Part 25

But the same lord Clifford not satisfied herewith, came to the place where the dead corpse of the duke of Yorke laie, caused his head to be striken off, and set on it a crowne of paper, fixed it to a pole and presented it on the quéene, not lieng farre from the field, in great despite, at which great reioising was shewed: but they laughed then that shortlie after lamented, and were glad then of other mens deaths that knew not their owne to be so néere at hand. ¶ Some write that the duke was taken aliue, and in derision caused to stand vpon a molehill, on whose head they put a garland in stéed of a crowne, which they had fashioned and made of sedges or bulrushes; and hauing so crowned him with that garland, they knéeled downe afore him (as the Iewes did vnto Christ) in scorne, saieng to him; "Haile king without rule, haile king without heritage, haile duke and prince without people or possessions." And at length hauing thus scorned him with these and diuerse other the like despitefull words, they stroke off his head, which (as yée haue heard) they presented to the quéene.

[Sidenote: A purchase of Gods cursse with the popes blessing.]

[Sidenote: The prisoners beheaded.]

[Sidenote: 1461.]

[Sidenote: The earle of March now duke of Yorke.]

Manie déemed that this miserable end chanced to the duke of Yorke, as a due punishment for breaking his oth of allegiance vnto his souereigne lord king Henrie: but others held him discharged thereof, bicause he obteined a dispensation from the pope, by such suggestion as his procurators made vnto him, whereby the same oth was adiudged void, as that which was receiued vnaduisedlie, to the preiudice of himselfe, and disheriting of all his posteritie. After this victorie by the quéene, the earle of Salisburie and all the prisoners were sent to Pomfret, and there beheaded, whose heads (togither with the duke of Yorkes head) were conueied to Yorke, and there set on poles ouer the gate of the citie, in despite of them and their linage. The earle of March, now after the death of his father, verie duke of Yorke, lieng at Glocester, was woonderfullie amazed, when the sorrowfull newes of these mishaps came vnto him: but after comfort giuen to him by his faithfull louers and assured alies, he remooued to Shrewesburie, declaring to the inhabitants of that towne, and to them of the other townes in those parties the murther of his father, the ieopardie of himselfe, and the present ruine of the common-wealth.

[Sidenote: The earle of Penbroke.]

[Sidenote: The battell of Mortimers crosse.]

[Sidenote: The cognis[=a]ce of bright sunne.]

The people on the marches of Wales, for the fauour which they bare to the Mortimers linage, more gladlie offered him their aid and assistance than he could desire the same; so that he had incontinentlie a puissant armie, to the number of thrée and twentie thousand, readie to go against the quéene, and the murtherers of his father. But when he was setting forward, newes was brought to him, that Iasper earle of Penbroke halfe brother to king Henrie, and Iames Butler earle of Ormund and Wilshire, had assembled a great number of Welsh and Irish people to take him: he herewith quickned, retired backe and met with his enimies in a faire plaine, néere to Mortimers crosse, not far from Hereford east, on Candlemasse daie in the morning. At which time the sunne (as some write) appeared to the earle of March like thrée sunnes, and suddenlie ioined altogither in one. Vpon which sight he tooke such courage, that he fiercelie setting on his enimies, put them to flight: and for this cause men imagined, that he gaue the sunne in his full brightnesse for his badge or cognisance. Of his enimies were left dead on the ground thrée thousand and eight hundred.

[Sidenote: Owen Teuther and other taken and beheaded.]

[Sidenote: _Whethamsted._]

The earles of Penbroke and Wilshire fled, but sir Owen Teuther father to the said earle of Penbroke (which Owen had married king Henries mother, as yée haue heard before) with Dauid Floid, Morgan ap Reuther, and diuerse other were taken, and beheaded at Hereford. The quéene neuer the lesse incouraged by hir late victorie, with a multitude of northerne people, marched toward London, intending to vndoo all that had béene ordeined in the last parlement. These northerne people, after they were once passed ouer the riuer of Trent, spoiled and wasted the countrie afore them, in maner as if they had béene in the land of forren enimies. At length, they approched to saint Albons, hearing that the duke of Northfolke, and the earle of Warwike, with other whome the duke of Yorke had left to gouerne the king in his absence, had (by the kings assent) assembled a great hoast, and were incamped néere to that towne.

[Sidenote: The northern men enter into S. Albons.]

[Sidenote: They passe through it.]

Those northerne lords and other that were with the quéene, made forward, and entring into S. Albons, meant to passe through the towne, and so to coape with their enimies; but finding a sort of archers ranged néere to the great crosse in the market place, to defend their passage, they were receiued with such a storme of arrowes, which came flieng about their eares as thicke as haile, that they were quicklie repelled backe, and with losse driuen to retire in hast vnto the west end of the towne; where by a lane that leadeth northwards vp to saint Peters stréet, they made their entrie, and had there also a sharpe incounter against certeine bands of the kings people. But after great slaughter on both parts, they got through, and vpon the heath that lieth at the north end of the towne, called Barnard heath, they had a farre greater conflict with foure or fiue thousand of the kings armie, that séemed as they had béene auant courrers.

[Sidenote: The second battell at S. Albons.]

[Sidenote: The kings part fléeth.]

These gaue the onset so fiercelie at the beginning, that the victorie rested doubtfull a certeine time, so that if the easterne and southerne men had continued as they began, the field had béene theirs; but after they had stood to it a pretie while, and perceiued none of their fellowes from the great armie to come and assist them, they began to faint, and turning their backes, fled amaine ouer hedge and ditch, through thicke and thin, woods and bushes, séeking so to escape the hands of their cruell enimies that followed them with eger minds, to make slaughter vpon them, namelie, the northern prickers, now in the chase pursued most hotlie, and bare downe manie, and more had doone, if the night comming vpon, had not staied them.

When the daie was closed, those that were about the king (in number a twentie thousand) hearing how euill their fellowes had sped, began vtterlie to despair of the victorie, and so fell without anie long tarriance to running awaie. By reason whereof, the nobles that were about the king, perceiuing how the game went, and withall saw no comfort in the king, but rather a good will and affection towards the contrarie part, they withdrew also, leauing the king accompanied with the lord Bonneuille, & sir Thomas Kiriell of Kent; which vpon assurance of the kings promise, tarried still with him, and fled not. But their trust deceiued them, for at the quéenes departing from saint Albons, they were both beheaded; though contrarie to the mind and promise of hir husband. Sir Thomas Thorp, baron of the escheker, was also beheaded the same daie, at Highgate, by the commons of Kent.

[Sidenote: 1916, as _Iohn Stow_ noteth.]

[Sidenote: Sir Iohn Graie slaine.]

Such was the successe of this second battell fought at S. Albons, vpon Shrouetuesdaie, the seuentéenth of Februarie, in which were slaine thrée and twentie hundred men, of whom no noble man is remembred, saue sir Iohn Graie, which the same daie was made knight, with twelue other, at the village of Colneie. Now after that the noble men and other were fled, and the king left in maner alone without anie power of men to gard his person, he was counselled by an esquier called Thomas Hoo, a man well languaged, and well séene in the lawes, to send some conuenient messenger to the northerne lords, aduertising them, that he would now gladlie come vnto them (whome he knew to be his verie fréends, and had assembled themselues togither for his seruice) to the end he might remaine with them, as before he had remained vnder the gouernement of the southerne lords.

[Sidenote: Thomas Hoo esquier sent to the northerne lords.]

[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall._]

[Sidenote: Prince Edward made knight.]

According to the aduise and counsell of this esquier, the king thought it good to send vnto them, and withall appointed the same esquier to beare the message, who first went and declared the same vnto the earle of Northumberland, and returning backe to the king, brought certeine lords with him, who conueied the king first vnto the lord Cliffords tent, that stood next to the place where the kings people had incamped. This done, they went and brought the quéene and hir sonne prince Edward vnto his presence, whome he ioifullie receiued, imbracing and kissing them in most louing wise, and yéelding hartie thanks to almightie God, whome it had pleased thus to strengthen the forces of the northerne men, to restore his déerlie belooued and onelie sonne againe into his possession. Thus was the quéene fortunate in hir two battels, but vnfortunate was the king in all his enterprises: for where his person was present, the victorie still fled from him to the contrarie part. The quéene caused the king to dub hir sonne prince Edward knight, with thirtie other persons, which the day before fought on hir side against his part.

[Sidenote: The northern men spoile the towne of saint Albons.]

[Sidenote: The quéene sendeth to the maior of London for vittels.]

[Sidenote: Vittels sent by the maior and staid by the commons.]

This doone, they went to abbeie, where, of the abbat and moonks they were receiued with hymnes and songs, and so brought to the high altar, and after to the shrine, and so to the chamber in which the king was woont to lodge. The abbat made sute that order might be taken to restreine the northerne men from spoiling the towne: and proclamation indéed was made to that effect, but it auailed not: for they mainteined, that the spoile of things was granted them by couenant, after they were once passed ouer the riuer of Trent: and so not regarding anie proclamation or other commandement, they spared nothing that they could laie hands vpon, if the same were méet for them to carie awaie. The quéene, hauing thus got the victorie, sent to the maior of London, commanding him without delaie to send certeine carts, laden with Lenton vittels, for the refreshing of hir and hir armie. The maior incontinentlie caused carts to be laden, and would haue sent them forward; but the commons of the citie would not suffer them to passe, but staied them at Criplegate, notwithstanding the maior did what he could by gentle persuasions to quiet them.

[Sidenote: The quéene returneth northward.]

During which controuersie, diuerse of the northerne horssemen, came and robbed in the suburbs of the citie, and would haue entred at Criplegate; but they were repelled by the commoners, and thrée of them slaine. Wherevpon, the maior sent the recorder to Barnet to the kings counsell there, to excuse the matter; and the duches of Bedford, the ladie Scales, with diuerse fathers of the spiritualtie, went to the quéene, to asswage hir displeasure conceiued against the citie. The quéene at this humble request, by aduise of hir councell, appointed certeine lords and knights, with foure hundred tall persons, to ride to the citie, and there to view and sée the demeanor and disposition of the people: and diuerse aldermen were appointed to méet them at Barnet, and to conueie them to London. But what man purposeth, God disposeth. All these deuises were shortlie altered to another forme, bicause true report came not onelie to the quéene, but also to the citie; that the earle of March, hauing vanquished the earles of Penbroke and Wilshire, had met with the earle of Warwike (after this last battell at saint Albons) at Chipping Norton by Cotsold; and that they with both their powers were coming toward London. The quéene hauing little trust in Essex, and lesse in Kent, but least of all in London, with hir husband and sonne, departed from saint Albons, into the north countrie, where the foundation of hir aid and refuge onelie rested.

[Sidenote: The great hope of the people conceiued of the erle of March.]

The duches of Yorke, séeing hir husband and sonne slaine, and not knowing what should succéed of hir eldest sonnes chance, sent hir two yonger sonnes, George and Richard, ouer the sea, to the citie of Utrecht in Almaine, where they were of Philip duke of Burgognie well receiued; and so remained there, till their brother Edward had got the crowne and gouernement of the realme. The earles of March and Warwike, hauing perfect knowlege that the king & quéene, with their adherents, were departed from S. Albons, rode straight to London, entring there with a great number of men of warre, the first wéeke of Lent. Whose c[=o]ming thither was no sooner knowne, but that the people resorted out of Kent, Essex, and other the counties adioining, in great numbers, to sée, aid, and comfort this lustie prince and flower of chiualrie, in whome the hope of their ioy and trust of their quietnesse onelie consisted.

[Sidenote: The earle of March elected king.]

This prudent yoong prince, minding to take time when time serued, called a great councell, both of the lords spirituall and temporall, and to them repeated the title and right that he had to the crowne, rehearsing also the articles concluded betwéene king Henrie and his father, by their writings signed and sealed, and also confirmed by act of parlement; the breaches whereof he neither forgat, nor left vndeclared. After the lords had considered of this matter, they determined by authoritie of the said councell, that because king Henrie had doone contrarie to the ordinances in the last parlement concluded, and was insufficient of himselfe to rule the realme, he was therfore to be depriued of all kinglie estate: and incontinentlie was Edward earle of March, sonne and heire to Richard duke of Yorke, by the lords in the said councell assembled, named, elected, and admitted for king and gouernour of the realme.

[Sidenote: The lord Fauconbridge.]

On which daie, the people of the earles part, being in their muster in S. Iohns field, and a great number of the substantiall citizens there assembled, to behold their order; the lord Fauconbridge, who tooke the musters, wiselie anon declared to the people the offenses and breaches of the late agréement, committed by king Henrie the sixt; and demanded of the people, whether they would haue him to rule and reigne anie longer ouer them? To whome they with whole voice answered; Naie, naie. Then he asked them, if they would serue, loue, honour, and obeie the erle of March, as their onlie king and souereigne lord: To which question they answered; Yea, yea: crieng (king Edward) with manie great shouts & clapping of hands in assent and gladnesse of the same.

[Sidenote: The earle of March taketh vpon him as king.]

The lords were shortlie aduertised of the louing consent which the commons frankelie and fréelie had giuen. Whervpon incontinentlie, they all with a conuenient number of the most substantiall commons repaired to the erle at Bainards castell, making iust and true report of their election and admission, and the louing assent of the commons. The earle, after long pausing, first thanked God of his great grace and benefit towards him shewed; then the lords and commons for their fauour and fidelitie: notwithstanding, like a wise prince, he alleged his insufficiencie for so great a roome and weightie burthen, as lacke of knowledge, want of experience, and diuerse other qualities to a gouernour appertaining. But yet in conclusion, being persuaded by the archbishop of Canturburie, the bishop of Excester, and other lords then present, he agréed to their petition, and tooke vpon him the charge of the kingdome, as forfeited to him by breach of the couenants established in parlement:

[Sidenote: _Abr. Flem._]

¶ Thus farre touching the tragicall state of this land vnder the rent regiment of king Henrie, who (besides the bare title of roialtie and naked name of king) had little appertaining to the port of a prince. For whereas the dignitie of princedome standeth in souereigntie; there were of his nobles that imbecilled his prerogatiue by sundrie practises, speciallie by maine force; as séeking either to suppresse, or to exile, or to obscure, or to make him awaie: otherwise what should be the meaning of all those foughten fields from time to time, most miserablie falling out both to prince, péere, and people? As at saint Albons, at Bloreheath, at Northampton, at Banberie, at Barnet, & at Wakefield; to the effusion of much bloud, and pulling on of manie a plage, which otherwise might haue béene auoided. All which battels, togither with those that were tried betwéene Edward the fourth, after his inthronization; and Henrie the sixt after his extermination (as at Exham, Doncaster, and Teukesburie) are remembred by Anglorum prælia in good order of pithie poetrie, as followeth:

Nobilitata inter plures hæc sunt loca cæde, Albani fanum, Blorum, borealis & Ampton, Banbrecum campis, Barnettum collibus hærens, [25]Experrectorum pagus, fanúmq; secundò Albani, propior Scoticis confinibus Exam, Contiguóq; istis habitantes rure coloni, Moerentes hodie, quoties proscindit arator Arua propinqua locis dentale reuellere terra Semisepulta virûm sulcis Cerealibus ossa: Moesta execrantur planctu ciuile duellum, Quo periere hominum plus centum millia cæsa, Nobile Todcastrum clades accepta coegit Millibus enectis ter denis nomen habere. Vltima postremæ locus est Teuxburia pugnæ, Oppidulis his accedens certissima testis, Bello intestino fluuios fluxisse cruoris

[25] _Wakefield._

But now before we procéed anie further, sith the reigne of king Henrie maie séeme here to take end, we will specifie some such learned men as liued in his time. Iohn Leland, surnamed the elder (in respect of the other Iohn Leland, that painefull antiquarie of our time) wrote diuerse treatises, for the instruction of grammarians; Iohn Hainton, a Carmelit or white frier (as they called them) of Lincolne; Robert Colman, a Franciscane frier of Norwich, and chancellor of the vniuersitie of Oxenford; William White a priest of Kent, professing the doctrine of Wickliffe, and forsaking the order of the Romane church, married a wife, but continued his office of preaching, till at length, in the yeare 1428, he was apprehended, and by William bishop of Norwich, and the doctors of the friers mendicants, charged with thirtie articles, which he mainteined, contrarie to the doctrine of the Romane church, and in September the same yeare suffered death by fire.

[Sidenote: Peter Basset wrote king Henrie the fift his life.]

Alexander Carpentar, a learned man, set foorth a booke called Destructorium vitiorum, wherein he inueieth against the prelats of the church of that time, for their crueltie vsed, in persecuting the poore and godlie christians; Richard Kendall, an excellent grammarian; Iohn Bate, warden of the white friers in Yorke, but borne in the borders of Wales, an excellent philosopher, and a diuine, he was also séene in the Gréeke toong, a thing rare in those daies; Peter Basset, esquier of the priuie chamber to king Henrie the fift, whose life he wrote; Iohn Pole a priest, that wrote the life of saint Walburgh, daughter to one Richard, a noble man of this realme of England, which Walburgh (as he affirmeth) builded our ladie church in Antwerpe; Thomas Ismaelit, a monke of Sion; Walter Hilton, a Chartreaux monke also of Shiene, either of those wrote certeine treatises full of superstition, as Iohn Bale noteth.

[Sidenote: _Fabian and Caxton._]

Thomas Walden so called of the towne where he was borne, but his fathers surname was Netter, a white frier of London, and the thrée and twentith prouinciall gouernour of his order, a man vndoubtedlie learned, and thoroughlie furnished with cunning of the schooles, but a sore enimie to them that professed the doctrine of Wickliffe, writing sundrie great volumes and treatises against them, he died at Rone in Normandie, the second of Nouember, in the yeare one thousand foure hundred and thirtie; Richard Ullerston, borne in Lancashire, wrote diuerse treatises of diuinitie; Peter Clearke, a student in Oxenford, and a defendor of Wickliffes doctrine, wherevpon when he feared persecution here in England, he fled into Boheme, but yet at length he was apprehended by the imperialists, and died for it, as some write, but in what order, is not expressed.

Robert Hounslow, a religious man of an house in Hounslow beside London, whereof he tooke his surname; Thomas Walsingham, borne in Norffolke, in a towne there of the same name, but professed a monke in the abbeie of saint Albons, a diligent historiographer; Iohn Tilneie, a white frier of Yermouth, but a student in Cambridge, and prooued an excellent diuine; Richard Fleming, a doctor of diuinitie in Oxenford, of whome more at large before, pag. 169. Iohn Low borne in Worcestershire, an Augustine frier, a doctor of diuinitie, and prouinciall in England of his order, and by king Henrie the sixt, made first bishop of saint Asaph, and after remooued from thense to Rochester; Thomas Ringsted the yoonger, not the same that was bishop, but a doctor of the law, and vicar of Mildenhall in Suffolke, a notable preacher, and wrote diuerse treatises.

Iohn Felton, a doctor of diuinitie of Magdalen college in Oxenford; Nicholas Botlesham, a Carmelit frier borne in Cambridgeshire, and student first in the vniuersitie of Cambridge, and after in Paris, where he procéeded doctor of diuinitie; Thomas Rudburne, a monke of Winchester, and an historiographer; Iohn Holbrooke, borne in Surrie, a great philosopher, and well séene in the mathematiks; Peter Paine, an earnest professor of Wickliffes doctrine, and fearing persecution here in England, fled into Boheme, where he remained in great estimation for his great learning & no lesse wisedome; Nicholas Upton, a ciuilian, wrote of heraldrie, of colours in armorie, and of the dutie of chiualrie; William Beckeleie, a Carmelit frier of Sandwich, & warden of the house there, a diuine, and professed degrée of schoole in Cambridge; Iohn Torpe, a Carmelit frier of Norwich.

Iohn Capgraue borne in Kent, an Augustine frier, procéeded doctor of diuinitie in Oxenford, was admitted prouinciall of his order, and prooued (without controuersie) the best learned of anie of that order of friers here in England, as Iohn Bale affirmeth, he wrote manie notable volumes, and finallie departed this life at Lin in Norffolke, the twelfth of August, in the yere 1464, which was in the fourth yeare of king Edward the fourth; Humfrie duke of Glocester, earle of Penbroke, and lord chamberlaine of England, also protector of the realme, during the minoritie of his nephue king Henrie the sixt, was both a great fauourer of learned men, and also verie well learned himselfe, namelie in astrologie, whereof (beside other things) he wrote a speciall treatise intituled, Tabula directionum.