Here the earle of Chester (to vtter the good will which he had to fight) appointed in faire armour as he was, spake these words in effect as The oration of the earle of Chester. Ran. Higd. followeth, directing the same to the earle of Glocester, and other the capteines, saieng: "I giue you hartie thanks, most inuincible chiefteine, and you my fellow soldiers, which declare your hartie good wils towards me, euen to the ieoparding of your liues at this my request and instance. Sith then I am the occasion of your perill, it is conuenient that I make the first entrance, and giue the onset of the battell vpon that most disloiall king, who granting a truce, hath broken the peace; and swearing to be a subiect, is now prooued a most wicked vsurper: I therefore trusting both vpon reuenge of the vniust dealings of this king, and also vpon mine owne force and courage, shall straitwaies breake in sunder the arraie of his armie, and make waie through the middest of the enimies with sword in hand. It shall be your parts then to follow me, who will lead you the waie: for euen now my mind giueth me, that I shall passe thorough the battels, tread the capteines vnder foot, and run the king through with this my sharpe sword."
The earle of Glocesters answer to the earle of Chesters oration. When he had thus ended, the earle of Glocester answered in this wise: "It is not against reason that you should require the honor of the first onset, both for the nobilitie of your house, and also in respect of the prowesse wherein you excell: but yet if you stand vpon nobilitie, for my part, being the sonne and nephue of a king, ought not I to be preferred? If vpon valiance, here are manie verie worthie men, afore whom there is not one aliue that may chalenge any prerogatiue. But another reason moueth me most chieflie to be the formost. The king, who contrarie to his oth made to my sister, hath cruellie vsurped the kingdoms, and setting all in trouble, hath beene the cause of manie thousand mens deaths, and distributed lands and liuings to such as haue no right to the same, which he hath violentlie taken from the rightfull owners, who are quite disherited. This king (I saie) is first to be assailed with the assistance of the righteous iudge, who prepareth punishment for wicked dooers. For almightie God, who iudgeth his people with equitie, will looke downe from his heauenlie habitation, and will not leaue vs comfortlesse in this so great a necessitie. One thing there is, most valiant capteines, and all you right hardie souldiers, which I would haue you to consider, that through the fennes, which much adoo you The necessitie to fight valientlie. haue passed, there is no waie to escape by flight. Here must we either vanquish the enimies, or else die in the field: for no hope of safegard remaineth in fléeing awaie. This onelie resteth (I saie) that you make waie for you to enter the citie with force of your weapons. If I be not deceiued in that which my mind giueth me to coniecture, the lacke of meanes to escape, otherwise than by shewing your selues valiant men, by Gods helpe will bring vs the victorie. For he must néeds plaie the man, who hath not other succor to auoid the danger of destruction The citizens of Lincolne, who shall fight so néere their houses as you shall sée, will not staie long to get them thither for their refuge. And herewith consider and weie (I beseech you) against whom you shall match Alaine duke of Brittanie. in this battell. There is Alane duke of Britaine, who commeth armed against you, yea rather against God, a wicked person, and spotted with all kind of filthinesse; who in malice hath no péere, as one that neuer wanted desire to doo mischéefe and who to be comparable in crueltie, The earle of Mellent. would iudge it a great reproch. There commeth also the earle of Mellent, a man full of all guile and deceit, in whose hart iniquitie is rooted, and nothing sounding in his mouth but vnthankfulnesse; besides this, he is slothfull in déeds, presumptuous in words, not hastie to fight, but Earle Hugh. swift to run awaie. Then commeth earle Hugh, who hath not thought it sufficient to breake his oth to my sister the empresse, but he must commit periurie the second time, in aduouching (vpon a new oth) that king Henrie granted the kingdome to Stephan, and disabled his daughter. After him marcheth the earle of Albemarle, a man of singular constancie The earle of Albermerles wife. in euill, verie readie to attempt and loth to giue ouer a mischeefe: whose wife, through irkesomnes of his filthie behauiour is gone from him; & he that keepeth hir, cōmeth with him also against vs, an open adulterer, & one well esteemed of Bacchus, but nothing acquainted Simon earle of Hampton. with Mars. Then setteth foorth Simon earle of Hampton, whose déeds consist in words, & whose gifts rest in promises. For when he hath said, he hath doone; & when he hath promised, ye get no more. Finallie there come togither a knot of Péeres & Noble men, [Like maister, like seruants.] like to their king and maister, accustomed to robberies, enriched with rapines, embrued with manslaughters, & defamed with periurie. You therefore (most valiant capteins & hardie souldiers) whom king Henrie hath aduanced, and this man hath brought vnder foot; whom he made wealthie, and this man hath impouerished; vpon trust of your worthy valiancie, yea rather vpon trust of Gods iustice seeke your reuenge thus offered by God vpon these wicked wretches, & with manlie stomachs vow to go forward, & forswere stepping back." When the earle had made an end, all the armie (lifting vp their hands to Gods) abiured all intention to flée, and so made themselues readie to set forward.
King Stephan hauing no pleasant voice of himselfe, appointed earle Baldwin to giue an exhortation to his armie, wherevpon getting himselfe Earle Baldwin his oration on the behalfe of king Stephan. to an high place where he might be seene & heard of them, he thus began. "All such as shall giue battell, ought to foresée thrée things: first, that their cause be righteous: secondlie, the number of their men to be equall at the least: and thirdlie, the goodnesse and sufficiencie of them. The Thrée things to be foreséene by them that shall giue battell. righteousnes of their cause ought to be regarded, least men runne in danger of the soule; the number of men is to be respected, least they should be oppressed with multitude of enimies; and the goodnesse of the soldiers is to be considered, least trusting in the multitude, they should presume vpon the aid of feeble persons, & such as are of small valure. In all these points we see our selues sufficientlie furnished. The iustice of our cause is this: that obseruing the thing which we vowed to our king before God, we stand to the same against those that haue falsified their faith, euen to the perill of death. Our number is not much lesse in horssemen, and in footmen we excéed them. As for the goodnesse or sufficiencie of our men, who is able to expresse the noble prowesse of so manie earles, of so manie lords and soldiers, trained vp euer in warres: The passing valiancie of our king may stand in place of innumerable souldiers. Sith then he being the lords annointed, is here amongst you, vnto whom ye haue vowed allegiance, performe your vow. For the more earnestly and faithfully ye serue your prince in this battell, which you are readie to fight against periured persons, the more shall your reward be at the hands of God and him. Therfore be of good comfort, & haue in remembrance against whom Erle Robert. you doo darraine the battell. The force of erle Robert is well knowne, his maner is to threaten much, & to worke little, furious in words, The earle of Chester. eloquent of speach, but cold or rather dead harted in déeds. The earle of Chester what is he? A man of vnreasonable boldnesse, bent to conspiracie, inconstant to performe that which he rashlie taketh in hand, readie to run into batell, vncircumspect in danger, practising things of great importance, séeking after things vnpossible, bringing with him few good soldiers, but gathering a vagrant rout of rascals. There is nothing in him that we ought to be afraid of, for looke whatsoeuer he attempteth manfullie, the same he giueth ouer womanlie, in all his dooings vnfortunate, in all encounters either he is ouercome and fléeth awaie, or if he get the vpper hand (which seldome times chanceth) he susteineth greater losse than they whom he dooth vanquish.
"The Welshmen, whom he bringeth with him are little estéemed of vs, who pretend a naked rashnesse without any vse of armor, so that as men without any knowledge of martiall policie, they fall as brute beasts vpon the hunters iaueline. The other, as well the nobles as the common souldiers are but runnagates and vagabounds; of whom I would wish the number greater than it is: for the more they be, the woorse in effect their seruice shall prooue in time of need. You therefore (most worthie cheefetaines) you men of honor, it standeth you vpon to haue in regard your vertue and dignities. This day aduance your renowme, and follow the foresteps of your famous ancestors, leaue to your sonnes an euerlasting Continuall good successe a prouocation of boldnesse. commendation. The continuall successe of victorie ought to be a prouocation vnto you to doo manfullie: the continuance of euil speed may be to yonder side an occasion to run away. For euen alreadie (I dare say) they repent them of their comming hither, and could be contented to be gone, if the nature of the place would suffer them to depart. Then sith it is not possible for them either to fight or to flée, what other thing can they doo, but (as appointed by Gods ordinance) offer themselues and all they haue about them presentlie vnto vs. Yée sée then their horsses, their armour, and their bodies readie here at your pleasure, lift vp your hearts therefore, and reach your hands to take that with great chearefulnesse of mind, which the Lord hath thus offered and freelie presented vnto you."
Now yer he had all made an end of his words, the batels were readie to ioine, they met with great noise of trumpets and other instruments, and the fight began with a verie sore and cruell slaughter. Hard it was in Matth. Paris. Hen. Hunt. the beginning to gesse who should haue the better. The wing of the disherited men ouerthrew and bare downe their aduersaries, which were led by the duke of Britain, and the forenamed earles. On the contrarie part, the earle of Albemarle and William de Ypres put the Welshmen to flight, but by the earle of Chester and his retinue, the same earle and William de Ypres were fiercelie assailed afresh, and put out of order. Thus was the kings side put to the worse, namelie W. Paru. Hen. Hunt. his horssemen, who being placed in the forefront, and there ouermatched, fell to galoping. Which thing when the king beheld, he was not yet any whit therewith abashed, but like an hardie captein (as he was no lesse indéed) comforted his footmen whom he had about him, and rushing vpon his Polydor. enimies, bare them down, and ouerthrew so manie as stood before him, so that with the point of his weapon he made himselfe waie. His footmen, who were but a few in number to the multitude of his enimies, counteruailed in all points the prowes and manlike dooings of their king and capteine, insomuch that few battels had beene better fought, nor with greater slaughter on both sides, if the kings fore ward (which in maner at the first shranke backe and was disordered, not without some supicion of treason) had staied the brunt of the enimies a while, as it had béene requisite. At length the king encountring with the earle of Chester, being ouercharged with multitude, was taken prisoner by one William de Cahames.
Simon Dun. Hen. Hunt. Earle Baldwine, who had made the oration in the kings behalfe, was also taken, after he had fought valiantlie and receiued manie sore wounds: likewise Richard Fitzvrse, who on that daie had shewed good proofe of Matth. Paris. his manhood, and had giuen and received manie a sore stripe. To conclude, all those that abode with the king, and namelie all W. Paru. the footmen were taken prisoners, those which were slaine in the place excepted. This battell was fought in the sixt yeare of king Stephans reigne, vpon Candlemas daie, being sundaie, as Niger saith.
Polydor. The king led to Bristow. The king being apprehended and brought to the empresse lieng at Glocester, was commanded by hir to be conueied in safetie vnto Bristow, where he was kept as prisoner from that time of his taking, vntill the W. Paru. feast of All saints next ensuing. Not long after this field fought, as ye haue heard, Geffrey earle of Aniou husband to the empresse, receiuing aduertisement of this victorie atchiued in England, foorthwith inuaded Normandie, inducing all the Nobles of the countrie to incline vnto him: for by publishing the captiuitie of king Stephan, it was easie for him to come by the possession of the same.
The king of Scots taketh Northumberland into his possession.
Polydor.
The empresse foloweth the victorie. Moreouer, Dauid king of Scotland entred into Northumberland, and by commandement of the empresse tooke the countrie into his hands, whilest she (like a woman of great wisedome, as she was no lesse indéed) iudging that it stood hir vpon to vse the victorie which fell to hir lot, slept not hir businesse, but went forward, and setting from Glocester, she came to Winchester, where she was honorablie receiued of bishop Henrie, though he was king Stephans brother, and inwardlie lamented the misfortune of the king. Then came she backe againe to Wilton, and so to Oxenford, from thence to Reading, and then to S. Albons, into all which cities and townes she was receiued with great triumph and honour.
Shée cōmeth to London. Hauing thus passed through all the south parts of the realme on that side, she finallie came to London, where the citizens welcomed hir in most ioifull and hartie maner. Now being come to London, and consulting with those of hir councell for the quieting of the whole state of the The quéene sueth to the empresse for the deliuerie of hir husband. realme, queene Maud wife to king Stephan (for so she was also called) made humble suit vnto hir to haue hir husband set at libertie, promising that he should resigne his whole claime and title into hir hands, and content himselfe with a priuate life. But hir suit was so farre off from being granted, that she was reiected and cast off with reprochfull words. Wherevpon she conceiued a most high displeasure, and vnderstood well inough; that peace was to be purchased by force of armes onelie, and not by any other meanes: insomuch that with all diligence she sent to hir sonne Eustace (then being in Kent) & willed him to prepare an armie, which he did most spéedilie.
It chanced at the same time that the citizens of London made great and laborious suit vnto the said empresse, that they might haue the lawes of king Edward the Confessour restored, and the straight lawes of hir father king Henrie abolished. But for so much as they could get no grant The Londoners conspire to take the empresse. of their petition, and perceiued the empresse to be displeased with them about that importunat request, wherein onelie she ouershot hir selfe, they deuised how and by what meanes they might take hir prisoner, knowing that all the Kentishmen would helpe to strengthen[3] them in their enterprise. But reckoning with hir selfe that
Nil poterit propera tutius esse fuga,
Shée fled in the night time out of the citie. And being warned thereof, she fled by night out of the citie, and went to Oxenford, determining to be reuenged vpon hir aduersaries when time should serue hir turne. Herewith she began to wax more displeased both against those Nobles whom she kept in prison, & other also whom she troubled, but namelie king Stephan, whom she commanded to be loden with yrons, and serued with verie slender diet.