Thus euerie man being bent to battell, gathered his power by himselfe, first in Summersetshire, Dorsetshire, and part of Wiltshire, and after in Deuonshire and Cornewall. For the better incouraging of which countries to ioine with them in their quarrell, they repaired to Excester. Here they sent for sir Iohn Arundell, and sir Hugh Courtenie, and manie other in whom they had anie confidence. To be short, they wrought so, that they raised the whole powers of Cornewall and Deuonshire, and with a great armie departing foorth of Excester, they tooke the right waie to Glastenburie, and from thence to Bath, raising the people in all parts where they came: for those countries had bene so laboured, first by the earle of Warwike, and after by the duke of Summerset, and the earle of Deuonshire (which two noble men were reckoned as old inheritors of the same countries) that the people séemed there greatlie inclined to the fauor of king Henrie.
K. Edward setteth forward against his enimies.
King Edward, being at London, was dailie aduertised by faithfull espials of all the dooings of his aduersaries, and was in no small agonie, bicause he could not learne what waie his enimies ment to take; for he purposed to incounter them in one place or other before they should approch neere to London. And vpon such resolution, with such an armie as he had got about London, furnished with all artillerie and other prouisions necessarie, he set forward the nintéenth of Aprill, and came to Windsor, where he staied a season, as well to celebrate the feast of saint George, as to abide the comming of such bands as he had appointed to repaire thither vnto him, making there his generall assemblie.
The enimies to masker him the more, sent foorth their foreriders vnto sundrie townes, both aswell to raise people in the countries about, as to make the king beléeue that their purpose was to passe those waies, where they ment not once to come. And herevpon when they departed from Excester, they sent first their foreriders streight to Shaftesburie, and after to Salisburie, and then they tooke the streight waie to Taunton, Glastenburie, and after to Wels, where houering about in the countrie, they sent another time their foreriders to a towne called Yuell, and to Bruton, as if their meaning had béene to draw towards Reading, and so through Barkeshire, and Oxfordshire to haue marched streight to London, or else to haue set vpon the king at some aduantage, if it were offered.
But king Edward, considering aduisedlie of the matter, perceiued well that they being in an angle of the realme, if they ment to go to London, they must either hold the streight waie foorth by Salisburie, or else drawing vp to the sea side, passe alongst through Hampshire, Sussex and Kent; or happilie if they mistrusted their owne strengths, as not able to match with his puissance, they would then slip on the left hand, and draw towards Chesshire, and Lancashire, there to increase their forces, and peraduenture by the waie to ioine with a power of Welshmen, vnder the leading of Iasper earle of Penbroke, who had béene sent into Wales long afore, to frame and put in a readines the people there to asist king Henries friends at their comming thitherwards. And such was their purpose in deed, for they had great confidence in such aid, as they trusted to haue of the Chesshire and Lancashire men.
King Edward, meaning to approch néerer vnto them, that he might the sooner make waie to stop them of their passage, on which hand soeuer they drew, departed from Windesore the morrow after saint Georges day, being the foure and twentith day of Aprill, kéeping foorth his iournie, till on saturdaie the twentie and seuenth of Aprill he came to Abington, where he laie sundaie all daie. On mondaie he marched forward to Chichester, where he had sure aduertisement, that they intended to be at Bath the next daie being tuesdaie, and on wednesdaie to come forward to giue him battell. Wherevpon king Edward, desirous to sée his people in order of battell, drew them foorth of the towne, and incamped in the field three miles distant from thence, still busieng himselfe about his necessarie affaires affording no time to idlenesse or loitering: for he knew that there was no waie more expedite and readie to tire him in trauell, than to be giuen to negligence and slouth, the two weariers of well dooing, as the old saieng is:
Desidia pressus erit in studio citó fessus.
Sudburie. hill.
On the morrow, hearing no certeintie of their comming forward, he marched to Malmesburie, still seeking to incounter them: but héere he had knowledge, that they hauing changed their purpose, meant not to giue him battell; and therefore were turned aside, and gone to Bristow, where they were receiued, reléeued and well refreshed by such as fauoured their cause, as well with vittels, men, and monie, as good store of artillerie. Wherevpon they were so incouraged, that the thursdaie after they tooke the field againe, purposing to giue king Edward battell indéed; and for the same intent had sent their foreriders to a towne, distant from Bristow nine miles, called Sudburie, appointing a ground for their field, a mile from the same towne, toward the kings campe, called Sudburie hill.