This doone, he went to the quéene to comfort hir, who with great patience had abidden there a long time, as a sanctuarie woman, for doubt of hir enimies; and in the meane season was deliuered of a yoong prince, whom she now presented vnto him, to his great hearts reioising & comfort. From Westminster the king returned that night vnto London againe, hauing the quéene with him, and lodged in the house of the duchesse his moother. On the morow being good fridaie, he tooke aduise with the lords of his bloud, and other of his councell, for such businesse as he had in hand; namelie, how to subdue his enimies as sought his destruction. Thus with consultation preuenting his actions, he obteined fortunate successe, wherwith his hart was the more aduanced to ioine issue with his aduersaries, whome (rather than they should triumph ouer him) he was resolutelie minded to vanquish, if his procéedings might proue prosperous as his present good lucke.
The earle of Warwike followeth the king.
The earle of Warwike, calling himselfe lieutenant of England, vnder the pretensed authoritie of King Henrie, hoping that king Edward should haue much a doo to enter into London, marched foorth from Couentrie with all his puissance, following the king by Northhampton, in hope to haue some great aduantage to assaile him, speciallie if the Londoners kept him out of their citie, as he trusted they would; for then he accounted himselfe sure of the vpper hand: or if he were of them receiued, yet he hoped to find him vnprouided in celebrating the feast of Easter; and so by setting vpon him on the sudden, he doubted not by that meanes to distresse him. But king Edward, hauing intelligence of the earles intention, prouided all things necessarie for battell; & hearing that the earle of Warwike was now come vnto S. Albons with his armie, he determined to march foorth to incounter him before he should approch neere the citie.
Edw. Hall.
The earle of Warwike accompanied with Iohn duke of Excester, Edmund duke of Summerset, Iohn earle of Oxford, and Iohn Neuill marquesse Montacute his brother, vnderstanding that king Edward was not onelie receiued into London, but also had got king Henrie into his hands, perceiued that the triall of the matter must néeds be committed to the hazard of battell; and therefore being come to the towne of saint Albons, he rested there a while, partlie to refresh his souldiers, and partlie to take counsell how to procéed in his enterprise. At length, although he knew that his brother the marquesse Montacute was not fullie well persuaded with himselfe, to like of this quarell which they had in hand; yet the brotherlie affection betwixt them tooke awaie all suspicion from the earle, and so he vtterlie resolued to giue battell, meaning to trie whereto all this tumult would grow; and counting it a blemish to his honor, not to prosequute that with the sword, which he had solemnelie vowed to doo on his word.
Gladmore heath.
The ordering of the kings armie.
Hervpon remoued they towards Barnet, a towne standing in the midwaie betwixt London and saint Albons aloft on a hill; at the end whereof towards saint Albons there is a faire plaine for two armies to meet vpon, named Gladmore heath. On the further side of which plaine towards saint Albons the earle pight his campe. king Edward on the other part, being furnished with a mightie armie (hauing ioined to that power which he brought with him certeine new supplies) upon Easter euen the thirtéenth of Aprill in the after noone marched foorth, hauing his said armie diuided into foure battels. He tooke with him king Henrie, and came that euening vnto Barnet, ten small miles distant from London; in which towne his foreriders finding certeine of the earle of Warwikes foreriders, beat them out, & chased them somewhat further than halfe a mile from the towne, where, by an hedge side they found readie assembled a great number of the earle of Warwiks people.
K. Edward lodged before his enimies.
The king after this comming to Barnet, would not suffer a man to remaine in the towne (that were of his host) but commanded them all to the field, and with them drew toward his enimies, and lodged with his armie more neere to them than he was aware of, by reason it was darke, so as he could not well discerne where they were incamped, fortifieng the field the best he could for feare of some sudden inuasion. He tooke his ground not so euen afore them as he would haue doone, if he might haue discouered the place where they had lien; and by reason thereof he incamped somewhat aside slips of them, causing his people to kéepe as much silence as was possible, [least making anie noise with the busseling of their armour and weapons or otherwise with their toongs, the enimie might haue come to some knowledge of the kings priuie purpose, and so by preuention haue disappointed his policie by some prouident deuise; which bicause they wanted for the present time, it turned to their disaduantage; after the old prouerbe: