge therof; as well for
avoydaunce of greate slaghtars that shuld therby enswe, and for that it
was thowght more expedient to them to draw towards London, and there,
with helpe of God, and th'assystaunce of his trwe lords, lovars, and ser-
vaunts, whiche were there, in thos partes, in great nombar ; knowynge also,
that his principal! advarsarye, Henry, with many his partakers, were at
London, ther usurpynge and usynge the authoritie royall, which barred
and letted the Kyng of many aydes and assystaunces, that he shuld and
mowght hav had, in divars parties, yf he myght ones shew hymselffe of
powere to breke their auctoritie ; wherefore, by th'advyse of his sayd bri-
thern, and othar of his cownsell, he toke his purpos to London wards, and
so departyd fro Warwicke ; yet, efte sones, shewinge hym, and his hoste,
before Coventrie, and desyringe the sayd Erie, and his felashipe, to come
owte, and for to determyrie his qwarell by battayle, whiche he and they
utterly refused, wherefore the Kynge and his brethern kept forthe theyr
purpos sowthewardes, And this was the v. day of Aprell the Friday.

On the Satarday, the Kynge, with all his hooste, cam to a towne called
Daventre, where the Kynge, with greate devocion, hard all divine ser-
vice upon the morne, Palme-Sonday, in the parishe churche, wher God,
and Seint Anne, shewyd a fayre miracle ; a goode pronostique of good
aventure that aftar shuld befall unto the Kynge by the hand of God, and
mediation of that holy matron Seynt Anne. For, so it was, that, afore
that tyme, the Kynge, beinge out of his realme, in great trowble, thowght,
and hevines, for the infortwne and adversitie that was fallen hym, full often,
and, specially upon the sea, he prayed to God, owr Lady, and Seint
George, and, amonges othar saynts, he specially prayed Seint Anne to helpe
hym, where that he promysed, that, at the next tyme that it shuld hape
hym to se any ymage of Seint Anne, he shuld therto make his prayers,
and gyve his offeringe, in the honor and worshipe of that blessyd Saynte.
So it fell, that, the same Palme Sonday, the Kynge went in procession,
and all the people aftar, in goode devotion, as the service of that daye
askethe, and, whan the processyon was comen into the churche, and,
by ordar of the service, were comen to that place where the vale shulbe
drawne up afore the Roode, that all the people shall honor the Roode, with
the anthem, Ave, three tymes begon, in a pillar of the churche, directly
aforne the place where Kynge knelyd, and devowtly honoryd the Roode,

14 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

was a lytle ymage of Seint Anne, made of alleblastar, standynge fixed to
the piller, closed and clasped togethars with four hordes, small, payntyd,
and gowynge rownd abowt the image, in manar of a compas, lyke as it is
to see comonly, and all abowt, where as suche ymages be wont to be made
for to be solde and set up in churches, chapells, crosses, and oratories, in
many placis. And this ymage was thus shett, closed, and clasped, accord-
ynge to the rulles that, in all the churchis of England, be observyd, all
ymages to be hid from Ashe Wednesday to Estarday in the mornynge.
And so the sayd ymage had bene from Ashwensday to that tyme. And
even sodaynly, at that season of the service, the bords compassynge the
ymage about gave a great crak, and a little openyd, whiche the Kynge
well perceyveyd and all the people about hym. And anon, aftar, the
bords drewe and closed togethars agayne, withowt any mans hand, or
touchinge, and, as thowghe it had bene a thinge done with a violence, with
agretar might it openyd all abrod, and so the ymage stode, open and dis-
covert, in syght of all the people there beynge. The Kynge, this seinge,
thanked and honoryd God, and Seint Anne, takynge it for a good signe,
and token of good and prosperous aveiiture that God wold send hym in
that he had to do, and, remembringe his promyse, he honoryd God, and
Seint Anne, in that same place, and gave his offrings. All thos, also, that
were present and sawe this worshippyd and thanked God and Seint Anne,
there, and many offeryd ; takyng of this signe, shewed by the power of
God, good hope of theyr good spede for to come.

The Kynge from that towne went to a good towne callyd Northampton,
wher he was well receyved, and, from thens toke the next way towardes
London, levynge alway behynd hym in his jowrney a good bande of speres
and archars, his behynd-rydars, to countar, yf it had neded, suche of
th'Erls partye as, peradventure, he shuld have sent to have trowbled hym
on the bakhalfe, yf he so had done.

Here it is to be remembred, that, in this season of the Kyngs comynge
towards and beinge at Warwyke, and of the comynge to hym of his bro-
thar the Duke of Clarence, Edmond callynge hymselfe Duke of Somar-
set, John of Somarset his brother, callyd Marqwes Dorset, Thomas
Courtney, callynge hym self th'Erle of Devonshire, beinge at London, had
knowledge owt of Fraunce, that Qwene Margaret, and hir sonne, callyd
Prince of Wales, the Countes of Warwyke, the Prior of Seint Johns, the

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 15

Lord Wenloke, with othar many, theyr adherents and parte-takers, with
all that evar they myght make, were ready at the sea-syde commynge, pur-
posynge to arive in the West Contrie ; wherefore they departyd owt of
London, and went into the west parties, and ther bestyrd them right
greatly to make an assemblye of asmoche people for to receyve them at
theyr comynge, them to accompany, fortyfy, and assyst, agaynst the Kynge,
and all his partakars, in the qwarels of Henry, callyd Kynge, and occupinge
the regalie for that tym. And trew it was that she, hir sonne, the Countes
of Warwike, the Lords, and othar of theyr fellowshipe, entryd theyr ships
for that en tent the xxiiij. of Marche, and so continuyd theyr abode in theyr
ships, or they myght land in England, to the xiij. day of Aprell, for defawlt
of good wynd, and for grete tempests upon the sea, that time, as who
say the, continuynge by the space of xx dayes. But leve we this, and re-
torne agayne to the Kyngs progrese in his jowrney towards London, tellynge
how that he came upon the Twesday, the ix. day of Aprill, from whens he
sent comfortable messagis to the Qwene to Westminstar, and to his trew
Lords, servaunts, and lovars, beynge at London ; wherupon, by the moste
covert meanes that they cowthe, [they] avised and practysed how that he
myght be receyved and welcomyd at his sayde city of London. Th'Erle of
Warwike, knowenge this his iowrneynge, and approchinge to London, sent
his lettars to them of the citie, willinge and chargynge them to resyste
him, and let the receyvynge of hym and of his. He wrote also to his
brothar, th'Archbysshope of Yorke, desyrynge hym to put hym in the ut-
tarmoste devowr he cowthe, to provoke the citie agayns hym, and kepe
hym owt, for two or three dayes ; promisynge that he wolde not fayle to
come with great puisance on the bakhalfe, trustinge utterly to dystrese and
distroye hym and his, as to the same he had, by his othar writyngs, en-
charged the maior, and the aldermen, and the comons of the citie.

Hereupon, the ix. day of Aprell, th'Archbyshope callyd unto hym toge-
thars, at Seint Powles, within the sayde Citie of London, suche lords, gen-
tlemen, and othar, as were of that partye, [with] as many men in harneys of
theyr servaunts and othar as they cowthe make, which, in all, passed nat
in nombar vj or vij M men, and, thereupon, cawsed Henry, callyd Kynge,
to take an horse and ryde from Powles thrwghe Chepe, and so made a cir-
cute abowte to Walbroke, as the generall processyon of London hathe bene
accustomyd, and so returned agayne to Powles, to the Bysshops Palays,

16 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

where the sayd Henry at that tyme was lodged, supposynge, that, whan he
had shewyd hym in this arraye, they shuld have provokyd the citizens, and
th'enhabitants of the citie, to have stonde and comen to them, and fortified
that partye ; but, trewthe it is, that the rewlars of the citie were at the
counsell, and hadd set men at all the gates and wardes, and they, seynge
by this manner of doinge, that the power of the sayde Henry, and his ad-
herents, was so litle and feble as there and then was shewyd, they cowld
thereby take no corage to draw to them, ne to fortefye theyr partye, and,
for that they fearyd, but rathar the contrary, for so moche as they sawe
well that, yf they wolde so have done, ther myght was so lytle that it was
nat for them to have ones attemptyd to have resystid the Kynge in his com-
ynge, whiche approched nere unto the citie, and was] that nyght at Seint
Albons. They also of the citie in great nombar, and, namly, of the moaste
worshipfull, were fully disposed to favowr the Kynge, and to have the citie
opne unto hym at his comynge. They of the citie also consideryd, that he
was notably well accompanied with many good, hable, and well- willed men,
whiche, for no power, nor no resistence that myght be made, would spare
to attempt, and suporte, the takynge the citie, by all wayes possible;
whereof they ne shuld have failled, consideringe that the Kynge at that
tyme had many greate and myghty frinds, lovars, and servitors, within the
sayd citie, whiche would not have fayled by dyvers enterprises have made
the citie open unto hym ; as this myght nat be unknowne unto right many
of the sayde citie ; and, also, as might appere by that was don aftar in that
behalfe and to that entent. Thus, what for love that many bare to the
Kynge, and what for drade that many men had, how that, in caas the citie
shuld have bene wonne upon them by foarce, the citiesens shuld therefore
have susteygned harmes and damagis irreparable, and for many othar great
consyderations, the maior, aldarmen, and othar worshipfull of the citie, de-
termined clerly amongs them selfe to kepe the citie for the Kynge, and to
opne it to hym, at his comynge ; as so they sent to hym that therein they
would be gwydyd to his pleaswre. Th'Archebyshope of Yorke, undarstond-
ynge the Kyngs commyng, and approchinge nere to the citie, sent se-
cretly unto hym desyringe to be admittyd to his grace, and to be undar
good appoyntement, promittynge therefore to do unto hym great pleaswre
for his well and swertye ; whereunto the Kynge, for good cawses and con-

ARRIVAL OP KING EDWARD IV. 17

siderations, agreed so to take hym to his grace. Th'Archbyshope, therof
assuryd, was ryght well pleasyd, and therefore wele and trwlye acquite
hym, in observynge the promyse that he had made to the Kynge in that;
behalf e.

The same nyght followynge the towre of London was taken for the
Kyngs beholfe ; whereby he had a playne entrie into the citie thowghe
all they had not bene deter myned to have receyvyd hym in, as they were.
And on the morow, the Thursday, the xj. day of Aprell, the Kynge came,
and had playne overture of the sayd citie, and rode streight to Powles
churche, and from thens went into the Byshops paleis, where th'Archby-
shope of Yorke presentyd hym selfe to the Kyngs good grace, and, in his
hand, the usurpowr, Kynge Henry ; and there was the Kynge seasyd of
hym and dyvars rebels. From Powles the Kynge went to Westmynstar,
there honoryd, made his devout prayers, and gave thankyngs to God,
Saint Petre, and Saint Edward, and than went to the Qwene, and com-
fortyd hir ; that had a longe tyme abyden and soiourned at Westmynstar,
asswringe hir parson only by the great fraunchis of that holy place, in
right great trowble, sorow, and hevines, whiche she sustayned with all ma-
nar pacience that belonged to eny creature, and as constantly as hathe bene
sene at any tyme any of so highe estate to endure ; in the whiche season
natheles she had browght into this worlde, to the Kyngs greatyste joy, a
fayre sonn, a prince, where with she presentyd hym at his comynge, to his
herts synguler comforte and gladnes, and to all them that hym trewly loved
and wolde serve. From thens, that nyght, the Kynge retornyd to Lon-
don, and the Qwene with hym, and lodged at the lodgynge of my lady
his mothar ; where they harde devyne service that nyght, and upon the
morne, Good Fryeday ; where also, on the morn, the Kynge tooke advise
of the great lords of his blood, and othar of his counsell, for the adven-
tures that were lykely for to come.

Th'Erle of Warrewike, callynge hymselfe lievetenaunt of England, and so
constitute by the pretensed auctoritie of Kynge Henry, beynge at Coven-
trie, and undrestandinge well that the Kynge wolde moche doo to be re-
ceived in at London, and wist nat, in certeyne, ye or no, isshued owt of
Coventrie with a great puissaunce, the lords, and all that he might make
with hym, and, by Northampton, tooke theire way aftar the Kynge, sup-
posinge verrely to have had right great advantage upon hym by one of the

CAMD. SOC. 1. D

18 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

two waies ; eithar, that the citie shuld have kepte the Kynge owte, whiche
failed ; or els, in caas he were received in, he shulde there [have] kepte and
observyd the solempnitie of Estar, and, yf he so dyd, he thowght sodaynly
to come upon hym, take hym, and distroy hym, and his people [to have] dis-
ceaveyed, but the Kyng, well advartised of this yvell and malicious purpos,
dyd grate diligence to recountre hym, or he might come nere to the citie, as
ferre from it as he goodly myght ; and, therfore, with a great armye, he
departyd out of the citie of London towards hym, upon the Saturdaye, Ester's
even, the xiij. day of AprelL And so he toke in his companye to the felde,
Kynge Hen rye ; and soo, that aftar none, he roode to Barnete, x myles
owte of London, where his aforne-riders had founden the afore -riders of
th'Erles of Warwikes hooste, and bet them, and chaced them out of the
towne, more some what than an halfe myle ; when, undre an hedge-syde,
were redy assembled a great people, in array, of th'Erls of Warwike. The
Kynge, comynge aftar to the sayde towne, and undarstanding all this?
wolde [ne] suffre one man to abyde in the same towne, but had them all to
the field with hym, and drewe towards his enemies, without the towne.
And, for it was right derke, and he myght not well se where his enemyes
were enbataylled afore hym, he lodged hym, and all his hoste, afore them,
moche nere[r] then he had supposed, but he toke nat his ground so even in
the front afore them as he wold have don yf he might bettar have sene them,
butt somewhate a-syden-hande, where he disposed all his people, in good
arraye, all that nyght ; and so they kept them still, withowt any mannar
langwage, or noyse, but as lytle as they well myght. Bothe parties had
goons, and ordinaunce, but th'Erle of Warwike had many moo then the
Kynge, and therefore, on the nyght, weninge gretly to have anoyed the
Kinge, and his hooste, with shot of gonnes, th'Erls fielde shotte gunes al-
moste all the nyght. But, thanked be God ! it so fortuned that they alway
ovarshote the Kyngs hoste, and hurtyd them nothinge, and the cawse was
the Kyngs hoste lay muche nerrar them than they demyd. And, with that
also, the Kyrig, and his hoste, kept passinge greate silence alnyght, and
made, as who saythe, no noyse, whereby they might nat know the very
place where they lay. And, for that they shulde not know it, the Kynge
suffred no gonns to be shote on his syd, all that nyght, or els right fewe,
whiche was to hym great advauntage, for, therby, they myght have estem-
ed the ground that he lay in, and have leveled theire gunns nere.

ARRIVAL OP KING EDWARD IV. J9

On the roorow, betymes, The Kynge, undarstandinge that the day ap-
proched nere, betwyxt four and five of the cloke, natwithstandynge there
was a greate myste and letted the syght of eithar othar, yet he commytted
his cawse and qwarell to Allmyghty God, avancyd bannars, dyd blowe up
trumpets, and set upon them,, firste with shotte, and, than and sone, they
joyned and came to hand-strokes, wherein his enemies manly and coragious-
ly receyved them, as well in shotte as in hand-stroks whan they ioyned ;
whiche ioynynge of theyr bothe batteyls was nat directly frount to frount,
as they so shulde have ioyned ne had be the myste, whiche suffred neythar
party to se othar, but for a litle space, and that of lyklyhod cawsed the
bataile to be the more crewell and mortall ; for, so it was, that the one ende
of theyr batayle ovarrechyd th'end of the Kyngs battayle, and so, at that
end, they were myche myghtyar than was the Kyngs bataile at the
same [end] that ioyned with them, whiche was the west ende, and, there-
fore, upon that party of the Kyngs battayle, they had a gretar distres upon
the Kyngs party, wherefore many flede towards Barnet, and so forthe to
London, or evar they lafte ; and they fell in the chace of them, and dyd
moche harme. But the other parties, and the residewe of neithar bataile,
might se that distrese, ne the fleinge, ne the chace, by cawse of [the]
great myste that was, whiche wolde nat suffre 110 man to se but a litle
from hym ; and so the Kyngs battayle, which saw none of all that, was
therby in nothing discoragyd, for, save only a fewe that were nere unto
them, no man wiste thereof; also the othar party by the same distres,
flyght, or chace, were therefore nevar the gretlyar coragyd. And, in lyke-
wise, at the est end, the Kyngs batayle, whan they cam to ioyninge, ovar-
rechyd theyr batayle, and so distresyd them theyr gretly, and soo drwe nere
towards the Kynge, who was abowt the myddest of the battayle, and sus-
teygned all the myght and weight thereof. Netheles upon the same litle
distresse at the west end anon ranne to Westmynstar, and to London, and
so forthe furthar to othar contries, that the Kynge was distressed, and his
fielde loste, but, the lawde be to Almyghty God ! it was otharwyse ; for the
Kynge, trusting verely in God's helpe, owr blessyd ladyes, and Seynt George,
toke to hym great hardies and corage for to supprese the falcehode of all
them that so falcely and so traytorowsly had conspired agaynst hym, where-
thrwghe, with the faythefull, welbelovyd, and myghty assystaunce of his
felawshipe, that in great nombar deseveryd nat from his parson, and were as

20 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

well asswred unto hym as to them was possyble, he mannly, vigorowsly,
and valliantly assayled them, in the mydst and strongest of theyr battaile,
where he, with great violence, bett and bare down afore hym all that stode
in hys way, and, than, turned to the range, first on that one hand, and than
on that othar hand, in lengthe, and so bet and bare them downe, so that
nothing myght stande in the syght of hym and the welle asswred felowshipe
that attendyd trewly upon hym ; so that, blessed be God ! he wan the
filde there, and the perfite victory remayned unto hym, and to his rebells
the discomfiture of xxx M men, as they nombrid them selves.

In this battayle was slayne the Erie of Warwyke, somewhat fleinge,
which was taken and reputed as chefe of the felde, in that he was callyd
amongs them lyvetenaunt of England, so constitute by the pretensed
aucthoritye of Kynge Henry. Ther was also slayne the Marques Mon-
tagwe, in playne battayle, and many othar knyghts, squiers, noble men,
and othar. The Duke of Excestar was smytten downe, and sore woundyd,
and lafte for dead ; but he was not well known e, and so lafte by a lytle out
of the fielde, and so, aftar, he escaped. The Erie of Oxenford fled, and
toke into the contrie, and, in his flyenge, fell in company with certayne
northen men, that also fled from the same filde, and so went he, in theyr
company, northwards, and, aftar that, into Scotland.

This battayle duryd, fightynge and skirmishinge, some tyme in one
place and some tyme in an othar, ryght dowbtefully, becawse of the myste,
by the space of thre howrs, or it was fully achivyd ; and the victory is
gyven to hym by God, by the mediacion of the moaste blessyd virgen and
modre, owr lady Seint Mary ; the glorious martire Seint George, and all
the saynts of heven, mayntaynynge his qwarell to be trew and rightwys,
with many-fold good and contynuall prayers, whiche many devout persons,
religiows and othar, ceasyd not to yelde unto God for his good spede, and,
in especiall, that same day and season, whan it pleasyd God t'accepte the
prayers of people being confessyd and in clene lyfe, whiche was the Estare
mornynge, the tyme of the servyce-doynge of the resurection, comonly,
by all the churches of England. And, albe hit the vyctorye remayned to
the Kynge, yet was it not without grete danger and hurt, for ther were
slayne in the filde the Lorde Cromwell, the Lord Say, the Lord Mountjoies
sonne and heyre, and many othar good Knyghts, and squiers, gode yemen,
and many othar meniaU servaunts of the Kyngs. And it is to wete/that it

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. "21

cowthe not be judged that the Kyngs hoste passyd in nombar ix M
men; but, suche a great and gracious Lorde is Almyghty God, that it
plesythe hym gyvythe the victory as well to fewe as to many, wherefore, to
hym be the lawde and the thanks. And so the Kynge gave him speciall
lovinge, and all that were with hym. This thus done, the Kynge, the
same day, aftar that he had a little refresshed hym and his hoste, at Bar-
nette, he gathered his felowshipe togethars, and, with them, returned to
his Citie of London, where into he was welcomyd and receyvyd with
moche ioy and gladnesse. And so rode he forthe streyght unto Powles
at London, and there was receyvyd with my Lorde Cardinall of England,
and many othar bysshops, prelates, lords spirituall, and temporall, and
othar, in grete nombar, whiche all humbly thanked and lovyd God of his
grace, that it plesyd hym that day to gyve to theyr prynce, and soveraygne
lord, so prosperous a iowrney, wherby he had supprised them that, of so
great malice, had procured and laboryd at theyr powers his uttar destruc-
tion, contrary to God, and to theyr faythes and liegeances.

On the morow aftar, the Kynge commandyd that the bodyes of the
deade lords, th'Erle of Warwicke, and hys brothar the Marques, shuld be
browght to Powles in London, and, in the churche there, openly shewyd
to all the people ; to th'entent that, aftar that, the people shuld not be
abused by feyned seditiows tales, which many of them that were wonnt to
be towards th'Erle of Warwyke had bene accustomyd to make, and, par-
adventure, so would have made aftar that, ne had the deade bodyes there
be shewyd, opne, and naked, and well knowne ; for, dowbtles ells the ru-
more shuld have bene sowne abowte, in all contries, that they bothe,
or els, at the leaste, th'Erle of Warwyke, was yet on lyve, upon cursed
entent therby to have cawsyd newe murmors, insurrections, and rebellyons,
amongst indisposed people ; suche, namely, as many dayes had bene lad
to great inconveniences, and mischevs-doynge, moyenaunt the false, faynyd
fables, and disclandars, that, by his subtiltie and malicious moyvyng, were
wont to be seditiously sowne and blowne abowt all the land, by suche
persons as cowthe use, and longe had usyd, that cursed custome ; whereof,
as it is comonly sayde, right many were towards hym, and, for that entent,
returnyd and waged with hym.

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

Here aftar folowithe how that Qwene Margaret, with hir sonne Edward,
called Prince of Wales, aftar theyr arryvall in the west contrye,
assembled greate people and cam to Tewkesberye, where the Kynge
delyveryd theym battayle, distressed theym and theyr felawshipe, [and]
the sayd Edivard, the Duke of Somarset, and othar, were slayne.

Aftar all thes things thus fallen, the Twseday in Estar weke, the xvj.
day of Aprile, came certayn tydyngs to the Kynge how that Qwene Mar-
garet, hir sonne Edward, callyd Prince of Wales, the Countese of War-
wyke, the Priowr of Seint Johns, that tyme called Tresorar of Eng-
land, the Lord Wenloke, and many othere knyghts, squiers, and othar of
theyr party, whiche longe had bene owt of the land with them, with suche
also as, with the sayde Priowr of Seint Johns, had gon into Fraunce to fet
them into England, were arryved, and landed in the west-contrye, upon
Estar day, at Waymowthe, aftar longe abydynge passage, and beyng on
the sea, and landinge agayne for defawlte of good wynde and wethar. For,
trewthe it is, that the Qwene, and Edward hir sonne, with all theyr felow-
shipe, entendinge to passe out of Normandy into England, toke first the
sea, at Humflew, in the monithe of Marche, the xxiiij. day of the same,
and, from that tyme forthe wards, they cowlde nat have any stable wethar
to passe with; for and it were one day good, anon it chaunged upon
them, and was agaynst them, and fayne they were therefor to goo to land
agayne. And so, at divars tymes, they toke the sea, and forsoke it agayne^
tyll it was the xiij. day of Aprill, Estars Even. That day they passyd.
The Countysse of Warwyke had a shippe of avaunctage, and, therefore,
landyd afore the othar, at Portsmowthe, and, from thens, she went to
Sowthampton, entendynge to have gon towards the Qwene, whiche was
landyd at Wemowthe. But, beinge there, she had certayne knowledge
that the Kynge had wonne the fielde upon her howsband, at Barnet, and
there slayne hym, wherefore she would no farthar goo towards the Qwene,
but, secretly, gat ovar Hampton-watar into the new forreste, where she
tooke hir to the fraunches of an abbey called Beawlew, whiche, as it is
sayde, is ample, and as large as the franchesse of Westmynstar, or of
Seint Martins at London.

The Qwene, Margarete, and hir sonne went from there she landyd to an

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 23

abbey nere by, callyd Seern, and all the lords, and the remenaunt of the
fellowshipe with them. Thethar came unto them Edmond, callyd Duke of
Somerset, Thomas Courteney, callyd th'Erle of Devonshire, with othar, and
welcomyd them into England ; comfortyd them, and put them in good
hope that, albe it they had lost one felde, whereof the Qwene had know-
ledge the same day, Monday, the xv. day of Aprell, and was therefore
right hevy and sory, yet it was to thinke that they shuld have ryght good
spede, and that, for that los, theyr partye was nevar the febler, but rathar
strongar, and that they dowted nothinge but that they shuld assemble so
great puisaunce of people in dyvars partis of England, trewly asswred unto
theyr partye, that it shuld not mowe lye in the Kyngs powere to resyste
them ; and in that contrye they would begyne. And so, forthewith, they
sent alabout in Somarsetshere, Dorsetshire, and parte of Wiltshere, for to
arredy and arays the people by a certayne day, suche, algats, as the sayde
lords, and theyr partakers, afore that had greatly laboryd to that entent,
preparinge the contry by all meanes to them posseble. And, for that they
would gather and arrays up the powere of Devonshire and Cornewaile,
they drew from thens more west ward to the citie of Excestar, movinge
Edward, callyd Prince, and his mothar, the Qwene, to doo the same;
trustynge that theyr presence-shewynge in the contrye shuld cawse moche
more, and the sonnar, the people to com to theyr helpe and assist-
aunce.

At Excestar, they sent for Syr John Arundell, Syr Hughe Courteney,
and many othar on whom they had any trust, and, in substaunce, they
araysed the hoole myghte of Cornwall and Devonshire, and so, with great
people, they departyd out of Excestre, and toke the ryght waye to Glas-
tonberye, and, from thens, to the city of Bathe, withar they came the
day of Aprell ; and, as they went, they gatheryd the hable men of all
thos partes. The cuntrie had bene so longe laboryd afore by th'Erle of
Warwike, and such as he for that caws sent thethar to move them to take
Kynge Henry's partie, and, now of late, they were also sore laboryd for
the same entent, and thereunto the more lyghtly enrlucyd, by Edmond,
callyd Duke of Somarset, and Thomas Courtney, callyd th'Erle of Devon-
shire, for that they reputyd them old enheritors of that contrie.

The Kynge beynge at London, and havynge knowledge of all this theyr
demeanyng from tyme to tyme, anon purveyed for the relevynge of his

24 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

sycke and hurt men, that had bene with hym at Barnet fielde, which were
ryght many in nombar, what left at London, and what in the contrye, and
sent to all partes to get hym freshe men, and, incontinent, prepared all things
that was thowght behovefull for a new field ; whiche he saw was imminent
and comyng on. So purveyed he artilary, and ordinaunce, gonns, and
othar, for the filde gret plentye. And Fryday, the xix. day of Aprille, he
departyd out of London, and went to Wyndsore, ther to thanke and honor
God, and Seint George, where he kept also the feaste of Seint George,
tarienge somwhat the longar there for that he had commaundyd all the
people, and thos that wold serve hym in this iourney, to draw unto hym
thithar, and from thens, suche waye as shulde happen hym take towards
his enemyes. And, for so moche as they at that season were in an angle
of the land, and nedes they must take one of the two wayes, that is to
say, eythar to come streight to Salisbery, and so, that way, towards Lon-
don ; or ells, alonge by the sea-coaste into Hampshire, Sussex, and Kent,
and so to London, to make in the way theyr people the mo in nombar ;
or els,, they, nat thynkyng themselves to be of puisaunce lykly to have a
doo with the Kynge, and, therefore, paradventure, wowlde drawe north-
wards into Lancasshyre and Cheshere, trustynge also to have in theyr
waye th'assystaunce of Walchemen, by the meane of Jasper called Erie of
Penbroke, whiche, for that cawse, had bene afore sent into the con trie of
Wales, to arays them, and make them redy to assyst that partye at theyr
comynge ; for whiche consyderations, the Kynge cawsed great diligence to
be done by meane of espies, and by them he had knowledge, from tyme to
tyme, of theyr purposes in that behalfe. Yf they would have taken est-
wards theyr way, his entent was to encountar them as sonne as he myght,
and the farthar from London that shuld be to hym posseble, for th'entent
that they shuld assemble no myght owt of eny contrye but where they
then were, but, for so moche as he undarstode well they toke the othar
waye, towards northwest, he hastyd hym, with his host, all that he myght,
upon the purpos that he had taken to stope them theyr waye and passage
into thos parties whereunto their desyre was to goo, and to make them
the more myghty, whiche passagis of lykelyhode eythar must be at Glow-
cestar, or els at Tewkesbery, or farthar of at Worcestar. And, algates,
the Kynge lay so that, would they or no, he nedes shuld nowe recountar
them, or stope them, and put them bake. They in lyke wyse, thynkynge

ARRIVAL OP KING EDWARD IV. 25

by theyr wysdomes that suche was, or of convenience muste be, the purpos
of the Kyngs party, therefore put them gretly in devowre to abwse the
Kyngs party in that behalfe, for whiche cawse and purpos they sent theyr
aforerydars streight from Excestar to Shaftesbery, and aftarwards to
Salisbery, and toke them the streight way to Tawnton, and to Glaston-
berye, to Wells, and there abouts, hovinge in the contrye; from whens, an
othar tyme, they sent theyr forrydars to a towne called Yevell, and to a
towne callyd Bruton, to make men to undarstond that they would have
drawne towards Redynge, and by Barkeshire, and Oxfordshire, have drawner
towards London, or ells fallen upon the Kynge at some great advantage.
Suche mannar sendynge natheles servyd them of two thyngs ; one was, to
call and arays the people to make towards them for theyr helpe owt
of all thos parties ; an othar was, to have abusyd the Kynge in his ap-
prochyng towards them but, thanked be God, he was nat hereof unad-
vertysed, but, by goode and sad advyse, purveyed for every way, as may
appere in tellyng furthe his progres from Wyndsowr towards them ; from
whence he departyd the Wedensday, the morne aftar Saynt Georgis day,
the xxiiij. day of Aprell, so kepinge his iorney that he cam to Abyndon
the Satarday next, the xxvij. day; where he was the Sonday; and, on
the Monday, at Cicestre ; where he had certayne tydyngs that they wowld,
on Twesday next, [be] at Bathe, as so they were ; and that on the morne
next, the Wedensday, they wowld com on streight towards the Kyngs
battayle. For whiche cawse, and for that he would se and set his people
in array, he drove all the people owt of the towne, and lodgyd hym, and
his hoste, that nyght in the fielde, iij myle out of the towne. And, on the
morow, he, having no certayne tydyngs of theyr comynge forward, went to
Malmesbury, sekynge upon them. And there had he knowledge that they^
undarstandynge his approchinge and marchinge neare to them, had lefte
theyr purpos of gevynge battayle, and turned asy de-hand, and went to
Bristowe, a good and stronge wallyd towne, where they were greatly re-
freshed and relevyd, by such as were the Kyngs rebells in that towne, of
money, men, and artilarye ; wherethrwghe they toke new corage, the Thurs-
day aftar to take the filde, and gyve the Kynge battayll, for whiche intent
they had sent forrydars to a towne ix myle from Bristow, callyd Sudbury,
and, a myle towards the Kynge, they apoyntyd a grownd for theyr fielde
at a place callyd Sudbury hill. The Kynge, heringe this, the same Thurs-

CAMD. SOC. 1. E

26 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

day, first day of May, with all his hooste in array and fayre ordinaunce
came towards the place by them apoyntyd for theyr fielde. Th'enemyes alsoo
avauncyd them forthe, the same day, owt of Bristow, makynge semblaunce
as thowghe they would have comen streyght to the place appoyntyd, but,
havynge knoledge of the Kyngs approochinge, they lefte that way, albe it
theyr herbengars were come afore them as ferre as Sudberye towne ; where
they distressed certayne of the Kyngs party e, five or six, suche as negly-
gently pressed so ferre forwards, dredynge no dangar, but only entendyng
to have purveyed ther theyr masters lodgyngs ; and so they changyd theyr
sayd purpos, and toke theyr way streyght to Berkley, travelyng all that
nyght, and, from thens, towards the towne of Gloucestar. The Kynge,
the same Thursday, sonne aftar none, came nere to the same grownd,
called Sudbury hill, and, nat havynge eny certaynty of his enemys, sent
his scowrers alabowte in the cuntrye, trustynge by them to have wist where
they had bene. Aboute that place was a great and a fayre large playne,
called a would, and dowbtfull it was for to pas ferther, to he myght here
somewhate of them, supposynge that they were right nere, as so they
myght well have bene, yf they had kepte forthe the way they toke owt of
Bristow. And, when he cowthe nat here any certayntye of them, he
avauncyd forwards his hoole battayle, and lodgyd his vaward beyonde the
hill, in a valley towards the towne of Sudberye, and lodged hymselfe, with
the remenaunt of his hooste, at the selfe hill called Sudbery hill. Early in
the mornynge, sonne aftar three of the cloke, the Kynge had certayne
tydyngs that they had taken theyre way by Barkley toward Gloucestar, as
so they toke indede. Whereupon he toke advise of his counsell of that he
had to doo for the stopynge of theyr wayes, at two passagys afore namyd,
by Glocestar, or els by Tewkesberye, and, first, he purvayed for Glouces-
tar, and sent thethar certayne servaunts of his owrie to Richard Bewchamp,
sonne and heyr to the Lord Bewchampe, to whom afore he had comyttyd
the rule and govarnaunce of the towne and castell of Gloucestar, com-
maundynge hym to kepe the towne and castle for the Kynge, and that he,
with suche helpe as he myght have, shuld defend the same agaynst them,
in caas they woulde in any wise assayle them ; as it was suppos they so
would doo that same aforenone ; lettynge them wete that he would have
good espye upon them yf they so did. And, yf he myght know that they
so dyde, he promised to come theyr rescows, and comforte. With this

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 27

the Kyngs message they were well receyved at Gloucestar, and the towne
and castell put in sure and save kepinge of the sayd Richard, and the
sayde Kynges servaunts. Whiche message was sent and done in right
good season, for certayne it is the Kyngs enemyes were put in sure hope,
and determyned to have enteryd the towne, and ethar have kept it agaynst
the Kynge, or, at the leaste, to have passed thrwghe the towne into othar
contries, where they thowght [to] have bene myghtely assysted, as well with
Welchemen, which they demed shuld have fallen to them in thos parties,
in the company of Jasper, called Earle of Penbroke, as also for to havd
goten into theyr companye, by that way-takynge, greate nombar of men of
Lancashire, and Chesshere, upon whom they muche trustyd. For whiche
cawses they had greatly travayled theyr people all that nyght and morn-
ynge, upon the Fryday, to the about ten of the cloke they were comen
afore Gloucestar ; where there entent was uttarly denyed them by Richard
Bewchampe, and othar of the Kyngs servaunts, that, for that cawse, the
Kynge had sent thethar. Natwithstandynge, many of the inhaby taunts of
that towne were greatly disposed towards them, as they had certayne
knowledge. Of this demenynge they toke right great displeasure, and
made great manasys, and pretendyd as thowghe they wowlde have
assaultyd the towne, and wonne it upon them, but, as well thos that kepte
the towne as the sayde enemyes that so pretendyd, knewe well, that the
Kynge with a myghty puisawnce was nere to them, and, yf eny affraye
had there be made, he myght sone have bene upon them, and taken upon
them ryght grete advantage ; wherefore they in the towne nothynge
dowbtyd, and they withoute durste not for feare begynne any suche
werke ; and, therefore, they shortly toke theyr conclusyon for to go the
next way to Tewkesbery, whithar they came the same day, about four
aftar none. By whiche tyme they hadd so travaylled theyr hoaste that
nyght and daye that they were ryght wery for travaylynge ; for by that
tyme they had travaylyd xxxvj longe myles, in a fowle contrye, all in lanes
and stonny wayes, betwyxt woodes, without any good refresshynge. And,
for as mooche as the greatar parte of theyr hooste were fotemen, the othar
partye of the hoste, whan they were comen to Tewkesbery, cowthe, ne
myght, have laboryd any furthar, but yf they wolde wilfully have forsaken
and lefte theyr fotemen behynd them, and therto themselves that were
horsemen were ryght werye of that iorwney, as so were theyr horses. So,

28 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

whethar it were of theyr election and good will, or no, but that they wefe
veryly compelled to byde by two cawses ; one was, for werines of theyr
people, which they supposed nat theyr people woulde have eny longer
endured ; an other, for they knew well that the Kynge ever approchyd
towards them, nere and nere, evar redy, in good aray and ordinaunce, to
have pursuyd and fallen uppon them, yf they wolde any ferther have gon,
and, paradventure, to theyr moste dyssavantage. They therefore deter-
myned t'abyde there th'aventure that God would send them in the qwarell
they had taken in hand. And, for that entent, the same nyght they pight
them in a fielde, in a close even at the townes ende ; the towne, and the
abbey, at theyr backs ; afore them, and upon every hand of them, fowle
lanes, and depe dikes, and many hedges, with hylls, and valleys, a ryght
evill place to approche, as cowlde well have bene devysed.

The Kynge, the same mornynge, the Fry day, erly, avanced his banners,
and devyded his hole hoost in three battayles, and sent afore hym his for-
rydars, and scorars, on every syde hym, and so, in fayre arraye and ordi-
naunce, he toke his way thrwghe the champain contrye, callyd Cottes-
wolde, travaylynge all his people, whereof were moo than iij M fotemen,
that Fryday, which was right-an-hot day, xxx myle and more ; whiche his
people might nat finde, in all the way, horse-mete, ne mans-meate, ne so
moche as drynke for theyr horses, save in one litle broke, where was full
letle relefe, it was so sone trowbled with the cariages that had passed it.
And all that day was evarmore the Kyngs hoste within v or vj myles of
his enemyes ; he in playne contry and they amongst woods ; havynge
allway good espialls upon them. So, continuynge that iourney to he came,
with all his hooste, to a village callyd Chiltenham, but five myles from
Tewkesberye, where the Kynge had certayn knolege that, but litle afore
his comynge thethar, his enemyes were comen to Tewkesbury, and there
were takynge a field, wherein they purposed to abyde, and delyver him
battayle. Whereupon the Kynge made no longar taryenge, but a litle
confortyd hymselfe, and his people, with suche meate and drynke as he
had done to be caried with hym, for vitalyge of his hooste ; and, incon-
tinent, set forthe towards his enemyes, and toke the fielde, and lodgyd
hym selfe, and all his hooste, within three myle of them.

Upon the morow followynge, Saterday, the iiij. day of May, [the Kynge]
apparailed hymselfe, and all his hoost set in good array ; ordeined three

ARRIVAL, OF KING EDWARD IV. 29

wards ; displayed his bannars ; dyd blowe up the trompets ; commytted his
caws and qwarell to Almyghty God, to owr most blessyd lady his mothar,
Vyrgyn Mary,, the glorious martyr Seint George, and all the saynts ; and
avaunced, directly upon his enemyes ; approchinge to theyr filde, whiche
was strongly in a marvaylows strong grown d pyght, full difficult to be
assayled. Netheles the Kyngs ordinance was so conveniently layde afore
them, and his vawarde so sore oppressyd them, with shott of arrows, that
they gave them right-a-sharpe shwre. Also they dyd agayne-ward to them,
bothe with shot of arrows and gonnes, whereof netheles they ne had not
so great plenty as had the Kynge. In the front of theyr field were so evell
lanes, and depe dykes, so many hedges, trees, and busshes, that it was right
hard to approche them nere, and come to hands; but Edmond, called
Duke of Somarset, having that day the vawarde, whithar it were for that
he and his fellowshipe were sore annoyed in the place where they were, as
well with gonnes-shott, as with shot of arrows, whiche they ne wowld nor
durst abyde, or els, of great harte and corage, knyghtly and manly avaun-
syd hymselfe, with his fellowshipe, somewhat asyde-hand the Kyngs
vawarde, and, by certayne pathes and wayes therefore afore purveyed,
and to the Kyngs party unknowne, he departed out of the field, passyd a
lane, and came into a fayre place, or cloos, even afore the Kynge where
he was enbatteled, and, from the hill that was in that one of the closes, he
set right fiercely upon th'end of the Kyngs battayle. The Kynge, full
manly, set forthe even upon them, enteryd and wann the dyke, and hedge,
upon them, into the cloose, and, with great vyolence, put them upe towards
the hyll, and, so also, the Kyng's vaward, being in the rule of the Duke
of Gloucestar.

Here it is to be remembred, how that, whan the Kynge was comyn afore
theyr fielde, or he set upon them, he consydered that, upon the right hand
of theyr field, there was a parke, and therein moche wood, and he,
thinkynge to purvey a remedye in caace his sayd enemyes had layed any
bushement in that wood, of horsemen, he chose, out of his fellashyppe,
ijc speres, and set them in a plomp, togethars, nere a qwartar of a
myle from the fielde, gyvenge them charge to have good eye upon that
cornar of the woode, if caas that eny nede were, and to put them in devowre,
and, yf they saw none suche, as they thowght most behovfull for tyme and
space, to employ themselfe in the best wyse as they cowlde ; which pro-

30 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

visyon cam as well to poynt at this tyme of the battayle as cowthe well
have been devysed, for the sayd spers of the Kyngs party, seinge no lyk-
lynes of eny busshement in the sayd woode-corner, seinge also goode
oportunitie t'employ them selfe well, cam and brake on, all at ones, upon
the Duke of Somerset, and his vawarde, asy de-hand, unadvysed, whereof
they, seinge the Kynge gave them ynoughe to doo afore them, were gretly
dismaied and abasshed, and so toke them to flyght into the parke, and
into the medowe that was nere, and into lanes, and dykes, where they best
hopyd to escape the dangar ; of whom, netheles, many were distressed,
taken, and slayne; and, even at this point of theyr flyght, the Kynge
coragiously set upon that othar felde, were was chefe Edward, called
Prince, and, in short while, put hym to discomfiture and flyght ; and so fell
in the chase of them that many of them were slayne, and, namely, at a
mylene, in the medowe fast by the towne, were many drownyd ; many rann
towards the towne ; many to the churche ; to the abbey ; and els where ;
as they best myght.

In the wynnynge of the fielde such as abode hand-stroks were slayne in-
continent ; Edward, called Prince, was taken, fleinge to the towne wards, and
slayne, in the fielde. Ther was also slayne Thomas, called th'Erle of De-
vonshire ; John of Somarset, called Marqwes Dorset ; Lord Wenloke ; with
many othar in great nombar.

Thus this done, and with God's myght atchyved, the Kynge toke the
right way to th'abbey there, to gyve unto Almyghty God lawde and thanke
for the vyctorye, that, of his mercy, he had that day grauntyd and gyven
unto hym; where he was receyvyd with procession, and so convayed
thrwghe the churche, and the qwere, to the hy awtere, with grete devocion
praysenge God, and yeldynge unto hym convenient lawde. And, where
there were fledd into the sayd churche many of his rebels, in great nombar
or moo, hopynge there to have bene relevyd and savyd from bodyly
harme, he gave them all his fre pardon, albe it there lie was, ne had nat at
any tyme bene grauntyd, any fraunchise to that place for any offendars
agaynst theyr prince havynge recowrse thethar, but that it had bene lefull
to the Kynge to have commaundyd them to have bene drawne out of the
churche, and had done them to be executyd as his traytors, yf so had bene
his pleasure ; but, at the reverence of the blessyd Trinitie, the moste holy
vyrgyn Mary, and th& holy martir Seint George, by whos grace and helpe

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 3|

he had that day atteygned so noble a victory ; and, at the same reverence,
he grauntyd the corpses of the sayd Edward, and othar so slayne in the
field, or ells where, to be buryed there, in churche, or ells where it pleasyd
the servaunts, frends, or neighbowrs, without any qwarteryng, or de-
foulyng theyr bodyes,by settying upe at any opne place.

This battayll thus done and atchived, and the Kyngs grace thus largly
shewed, it was so that, in the abbey, and othar places of the towne, were
founden Edmond, callyd Duke of Somerset, the prior of Seynt Johns,
called Ser John Longestrother, Ser Thomas Tressham, Ser Gervaux of
Clyfton, knyghts, squiers, and othar notable parsonnes dyvers, whiche all,
dyvers tymes, were browght afore the Kyng's brothar, the Duke of Glou-
cestar and Constable of England, and the Duke of Norfolke, Marshall of
England, theyr iudges ; and so were iudged to deathe, in the mydst of the
towne, Edmond Duke of Somarset, arid the sayd Prior of Seint Johns,
with many othar gentils that there were taken, and that of longe tyme
had provoked and continuyd the great rebellyon that so long had endured
in the land agaynst the Kynge, and contrye to the wele of the Realme.
The sayd Duke, and othar thus iudged, were executyd in the mydste of
the towne, upon a scaffolde therefore made, behedyd evereche one, and
without eny othar dismembringe, or settynge up, licensyd to be buryed.

All these thyngs thus done, the Twesday, the vij. day of May, the
Kynge departyd from Tewxbery, towards his citie of Worcestar, and, on the
waye, he had certayne knowledge that Qwene Margarete was founden nat
fer from thens, in a powre religiows place, where she had hyd hir selfe, for
the surty of hir parson, the Saturdaye, erlye in the mornynge, aftar his
sonne Edward, callyd Prince, was gon to the filde, for to withdraw hir selfe
from the adventure of the battayle ; of whome also he was assured that she
shuld be at his commaundement.

The Kynge, beinge at Worcestar, had certayne knowledge also, that cer-
tayne his rebells of the northe partyes beganne to make commocions,
and assembles of people agaynst hym, in the qwarell of Henry, callyd
Kynge 5 for whiche cawse he kept nat the ryght way to London, as he
had purposyd, but, entendyng to prepare a new felashipp agaynst the
sayd rebells in the north, and, to be in a good strengthe of people,
whatsoevar shuld happe, he determined hym selfe to goo to Coventrye, as
he so dyd the xi. day of the sayd monythe ; where he refresshed well suche

32 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

as were laft withe hym of his hoste, by the space of three dayes ;
and thethar was browght unto hym Qwene Margaret. He forgate not
to send from thens his messengars, with writyngs, all abowte the
contryes nere adioyninge, to suche in especiall as he trusty d best
that they would do hym service. Trewth it is whiles the Kynge, in
alwyse, thus preparyd a new armye, came certayne tydyngs unto hym,
how they of the northe had herd the certeyntye of his great vyctories,
and how that he disposyd hym to come towards them, with a great
armye, and they, sore dredyng his good spede, and great fortunes ; nat
havynge any of the Warewyks, or Nevells, blode, whom unto they myght
have restyd, as they had done afore ; knowynge also, for certaynty, that
th'Erle of Northumbarland was nothinge of theyr partye, but that he
wowld resyste and withstand them at his uttarmoste powere, uttarly
takynge parte with the Kynge, and his qwarell ; the cheftaynes of them that
were maliciowsly dysposed, and, for evell entent, as above, have com-
moned and begone to assemble the people, anon, upon thies knowledge
and considerations, they withdrew them from any ferthar preceding to
theyr said rebellyon, as folks not lykly to maintayne theire fals qwarell and
partye. They lefte theyr bands, and compaignes, and dyvars of them
made menes to th'Erle of Northumbarland, besechinge hym to be good
meane to the Kynge for his grace and pardone. Some of the scowrars wer
taken and put in warde. The citie of Yorke, and othar good townes, and
contryes, lowly submittinge them, and [promysinge] than to the Kynge
theyr dwe obedyence. And so, by the xiiij. day of May, it was knowne clerly,
by suche as were sent unto the Kynge from th'Erle of Northombarland,
from the citie of Yorke, and othar dyvars places in the northe, that there
was no rebellyon in all the northe begon, but that it was so passyfied that it
ne myght ne shwld anoy the Kynge, in any wyse. Wherefore it was to
hym thowght, and to all hys counsell, that for to goo into the northe for eny
pacification, or punishement of suche parsons, it was not nedefull as at that
tyme ; and so it was most clerly declaryd, the same daye, by th'Erle of Nor-
thombarland, who cam streyght to the Kynge to Coventrye, out of the
northe contrye ; as his departynge well asswred that the contrye was in
good and sure tranquilitie, without any comotions, or unlawfull gatheryngs.
Whiche Erie cam not accompanied greatly, but with a fewe folkes, and nat
arrayed in manar of warr, for he had no mannar knowledge but that the

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 33

Kynge, aftar this his great victories acchived, shuld have good pax, every
where in his realme ; but it was nat so, for the Kynge had knowledge,
or that he cam to Coventrye, by lettars sent hym by lords of his blode
beinge at London this season, that the bastard Fawcomberge, whiche, a lytle
afore that, had bene sent to the sea by th'Erle of Warwyke, and had dys-
tressed many marchaunt-shipps of Portyngall, and taken the ships and
goods to hym selfe, in breche of the amitie that of longe tyme had bene
betwyxt the realmes of England and Portyngall, he had callyd unto hym,
and to his fellowshipe, grete partyes and nombars of marinars, out of every
party and porte of England, and many othar traytors, and misgoverned
men, of every contrye of England, and also othar contries, that had great
corage to atend to thefte and roberye. It was shewed the Kyng that
dayly his nombar drew gretar and gretar, and that he was gone to Calays,
and browght many men with hym, from thens, into Kent, where he began
to gathar his people in great iiombar, entendyng, by lyklyhode, to do some
great myschevows dede.

Aftar the Kynge was at Coventrye, he had dayly messages from the
Lords at London, how that the bastard had assembled greate people, and,
bothe by lande many thowsands, and, by watar with all his shipps ful of
people, he came afore London, thinkynge to robbe, and spoyle, and do
almaner of myschefe ; and therto many of the contrye of Kent were assen-
tynge, and cam with theyr good wills, as people redy to be ap pliable to
suche seditious commocions. Othar of Kentyshe people that wowldrighte.
fayne have sytten still at home, and nat to have ronne into the dangar
of suche rebellyon, by force and violence of suche riotows people as
were of the sayd bastards company, for feare of deathe, and othar great
manasses, and thretynynges, were compellyd, some to goo with the bas-
tard, in theyr parsons ; suche specially, as were hable in parsons, yf they
had aray, and myght not wage to such as would goo, they were compellyd,
by lyke foarce, to lene them theyr araye, and harnes ; and such as were
unharnesyd, aged, and unhable, and of honor, they were compelled to
send men waged, or to gyve mony wherewith to wage men to goo to the
sayd bastards company. So that, ryght in a shorte tyme, the sayd bastard
and his felowship had assembled to the nombar of xvj or xvij M men, as
they accomptyd themselves. Whiche came afore London the xij. day of May,
in the qwarell of Kynge Henry, whome they sayd they woulde have owte of

CAMD. soc. 1. F

34 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

the Towre of London, as they pretendyd. And, for that cawse, they desyred
the citizens of London that they myght have free entrye into the citie
where, first, theyr entent was to have with them the sayd Henry, and
aftar, to passe pesceably thrwghe the citie, as they sayd, without any gre-
vaunce to be done to eny parson ; upon th'entent from thens to goo towards
the Kynge, where so evar they myght finde hym, hym to distroy and all
his partakars, in qwarell of the sayde Henry, yf they myght have of hym
the ovar-hand.

But, so it was, that the Maior, Aldarmen, and othar officers and citizens
of London denied them theyr entrye. As this was in doinge ovar came
from London freshe tydyngs to the Kynge, from the Lords, and the citi-
zens, which, with right grete instance, moved the Kinge, in all possible
haste, to approche and com to the citie, to the defence of the Qwene,
than being in the Tower of London, my Lorde Prince, and my Ladies his
doghtars, and of the Lords, and of the citie, whiche, as they all wrote, was
likly to stand in the grettest ioperdy that evar they stode. In considera-
tion had for that gret nombar of the persones within the citie were rather
disposyd to have helped to have suche mischiefe wroght than to defend it ;
some, for they were maliciowsly disposed, and were, in theyr harts perciall
to th'Erle of Warwickes qwarell, and to the party of Henry, wherefore were
many ; some, for they were powre ; some, mens servaunts, mens pren-
tises, which would have bene right glade of a comon robery, to th'entent
they might largely have put theyr hands in riche mens coffres.

Thes manar of writings moved the Kynge greatly to haste hym thethar-
wards ; but it was behovefull, or that he came there, he were furnesshyd
of as great, or gretar, hooste than he had had at any tyme sithe his com-
ynge into the land; natheles, for that suche armye might nat be prepared
so sonne as he woulde, the sayd xiiij. day of May, he apoyntyd a notable,
and a well chosen, felawshipe owt of his hooste, and them sent unto the
citie of London, afore his comynge, to the nombar of xv c men, well be-
sene ; for the comforte of the Quene, the Lords, and the citizens. And
hymselfe departyd out of Coventrie towards London the xvj. day of May.

Here is to be remembred, that, whan the bastard and his felashipe myght
not purchace of the maior and citezens of London the overtur of the sayd
citie, for theyr passage thrwghe, as above, neythar for theyr promises, ne
for great thretenyngs and manassyngs, they made sembland to passe ovar

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 35

Thames, by Kyngstone Brige, x myles above London, and thethar drewe
them the hole hooste, levynge all theyr shipps afore Seint Katheryns>
a lytle from the Towre of London ; pretendyng that they shuld come
and dystroy Westmynstar, and than the subarbs of London, and assay
the uttarmoste agaynst the citye, revengynge that theyr entrye was de-
nied them, and theyr passage thrwghe the citie, and so forthe, with theyr
hole multitude, have passed thrwghe the contries agaynst the Kynge.
But, so it was, as they were onwards in this journey, the bastard had cer-
tayne knowledge that the Kynge was greatly assistyd with all the Lords
of the Realme in substaunce, great nombar of noble men and othar, in
greater nombar than in eny tyme he had had afore ; they, greatly fearinge his
highe corage and knyghthood, and the great vyctories that God had sent
hym, they delayed withe watar wyne (?) and so retowrned agayne, and came
before London, and shewyd themselfe in hoole battayle in Seint Georgis
filde. And that for dyvers consideracions ; for ones, they dowbtyd gretly
the recountar of the Kynge ; also the multytud of them cam rathar for
robbinge than for revengynge by way of battayle; they doubted, also,
to assayle the citie on that othar. syde of Thamis, for, lykly it was, that,
in caas they myght not prevayle, they of London shuld lyghtly stoppe
them theyr wayes homeward unto theyr contrye. And for to devide theyr
hoost, some upon the one syde of London and some upon the othar syde,
they thought it foly, forsomoche as, with fewe folks, they myght have
broken the brydges aftar them, and, with right fewe folks, have kepte and
stopped theyr passage.

Here folowethe liowe the sayd bastard Faucomberge, with his felashippe,
assayled the citie of London, and set fyer upon the bridge of London,
and brent greate parte thereof, and upon othar two gates of the sayde
citie ; and how they were honorably recountred, and discomfeted, and
dryven to the watar, and soo the citie delyverydfrom them.

The bastard and his fellashippe, thus returnyd agayne from Kyng-
stonn brigge, afore London, purposynge to execute theyr greate rancowr
and malice agayns the citie of London, and that in all haste, to

36 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

th'entent they myght have theyr praye afore the Kyngs comynge, whiche
they thowght not to abyde, and it to cary awaye in theyr shipps, whiche
were ready to attend for the same entent of roberye, but a myle or two
from the sayde citie. Wherefore, incontinent, they assayled the citie with
greate violence, with shot of goons, suche as they had browght owt of theyr
shipps, in great nombar, and layd them on length the watar syde, streight
ovar agaynst the citie ; where with they prevayled no thinge, for the citi-
zens agayne-warde in dyvars placis layde ordinaunce, and made so sharp
shott agaynst them, that they durst not abyde in eny place alonge the wa-
tarsyde, and so were dryven from theyr owne ordinaunce. Wherefore the
bastard purveyed an othar mean to annoy and greve the sayde Citie sore,
and therefore ordeynyd a great fellowshipe to set fyre upon the bridge, and
to brene the howsynge upon the bridge, and, through therby, to make them
an open way into the sayd citie. An othar greate felashipe he sett ovar the
watar with his shipps, mo then iij M men, whiche were devided into two
partes ; one party e went to Algate, wenyng to have entred the citie there,
by assaulte ; an othar partye went to Bysshops-gate, wenynge to have en-
tred there by an othar assaulte ; wher they shot goonns and arrows into
the citie, and dyd moche harme and hurte. And, at the laste, set fiere
upon the gates, for to have brent them, and so trustinge to have entred at
large. Theyr brennynge at the bridge profytid them of no thynge ; albe
they brent many howses to the nombar of iij **, but the citizens hadd set
suche ordenaunce in theyr ways that, thowghe all the way had been open,
it had bene to harde for them to have entred by that way, but upon
theyr lyves. The maior, aldarmen, and worshipfull citizens of the citie
were in good array, and set to every parte, where was behovefull, greate
felowshipe, welle ordered, and ordeyned, for to withstand the malice of thes
forsayd rebells.

To the citizens, and defence of the citie, came th'Erle of Essex, and many
knights, squiers, gentlemen, and yemen, right well arraied, which had
right great diligence in orderinge the citizens, and firste to prepare and
ordayne for the defence and surtye of the sayd cittie and people thereof
where it was necessarye, and preparyd how and where they myght best
ysswe owt upon them, and put them from theyr purpos. By which
medelinge of gentlemen, and lords servauntes, with the citizens, in

ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV. 37

every parte, the citizens were greatly encoragyd to set sharply upon them
with one hoole entent, where elles it had be lykely they shuld nat have
willed to have done so moche therto as was donne. For, as it is afore-
sayde, greate nombar of the citie were there that with right good wille
woulde they have bene sofferyd to have enteryd the citie, to th^entent to
have fallen to myscheffe and robberye with them. And so, aftar continu-
ynge of muche shote of gonnes and arrows a greate while, upon bothe par-
ties, th'Erle Ryvers, that was with the Qwene, in the Tower of London,
gatheryd unto hym a felashipe right well chosen, and habiled, of iiij or
vc men, and ysswyd owt at a posterne upon them, and, even upon a
poynt, cam upon the Kentyshe men beinge abowte the assawltynge of
Algate, and mightely laied upon them with arrows, and upon them in hands,
and so killyd and toke many of them, dryvyrige them from the same gate
to the watar syde. Yet netheles, three placis wer fiers brennynge all at
ones. The Maior, Aldarmen, and many of the sayde citie, were anone in theyr
harnes, and parted theyr felashippe into divers partes, as them thowght
moste behofefull, but a great parte of the citizens were at Algate, and
with them many gentlemen and yemen, which all made the defence that
they best myght; and shott many gouns, and arrows, amonge them; but
for thy the Kentishemen spared nat to assayle at bothe the gates, so that
the sayde lorde and citizens determined in themselve to arredy them in
good array, and to ysswe owt upon them, in hands, and put them to
flyght and discomfiture. About iij M and [mo] fell in the chas of them,
and slew mo than vij c of them. Many were taken, and aftar hanged;
the remenaunt went to the watarsyde, and toke theyr boates, and went to
theyr shipps, and ovar to that othar syde agayn.

Thes haynows traytowrs and robbers, the bastard and his felawshyppe,
seing they cowthe in nowyse profite to theyr entents, by litle and litle
withdrewe them to the Blackhethe, to an hill three myle from London,
the xvj., xvij., and xviij. day of Maye, there abydynge by the space of three
dayes ; but, theyr abydynge, they had certayne knowledge that the Kynge
was comynge with great puisaunce, whereof they greatly adrad, seinge that
they myght nat have theyr praye of London, ne havynge hardies to abyde
the Kynge and his puisaunce, they disperbled ; they of Calais, to Calais,
the sonest they cowlde ; suche as were of othar contrys, into theyrs ; many
of Kent, to theyr howses ; the mariners, and myschevows robbars, rebells,

38 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

and riotours with them, to theyr shipps; and drewe downe to the sea
coaste with all theyr shipps.

The Kynge this season, well accompanied and mightely with great
lordes, and in substaunce all the noblemen of the land, with many othar
able men, well arraied for the werre, to the nombar of xxx M "horsemen,
cam to the citie of London^ sone aftar the disperblynge of the Kentyshe
hooste, the xxj. day of Maye, the Twesdaye; where he was honorably re-
ceyved of all the people, the maior, aldermen, and many othar worshipfull
men, citizens of the sayd citie. At the metyng of them the Kynge
dubed Knyghtes the maior, the recordar, dyvars aldarmen, with othar
worshipfull of the sayd citie of London, whiche as hadd mannly and
honorably acquit them selfe agaynst the bastard, and his crwell hooste ;
honoringe, and rewardinge them with the ordar, of his good love and
grace, for theyr trwe acquitaill, and as they had ryght well and trewly de-
servyd that tyme.

Here it is to be remembred, that, from the tyme of Tewkesbery fielde,
where Edward, called Prince, was slayne, thanne, and sonne aftar, wer
taken, and slayne, and at the Kyngs wylle, all the noblemen that came
from beyond the see with the sayde Edward, called Prince, and othar
also theyr parte-takers as many as were of eny might or puisaunce.
Qwene Margaret, hirselfe, taken, and browght to the Kynge; and, in
every party of England, where any commotion was begonne for Kynge
Henry's party, anone they were rebuked, so that it appered to every
mann at eye the sayde partie was extincte and repressed for evar, without
any mannar hope of agayne quikkening ; utterly despaired of any maner
of hoope or releve. The certaintie of all whiche came to the knowledge
of the sayd Henry, late called Kyng, being in the Tower of London ; not
havynge, afore that, knowledge of the saide matars, he toke it to so great
di spite, ire, and indingnation, that, of pure displeasure, and melencoly, he
dyed the xxiij. day of the monithe of May. Whom the Kynge
dyd to be browght to the friers prechars at London, and there, his
funerall service donne, to be caried, by watar, to an Abbey upon Tha-
mys syd, xvj myles from London, called Chartsey, and there honorably
enteryd.

The Kynge, incontinent aftar his comynge to London, taried but one
daye, and went with his hole army, aftar his sayd tray tors into Kent,

f

ARRIVAL, OP KING EDWARD IV. 39

them to represse, in caas they were in any place assembled, and for to let
them to assemble by any comocion to be made amongs them, wher unto
they, heretoforne, have often tymes bene accustomyd to doo. But, trewthe
it was, that they were disperbled as afore; but the sayd bastard Fau-
comberge, with great nombar of mariners, and many othar mischevows men,
called his sowldiours, or men of were, went streyght to Sandwyche, and
there kept the towne with strengthe, and many great and small shipps,
abowt xl and vij, in the haven, all undar his rule. And, as sone as they
undarstode the Kynge and his hoste aprochid nere unto them, the sayd
bastard sent unto hym suche meanes as best he cowthe, humbly to sew
for his grace and pardon, and them of his feloshipe, and, by appoyntement,
willed there to be delyveryd to the Kyngs behove all his shipps, and be-
came his trwe liegemen, with as streight promyse of trew legiaunce as
cowthe be devised for them to be made, whiche, aftar delyberation taken
in that parte, for certayn great consyderations, was grauntyd. Wherefore
the Kynge sent thethar his brothar Richard, Duke of Gloucestar, to re-
ceyve them in his name, and all the shipps; as he so dyd the xxvj. day of
the same monithe ; the Kynge that tyme beinge at Cantorbery.

And thus, with the helpe of Almighty God, the moaste glorious Virgin
Mary his mothar, and of Seint George, and of [all] the Saynts of heven,
was begon, finished, and termined, the reentrie and perfecte recover of the
iuste title and right of owr sayd soveraygne Lord Kynge Edward the
Fowrthe, to his realme and crowne of England, within the space of xj
wekes; in the whiche season, moienaunt the helpe and grace of Allmyghty
God, by his wysdome, and polyqwe, he escaped and passyd many great
perills, and daungars, and dificulties, wherin he had bene ; and, by his full
noble and knyghtly cowrage, hathe optayned two right-great, crwell, and
mortall battayles ; put to flight and discomfeture dyvars great assembles of
his rebells, and riotows persons, in many partyes of his land ; the whiche,
thowghe all they were also rygorously and maliciously disposed, as they
myght be, they were, netheles, so affrayde and afferyd of the verey asswryd
courage and manhod that restethe in the person of our seyd sovereigne
lord, that they were, anon, as confused. Whereby it apperithe, and fayth-
fully is belevyd, that with the helpe of Almyghty God, whiche from his
begynning hitharto hathe not fayled hym, in short tyme he shall appeas
his subgetes thrwghe all his royalme ; that peace and tranquillitie shall

40 ARRIVAL OF KING EDWARD IV.

growe and multiplye in the same, from day to day, to the honour and
lovynge of Almyghty God, the encreace of his singuler and famows re-
noume, and to the great ioye and consolation of his frinds, alies, and well-
willers, and to all his people, and to the great confusion of all his enemys,
and evyll wyllars.

Here endethe the arryvaile of Kynge Edward the Fowrthe. Out
of Mastar Flyghtwods boke, Recordar of London.

NOTES.

P. 1, /. 7, calling himself Lievetenaunte of England. — All the knowledge we
have of the parliamentary arrangements made for carrying on the government
during the short repossession of the throne by Henry VI. is derived from a
statement of Polydore Vergil, which seems rather at variance with the notion
of Warwick alone being Lieutenant of England. The roll of the parliament
which met on the 26th November 1470 is not known to be in existence ;
probably it was destroyed in 1477 when all the proceedings of that parliament
were annulled. (Rot. Parl. VI. 191.) The effect of Vergil's statement is accu-
rately given by Hall in the following words : " Besides this, the Erie of War-
wycke, as one to whome the common welthe was much beholden, was made
Ruler and Gouvernor of the realme, with whom as felow and compaignion was
associated George Duke of Clarence his sonne-in-law." (Hall, p. 286. Vergil,
p. 521.) Probably the present writer is correct ; but if Warwick and Clarence
were, as Shakspeare expresses it,

" Yoak'd together like a double shadow

" To Henry's body," (Third part of Henry VI. act IV. sc. 7,)

the omission by the present writer, in this and several other places, of any
mention of Clarence's share in the Lieutenancy may be attributed to an
anxiety not to make Clarence's treachery to Henry appear the more obviously
inexcusable.

/. 9, callynge hymselfe Prynce of Wales. — Edward was created Prince of

Wales in 1454. (Vide Rot. Parl. V. 249.)

/. 13, presently, i. e. being present.

/. 17. endynge the x. yere. — The regnal years of Edward IV. were

reckoned from the 4th day of March 1461, the day on which he took possession
of the throne ; (Fabyan, 639 ;) his tenth year ended therefore on the 3rd March

1471.

. /. 20, accompanied with ij thowsand Englishmen. — Henry's government at

first represented Edward's adherents as consisting wholly of foreigners,
(Fcedera, XI. 705,) but afterwards admitted they were partly Englishmen and
partly Flemings, (Ibid. 706.) The Chroniclers are singularly contradictory,

CAMD. soc. i. G

42 NOTES.

The Croyland Continuator describes them as 1500 Englishmen; (Gale, I. 554 ;)
Fabyan as a small company of Flemings and others not exceeding 1000 in
number; (Fabyan, 660;) Polydore Vergil as scarcely 2000 men at arms;
(Vergil, p. 522;) the Chronicler in Leland as 900 Englishmen and 300
Flemings. (Collect. II. 503.)

P. I, 1. 22, his realme of England at that tyrne usurpyd and occupied by Henry,
callyd Henry the VI. — Henry's brief restoration took place in the month of
October 1470 ; the day is variously stated. There are documents in the
Foedera in Henry's name dated the 9th of October. (XL 661—664.)

P. 2, 1. 18, in especiall ly th'Erle of Oxenforde. — Preparations to resist the
meditated return of Edward IV. were made as early as December 1470. On
the 21st of that month a Commission was directed to the Marquis Montague,
authorising him, in case of necessity, to raise the counties of Nottyngham,
York, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmerland ; (Feed. XI. 676 ; )
and a Commission of a similar character, but extending all over England, was
directed to the Duke of Clarence, the Earl of Warwick, the Earl of Oxford and
Sir John Scrope on the 28th of December. (Ibid. 677.) By a writ dated the
2nd January 1471, the Sheriffs and people of the counties of Cambridge,
Huntingdon* Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Hertford, were directed to be
attendant upon the last-mentioned Commissioners. (Ibid. 678.) The exertions
of the Earl of Oxford in raising men in the Eastern Counties are manifest
from two letters in the Paston Collection. (//. 54, 58.)
P. 3, /. 16, scuringe, i. e. assuring.

P. 4, /. 14, by the ledinge and gwydynge of a priste. — This appears to have been
one John Westerdale, who was afterwards thrown into the Marshalsea prison,
probably for his interference upon this occasion. (Leland's Coll. II. 503.)

/. 15, Marty n of the See, i. e. Martin de la Mere.

/. 21, declared by the iij. astates of the land. — The parliamentary recog-
nition of the right of Richard, Duke of York, here referred to, took place A.D.
1460. (Vide Rot. Par/. V. 377.)
P. 5, /. 4,gadrers, gadres, in MS.

/. 14, only of hardies, hardies and, in MS.

/. 27, he came to the gates afore the citie. — Polydore Vergil here introduces

a long account of the parleying of the citizens with Edward IV. from their
walls during the whole of one day, and their ultimately insisting upon his taking
an oath to be faithful to Henry VI. before they would permit him to enter;
which oath he took on the following morning at the gate of the City. Vergil
adds that Edward's perjury in this instance was probably the occasion of the
punishment which fell upon his family in the murder of his sons. (P. 524.)

NOTES. 4fr

The Historian probably thought that the excellence of the moral was a
sufficient justification for the invention of the incident, or, at any event, for its
amplification from Fabyan, who says, that Edward confirmed with an oath his
deceptive declaration that he came merely to claim his father's rights. (P. 660.)
Fabyan is a poor authority for an incident which took place at York.

P. 6, /. 6, / deme ye, i. e. yea. — Although the Marquis Montague subse-
quently appeared in arms in the party of his brother, the Earl of Warwick,
there is reason to believe that the present writer was correct in supposing that
he was secretly favorable to Edward IV. (Vide Leland'sColl. II. 505; Polydore
Vergil, 527.)

I. 16, gret party e of the noble men and comons in thos parties, were towards

tli Erie of Northumbarland, and would not stire with any lorde or noble man other than
with the sayde Earle. — The Chronicler in Leland's Collectanea asserts that
" as Edward passid the Countery he shewid the Erie of Northumbrelande's
lettre and scale that sent for hym," (//. 503) — a stratagem quite in character,
but which is not mentioned by any other authority. The feudal authority of
the Earl of Northumberland is exemplified in other passages, at p. 7, and
p. 32. The same power is attributed in the West to the Duke of Somerset
and the Earl of Devonshire, as " the old enheritors of that contrie." (P. 23.)

/. 33, England had — England and had, in MS.

1. 34, a great battaile in those same parties. — The battle of Towton, fought

29th March, 1461.

P. 7, /. 35, scorers, or, as it is in other places, scowrers, i. e. scouts, avant-
couriers, or afore-riders.

P. 8, /. 17, dispersed, — The same as disperbled, i. e. dispersed, which
occurs hereafter p. 37, and also in Fabyan, p. 31.

P. 9, L 10, the Kynge desyred him to come owte with all his people into the filde. —
The Chronicler in Leland says, that Warwick would have fought, but that
" he had receyvid a lettre from the Duke of Clarence that he should not fight
on til he cam." (Coll. II. 504.)

P. 10, Z.23, my lady, theyr mother — This was Cicely, daughter of Ralph Neville,
first Earl of Westmorland, (Dug. Ear. I. 299, b.) Of her large family we
here find mention, besides Edward IV. and his brothers Clarence and Glou-
cester, of Margaret, married to the Duke of Burgundy; Anne, the wife of
Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter; and Elizabeth, wife of John de la Pole,
Duke of Suffolk.

L 29, high and mighty ; right and mighty, in MS.

/. 33, so that; to that, in MS.

P. 11, /. 21, trew service-, trew servaunts, in MS.

P. 12, I. 16, the great promises, pacts, and othes, to the contrary, made sofompnily,

44 NOTES.

and also priuately swbrne,to the Frenche Kynge, Qwene Margarete,and hirsonne Edward.
There is a curious and very little known MS. upon this subject in the same
Volume of Stowe's transcripts from which the foregoing narrative has been
derived, entitled, " The Maner and Gwidynge of the Erie of Warwick at
Aungiers from the xvth day of July to the iiijth of August 1470, which day
he departed from Aungiers." It is printed in Sir Henry Ellis's Collec-
tion of Original Letters, 2d Series, I. 132.

P. 12, /. 22, escape by the sea to Calais, whiche was enswryd to hym selfe in every
caas that myght hape hym. — Warwick was Captain of Calais, and his popularity
there is very strikingly pictured by DeComines, who was an eye- witness of it.
Within a quarter of an hour after the arrival of tidings of the restoration of
Henry VI. every body in the town, high and low, rich and poor, placed the
Earl's badge, the ragged staff, in his cap. Those who could afford it had it of
gold, the poorer sort embroidered it upon the cloth. The instantaneous out-
burst of rejoicing upon this sudden change in affairs occasioned considerable
astonishment to De Comines, and called forth some of his usual sarcastic
observations. (/. 202.)

P. 13, /. 7, barred and letted, barred and lettynge, in MS.

I. 10, their auctoritie, the auctoritie, in MS.

P. 14, /. 23, good hope, good helpe, in MS.

P. 18, I. 31, alnyght, almyghe, in MS.

/. 35, therby they, therby he, in MS.

P. 19, /. 2, there was a great miste. — Fabyan writes in the following very pru-
dent manner respecting this mist. " Of the mystes and other impedimentes
which fell upon the lordes partye by reason of the incantacyons wrought by fryer
Bungey, as the fame went, me lyst nat to wryte." (P. 661.)

/. 5. sone they, sone ther, in MS.

P. 20, /. 15 — 17. The Duke of Excestar was smytten downe — and so of tar he
escaped.— The subsequent fortunes of the Duke of Exeter are thus told by De
Comines : " J'ay veu un Due estre alle a pied sans chausses, apres le train
dudit Due [de Bourgongne] pour chassant sa vie de maison a maison, sans se
nommer. C'estoit le plus prochain de la lignee de Lanclastre : avoit epouse la
soeur du Roy Edoiiard. Apres fu connu : et eut une petite pension pour s'en-
tretenir." (7. 185.)

P. 21, 1. 10. My Lord Car dinall of England. — Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop
of Canterbury.

P. 22, /. 31. Beawlew. — Beaulieu Abbey, founded by King John. (Vide
Monasticon, V. 680.)

P. 23, /. 1. Seern, i. e. Cerne Abbey.

P. 24, /. 20. Jasper, called Erie of Penbroke, had been afore sent into the contrie

NOTES. 45

of Wales to arays Mem.— A Commission to array the Welsh in the cause of
Henry VI. and directed to the Duke of Clarence and the Earls of Pembroke
and Warwick, was issued as early as the 30th January 1471. (Fcedera, XL 680.)

P. 24, /. 37, algates, i. e. always.

P. 27, /. 5, ether have kept, othar have kept, in MS.

P. 29, /. 21, one of; on in, in MS.

P. 30, /. 14, mylene j i. e. a mill.

/. 18. Edward, called Prince, was taken fle'mge to the towne wards and slayne

in thefielde. — The authorities are greatly at variance upon the long disputed
subject of the death of this young Prince ; but much matter, that is really of no
weight at all, has been very unnecessarily introduced into what has been written
on both sides. The following, with the addition of the author now printed,
may be considered as the statements of the contemporary writers.

The Croyland Continuator writes with what seems to be a studious ambiguity.

" Potitus est Rex Edwardus praeclara victoria, interfectis de parte Regi-
nse, turn in campo turn postea ultricibus quorundam manibus, ipso Principe
Edwardo, unigenito Regis Henrici, victo Duce Somersetiae, Comiteque De-
voniae, ac aliis dominis omnibus et singulis memoratis." (Gale, I. 555.)
Here it is uncertain whether the Prince died in the field, or afterwards " ul-
tricibus quorundam manibus ;" and whether those words allude to the decapi-
tation of the Duke of Somerset and the others on the day after the battle,
which is admitted, or to the assassination of Edward in the manner related
by other historians, which is controverted.

Fabyan says,

" In the which batayll she [Queen Margaret] was taken and Sir Edwarde
her sone, and so brought unto the Kynge. But after the Kinge hadde ques-
tyoned with the sayd Sir Edwarde, and he had answeryd unto hym contrarye
his pleasure, he thenne strake hym with his gauntelet upon the face ; after
whiche stroke so by him receyved, he was by the Kynges seruantes inconty-
nently slayne upon the iiij. day of the moneth of May." (P. 662.) Fabyan's
statement, that Queen Margaret was taken in the battle, is certainly not accurate.

The Chronicler in Leland says,

" There [at Tewkesbury] was slayn Prince Edwarde crying on the Duke
of Clarence, his brother in law, for help. There was slayne also Curtney,
Erie of Devonshir," and various others, all of whom are agreed to have been
killed in the battle. (Leland's Coll. II. 506.)

Polydore Vergil writes thus :

" Edouardus princeps adolescens praestantissimus, aliquanto post ductus ad
colloquium cum Edouardo, interrogatur ab eo, cur ejus regnum ingressus

46 NOTES.

ausus esset id armis divexare ? Cui praesenti ammo respondit se avitum reg-
nura recuperatum venisse. Ad ea Edouardus nihil respondens, tantura manu
adolescentem procul submovit, quern in vestigio qui circumstabant (circum-
stabant autem Georgius Clarentiae, Ricardus Glocestriae duces, et Gulielmus
Hastyngius,) crudeliter trucidarunt, ejusque corpus cum reliquis interfectorum
cadaveribus in proximo csenobio monachorum ordinis divi Benedicti huma-
tur."* (P. 530.)

De Comines simply remarks,

" Le dit Roy Edoiiard en eut la victoire et fut le Prince des Galles tue sur
le champ." (7. 210.)

P. 31, /. 10, Clyfton, Clyston, in MS.

/. 23,founden natfer, natfounden far, in MS.

P. 38, /. 9, the Kynge dubed Knyghtes the maior, the recordar, dyvars aldermen,
with othar worshipfull of the sayd Citie of London. — The Chronicler in Leland,
supplying information which we might have expected to find in Fabyan, in-
forms us, that " Syr John Stokton [the Mayor], Syr Rafe Verney, Syr
Richard Lee, Syr John Young, Syr William Taylor, Syr^George Ireland,
Syr John Stoker, Syr Matthieu Philip, Syr William Hampton, Syr Thomas
Stalbroke, Syr John Crosby [one of the Sheriffs], and Syr Thomas Ursewike,
Recorder of London," were the persons thus honored. (Lei. Coll. II. 507.)

/.29, he dyed the xxiij. day of the monithe of May. — Some one has added

here in the margin of the MS. with a reference after the word " dyed," " or was
mordered." The death of Henry VI. is one of those dark events, the truth
respecting which cannot fail to become matter of dispute. The present
author states, it will be perceived, that he died " of pure displeasure and
melencoly" on the 23rd May, which was the day of the Ascension, or Holy
Thursday. The other authorities are as follow :

The Cropland Continualor tells all that was certainly known — perhaps all that
ever will be known — in the following significant words :

" Taceo, hoc temporum interstitio [i. e. during Edward's absence in Kent]
inventum esse corpus Regis Henrici in Turri Londinensi exanime : Parcat
Deus, et spatium poenitentiae ei donet, quicunque tarn sacrilegas manus in Chris-
tum Domini ausus est immittere." (Gale, I. 556.)

* Hall, as usual, translates Polydore Vergil ; but adds, that Prince Edward was taken on the
field by Sir Richard Croftes, and by him delivered up after the battle, in consequence of a procla-
mation offering a reward of £100 per annum for life to any one who would find the Prince, dead
or alive, and also declaring that the Prince's life should be spared. Hall is a very poor authority
in his additions to Vergil ; but it is worthy of investigation whether Sir Richard Crofts ever re-
ceived any annuity of £100 per annum.

NOTES. 47

Fabyan, after stating that on " Ascension Euyn," that is, on the 22nd May,
the late King's corpse was brought " unreverently " from the Tower to St.
Paul's, and thence conveyed, on the morrow, to Chertsey, adds :

"Of the death of this Prynce dyuerse tales were tolde : but the most
common fame wente, that he was stykked with a dagger by the handes of the
Duke of Gloucester." (P. 662.)

The Chronicler in Leland writes as if he had known " the very heart of the
mystery." .

" The same night, beyng the 21. day of May, and Tuesday, at night, be-
twixt a xi. and xii. of the Clok, was King Henry, being Prisoner yn the
Toure, put to Deth : the Duke of Glocestre and dyverse other beyng there
that night." (Coll. II. 507.)

The same author agrees with Fabyan that the corpse was removed to St.
Paul's on the 22nd May.

Polydore Vergil relates the common rumour ;

" Henricus Sextus, paulo ante regno dejectus, in Turri morte affectus est ;
hunc, ut fama constans est, Ricardus Glocestriae dux gladio percussit, quo ita
Edouardus rex ejus frater omni hostili metu liberaretur." (P. 532.)

De Comines places the death after the battle of Barnet instead of Tewkes-
bury, and says,

" Si jen'en ai oiiimentir, incontinent apres cette battaille le Due de Glo-
cestre tua de sa main, ou fit tuer en sa presence, en quelque lieu a part, ce

bon homme le Roy Henry."— (Id. 209.)

The contradiction between the date of the exhibition of the corpse as stated
by the Leland Chronicler, who is a very good authority — and by Fabyan, who
is generally pretty accurate respecting matters which took place in London— and
the date of the death as given by the author now published, if considered with
reference to the position of the various persons interested in Henry's death on
those days, and the circumstances of his hurried interment, will be found to be
destructive of the credit of our author's version of what was in all probability
an infamous murder.

INDEX.

Abingdon, 25.

Aldgate, 36, 37.

Amyot, Thomas, vi.

Archseologia, notice of article in vol. XXI.

vi. vii.
Arundel, Sir John, 23.

Banbury, 11.

Bardolf, Lord, 8.

Barnet, 18, 19, 20, 21,22, 24. Mist at the bat-
tie of, occasioned by Friar Bungay, 44.

Bath, 23, 25.

Bath, Earl of, 10.

Beauchamp, Richard, 26, 27.

Beaulieu, 22, 44.

Berkeley, 26.

Berkshire, 25.

Beverley, 4.

Bishopsgate, 36.

Blackheath, 37.

Bristol, 25, 26.

Bruges, Letter from Edward IV. to the Au-
thorities of, vi.

Bruton, 25.

Bungay, Friar, 44.

Burgh, Richard, 5.

Burgundy, Duchess of, 10.

Burgundy, Duke of, improbability of his warmly
supporting Edward IV. ix.

Caesar, Julius, 7-
Calais, 12,33,37, 44.
Cambridgeshire, 8.
Canterbury, 39.

CAMD. SOC. I.

Canterbury, Cardinal of, 10, 21, 44.
Cerne, 23, 44.

Chambarlayne, Sir Robert, 2.
' Cheltenham, 28.
Chertsey, 38.
Cheshire, 24, 27.
Cicester, 25.

Clarence, Duke of, ties by which he was bound
to support Henry VI. viii. His reconcilia-
tion to Edward IV. 9. Their meeting, 1 1 .
They join forces, ibid. His mediation on
the part of the Earl of Warwick, 12. His
share in the regency during the restoration
of Henry VI, 41. His treacherous letter to
the Earl of Warwick, 43. Joined in Com-
missions to array the people on the part of
Henry VI. 42, 45. Accused of being con-
cerned in the death of Edward Prince of
Wales, 45, 46.
Clifford, Robert, 5.
Clifton, Sir Gervase, 31.

Comines, Philip de, his value as an historical
authority for this period, v. His account
of the death of Edward Prince of Wales, 46.
And of the death of Henry VI. 47.
Coniers, Thomas, 5.
Cornwall, 23.
Cotswold, 28.
Courtenay, Sir Hugh, 23.
Coventry, 8, 9, 12, 13, 17, 31, 32, 33, 34.
Cromer, 2.
Cromwell, Lord, 20.
Crosby, Sir John, 46.
Croyland, continuator of the history of; his

50

INDEX.

value as an historical authority, iii. His
account of the death of Edward Prince of
Wales, 45. And of the death of Henry VI.
46.

Daventry, 13.

Debenham, Sir Gilbert, 2.

Devonshire, 23.

Devonshire, Earl of, 14, 23, 30.

Doncaster, 7.

Dorset, Marquis, 14, 30.

Dorsetshire, 23.

Edward IV. Historical authorities, for this
period of his reign, iii. His situation at the
commencement of the year 1471, viii. Em-
barkation at Flushing, 1 . Reaches Cromer,
2. Lands at Ravenspurg, ibid. Gives out
that he claims the dukedom of York, 4.
Advances to York, ibid. To Tadcaster, 5.
To Wakefield and Sendall, 6. To Doncas-
ter, 7. To Nottingham, ibid. To Leices-
ter, 8. To Coventry, 9. To Warwick, ibid.
Assumes the title of King, ibid. Is recon-
ciled to the Duke of Clarence, 10,11. Fruit-
lessly endeavours to be reconciled to the Earl
of Warwick, 12. Advances to Daventry, 13.
To Northampton, 14. To St. Alban's, 16.
Enters London, 17. Takes prisoner Henry
VI. ibid. Meeting with his Queen, ibid.
Engages the Earl of Warwick at Barnet, 18.
Returns to London, 21. Prepares to meet
Queen Margaret, 24- Sets out from Windsor
for that purpose, 25. Reaches Tewkesbury,
28. Battle there, ibid. Returns to Lon-
don, 38. Proceeds into Kent, in pursuit of
the bastard Fawconberge, ibid. Who sur-
renders, 39. Time of reckoning his regnal
years, 41. Number of the army with which
he landed in England, ibid. Preparations
made to resist him, 42. Oath said to have

been taken by him at York, ibid. Said to
have shewn an invitation from the Earl of
Northumberland, 43. His share in the death
of Edward Prince of Wales, 45, 46. Persons
knighted by him on his entry into London,
ibid.

Edward, Prince of Wales, 10, 12, 14. Embarks
from France, 15. Lands at Weymouth, 22.
Proceeds to Cerne Abbey, 23. To Exeter,
ib. To Bath, ib. Has a command at the
battle of Tewkesbury, 30. Is taken and
slain, ib. His interment, 31. His creation
as Prince of Wales, 41. Historical autho-
rities upon the subject of his death, 45.

Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV. 15. Is in
sanctuary at Westminster, 17. Accompa-
nies Edward IV. to London, ib. Is in the
Tower of London, 34, 37.

Essex, 8.

Earl of, 10, 36.

Exeter, 23, 25.

Duchess of, 10, 43.

Duke of, 8,12, 20, 43, 44.

Fabyan, value of his Chronicle as an historical
authority, iv. His account of the death of
Edward Prince of Wales, 45. And of the
death of Henry VI. 47.

Fawconberge, the Bastard of, captures Por-
tuguese merchant ships, 33. Advances to
London to release Henry VI. ib. Is denied
entry into the City, 34. Proceeds towards
Kingston, 35. Returns and attacks the
City, 36. Withdraws to Blackheath, 37.
Surrenders at Sandwich, 39.

Fleetwood, Mr. Recorder, MS. of the present
narrative in his possession, xiii. His com-
pilation from it inserted in Holinshed, ib.
Fate of his MSS. unknown, xiv. A copy
made from his MS. of the present narrative
by Stowe, ibid. 40.

INDEX.

51

Fleming, Abraham, alterations made by him
in Fleetwood's contribution to Holinshed,xiii.
Flushing, 2.
France, King of, 12, 44.

Ghent, notice of a MS. in the public library
at, vi. Its identity as an abridgement of the
narrative here published, vii.

Glastonbury, 23, 25.

Gloucester, 24, 26, 27.

Richard Duke of, lands with Ed-
ward IV. 3. His interview with the Duke of
Clarence, 11. Has a command at Tewkes-
bury, 29. Sentences the Duke of Somerset
and others to death, 31. Receives the sur-
render of Fawconberge, 39. His share in
the death of Edward Prince of Wales, 46.
Also in the death of Henry VI. 47.

Hall, The Chronicler, translates Polydore Ver-
gil and de Comines, v. His account of the
death of Edward Prince of Wales, 46.

Hampshire, 24.

Hampton, Sir William, 46.

Harfleur, 22.

Haryngton, Sir James, 7.

Hastings, Lord, 2, 9, 10, 11.

Henry IV. 2.

V. 3.

VI. preparations to defend his throne,

viii. Popularity of his government, ix.
Rides through the City, 15. Surrenders to
Edward IV. 17. Accompanies Edward to
Barnet, 18. Is sought to be released from
the Tower, 33, 34. Dies, 38. Is buried at
Chertsey, ib. Date of his brief restoration,
42. Date of his death, 46. Statements of
the Chroniclers upon that subject, ibid. 47.

Holland, 9, 10.

Humber-head, 2.

Huntingdonshire, 8.

Ireland, Sir George, 46.

Kent, 24, 33, 38.
Kingston Bridge, 35.
Kingston-upon-Hull, 4.

Lancashire, 24, 27.

Lee, Sir Richard, 46.

Leicester, 8, 9.

Leland's Collectanea, Extracts from a Chroni-
cle inserted in, their value as an historical
authority, iv. Account they give of the
death of Edward Prince of Wales, 45. And
of the death of Henry VI. 47.

Lincolnshire, 8.

London, 2, 3, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21,
23, 24, 25, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38.

Malmsbury, 25.

Margaret, Queen, detained on the coast of
Normandy, x. Tidings which awaited her
landing in England, ibid. Embarks from
France, 15. Lands at Weymouth, 22.
Proceeds to Cerne Abbey, 23. To Exeter,
ib. To Bath, ib. Is taken prisoner near
Worcester, 31. Is brought to Edward IV.
32.

Montague, Marquis, 6, 7, 12, 20, 21, 43.

Mountjoy, Lord, 20.

Newark, 8.
Norfolk, 8, 42.

Duke of, 2, 31.

Northampton, 14, 17.

Northumberland, Earl of, 5, 6, 7, 32, 43.

Nottingham, 7, 8.

Oxford, Earl of, 2, 8, 12, 20, 42.
Oxfordshire, 25.

Parre, Sir William, 7.
Pembroke, Earl of, 24, 27, 44.
Philip, Sir Matthew, 46.
Pomfret, 6.
Portsmouth, 22.
Powle, 3.

52

INDEX.

Ravenspurg, 2.
Reading, 25.
Richard II. 2.
Rivers, Earl, 3, 11, 37.

St. Alban's, 16.

St. John of Jerusalem, Prior of, 14, 22, 31.

St. Katharine's, near the Tower, 35.

St. Martin-le-grand, 22.

St. Paul's, 15, 17,21.

Salisbury, 24, 25.

Sandal, 6.

Sandwich, 39.

Say, Lord, 20.

Scrope, Sir John, 42.

See, Martyn of the, 4, 42.

Shaftesbury, 25.

Somerset, Duke of, 14, 22, 23, 29, 30, 31.

Somersetshire, 23.

Southampton, 22.

Stalbroke, Sir Thomas, 46.

Stoker, Sir John, 46.

Stokton, Sir John, 46.

Stowe, John, his copy of the present narrative,

xiv. 40.

Sudbury, 25, 26.
Suffolk, 8.

• Duchess of, 10, 43.

Sussex, 24.

Tadcaster, 5.
Taunton, 25.
Taylor, Sir William, 46.
Tewkesbury, 22, 24,26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 38.
Tower of London, 17, 34, 37, 38.
Towton, 43.

Tresham, Sir Thomas, 31.
Turnei , Sharon, his notice of the present nar-
rative, xiv.

Ursewike, Sir Thomas, 46.
Vergil, Polydore, his value as an historical au-
thority, iv. His account of Edward IV.'s

entry into York, 42. The like of the death
of Edward Prince of Wales, 45 ; and of the
death of Henry VI. 47.
Verney, Sir Ralph, 46.

Wakefield, 6, 7.

Wales, 24, 45.

Warwick, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14.

Countess of, 14, 15, 22.

Richard Earl of, his preparations for

defending the throne of Henry VI. viii. His
popularity, ix. Goes to the sea coast to
meet Queen Margaret, x. Raises forces
to oppose Edward IV. 8^ Withdraws into
Coventry, ibid. Declines an offered battle,
9 ; and also certain proposals for accommo-
dation, 12. Advances towards London, 17.
Encounters Edward IV. at Barnet, 18. Is
killed, 20. His body exposed at St. Paul's,
21. His appointment as Lieutenant of Eng-
land, 41. Was joined in a commission to
array the people of England, 42. His en-
gagements to Queen Margaret, 44. His po-
pularity at Calais, ibid.

Warwickshire, 8.

Wells, 25.

Wenlock, Lord, 15, 22, 30.

Westerdale, John, 42.

Westmerland, 42.

Westminster, 4, 15, 17, 19, 22, 35.

Weymouth, 22.

Wiltshire, 23.

Windsor, 24, 25.

Worcester, 24,31.

Earl of, ix.

Yeovil, 25.

York, 4, 5, 32, 42.

Archbishop of, 15, 16, IT.

Duchess of, 10, 43.

Duke of, 3, 4, 5, 6, 42.

Young, Sir John, 46.

J. B. NICHOLS AND SON, PARLIAMENT-STREET.

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