Part 9

The king, or (as other haue) the duke of Glocester, taking the aduantage that he aduentured for, turned againe face to face vnto the duke of Summerset his battell, and winning the hedge and ditch of him, entred the close, and with great violence put him and his people vp towards the hill from whence they were decended. Héere is to be noted, that when the king was come before his enimies, yer he gaue the onset, he perceiued that vpon the right hand of their campe there was a parke, and much store of wood growing therein; and doubting least his aduersaries had laid an ambush within that wood, he chose foorth of his companies two hundred speares, commanding them to kéepe a stale, like a quarter of a mile from the field, to attend vpon that corner of the wood out of the which the ambush, if anie were, was to issue, and to incounter with them, as occasion serued: but if they perceiued that there was no ambush at all, then to imploie their seruice as they should see it expedient and behouefull for the time.

[Sidenote: The v[=a]tgard of the lords distressed.]

This politike prouision for danger that might haue insued (although there was none that waie foorth) serued yet before the end of the battell, to great good purpose. For when those speares perfectlie vnderstood that there was no ambush within the wood, and withall saw conuenient time to imploie themselues, they came and brake with full randon vpon the duke of Summerset and his voward a flanke, in so violent wise vpon the sudden, that where they had before inough to doo with those with whom they were first matched, now with this new charge giuen on them by those two hundred speares, they were not a little dismaied; and to conclude, so discouraged, that streightwaie they tooke them to flight. Some fled into the parke, other into the meadow there at hand, some into the lanes, & some hid them in ditches, each one making what shift he could, by the which he hoped best to escape: but manie neuerthelesse were beaten downe, slaine, and taken prisoners.

[Sidenote: A terrible stroke.]

[Sidenote: _Abr. Flem._]

The duke of Summerset séeing this vnfortunate chance, as some write, turned to the midle-ward, and there finding the lord Wenlocke standing still, after he had reuiled him, and called him traitor, with his ax he stroke the braines out of his head. The duke of Glocester pursuing after them that fled with the duke of Summerset to their campe, where the rest of their armie stood, entred the trench, and after him the king, where he bare himselfe so knightlie, that therevpon the quéenes part went to wracke, and was put to flight; the king and other falling in chase after them, so that manie were slaine, but especiallie at a mill in the meadow fast by the towne a great sort were drowned. Manie ran towards the towne, some to the church, and diuerse to the abbeie, and other to other places, where they thought best to saue themselues. [This was the last fought field or pight battell tried betwéene the potentats of this land in king Edward the fourths daies (which chanced on the fourth of Maie, being saturdaie, in the eleauenth yeare of his reigne, and in the year of Lord, 1471) as Anglorum prælia affirmeth, saieng:

Vltima postremæ locus est Teuxburia pugnæ.]

[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall._]

[Sidenote: Prince Edward taken.]

[Sidenote: Nobles slaine.]

[Sidenote: Sir Richard Crofts deliuereth the prince in hope that his life should haue beene saued.]

In the winning of the campe, such as stood to it were slaine out of hand. Prince was taken as he fled towards the towne, by sir Richard Crofts, and kept close. In the field and chase were slaine, the lord Iohn of Summerset, called marquesse Dorset, Thomas Courtenie earle of Deuonshire, sir Iohn Delues, sir Edward Hampden, sir Robert Whitingham, and sir Iohn Leukener, with thrée thousand others. After the field was ended, proclamation was made, that whosoeuer could bring foorth prince Edward aliue or dead, should haue an annuitie of a hundred pounds during his life, and the princes life to be saued, if he were brought foorth aliue. Sir Richard Crofts, nothing mistrusting the kings promise, brought foorth his prisoner prince Edward, being a faire and well proportioned yoong gentleman; whom when king Edward had well aduised, he demanded of him, how he durst so presumptuouslie enter into his realme with banner displaied.

[Sidenote: Prince Edward murthered.]

Wherevnto the prince boldlie answered, saieng; "To recouer my fathers kingdome & heritage, from his father and grandfather to him and from him after him to me lineallie desended." At which words king Edward said nothing, but with his hand thrust him from him, or (as some saie) stroke him with his gantlet; whome incontinentlie, George duke of Clarence, Richard duke of Glocester, Thomas Greie marquesse Dorcet, and William lord Hastings that stood by, suddenlie murthered: for the which cruell act, the more part of the dooers in their latter daies dranke of the like cup, by the righteous iustice and due punishment of God. His bodie was homelie interred with the other simple corpses, in the church of the monasterie of blacke monks in Teukesburie.

After the victorie was thus atchiued, the king repaired to the abbeie church there, to giue God thanks for that good successe, which it had pleased him to blesse him with: and there finding a great number of his enimies, that were fled thither to saue themselues, he gaue them all his free pardon; albeit there was no franchise there for rebels, but that he might haue commanded them to haue béene drawen foorth without breach of anie liberties of that church. He granted also that the dead bodies, as well of the lords as other, slaine in that battell, might be buried in the same church, or else where it pleased their friends or seruants, without anie quartering & heading, or setting vp heads or quarters in any publike places. O the patience and clemencie of this good king, who (besides the putting vp of wrongs doone to him by violence of foes without vengeance) fréelie forgaue the offenders, and did so honorablie temper his affections!

[Sidenote: The duke of Summerset & others beheaded.]

There were found in the abbeie and other places of the towne, Edmund duke of Summerset, Iohn Lonstrother lord prior of S. Iohn, sir Thomas Tressham, sir Gerueis Clifton, and diuerse other knights and esquiers, which were apprehended, and all of them being brought before the duke of Glocester, sitting as constable of England, and the duke of Norffolke, as marshall in the middest of the towne, they were arreigned, condemned, and iudged to die; and so vpon the tuesdaie, being the seuenth of Maie, the said duke and the lord prior, with the two forenamed knights, and twelue other knights, were on a scaffold, set vp in the middle of the towne for that purpose, beheaded, and permitted to be buried, without anie other dismembring, or setting vp of their heads in anie one place or other.

[Sidenote: Quéene Margaret taken.]

The same tuesdaie, the king departed from Teukesburie towards Worcester, and by the waie had knowledge that quéene Margaret was found in a poore house of religion, not far from thence, into the which she was withdrawen for safegard of hir selfe, on saturdaie in the morning, being the daie of the battell. She was after brought to London as prisoner, and so kept, till hir father ransomed hir with great summes of monie, which he borowed of Lewes the eleuenth king of France. And bicause he was not able to make repaiment thereof, he sold vnto the said Lewes (as the French writers affirme) the kingdomes of Naples, and both the Sicils, with the countie of Prouance. King Edward being at Worcester, had aduertisements brought foorth of the north parts, that the people there were about to assemble in armour against him, in fauour of king Henrie: wherevpon he left the right way to London, and rode to Couentrie, meaning to increase the number of his people, and so with a puissant armie to go northwards.

Herevpon, comming to Couentrie the eleuenth of Maie, and remaining there thrée daies, he well refreshed such as had béene with him at Teukesburie field. Hither was brought to him queene Margaret, from whence she was conueied to London, there to remaine in safe keeping (as before you haue hard.) Whilest he was busie in sending abroad vnto his friends to leauie an armie, he was aduertised that the commotion in the north was pacified. For after it was knowen abroad, how he obteined the victorie, as well at Teukesburie, as at Barnet, and in manner subdued all his enimies, the capteins that had stirred the people to that rebellion, began to quaile, and forsooke their companies.

[Sidenote: Rebellion in the north pacified.]

[Sidenote: The earle of Northumberland.]

Diuerse of them made sute to the earle of Northumberland, that it might please him to be a mediator to the king for their pardon; so that now, there was no rebellion in all the north parts, but that as well the citie of Yorke, as all other places, were at the kings commandement, readie in all things to obei him as true and loiall subiects. And this was confirmed by the earle of Northumberlands owne mouth, who on the fouretéenth of Maie came to the king, as yet remaining at Couentrie: by reason whereof it was not thought néedfull, that the king should trauell anie further northward at that time, either about the pacifieng of the people, or to see execution doone vpon the offendors, sith all was there in good tranquillitie and quiet.

[Sidenote: Thomas Nevill bastard Fauconbridge.]

But now when all things séemed to be at rest, and no rebellion after so happie victories doubted, newes came to him before his c[=o]ming to Couentrie, from the lords of his bloud, abiding at London, that one Thomas Neuill, bastard sonne to that valiant capteine the lord Thomas Fauconbridge (who had latelie before beene sent to the sea by the earle of Warwike, and after fallen to practise pirasie) had spoiled diuerse merchants ships, Portingals and others, in breach of the ancient amitie that long had continued betwixt the realms of England and Portingale; and furthermore, had now got to him a great number of mariners, out of all parts of the land, and manie traitors and misgouerned people from each quarter of the realme, beside diuerse also foorth of other countries that delighted in theft and robberies, meaning to worke some exploit against the king.

[Sidenote: The bastard Fauconbridge before London with an armie.]

And verelie, his puissance increased dailie, for hauing béene at Calis, and brought from thence into Kent manie euill disposed persons, he began to gather his power in that countrie, meaning (as was thought) to attempt some great and wicked enterprise. After the kings comming to Couentrie, he receiued aduertisements, that this bastard was come before London, with manie thousands of men by land, and also in ships by water, purposing to rob and spoile the citie. Manie Kentishmen were willing to assist him in this mischieuous enterprise, and other were forced against their wils to go with him, or else to aid him with their substance and monie, insomuch that within a short time, he had got togither sixtéene or seuentene thousand men, as they accomted themselues.

With these he came before the citie of London the twelfe of Maie, in the quarrell (as he pretended) of king Henrie, whom he also meant to haue out of the Tower, & to restore him againe vnto his crowne & roiall dignitie. And for that intent, he required to enter the citie with his people, that receiuing king Henrie foorth of the Tower, they might passe with him through the citie, and so to march streight towards king Edward, whose destruction they vowed to pursue, with all their vttermost indeuors. But the maior and aldermen of the citie would not in anie wise agree to satisfie their request herein, vtterlie refusing to receiue him or anie of his companie into the citie.

[Sidenote: Succours sent to the citie of London.]

King Edward from time to time by posts was informed of all these dooings, & by aduise of his councell, the fouretéenth of Maie, sent to the succors of the maior and aldermen fiftéene hundred of the choisest souldiers he had about him, that they might helpe to resist the enimies, till he had got such an armie togither as was thought necessarie, meaning with all conuenient spéed to come therewith to the rescue of the citie, and preseruation of the quéene, prince, and his daughters, that were within the Tower, not in verie good safegard, considering the euill dispositions of manie within the citie of London, that for the fauour they had borne to the earle of Warwike, and desire to be partakers of the spoile, cared not if the bastard might haue atteined to his full purpose and wished intent.

[Sidenote: The bastards purpose to spoile the suburbs of London.]

On the sixtenth of Maie, king Edward set foorth of Couentrie towards London. But here ye haue to vnderstand, that when the bastard could not be receiued into the citie, neither by gentle persuasions, nor gréeuous threatnings, he made semblance to passe ouer the Thames at Kingston bridge, ten miles from London, and thitherwards he drew with his whole power by land, leauing his ships afore saint Katharines and thereabouts. His pretense was, to spoile and destroie Westminster, and the suburbs of the citie on that side, and after to assault the citie it selfe, to trie if he might enter by force, and so be reuenged of the citizens that had refused to receiue him. [Notwithstanding all which stirring of coles & proud port, with haughtinesse of hart & violence of hand thinking to beare downe the people, as an inundation or flowing of water streams dooth all before it: yet he came short of his purpose, and pulled vpon his owne pate finall destruction: though he thought himselfe a man ordeined to glorie, & was tickled with the like flatring persuasion that one had in his hart, who said:

[Sidenote: _Prop. lib. 4._]

Magnum iter ascendo, sed dat mihi gloria vires.]

[Sidenote: The dastard altereth his purpose.]

Now as he was onwards vpon his iornie, he was aduertised, that king Edward was preparing to come forwards against him, assisted in manner with all the great lords of the realme, and others in great number, more than he had beene at anie time before. By reason whereof, doubting what might follow, if passing the riuer he should fortune so to be inclosed, that he should be driuen thereby to incounter with the kings power at such ods, he thought it best to alter his purpose; and so returning, came backe againe before London, & mustered his people in S. Georges field, ranged and placed in one entier battell.

And to the intent they might worke their purposed feat, before the kings comming to the rescue, they resolued with all their forces to assault the citie, and to enter it if they could by plaine strength, that putting it to the sacke, they might conueie the riches to their ships, which laie in the riuer betwixt saint Katharins and Blackewall, neere to Ratcliffe. Herevpon hauing brought certeine peeces of artillerie foorth of their ships, they planted the same alongst the water side, right ouer against the citie, and shot off lustilie, to annoie them within so much as was possible.

[Sidenote: The bastard meaneth to enter the citie by force.]

But the citizens on the other side lodged their great artillerie against their aduersaries, and with violent shot therof so galled them, that they durst not abide in anie place alongst the water side, but were driuen euen from their owne ordinance. Yet the bastard not meaning to leaue anie waie vnassaied that might aduance his purpose, appointed a great number of his retinue to set fire on the bridge, so to open the passage, and to enter into the citie that way forth; and withall, he caused aboue thrée thousand other to passe by ships ouer the Thames; giuing order, that when they were got ouer, they should diuide themselues into two battels, the one to assault Algate, and the other Bishops gate, which order accordinglie was executed.

[Sidenote: Algate and Bishops gate assaulted.]

[Sidenote: Houses burnt on the bridge.]

For they did their best at both places to force the gates, not sparing to bend and discharge such guns as they had brought with them against the same, nor ceassing with arrowes to annoie those that there stood at defense: whereby much hurt was doone, as well at the one place as the other, fire being set on both the gates in purpose to haue burnt them vp, and so to haue entered. The fire which they had kindled on the bridge little auailed them, although they burnt there to the number of a thréescore houses. For the citizens had laid such péeces of ordinance directlie in their waie, that although the passage had béene wholie open, they should haue had hard entering that waie foorth. The maior, aldermen, and other worshipfull citizens were in good arraie, and each man appointed and bestowed where was thought néedfull.

The earle of Essex, and manie knights, esquiers, and gentlemen, with their fréends and seruants, came to aid the citizens, taking great paine to place them in order, for defense of the gates and walles: and furthermore, deuised how and in what sort they might make a sallie foorth vpon the enimies to distresse them: and suerlie, by the intermingling of such gentlemen and lords seruants in euerie part with the citizens, they were greatlie incouraged to withstand their enimies. Yet the rebels, vnder the leading of one Spising, bare themselues so stoutlie at Algate, that they wan the bulworks there, and droue the citizens backe within the portculice, & entered with them, to the number of six or eight: but some of them were slaine with the fall of the portculice that was let downe vpon them, to kéepe the residue out, and those that were entered within the gate were suddenlie dispatched.

[Sidenote: The valiancie of Robert Basset alderman.]

Héerewith they lashed fréelie the one part at the other with guns and bowes, although no great hurt was doone with shot; till at length Robert Basset alderman (that was appointed to the kéeping of this gate), with the most part of the citizens, and the recorder, named Ursewike, either of them being well armed in strong iackes, commanded the portculice to be drawen vp, and maintenantlie rushed foorth vpon their enimies, putting them backe vnto saint Bothulpes church. At the same instant, the earle Riuers, hauing got togither a foure or fiue hundred men, well chosen and apparelled for the warre, issued foorth at the posterne by the Tower, and assailing the Kentishmen, euen vpon the point as they were thus put backe, mightilie laid vpon them.

And first he plaged them with the swift and thicke flight of his arrowes, and after ioining with them at handstrokes, slue and tooke manie of them prisoners; so that the rebels were fullie put to flight, and followed first to Mile-end, and from thense some vnto Poplar, some to Stratford, and Stepnith, and in maner each waie foorth about that part of the citie, the chase being followed for the space of two miles in length. Manie of them were of Essex, and so made their course homewards; but the more part of them fled to the water side, and getting to their ships, passed ouer the Thames to the rest of their companie. The other likewise that were busie to assault Bishops gate, when they vnderstood that their fellowes were discomfited and fled from Algate, they likewise slipped awaie, and made the best shift they could to saue themselues.

[Sidenote: Rafe Iosselin.]

There were a seauen hundred of them that fled from Algate, and other places, slaine outright, beside the prisoners. And yet there were fiers burning all at once at Algate, Bishops gate, & on the bridge, and manie houses consumed with the same fiers. But now the bastard, vnder whome that companie was directed that had set fire on the bridge, when he saw that he might not preuaile, and vnderstood the euill succes of those which he had set ouer the Thames, he withdrew also, and left the bridge. Here the hardie manhood of Rafe Iosselin alderman is not to be passed with silence; who (after he had valiantlie resisted the bastard & his band that assaulted the bridge) vpon their retire sallied foorth vpon them, and following them in chase alongst the water side, till they came beyond Ratcliffe, slue and tooke verie manie of them.

[Sidenote: The bastard incampeth on Blackeheath.]

The bastard notwithstanding gathered his companies togither, and with such as were willing to remaine with him incamped on Blackeheath, by the space of thrée daies next insuing, to wit, the sixteenth, seauentéenth, and eightéenth of Maie, vtterlie despairing of his wished preie, sith he had béene repelled from London, to his vtter confusion. And now to conclude, hearing that king Edward was comming with a right puissant armie, the said bastard and his people durst no longer abide; but brake vp and dispersed themselues, some one waie, and some an other. They of Calis got them thither againe with all spéed, and such as were of other countries repaired likewise to their homes, and manie of the Kentishmen went also to their houses. The bastard with his mariners, and such riotous rebels, robbers, and wicked persons, as sought nothing but spoile, got them to shipboord, and with all their vessels drew downe to the coast.

[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall._]

[Sidenote: King Henrie the sixt murthered in the Tower.]

King Edward, hauing assembled an armie of thirtie thousand men (as some write) and accompanied in maner with all the great lords of England, came to London the one and twentith of Maie, being tuesdaie, where he was honourablie receiued by the maior, aldermen, and other worshipfull citizens: where euen vpon their first méeting with him he dubbed diuerse of them knights; as the maior, the recorder, & other aldermen, and worshipfull commoners of the citie, which had manfullie and valiantlie acquit themselues against the bastard Fauconbridge & his wicked companie of rebels. Moreouer, here is to be remembred, that poore king Henrie the sixt, a little before depriued (as ye haue heard) of his realme and imperiall crowne, was now in the Tower spoiled of his life, by Richard duke of Glocester (as the constant fame ran) who (to the intent that his brother king Edward might reigne in more suertie) murthered the said king Henrie with a dagger.

[Sidenote: The nine and twentith of Maie.]

Howbeit, some writers of that time, fauoring altogither the house of Yorke, haue recorded, that after he vnderstood what losses had chanced vnto his fréends, and how not onelie his sonne, but also all other his chéefe partakers were dead and dispatched, he tooke it so to hart, that of pure displeasure, indignation, and melancholie, he died the three and twentith of Maie. The dead corps on the Ascension euen was conueied with billes and glaucs pompouslie (if you will call that a funerall pompe) from the Tower to the church of saint Paule, and there laid on a beire or coffen bare faced, the same in presence of the beholders did bléed; where it rested the space of one whole daie. From thense he was caried to the Blackfriers, and bled there likewise: and on the next daie after, it was conueied in a boat, without priest or clerke, torch or taper, singing or saieng, vnto the monasterie of Chertseie, distant from London fiftéene miles, and there was it first buried: but after, it was remooued to Windesor, and there in a new vawt, newlie intoomed. He reigned eight and thirtie yeares, six moneths and od daies, and after his readeption of the crowne six moneths. He liued two and fiftie yeares, hauing by wife one onelie sonne, called Edward, prince of Wales.