York and Lancaster, 1399-1485

by Unknown

THE ARRIVAL OF EDWARD IV. (1471).

Source.—Chronicles of the White Rose, pp. 37, 38, 50, 51. (Bohn, London: 1845.)

The same night following upon the morn, Wednesday and Thursday, the 14th day of March fell great storms, winds and tempests upon the sea, so that the said 14th day, in great torment, he came to Humber Head, where the other ships were dissevered from him, and every from other, so that of necessity they were driven to land, every one far from the other. The King, with his ship alone, wherein was the Lord Hastings, his Chamberlain, and others to the number of five hundred well chosen men, landed within Humber on Holderness side at a place called Ravenspurne. The King's brother, Richard Duke of Gloucester, and in his company three hundred men landed at another place, four miles from thence. The Earl Rivers, and the fellowship being in his company, to the number of two hundred, landed at a place called Powle, fourteen miles from whence the King landed, and the remainder of the fellowship where they might best get land. That night the King was lodged at a poor village two miles from his landing, with a few with him; but that night, and in the morning, the residue that were coming in his ship, the rage of the tempest somewhat appeased, landed, and alway drew towards the King.

... The King at that time being at Warwick, and understanding his near approaching, upon an afternoon issued out of Warwick, with all his fellowship, by the space of three miles, into a fair field towards Banbury, where he saw the Duke [of Clarence], his brother, in fair array come towards him, with a great fellowship. And when they were together within less than half a mile, the King set his people in array, the banners displayed, and left them standing still, taking with him his brother of Gloucester, the Lord Rivers, Lord Hastings, and a few others, and went towards his brother of Clarence. And in like wise the Duke for his part, taking with him a few noblemen, and leaving his host in good order, departed from them towards the King. And so they met betwixt both hosts, where there was right kind and loving language betwixt them two, with perfect accord knit together for ever hereafter, with as heartily loving cheer and countenance as might be betwixt two brethren of so great nobility and estate.

THE BATTLE OF BARNET AND THE DEATH OF WARWICK (1471).

Source.—Chronicles of the White Rose, pp. 63-68. (Bohn, London: 1845).

On the morrow, betimes, the King, understanding that the day approached near, betwixt four and five of the clock, notwithstanding there was a great mist, and hindered the sight of each other, yet he committed his cause and quarrel to Almighty God, advanced his banners, did blow on trumpets, and set upon them, first with shot, and then, and soon, they joined and came to hand-strokes, wherein his enemies manly and courageously received them, as well in shot as in hand-strokes, when they joined; which joining of their both battles (armies) was not directly front to front, as they so should have joined, had it not been for the mist, which suffered neither party to see the other, but for a little space; and that of likelihood caused the battle to be the more cruel and mortal; for so it was that the one end of their battle overreached the end of the King's battle, and so at that end they were much mightier than was the King's battle at the same end, that joined with them, which was the west end, and therefore, upon that part of the King's battle they had a greater distress upon the King's party; wherefore many fled towards Barnet, and so forth to London, ere ever they left off; and they (the Earl's party) fell into the chase of them and did much harm. But the other parties, and the residue of neither battle, might see that distress, neither the fleeing, nor the chase, because of the great mist that was, which would not suffer any man to see but a little from him; and so the King's battle, which saw none of all that, was thereby in nothing discouraged, for, save only a few that were near unto them, no man wist thereof; also the other party by the same distress, flight, or chase, were therefore the greater encouraged. And in likewise at the east end, the King's battle, when they came to joining, overreached their battle, and so distressed them there greatly, and so drew near towards the King, who was about the midst of the battle, and sustained all the might and weight thereof. Nevertheless upon the same little distress at the west end, anon ran the news to Westminster, and to London, and so further to other countries, that the King was distressed, and his field lost; but the laud be to Almighty God! it was otherwise; for the King, trusting verily in God's help, our blessed Lady's and Saint George, took to him great hardiness and courage, for to suppress the falsehood of all them that so falsely and so traitorously had conspired against him, wherethrough, with the faithful, well-beloved, and mighty assistance of his fellowship, that in great number dissevered not from his person, and were as well assured unto him as to them was possible, he manly, vigorously, and valiantly, assailed them in the midst and strongest of their battle, where he, with great violence, beat and bare down before him all that stood in his way, and then turned to the range, first on that hand, and then on that other hand, in length, and so beat and bare them down, so that nothing might stand in the sight of him, and the well assured fellowship that attended truly upon him; so that, blessed be God! he won the field there, and the perfect victory remained unto him, and to his rebels the discomfiture of thirty thousand men, as they numbered themselves. In this battle was slain the Earl of Warwick....

On the morrow after, the King commanded that the bodies of the dead lords, the Earl of Warwick, and his brother, the Marquis, should be brought to St. Paul's in London, and, in the church there, openly shewed to all the people; to the intent that after that the people should not be abused by feigned seditious tales, which many of them, that were wont to be towards the Earl of Warwick, had been accustomed to make; and, peradventure, so would have made after that, had not the dead bodies there been shewed, open and naked and well known; for, doubtless, else the rumour should have been sown about in all countries that they both, or else at the least, the Earl of Warwick was yet alive, upon the cursed intent thereby to have caused new murmurs, insurrections and rebellions amongst indisposed people.