Part 8

The marquesse Montacute, thinking to succour his brother, was likewise ouerthrowne and slaine, with manie other of good calling, as knights and esquiers, beside other gentlemen. [But some saie that the said marquesse, hauing agreed priuilie with king Edward, did weare his liuerie, whome one of his brother the earle of Warwiks men espieng, fell vpon him and killed him outright.] Some write that this battell was so driuen to the vttermost point, that king Edward was constreined to fight in his owne person, and that the earle of Warwike, which was wont euer to ride on horse-backe from place to place, and from ranke to ranke, comforting, his men, was now aduised by the marquesse his brother, to leaue his horsse, and to trie the extremitie by hand strokes, [which may be probable & likelie. But by the report of some it séemeth that he was not slaine in the heat of the conflict, among the rout of the fighting men, but afterwards in this sort. For when he saw the kings power preuaile and his owne sore impaired and past hope of good speed, with the slaughter of his adherents (gentlemen of name) and himselfe in the verie mouth of the enimie in possibilitie to be deuoured, he lept vpon a horsse to flie, and comming into a wood where was no passage, one of king Edwards men came to him, killed him, and spoiled him to the naked skin. Sir William Tirrell knight was killed on the earle of Warwikes part.]

[Sidenote: The number slaine at Barnet field.]

On both parties were slaine (as Ed. Hall saith) ten thousand at the least, where Fabian saith but fifteene hundred and somewhat aboue. Other write that there died in all about three thousand. Vpon the kings part were slaine, the lord Crumwell, the lord Saie, the lord Montiois sonne and heire, sir Humfrie Bourchier sonne to the lord Berners, and diuerse other knights, esquiers, and gentlemen. The battell indured the space of thrée hours verie doubtfull by reason of the mist, and in skirmishing and fighting, now in this place, now in that, but finallie the victorie fell on the kings side; and yet it could not be estéemed that his whole armie passed nine thousand fighting men (as some write) where his aduersaries (as by the same writers appeareth) were farre aboue that number. But bicause those that so write, séeme altogither to fauor king Edward, we maie beléeue as we list.

[Sidenote: The duke of Summerset and the earle of Oxford.]

[Sidenote: _Hall._]

[Sidenote: The duke of Excester.]

[Sidenote: _Abr. Flem._]

The duke of Summerset, and the earle of Oxford fled in companie of certeine northerne men, which had béene at the battell; and (as some write) the earle of Oxford kept foorth with them, and retired after into Scotland. But yet as well the duke of Summerset, as the said earle of Oxford, in fléeing toward Scotland, changed their purpose vpon the waie, and turned into Wales to Iasper earle of Penbroke. The duke of Excester being striken downe and sore wounded, was left for dead in the field, amongst other the dead bodies, bicause he was not knowne, and by reason thereof comming to himselfe, got vp, and in great danger escaped vnto Westminster, and there tooke sanctuarie. [But some say, that after hée had lien in the field, spoiled, wounded, and (to sée to) void of life, from seuen of the clocke in the morning, till foure at after noone, he was caried to a seruants house of his there by (named Ruthland) where (after his wounds were searched and dressed by a surgian) he was conueied into Westminster sanctuarie.]

[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall._]

King Edward hauing got this victorie, refreshing himselfe and his people a while at Barnet, returned the same daie vnto London, like a triumphant conqueror, leading with him king Henrie as a captiue prisoner: & so making a solemne entrie at the church of saint Paule, offred his standard. The dead bodies of the earle and marques were brought to London in a coffin, & before they were buried, by the space of thrée daies laie open visaged in the cathedrall church of S. Paule, to the intent that all men might easilie perceiue, that they vnfeinedlie were dead. The common brute ran, that the king was not so ioious of the erles death, as sorowfull for the losse of the marques, whom he full well knew (and no lesse was euident to other) to be his faithfull friend and well-willer; for whose onelie sake, he caused both their bodies to be buried with their ancestors in the priorie of Bissam.

[Sidenote: Quéene Margaret landeth with a power out of France.]

On the tuesdaie in Easter wéeke came knowledge to king Edward, that quéene Margaret the wife of king Henrie, with hir sonne prince Edward was landed vpon Easter day at Weimouth in Dorsetshire, accompanied with Iohn Longstrother prior of saint Iohns, commonlie called lord treasuror of England, who went ouer into France to fetch them; also the lord Wenlocke, a man made onelie by king Edward, beside diuerse other knights and esquiers, of whome part had béene long foorth of the realme, and part newlie gone ouer thither to them, in companie of the lord treasuror. They tooke their ships at Hunflue, the foure and twentith of March (as before you haue heard) but through contrarie winds and tempests, they were driuen backe, and constreined to abide for conuenient wind.

[Sidenote: The countesse of Warwike taketh sanctuarie.]

Now, although it came sometimes about fit for their purpose, yet it continued not long in that end; so as if therevpon they tooke the sea at anie time, they were forced to returne backe againe to land yer they could passe halfe the way ouer. And thus being diuerse times vnder saile, in hope to passe the seas hither into England, they were still driuen backe againe, till the thirtéenth of Aprill being Easter éeuen; on which day the wind comming fauorablie about, they tooke the seas, and sailed forward towards this land. The countesse of Warwike, hauing a ship of aduantage, arriued before the other at Portesmouth, and from thence she went to Southampton, meaning to haue gone to Weimouth, where she vnderstood that the quéene was landed: but here had shee knowledge of the losse of Barnet field, and that hir husband was there slaine. Wherevpon she went no further towards the quéene, but secretlie got hir ouer the water into the new forest, and tooke sanctuarie within the abbeie of Beaulieu.

[Sidenote: The duke of Summerset, and the earle of Deuonshire c[=o]fort quéene Margaret.]

Quéene Margaret, and hir sonne prince Edward, with the other that landed at Weimouth, went from thence to an abbeie néere by called Ceerne. Thither came vnto them Edmund duke of Summerset, and Thomas Courtneie earle of Deuonshire, with others, and welcommed them into England, comforting the quéene in the best maner they could, and willed hir not to despaire of good successe; for albeit they had lost one field (whereof the queene had knowledge the same day being mondaie in easter wéeke, the fiftéenth of Aprill, and was therefore right sorrowfull) yet they doubted not but to assemble such a puissance (and that verie shortlie) foorth of diuerse parts of the realme, as being faithfull, and wholie bent to spend their liues, and shed the best bloud in their bodies for hir sake, & hir sonnes, it should be hard for king Edward to resist them with all the power he had or could make.

[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall._]

[Sidenote: The feare which quéene Margaret had for hir sonne.]

The presence of these noble men greatlie comforted hir, and relieued hir of the sorrowes that in maner ouerwhelmed hir pensiue heart: for she doubted sore the end of all these procéedings, the which they concluded to follow vpon the aduancement of hir and hirs. Speciallie it misgaue hir, that some euill should chance to hir sonne prince Edward for shee greatlie weied not of hir owne perill (as she hir selfe confessed) and therefore she would gladlie haue had them either to haue deferred the battell till a more conuenient time: or else that hir sonne might haue béene conueied ouer into France againe, there to haue remained in safetie, till the chance of the next battell were tried: but they being of a contrarie mind, and namelie the duke of Summerset, she at length consented vnto that which they were resolued vpon.

Thus euerie man being bent to battell, gathered his power by himselfe, first in Summersetshire, Dorsetshire, and part of Wiltshire, and after in Deuonshire and Cornewall. For the better incouraging of which countries to ioine with them in their quarrell, they repaired to Excester. Here they sent for sir Iohn Arundell, and sir Hugh Courtenie, and manie other in whom they had anie confidence. To be short, they wrought so, that they raised the whole powers of Cornewall and Deuonshire, and with a great armie departing foorth of Excester, they tooke the right waie to Glastenburie, and from thence to Bath, raising the people in all parts where they came: for those countries had bene so laboured, first by the earle of Warwike, and after by the duke of Summerset, and the earle of Deuonshire (which two noble men were reckoned as old inheritors of the same countries) that the people séemed there greatlie inclined to the fauor of king Henrie.

[Sidenote: K. Edward setteth forward against his enimies.]

King Edward, being at London, was dailie aduertised by faithfull espials of all the dooings of his aduersaries, and was in no small agonie, bicause he could not learne what waie his enimies ment to take; for he purposed to incounter them in one place or other before they should approch neere to London. And vpon such resolution, with such an armie as he had got about London, furnished with all artillerie and other prouisions necessarie, he set forward the nintéenth of Aprill, and came to Windsor, where he staied a season, as well to celebrate the feast of saint George, as to abide the comming of such bands as he had appointed to repaire thither vnto him, making there his generall assemblie.

The enimies to masker him the more, sent foorth their foreriders vnto sundrie townes, both aswell to raise people in the countries about, as to make the king beléeue that their purpose was to passe those waies, where they ment not once to come. And herevpon when they departed from Excester, they sent first their foreriders streight to Shaftesburie, and after to Salisburie, and then they tooke the streight waie to Taunton, Glastenburie, and after to Wels, where houering about in the countrie, they sent another time their foreriders to a towne called Yuell, and to Bruton, as if their meaning had béene to draw towards Reading, and so through Barkeshire, and Oxfordshire to haue marched streight to London, or else to haue set vpon the king at some aduantage, if it were offered.

But king Edward, considering aduisedlie of the matter, perceiued well that they being in an angle of the realme, if they ment to go to London, they must either hold the streight waie foorth by Salisburie, or else drawing vp to the sea side, passe alongst through Hampshire, Sussex and Kent; or happilie if they mistrusted their owne strengths, as not able to match with his puissance, they would then slip on the left hand, and draw towards Chesshire, and Lancashire, there to increase their forces, and peraduenture by the waie to ioine with a power of Welshmen, vnder the leading of Iasper earle of Penbroke, who had béene sent into Wales long afore, to frame and put in a readines the people there to asist king Henries friends at their comming thitherwards. And such was their purpose in deed, for they had great confidence in such aid, as they trusted to haue of the Chesshire and Lancashire men.

King Edward, meaning to approch néerer vnto them, that he might the sooner make waie to stop them of their passage, on which hand soeuer they drew, departed from Windesore the morrow after saint Georges day, being the foure and twentith day of Aprill, kéeping foorth his iournie, till on saturdaie the twentie and seuenth of Aprill he came to Abington, where he laie sundaie all daie. On mondaie he marched forward to Chichester, where he had sure aduertisement, that they intended to be at Bath the next daie being tuesdaie, and on wednesdaie to come forward to giue him battell. Wherevpon king Edward, desirous to sée his people in order of battell, drew them foorth of the towne, and incamped in the field three miles distant from thence, still busieng himselfe about his necessarie affaires affording no time to idlenesse or loitering: for he knew that there was no waie more expedite and readie to tire him in trauell, than to be giuen to negligence and slouth, the two weariers of well dooing, as the old saieng is:

Desidia pressus erit in studio citó fessus.

[Sidenote: Sudburie. hill.]

On the morrow, hearing no certeintie of their comming forward, he marched to Malmesburie, still seeking to incounter them: but héere he had knowledge, that they hauing changed their purpose, meant not to giue him battell; and therefore were turned aside, and gone to Bristow, where they were receiued, reléeued and well refreshed by such as fauoured their cause, as well with vittels, men, and monie, as good store of artillerie. Wherevpon they were so incouraged, that the thursdaie after they tooke the field againe, purposing to giue king Edward battell indéed; and for the same intent had sent their foreriders to a towne, distant from Bristow nine miles, called Sudburie, appointing a ground for their field, a mile from the same towne, toward the kings campe, called Sudburie hill.

The king heereof aduertised, the same thursdaie, being the first of Maie, with his armie faire ranged in order of battell, came towards the place by them appointed for their field: but they came not there. For hearing that king Edward did thus approach vpon a new change of resolution, they left that waie: albeit some of their herbingers were come as farre as Sudburie towne, and there surprised fiue or six of the kings partie, which were rashlie entred that towne, attending onelie to prouide lodgings for their maisters. The lords thus hauing eftsoones changed their purpose, not meaning as yet to fight with the king, directed their waie streight towards Berkelie, trauelling all that night. From Berkelie they marched forward towards Glocester.

The king in the meane time, on the thursdaie in the afternoone, came to the same ground called Sudburie hill, and there staied a certeine space, sending foorth scowriers, to hearken what they might vnderstand of the enimies, whome he tooke to be somewhere at hand. But when he could not heare anie certeintie of them, he aduanced forward, lodging his vant-gard in a vallie beyond the hill, towards the towne of Sudburie, and laie himselfe (with the residue of his people) at the same place, called Sudburie hill. About thrée of the clocke after midnight, he was aduertised, that his enimies had taken their waie by Berkeleie, towards Glocester. Héerevpon, taking aduise of his councell what was best to doo, he was counselled to send some of his seruants with all spéed vnto Glocester, to Richard Beauchampe, sonne and heire to the lord Beauchampe of Powike, to whome he had (before this present) committed the rule and custodie of the towne and castell of Glocester.

The king sent therefore with all spéed vnto him, commanding him to doo his best to defend the towne and castell against his enimies, if they came to assaile the same, as it was supposed they intended: and if they so did, he promised to come with his whole armie presentlie to the rescue. The messengers did their diligence, and so being ioifullie receiued into Glocester, the towne and castell, by the vigilant regard of the said Richard Beauchampe, was put in safe keeping. And this message was doone in good time, for true it is, there were diuerse in the towne, that could haue béene well contented that the quéene, and the lords with hir, should haue béene receiued there, and would haue aduentured to haue brought it to passe, if they had not béene thus preuented.

Againe, the quéene and the lords with hir had good intelligence, with diuerse in the towne, so as they were put in great hope to haue entred the same: wherevpon they trauelled their people right sore all that night and morning, comming before the towne of Glocester vpon the fridaie about ten of the clocke. And when they perceiued that they were disappointed of their purpose, and their entrie flatlie denied, they were highlie therewith displeased; for they knew verie well, that diuerse within the towne bare their good willes towards them: but after they had vsed certeine menacing braueries, and made a shew as if they had meant to assalt the gates and walles, & so to haue entred by force, they departed their waies, marching with all speed possible towards Teukesburie.

[Sidenote: Glocester whie it was not assaulted.]

[Sidenote: A long march.]

It might be maruelled at, whie they attempted not the winning of Glocester indéed, considering the freends which they knew they had within it. But the cause which mooued them cheeflie to forbeare, was, for that as well they without, as the other within the towne, knew that king Edward approached at hand, and was readie to set vpon them on the backes, if they had once begun to haue assaulted the towne; and so, neither they within the towne that were the kings freends doubted the enimies forces, nor the enimie indéed durst attempt anie such enterprise against them. About foure of the clocke in the afternoone, they came to Teukesburie, hauing trauelled that night last past, and that daie, six and thirtie long miles, in a foule countrie, all in lanes and stonie waies, betwixt woods, without anie good refreshing, so that as well the men as the horsses were right wearie.

[Sidenote: The place where the lords incamped.]

And where the more part of their armie consisted of footmen, the capteins could not haue gone anie further, except they would haue left their footmen behind them, and so of necessitie they were driuen to staie there, determining to abide the aduenture that God would send them. For well they knew that the king followed them verie néere at hand, so as if they should haue gone further, and left the most part of their companie behind, as it could not otherwise haue chanced, he would haue béene readie to haue taken the aduantage wholie, so to distresse them. Héerevpon they pight their field in a close, euen hard at the townes end, hauing the towne and the abbeie at their backes; and directlie before them, and vpon each side of them, they were defended with cumbersome lanes, déepe ditches, and manie hedges, beside hils and dales, so as the place séemed as noisome as might be to approach vnto.

[Sidenote: The painfull march of king Edward with his armie.]

The king on this fridaie, verie erlie in the morning, aduanced his standards and in good order of battell hauing diuided his armie into thrée wards, marched through the plaines of Cotteswold. The daie was verie hot, and hauing in his armie aboue thrée thousand footmen, he trauelled with them and the residue thirtie miles and more. By all which waie, they could find neither horssemeat, nor mans meat, no not so much as water for their horsses, except one little brooke, of the which they receiued no great reléefe; for what with the horsses and carriages that passed thorough it, the water became so troubled, that it serued them to no vse: and still all that daie king Edward with his armie was within fiue or six miles of his enimies, he in the plaine countrie, and they among the woods.

[Sidenote: Chiltenham.]

King Edward had euer good espials, to aduertise him still what his enimies did, and which waie they tooke. At length he came with all his armie vnto a village called Chiltenham, like a fiue miles distant from Teukesburie, where he had certeine knowledge that his enimies were alreadie come to Teukesburie, and were incamped there, purposing to abide him in that place, and to deliuer him battell. King Edward therevpon made no long delaie, but tooke a little refection himselfe, and caused his people to doo the like, with such prouision of vittels as he had appointed to be conueied foorth with him for the reléefe of himselfe and his armie. This doone, he set forward towards his enimies, and lodged that night in a field not past thrée miles distant from them.

[Sidenote: The ordering of king Edwards battell.]

On the morrow being saturdaie, and fourth of Maie, he drew towards his enimies, and marshalled his armie, diuided into thrée battels in this sort. He put his brother the duke of Glocester in the fore-ward, and himselfe in the midle-ward. The lord Marques, and the lord Hastings led the rere-ward. Heerwith he approached the enimies campe, which was right hard to be assailed, by reason of the déepe ditches, hedges, trées, bushes, and cumbersome lanes, wherewith the same was fensed, both a front, and on the sides, so as the king could not well approach them to anie aduantage: and to be the better in a readinesse to beat backe the kings power, when he should come to assault them, they were imbattelled in this order.

[Sidenote: The ordering of the lords hoast.]

[Sidenote: The duke of Glocester.]

[Sidenote: Teukesburie field.]

The duke of Summerset, and his brother the lord Iohn of Summerset led the fore-ward. The middle-ward was gouerned by the prince, vnder the conduct of the lord of saint Iohn, and the lord Wenlocke (whome king Edward had aduanced to the degrée of a baron.) The rere-ward was appointed to the rule of the earle of Deuonshire. Thus may yée perceiue, that king Edward was put to his shifts, how (to anie aduantage) to assault his enimies. Neuerthelesse, he being well furnished with great artillerie, the same was aptlie lodged to annoie the enimies, that they receiued great damage thereby; and the duke of Glocester, who lacked no policie, galled them gréeuouslie with the shot of arrowes: and they rewarded their aduersaries home againe with like paiment, both with shot of arrowes, and great artillerie, although they had not the like plentie of guns as the king had. The passages were so cumbersome, that it was not possible to come vpon anie euen hand, to ioine at handblowes.

[Sidenote: The duke of Summerset.]

The duke of Glocester, vpon a politike purpose (as some haue written) reculed backe with all his companie, which when the duke of Summerset perceiued, either mooued therewith, or else bicause he was too sore annoied with the shot in that place where he and his fore-ward stood, like a knight more couragious than circumspect, came out of his strength with his whole battell, and aduanced himselfe somewhat aside slips the kings voward, and by certeine passages aforehand, and for that purpose prouided (to the kings part, although vnknowne) he passed a lane, and came into a faire open close right before the king, where he was imbattelled, not doubting but the prince and the lord Wenlocke, with the midle-ward, had followed iust at his backe. But whether the lord Wenlocke dissembled the matter for king Edwards sake, or whether his hart serued him not, still he stood, and gaue the looking on.

[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall._]

[Sidenote: The politike foresight of the king.]