The lord Faucounbridge.
Saxton.
Whethamsted saith, that K. Hēries power excéeded in number king Edwards by twentie thousand men.
An heauie proclamaiō.
Palmesundaie field.
When this conflict was ended at Ferribridge, the lord Fauconbridge, hauing the fore-ward, bicause the duke of Norffolke was fallen sicke, valiantlie vpon Palmesundaie in the twilight set foorth his armie and came to Saxton, where he might apparantlie behold the host of his aduersaries, which were accompted thréescore thousand men, and thereof aduertised king Edward, whose whole armie amounted to eight and fortie thousand six hundred and thréescore persons: which incontinentlie with the earle of Warwike set forward, leauing the rere-ward vnder the gouernance of sir Iohn Wenlocke, sir Iohn Dinham, and other. And first of all, he made proclamation, that no prisoner should be taken. So the same daie about nine of the clocke, which was the nine and twentith daie of March, being Palmesundaie, both the hostes approched in a faire plaine field, betwéene Towton and Saxton.
When ech part perceiued other, they made a great shout; and at the same instant there fell a small sléete or snow, which by violence of the wind that blew against them, was driuen into the faces of king Henries armies, so that their sight was somewhat dimmed. The lord Fauconbridge, leading K. Edwards fore-ward, caused euerie archer vnder his standard to shoot one flight (which before he caused them to prouide) and then made them to stand still. The northerne men feeling the shot, but by reason of the sléet, not well viewing the distance betwéene them and their enimies, like forward men shot their sheafe arrowes as fast as they might: but all to losse, for they came short of the southerne men by thréescore yards.
The earle of Northumberland.
The obstinate minds of both parts.
So their shot almost spent, the lord Fauconbridge marched forward with his archers, which not onelie shot their whole sheafes, but also gathered the arrowes of their enimies, and let a great part flie against their first owners, and suffered a great sort of them to stand, which sore troubled the legs of the northerne men, when the battell ioined. The earle of Northumberland and Andrew Trollop, chiefe capteins of king Henries vawward, séeing their shot not to preuaile, hasted to ioine with their enimies, and the other part slacked not their pase. This battell was sore foughten, for hope of life was set aside on either part, & taking of prisoners proclamed a great offense, so euerie man determined to vanquish or die in the field.