And furthermore ordeineth and establisheth by the said aduise and authoritie, that all statutes, ordinances, and acts of parlement, made in the time of the said king Henrie the fourth, by the which he and the heires of his bodie, comming of Henrie late king of England the fift, the sonne and heire of the said king Henrie the fourth, and the heires of king Henrie the fift, were or be inheritable to the said crownes and realmes, or to the heritage of the same, be annulled, repealed, damned, cancelled, void, and of none effect.
And ouer this, the king by the said aduise, assent and authoritie, ordeineth and establisheth, that all other acts and statutes made afore this time by act of parlement, not repealed or annulled by like authoritie, or otherwise void, be in such force, effect, and vertue, as they were afore the making of these ordinances; and that no letters patents, roialx of record, nor acts iudiciall, made or doone afore this time not repealed, reuersed, ne otherwise void by law, be preiudiced or hurt by this present act.
The duke of Yorke proclaimed heire apparant & protectour of the realme.
The parlemēt at Couentrie made frustrat.
This agréement put in articles, was ingrossed, sealed, and sworne vnto by the two parties, and also enacted in the parlement. For ioy whereof the king, hauing in his companie the duke of Yorke, road to the cathedrall church of saint Paule in London, and there on the day of all saints with the crowne on his head went solemnelie in procession, and was lodged a good space after in the bishops palace, néer to the said church. And vpon the saturdaie next insuing, Richard duke of Yorke was by sound of trumpet solemnelie proclamed heire apparant to the crowne of England, and protectour of the realme. After this, the parlement kept at Couentrie the last yeare, was declared to be a diuelish councell, and onelie had for destruction of the nobilitie, and was indéed no lawfull parlement: bicause they which were returned, were neuer elected according to the due order of the law, but secretlie named by them which desired rather the destruction than the aduancement of the common-wealth. When these agréements were enacted, the king dissolued his parlement, which was the last parlement that euer he ended.
The duke of Yorke, well knowing that the quéene would spurne against all this, caused both hir and hir sonne to be sent for by the king. But she as woont rather to rule, than to be ruled, and thereto counselled by the dukes of Excester and Summerset not onelie denied to come, but also assembled a great armie, intending to take the king by fine force out of the lords hands. The protector in London hauing knowledge of all these dooings, assigned the duke of Norffolke, and erle of Warwike his trustie fréends to be about the king, while he with the earles of Salisburie and Rutland and a conuenient number departed out of London the second daie of December northward, and appointed the earle of March his eldest sonne to follow him with all his power. The duke came to his castell of Sandall beside Wakefield on Christmasse éeuen, & there began to make muster of his tenants and fréends. The quéene thereof ascertained, determined to cope with him yer his succour were come.
Now she, hauing in hir companie the prince hir sonne, the dukes of Excester and Summerset, the earle of Deuonshire, the lord Clifford, the lord Ros, and in effect all the lords of the north parts, with eightéene thousand men, or (as some write) two and twentie thousand, marched from Yorke to Wakefield, and bad base to the duke, euen before his castell gates. He hauing with him not fullie fiue thousand persons, contrarie to the minds of his faithfull councellors, would néeds issue foorth to fight with his enimies. The duke of Summerset and the quéenes part, casting vpon their most aduantage, appointed the lord Clifford to lie in one stale, and the earle of Wilshire in another, and the duke with other to kéepe the manie battell. The duke of Yorke with his people descended downe the hill in good order and arraie, and was suffered to passe on towards the maine battell.
The battell Wakefield.