The duke of Summerset, and his brother the lord Iohn of Summerset led the fore-ward. The middle-ward was gouerned by the prince, vnder the conduct of the lord of saint Iohn, and the lord Wenlocke (whome king Edward had aduanced to the degrée of a baron.) The rere-ward was appointed to the rule of the earle of Deuonshire. Thus may yée perceiue, that king Edward was put to his shifts, how (to anie aduantage) to assault his enimies. Neuerthelesse, he being well furnished with great artillerie, the same was aptlie lodged to annoie the enimies, that they receiued great damage thereby; and the duke of Glocester, who lacked no policie, galled them gréeuouslie with the shot of arrowes: and they rewarded their aduersaries home againe with like paiment, both with shot of arrowes, and great artillerie, although they had not the like plentie of guns as the king had. The passages were so cumbersome, that it was not possible to come vpon anie euen hand, to ioine at handblowes.
The duke of Summerset.
The duke of Glocester, vpon a politike purpose (as some haue written) reculed backe with all his companie, which when the duke of Summerset perceiued, either mooued therewith, or else bicause he was too sore annoied with the shot in that place where he and his fore-ward stood, like a knight more couragious than circumspect, came out of his strength with his whole battell, and aduanced himselfe somewhat aside slips the kings voward, and by certeine passages aforehand, and for that purpose prouided (to the kings part, although vnknowne) he passed a lane, and came into a faire open close right before the king, where he was imbattelled, not doubting but the prince and the lord Wenlocke, with the midle-ward, had followed iust at his backe. But whether the lord Wenlocke dissembled the matter for king Edwards sake, or whether his hart serued him not, still he stood, and gaue the looking on.
Edw. Hall.
The politike foresight of the king.
The king, or (as other haue) the duke of Glocester, taking the aduantage that he aduentured for, turned againe face to face vnto the duke of Summerset his battell, and winning the hedge and ditch of him, entred the close, and with great violence put him and his people vp towards the hill from whence they were decended. Héere is to be noted, that when the king was come before his enimies, yer he gaue the onset, he perceiued that vpon the right hand of their campe there was a parke, and much store of wood growing therein; and doubting least his aduersaries had laid an ambush within that wood, he chose foorth of his companies two hundred speares, commanding them to kéepe a stale, like a quarter of a mile from the field, to attend vpon that corner of the wood out of the which the ambush, if anie were, was to issue, and to incounter with them, as occasion serued: but if they perceiued that there was no ambush at all, then to imploie their seruice as they should see it expedient and behouefull for the time.
The vātgard of the lords distressed.
This politike prouision for danger that might haue insued (although there was none that waie foorth) serued yet before the end of the battell, to great good purpose. For when those speares perfectlie vnderstood that there was no ambush within the wood, and withall saw conuenient time to imploie themselues, they came and brake with full randon vpon the duke of Summerset and his voward a flanke, in so violent wise vpon the sudden, that where they had before inough to doo with those with whom they were first matched, now with this new charge giuen on them by those two hundred speares, they were not a little dismaied; and to conclude, so discouraged, that streightwaie they tooke them to flight. Some fled into the parke, other into the meadow there at hand, some into the lanes, & some hid them in ditches, each one making what shift he could, by the which he hoped best to escape: but manie neuerthelesse were beaten downe, slaine, and taken prisoners.
A terrible stroke.