Part 6

In déed, as he was brother in law to the one, so was he of kin to the other, as by his grandmother being daughter to Iohn of Gant duke of Lancaster. When therefore all king Edwards furniture and prouision for his iournie were once readie, hauing now with him about two thousand able men of warre, beside mariners, he entered into the ships with them, in the hauen before Flishing in Zeland, vpon the second day of March: and bicause the wind fell not good for his purpose, he taried still aboord for the space of nine daies, before it turned méet for his iournie. But after that the wind once came about (as he wisht) the sails were hoissed vp on the 11 of March being monday, & forward they sailed, directing their course streight ouer towards the coast of Norffolke. On the next day being tuesday, & the twelfe of March, toward the euening, they road before Cromer, where the king sent to land sir Robert Chamberleine, with sir Gilbert Debenham knights, and diuerse other, to the end they might discouer the countrie, and vnderstand how the people within the land were bent towards him, especiallie those countries there next adioining.

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 11.]

[Sidenote: The earle of Oxford.]

Vpon their returne, he vnderstood that there was no suertie for him to land in those parties, by reason of the good order which the earle of Warwike, and the earle of Oxford especiallie had taken in that countrie to resist him: for not onelie the duke of Norffolke, but all other the gentlemen (whome the earle of Warwike had in anie suspicion) were by letters of priuie seale sent for, and either committed to safe kéeping about London, or else inforced to find suertie for their loiall demeanor towards king Henrie: yet those knights and other that were thus sent foorth to make inquirie, were well receiued of their frends, and had good cheare. But after the king perceiued by their report, how things stood thereabouts, he caused his ships to make course towards the north parts.

[Sidenote: He arriueth at the head of Humber.]

[Sidenote: He landeth at Rauenspurgh.]

The same night folowing, a great storme of winds and weather rose, sore troubling the seas, and continued till the fourtéenth day of that moneth being thursday, on the which day with greater danger, by reason of the tempestuous rage and torment of the troubled seas, he arriued at the head of Humber, where the other ships were scattered from him, each one seuered from other; so that of necessitie they were driuen to land in sunder where they best might, for doubt to be cast awaie in that perillous tempest. The king with the lord Hastings his chamberleine, and other to the number of fiue hundred men being in one ship, landed within Humber on Holdernesse side, at a place called Rauenspurgh, euen in the same place where Henrie erle of Derbie, after called king Henrie the fourth landed, when he came to depriue king Richard the second of the crowne, and to vsurpe it to himselfe.

Richard duke of Glocester, and three hundred men in his companie, tooke land in another place foure miles distant from thence, where his brother king Edward did land. The earle Riuers, and with him two hundred men, landed at a place called Pole, fourtéene miles from the hauen where the king came on land. The residue of his people landed some here some there, in place where for their suerties they thought best. On the morrow, being the fiftéenth of March, now that the tempest ceased, and euerie man being got to land, they drew from euerie of their landing places towards the king, who for the first night was lodged in a poore village, two miles from the place where he first set foot on land. [As for his traine, though the season of the yeere was naturallie cold, & therfore required competent refection by warmth, it is to be supposed, that all their lodgings were hard inough, sith the principals prouision was sorie inough. But what of that? Better (in cases of extremitie) an hard shift than none at all.]

Touching the folks of the countrie, there came few or none to him. For by the incensing of such as had bin sent into those parts from the erle of Warwike, and other his aduersaries, the people were shrewdlie induced to stand against him. But yet, in respect of the good will that manie of them had borne to his father, they could haue béene content, that he should haue inioied his right to his due inheritance of the duchie of Yorke, but in no wise to the title of the crowne. And herevpon they suffered him to passe, not seeking to annoie him, till they might vnderstand more of his purposed meaning. The king, perceiuing how the people were bent, noised abroad that hée came to make none other chalenge but to his inheritance of the duchie of Yorke: and withall ment to passe first into the citie of Yorke, and so forward towards London, to incounter with his aduersaries that were in the south parts.

For although his néerest waie had béene through Lincolneshire: yet bicause in taking that waie hée must haue gone againe to the water, in passing ouer Humber; he doubted least it would haue bin thought that he had withdrawne himselfe to the sea for feare. And to auoid the rumors that might haue beene spred thereof, to the hinderance of his whole cause, he refused that waie, and tooke this other, still bruting it (as before we said) that his comming was not to chalenge the crowne, but onelie to be restored vnto his fathers right and inheritance of the duchie of Yorke, which was descended to him from his father. And here it séemed that the colour of iustice hath euer such a force in it selfe amongst all men, that where before few or none of the commons could be found that would offer themselues to take his part: yet now that he did (as they thought) claime nothing but that which was his right, they began streight to haue a liking of his cause.

[Sidenote: Martine de la Mare or Martine of the sea.]

[Sidenote: He passeth toward Yorke.]

And where there were gathered to the number of six or seuen thousand men in diuerse places, vnder the leading chieflie of a priest and of a gentleman called Martine de la Mare, in purpose to haue stopped his passage: now the same persons tooke occasion to assist him. And when he perceiued mens minds to bée well qualified with this feined deuise, he marched foorth till he came to Beuerleie, which stood in his direct waie as he passed toward Yorke. He sent also to Kingston vpon Hull, distant from thence six miles, willing that he might be there receiued: but the inhabitants, who had bene laboured by his aduersaries, refused in anie wise to grant therevnto.

[Sidenote: Sée before page 277.]

The earle of Warwike aduertised by messengers of king Edwards arriuall, and of his turning toward Yorke, with all hast wrote to his brother the marquesse Montacute, who had laine at the castell of Pomfret all the last winter with a great number of souldiers, willing him to consider in what case their affaires stood, and therevpon with all spéed to set vpon king Edward, or else to keepe the passages, and to staie him from comming anie further forward, till he himselfe as then being in Warwikeshire busie to assemble an armie, might come to his aid with the same. [Thus laboured the earle of Warwike by policie and puissance, as well of his owne as others power, to further his owne purpose, hauing sworne in heart a due performance of that, which he had solemnlie vowed and promised before.]

[Sidenote: K. Edward without interruption passeth forward to Yorke.]

But this notwithstanding, although there were great companies of people of the countries there abouts assembled, yet they came not in sight of the king, but suffered him quietlie to passe; either bicause they were persuaded that he ment (as he in outward words pretended) not to claime anie title to the crowne, but onelie his right to the duchie of Yorke; or else for that they doubted to set vpon him, although his number were farre vnequall to theirs; knowing that not onelie he himselfe, but also his companie were minded to sell their liues dearlie, before they would shrinke an inch from anie that was to incounter them. It maie be that diuerse of the capteins also were corrupted: and although outwardlie they shewed to be against him, yet in heart they bare him right good will, and in no wise minded to hinder him. So forward he marched, till he came to Yorke, on a monday being the eightéenth day of March.

[Sidenote: Thomas Coniers recorder of Yorke.]

Before he came to the citie by the space of thrée miles, the recorder of Yorke, whose name was Thomas Coniers (one knowne in déed not to beare him anie faithfull good will) came vnto him; & gaue him to vnderstand, that it stood in no wise with his suertie, to presume to approch the citie: for either hée should be kept out by force, or if he did enter, he shuld be in danger to be cast away by his aduersaries that were within. King Edward neuerthelesse, sith he was come thus farre forward, knew well inough there was no going backe for him, but manfullie to procéed forward with his begun iournie, and therefore kept on his way. And shortlie after there came to him out of the citie, Robert Clifford, and Richard Burgh, who assured him that in the quarell which he pretended to pursue, to wit, for the obteining of his right to the duchie of Yorke, he should not faile but be receiued into the citie.

[Sidenote: K. Edward commeth to Yorke.]

[Sidenote: He receiueth an oth.]

But immediatlie after came the said Coniers againe, with the like tale and information as he had brought before. And thus king Edward one while put in comfort, and another while discouraged, marched foorth till he came to the gates of the citie, where his people staied; whilest he and about sixtéene or seuentéene other such as he thought méetest, went forth and entred the citie with the said Clifford & Burgh. And (as some write) there was a priest readie to saie masse, in which masse time the king receiued the sacrament of the communion, & there solemnlie sware to kéepe and obserue two speciall articles: although it was farre vnlike that he minded to obserue either of them: the one was that he should vse the citizens after a gentle and courteous maner: and the other, that he should be faithfull and obedient vnto king Henries commandements.

For this wilfull periurie (as hath béene thought) the issue of this king suffered (for the fathers offense the depriuation not onelie of lands and worldlie possessions, but also of their naturall liues,) by their cruell vncle K. Richard the third. [And it may well be.] For it is not likelie that God, in whose hands is the bestowing of all souereigntie, will suffer such an indignatie to be doone to his sacred maiestie, and will suffer the same to passe with impunitie. And suerlie, if an oth among priuate men is religiouslie to be kept, sith in the same is an exact triall of faith and honestie; doubtlesse of princes it is verie nicelie and preciselie to be obserued: yea they should rather susteine a blemish and disgrace in their roialtie, than presume to go against their oth and promise, speciallie if the same stand vpon conditions of equitie: otherwise they prooue themselues to be impugners of fidelitie, which is a iewell surpassing gold in price and estimation, as the poet prudentlie saith:

Charior est auro non simulata fides.

[Sidenote: The marques Montacute suffereth king Edward to passe by him.]

When king Edward had thus gotten into the citie of Yorke, he made such meanes among the citizens, that he got of them a certeine summe of monie; and leauing a garison within the citie contrarie to his oth, for fear least the citizens after his departure, might happilie mooue some rebellion against him, he set forward the next day toward Todcaster, a towne ten miles from thence, belonging to the earle of Northumberland. The next day he tooke his waie toward Wakefield and Sendall, a castell and lordship belonging to the inheritance of the dukes of Yorke, leauing the castell of Pomfret vpon his left hand, where the marques Montacute with his armie laie, and did not once offer to stop him.

Whether the marques suffered him to passe by so, with his good will or no, diuerse haue diuerslie coniectured. Some thinke that it lay not in the power of the marques greatlie to annoie him, both for that the king was well beloued in those parties; & againe, all the lords & commons there for the most part were towards the earle of Northumberland, and without him or his commandement they were not willing to stirre. And therefore the earle in sitting still and not moouing to and fro, was thought to doo king Edward as good seruice as if he had come to him, and raised people to assist him; for diuerse happilie that should haue come with him, remembring displeasures past, would not haue béene so faithfull as the earle himselfe, if it had come to the iumpe of anie hazard of battell.

[Sidenote: K. Edward commeth to Northampt[=o].]

[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall._]

About Wakefield and the parts there adioining, some companie of his freends came to him, whereby his power was increased; but nothing in such numbers as he looked for. From Wakefield he crossed on the left hand, so to come againe into the high waie, and came to Doncaster, and from thence vnto Notingham. Here came to him sir William Parre, and sir Iames Harrington, with six hundred men well armed and appointed also there came to him sir Thomas Burgh, & sir Thomas Montgomerie with their aids, which caused him at their first comming to make proclamation in his owne name, to wit, of K. Edward the fourth, boldlie affirming to him, that they would serue no man but a king.

[Sidenote: The duke of Excester with a power at Newarke.]

Whilest he remained at Notingham, and also before he came there, he sent abroad diuerse of his auaunt courrers to discouer the countrie, and to vnderstand if there were anie power gathered against him. Some of them that were thus sent, approached to Newarke, and vnderstood that within the towne there, the duke of Excester, the earle of Oxenford, the lord Bardolfe, and other were lodged with a great power to the number of foure thousand men, which they had assembled in Essex, Norffolke, Suffolke, and in the shires of Cambridge, Huntington, and Lincolne. The duke of Excester, and the earle of Oxenford, with other the chéefe capteins, aduertised that king Edwards foreriders had béene afore the towne in the euening, supposed verelie that he and his whole armie were comming towards them.

Héerevpon, they not thinking it good to abide longer there, determined with all spéed to dislodge, and so about two of the clocke after midnight they departed from Newarke, leauing some of their people behind, which either stale awaie from them, and taried of purpose, or could not get awaie so soone as their fellowes. In déed the foreriders that so discouered them within the towne of Newarke, aduertised the king thereof in all post hast, who incontinentlie assembled his people, and foorthwith marched towards them: but before he came within thrée miles of the towne, he had knowledge that they were fled and gone from Newarke. Whervpon he returned againe to Notingham, intending to kéepe on his néerest waie towards the earle of Warwike, whome he vnderstood to be departed from London, and to be come into Warwikeshire, where & in the countries adioining he was busied in leuieng an armie, with the which he purposed to distresse him.

[Sidenote: K. Edward commeth to Leicester.]

[Sidenote: The earle of Warwike in Couentrie.]

The king then from Notingham came to Leicester, where three thousand able men, and well furnished for the warre came vnto him. These were such as he knew would liue and die in his quarrell, the most part of them belonging vnto the lord Hastings, the kings chamberlaine. And thus he, being more stronglie accompanied than before, departed from Leicester, and came before the wals of the citie of Couentrie, the nine and twentith daie of March. The earle of Warwike was withdrawne into this citie, kéeping himselfe inclosed therein with his people, being in number six or seauen thousand men. The king sent to him, and willed him to come foorth into the field, and there to make an end of the quarell in plaine battell: but the earle at that present refused so to doo.

[Sidenote: K. Edward prouoketh the earle of Warwike to fight.]

[Sidenote: He c[=o]meth to Warwike.]

For although, vnder pretense of king Henries authoritie, he was reputed the kings generall lieutenant of the whole realme, whereby he had got such power togither, as was thought able inough to match with the king for number; yet bicause he doubted how they were bent in his fauour, he durst not commit the matter vnto the doubtfull chance of battell, till he had more of his trustie fréends about him. The king therefore thrée daies togither prouoked him to come foorth, but when he saw it would not be, he remooued to Warwike an eight miles from Couentrie, where he was receiued as king, and so made his proclamations from that time foorth in all places where he came vnder his accustomed name and title of king.

[Sidenote: A treatie for peace.]

He lodged héere at Warwike, the rather (as was thought) to prouoke the earle to issue foorth of Couentrie to giue him battell, howbeit that deuise nothing auailed. But yet there came dailie diuerse persons on the earls behalfe to treat with the king about a peace, that some good composition might haue béene concluded; & the king for the aduancement of peace and tranquillitie within the realme, offered large conditions; as a frée pardon of life to the earle, and all his people, with manie other beneficiall articles on their behalfes, which to manie seemed verie reasonable, considering their heinous offenses. But the earle would not accept anie offers, except he might haue compounded so as it pleased himselfe, & as was thought in no wise to stand with the king honour, and suertie of his estate.

[Sidenote: The duke of Clarence.]

In this meane while, the earle of Warwike still looked for the duke of Clarence, who by the said earls appointment had assembled a power of men of war about London: but when the earle perceiued that the duke lingered foorth the time, and did not vse such diligence as was requisit, as one that had béene in doubt of warre or peace, he began to suspect that the duke was of his brother corrupted, and therein he was nothing deceiued. For true it is, that whilest the king was as yet beyond the seas, in the dominion of the duke of Burgognie, the duke of Clarence began to weie with himselfe the great inconuenience into the which as well his brother king Edward as himselfe and his yoonger brother the duke of Glocester were fallen, through the dissention betwixt them: (which had beene compassed and brought to passe by the politike working of the earle of Warwike and his complices.)

As first the disheriting of them all from their rightfull title to the crowne; secondlie the mortall and detestable war that could not but insue betwixt them, to such mischéefe, that to whether part the victorie inclined, the victor should remaine in no more suertie of his owne person or estate after the vpper hand got, than before; and thirdlie he well perceiued alreadie, that he was had in great suspicion, and not heartilie belooued of anie the lords and rulers that were assured partakers with king Henrie and the Lancastrian faction: insomuch they sticked not dailie to go about to breake and make void the appointments, articles, and couenants, made and promised to him, and of likelihood would dailie more and more intend thereto: for in truth he saw, that they purposed nothing so much as the destruction both of him and all his bloud.

[Sidenote: Préests vsed for priuie messengers.]

All which things throughlie considered, with manie other as they were laid afore him by right wise and circumspect persons, which in this behalfe had conference with him, he consented that by some secret waies and meanes a reconciliation might be had betwixt him and his brethren, the king and the duke of Glocester. The which to bring to some good and full effect, these honorable personages following became dealers therein. First of all the duches of Yorke their mother, the duches of Excester and the duches of Suffolke their sisters; the lord cardinall of Canturburie, the bishop of Bath, the earle of Essex; but most speciallie the duches of Burgognie their sister also, and diuerse other right wise and prudent personages, who wrought by mediation of certeine preests, and others, such as they vsed for messengers betwixt them.

[Sidenote: K. Edward and his brother of Clarence reconciled vnwitting to the earle of Warwike.]

Finallie, by the earnest trauell and diligence shewed by the said duches of Burgognie (who incessantlie sent to and fro such hir trustie messengers now to the king being on that side the seas, and then to the duke remaining héere in England) at length they were made fréends, and a perfect agréement concluded and ratified, with assurance betwixt them so stronglie as might be. To the furthering whereof the kings chamberlaine the lord Hastings failed not to doo his best, so as by his good diligence, it was thought the king was the sooner induced to with to ioine eftsoones in true fréendship with his said brother of Clarence. And as it well appeared, the duke of Clarence acquitted himselfe faithfullie therein.

[Sidenote: The dissimulation of the duke of Clarence.]

For hearing now that his brother king Edward was landed and comming forward towards London, he gathered his people, outwardlie pretending to passe with them to the aid of the earle of Warwike against his brother: although inwardlie he meant the contrarie, and so accompanied with aboue foure thousand men, he marched foorth towards the place where he thought to find his brother. King Edward being then at Warwike, and vnderstanding that his brother of Clarence approched, in an afternoone issued foorth of that towne with all his forces, and passed on till he came into a faire large field thrée miles distant from Warwike towards Banburie, where he might behold his brother of Clarence in good arraie of battell, comming towards him.

[Sidenote: The brethren méet louinglie togither.]

When they were now within halfe a mile approched togither, the king placed his people in order of battell vnder their baners, and so left them standing still, and appointed them to kéepe their ground, whilest he taking with him his brother of Glocester, the lord Riuers, the lord Hastings, & a few other, went foorth to méet his brother of Clarence: and in like sort the duke of Clarence tooke with him a few of the nobilitie that were about him, and leauing his armie in good order, departed from them to meet the king, and so they met betwixt both the hosts, with so swéet salutations, louing demeanor, and good countenances, as better might not be deuised betwixt brethren of so high and noble estate. O what a hearts ioy was this to the people, to sée such an accord and mutuall attonement betweene these péeres! It was the onelie pleasure in the world, to the which all other compared are but counterfet, and that dooth the psalmist testifie,

[Sidenote: _Buchan. in psal. 133._]

Nil charitate mutua fratrum, nihil Iucundius concordia.