As king Edward with saile and ore was thus making course towards the duke of Burgognies countrie (whither he determined at the first to go) it chanced that seuen or eight gallant ships of Easterlings, open enimies both to England and France, were abrode on those seas, and espieng the kings vessels, began to chase him. The kings ship was good of saile, and so much gat of the Easterlings, that he came on the coast of Holland, and so descended lower before a towne in the countrie called Alquemare, and there cast anchor as néere the towne as was possible, bicause they could not enter the hauen at an ebbing water. The Easterlings also approched the English ship, as néere as their great ships should come at the low water, intending at the floud to haue their preie: as they were verie like to haue atteined it in déed, if the lord Gronture, gouernor of that countrie for the duke of Burgognie, had not by chance béene at the same time in that towne.
This lord (vpon knowledge had of king Edwards arriuall there in the hauen, and in what danger he stood by reason of the Easterlings) commanded them not to be so hardie as once to meddle with anie Englishmen, being both the dukes fréends and alies. Then did king Edward & all his companie come on land. Who after they had beene well refreshed & gentlie comforted by the lord Gronture, they were by him brought to the Hagh, a rich towne in Holland, where they remained a while, hauing all things necessarie ministred to them by order of the duke of Burgognie, sent vnto the lord Gronture, immediatlie vpon certificat from the said lord Gronture of king Edwards arriuall. [Héere we sée in what perplexities king Edward and his retinue were, partlie by enimies at home in his owne countrie, whose hands he was constreined to flée from by the helpe of the sea; partlie also by aduersaries abroad, seeking opportunitie to offer him not the incounter onelie, but the ouerthrow. And suerly, had not good fortune fauoured him, in preparing readie meanes for him to auoid those imminent dangers; he had doubtlesse fallen among the weapons of his owne countrimen, and so neuer haue feared forren force: but in escaping both the one and the other, euen with shift of so spéedie expedition, it is a note (if it be well looked into) of happinesse, if anie happinesse may be in preseruation from ruine and reproch.]
Edw. Hall. fol. ccix.
Now let all Englishmen (saith Edward Hall) consider (as before is rehearsed) what profit, what commoditie, and what helpe in distresse, the mariage of the ladie Margaret, king Edwards sister to the duke Charles, did to him in his extreame necessitie; and but by that meane vncurable extremitie: for his alies and confederats in Castile and Arragon were too far from him, either speedilie to flie to, or shortlie to come fro with anie aid or armie. The French king was his extreme enimie, and freend to king Henrie, for whose cause in the king of Scots (for all the leage betwéene them) he did put little confidence and lesse trust. The states and all Eastland were with him at open war, and yet by this marriage, God prouided him a place to flie to, both for refuge and reléefe.
Abr. Flem.
[But for the further and cleerer explanation of these stratagems, or rather ciuill tumults, it shall not be amisse to insert in this place (sith I cannot hit vpon one more conuenient) a verie good note or addition receiued from the hands of maister Iohn Hooker chamberlaine of Excester; the contents whereof are of such qualitie, that they cannot stand in concurrence with anie matter introduced within the compasse of the ninth yeare of this kings reigne (as he had quoted it) and therfore I thought it méet to transfer the same to this tenth yeare; considering that some part of the matter by him largelie touched, is briefelie in the premisses alreadie remembred.]
Iohn Hooker, alias Vowell.
Lord Dinhā, and baron Carew, with their power come to Excester.
¶ This yeare (saith he) was verie troublesome, and full of ciuill wars and great discords. For after that king Edward the fourth was escaped out of prison, at Wolneie besides Warwike, he mustered and prepared a new armie. Wherevpon the earle of Warwike and the duke of Clarence, mistrusting themselues, prepared to passe the seas ouer to Calis, and first of all sent awaie the duches of Clarence daughter to the said earle, who was then great with child, and she being accompanied with the lord Fitz Warren, the lord Dinham, and the baron of Carew, and a thousand fighting men came to this citie of Excester the eightéenth daie of March, and was lodged in the bishops palace. Sir Hugh, or (as some saie) sir William Courtneie, who then fauoured the partie of king Edward the fourth, assembled a great troope and armie of all the fréends he could make, and inuironing the citie, besieged the same; he pulled downe all the bridges, rampered vp all the waies, and stopped all the passages, so that no vittels at all could be brought to this citie for twelue daies togither, which being doone vpon a sudden and vnlooked for, vittels waxed short and scant within the citie, and by reason of so great a multitude within the same, the people for want of food began to murmur and mutter.