way which he looked not for To goe forward hee was yet too weake the King being so strong and enabled which irresolution made the Poet cry out Non satis est muris latebras quaesisse pauori And againe facilis sed vertere mentes Terror erat dubiamque fidem fortuna ferebat At last remembring that audaces fortunâ— iuuat and the aduentures of warre are not alwaies bound to numbers and multitude For King Henry himselfe had not two yeeres before with a small power vanquished King Richard and his mightie armie he absolutely determined to trie the fortune of a battell and encounter with his aduersaries who not onely expected the like as being in the same forwardnesse and resolution but determined to rouâ—e them in despight of anie protraction in what den or place soeuer they meant to obscure themselues whereupon he marched from Yorke to Newarck vpon Trent presuming the King to bee two or three daies iourney from him and so he was sure not to lose by the bargaine But before hee came thither King Henry was in his bosome as vnderstanding his egresse regresse and progresses which he vndertooke and when he came there was ready to flie in his face For hee settled himselfe the night before the battell approaching within three miles of the contrary The valiant and ouer-hardy Earle of Lincolne nothing terrified at the matter but rather duro adâ—isit gaudia vâ—ltu And came forward apace yet not in anie ouer-daring manner but vnstartled in his resolutions retained his accustomed grauity and verie neere the Kings armie at a village called Stoke quartred his forces and tooke vp the field with resolution the next day to call Fortune to the deciding of the controuersie The King likewise prepared himselfe and only acquainting the companie with matters of necessity in an equall and plaine field diuided the troops and darraigned the battalions To tell you of any signes wonders prodegies prophesies dreames deuises forewarnings or portentous accidents making sometimes a cause either good or bad would spend time to lose time and procure small thankes in the paines For the superstitious and ignorant would bee angrie at the opposition and repugnancy and the truely religious offended at the vanity and superfluity as abhorring the participation of diuine power to Men Deuills or Angells To enlarge my discourse concerning militarie proceedings of entrenchings fortifications encounters diuisions of squadrons ordring the companies setting forward the forces would preuent me from a fitter and more opportune occasion heereafter To discourse of the Captaines the Souldiers encouragements the Earle of Lincolnes orations the Kings forcible and gracious speech the intimation of the imposture and discouery of the treasons at large were to prolong the history without further profit then a poore inuention which would questionlesse extenuate the worthinesse of the businesse therefore I desist from all extraneall and superfluous discourses and apply my selfe to a more succinct enarration of the matter When the field was fully and orderly agreed vpon the precize Earle as if hee would amate the King with a kinde of precedency set forth the Vauâ—tguard of his armie and with a manly courage onely animated the Souldiers that day to remember his honour the Kings safety and their owne liues and liberties and so gaue a signe to the battell whereat the Irish began their accustomed cry or if you will Lullal lullo which neither affrighted nor troubled the English on the contrary side but ministred occasion rather to laugh at The Germanes perceiuing the skirmishes and violent meetings of these warlike bodies contrary to their vsuall keeping of their stands and close fights set vpon the Kings Vauntguard and as they were approoued and expert men in many encounters so did they for the time in all things as well as strength and policy could execute equalling and answering the English man to man or battell to battell and for the Generalls had the Earle of Lincolne beene as nimble and deliuer as he was vigilant valiant and wary he might well haue paralleld the best of his aduersaries But to decipher and truely to speake of Martin Swart I shall much disable his worthinesse and merit For he was heroike in spirit strong in heart and of great ability in body expert experienced and failing in nothing but his fortune Eor when the Irish being most of them as I sayd vnarmed were put by their light manner of skirmishing a farre off and charged with strong horses on the Flancks and as strong bodies of pikes in the Front to which you may adde the cunning of the Kings artillery and violence of the arrowes which fell downe like haile vpon these poore and naked soules they knew no way of resisting or retiring but were subiect to a terrible encounter and slaughter And although they held out a while as long as an equall met man-hood protracted the victory yet were they so pressed and oppressed that they quickly yeelded and shrunke vnder the stroakes of a mightier arme Againe the Kings Foreward being full of companie and well furnished continually supplied with Wings and Archers wonderfully encouraged with the high deseruing of the Commanders at last brake the bodie of the Almaines and scattered their company with a lamentable discomfiture yet I must needes say they were first more terrified to see the Irish killed so confusedly then exanimated with their owne disasters What should I report it is with staggering troops and dispersed companies as with a man falling downe a paire of staires who neuer leaues tumbling till he come to the bottome so these yeelded to the fortune of a defeat without recouery and onely met honor in the way to a glorious death Therfore I will stand the lesse on descriptions For neuer was a victorie so soon gotten nor a busines more quickly ended many being slain many taken prisoners many hurt and few or none escaped the cheefest reason because the Lord Louell the Earle of Lincolne other Commanders desperate of mercy or reconciliation wondring at the valiant Germans man-hood and exploits ioyned with him in a new aduenture cried alowd We will die with thee noble hart for thou art worthy to liue with Kings die with Princes yea to be buried in the fields of euerlasting renowne so they were as good as their words For after men and manhood had acted their parts on this bloâ—dy stage of fury and slaughter they were all found dead in the field that is to say the Lord Martin Swart or if you will Sward the Earle of Lincolne the Lord Geraldiâ—e the Lord Louell Sr. Th Broughton with the most part of the Commanders and fiue thousand Souldiers The report was that the Lord Louell tooke his horse and would haue fled ouer Trent but not able to recouer the highnesse oâ— the bancks he was drowned in the riuer some also maintaine that the King out of the generosity of his spirit commanded that none should kill or hurt the
of these hurliburlies came ouer Embassadours from the French King who must be answered he grew somewhat perplexed againe till shaking off all the hindrances of his amasement he fell to practise and orderly performances Whereupon he called his Councel together they without any great difficulty determined the busines in this manner To attend vpon the Scots Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey a puissant and politike Captain prisoner at the ouerthrow of King Rich. the 3. and within two yeares set at liberty and after Iohn Lord Dinham made high treasurer of England was appointed to muster the forces of the Countie Palatine of Durham the borders round about so atteÌ„d that seruice To represse the Western Rebels the Lord Dawbney with his whole power prepared for Scotland was recalled to march against theÌ„ wheresoeuer they encamped to look vnto France Calice and Guisnes with the Garisons were much augmented and prouided for To preuent Flaunders the Nauy was prepared the Staples for the Merchants setled To keep Warbeck from comming into England ioining with the Rebels the whole nobility combined themselues especially the earle of Essex Lord Montioy who came of purpose to London to offer their seruice to his Maiesty so all places were looked vntâ— with a vigilant eye manned with strength of soldiers and to answere the Embassadors of Charles the French King he sent honourable persons to receiue them and conueigh them to Douer and there a while to detaine them till some of these tumults and rebellions were extinguished and suppressed which indeed was so wisely and politikely handled that none of the Embassadors were troubled so much as with the rumors of these commotions But see the horror of despight and with what a contracted brow misfortune can looke vpon Kings themselues so that a man may well say to this Rebellion as Ouid did to Cupido in his first booke of Elegies Sunt tibi magna puer nimiumque potentia regna Cur opus affectas ambitiose nouum For as these Rebels and Cornish men departed from Wels they entertained for their chiefe Captaine Iames Twichet Lord Audley whose countenance and authoritie in the Countrie strengthened them much For by this occasion they went without intermission to Salsbury and so to Winchester and from thence into Kent hoping for further and further assistance but they were deceiued in their expectation For the Earle of Kent George Lord Aburgaueâ—y Iohn Brooke Lord Cobham Sir Edward Poinings Sir Richard Guilford Sir Thomas Burchier Sir Iohn Pechy William Scot and many others with a well mustred army were not only ready to defend their Countrie from al mischiefe and destruction but determined to offend them in their facinorous attempts and preiudiciall intrusion which loialtie somewhat rebated the forwardnesse of the Cornish-men and they began to suspect themselues being so farre from their Countrie and remote from any supply Notwithstanding loth to disâ—earten their spirits with any depressing humor they cast away all doubts and presuming on their owne strength and forces as also animated by their leaders and conductors they were now asmuch exasperated against the Kentish-men for deceiuing their assistance as against the King for vsurping their liberty swearing reuenge against both In which â—age and heat of repining they came as farre as Black-Heath within foure mile of London and tooke a field in an arrogant ouer-daring manner on the top of an hill supposing all things consortable to their arrogancy and deceiuable hopes because as yet they passed and repassed without fighting or strong encounters But alas Blanditiae Comites tibi erunt terrórque furorque and they were abused with a vale of ignorance and couering of obstinacy For the King disposed of his affaires with great policie and circumspection not determining to giue them battaile or exagitate them at all till he had them farre from their proper dwellings and flattering friends till they were in despaire of reliefe and wearied with long and tedious iournies till their treasure was spent their vitaile consumed and prouision failing till their company dropped from them like rotten hangings on a moistned wall and their whole designes and expectation quite disanulled and then when he imagined their soules vexed with the terror of a guiltie conscience their fury asswaged with compunction and penitency their spirits daunted with repentance and remorse and all their army affrighted with madnesse and doubtfull extacies would he set vpon them and in some conuenient place circumuent and inuiron them to his owne best aduantage and their irrecouerable damage and destruction As for the Citie of London I cannot but remember and compare it vnto Rome both when Hannibal passed the Alpes to threaten the Monarchy being yet farre off himselfe and also Marius and Silla couered her fields with armed men and trampled on the bosome of their Countrie with ambitious steps and cruell feet of vsurpation then spake the Poet in this manner Quoties Romam fortuna lacessit Hâ—c iter est bellis gomitu â—ic quisque latenti Non aufuâ—timuisse palam Vox nulla dolori Credita There was chaining the streetes shutting vp the shops making strong the gates doubling the watches hiding their treasure cries feares terrors and euery one more disturbed for the losse of his priuat goods then the encuÌ„brances of the Common-wealth Here was mustering of soldiers watching all day in armor staccadoing the riuer filling the streets with companies of horse and foot cutting down the Bridge locking vp their dores shutting the Gates and what else named before to be put in practise with aduantage of many peeces of ordnance both in Southwarke and the Suburbs and the strength of the Tower which they knew was reserued for the King himselfe Notwithstanding such was the instabilitie of the Citizens being a little disturbed from their quietnesse and rest their dainties and ease their banquetings and meetings their feasts and sumptuousnesse their pastimes and pleasures that they rather complained on the King and his Councell for the first occasion of these tumults then exprobrated the rebell for ingratitude and disobedience But the King without further disputing against their peeuishnesse or laying open the abuses of such refractary people deliuered them of this feare For he presently sent Iohn Earle of Oxford Henry Burchier Earle of Essex Edmond de la Poole Earle of Suffolke Sir Rice ap Thomas Humphrey Stanley and other worthy martiall men with a company of Archers and horsemen to enuiron the Hill where the Rebels were encamped round about Him-selfe with the maine battaile and forces of the Citie much ordnance and great prouision tooke St. Georges field where on a Friday at night he quartred himselfe and on the Saterday very early in the morning he poasted Lord Dawbney to Dertford who by breake of day gat the bridge of the Strand in despight of resisters which manfully defended it a while shooting arrowes a full yard long and demeaning themselues like scholerly and eloquent
Orators pleading for the time in a bad cause with good words and handling an ill matter too-too well From thence he went couragiously against the whole company and what with the former Earles assaulting them on the one side and his owne charges on the other side as knowing how the Kings businesse stood to make an end of the warre the battaile began apace and not a man but prepared himselfe to fight it out till at last the Lord Dawbney engaged himselfe so farre that he was taken prisoner but whether for feare or through his owne wit and pollicie they quickly released him and he as quickly dispatched the matter and made an end of the warre For he put them all to flight so that a man may well say vnto them Via nulla saâ—utis Non fuga non virtus vix spes quoque mortis honestae and I may truely report of the contrary neuer was a battaile so well fought and so quickly determined For before the King was ready to goe to dinner there were slaine two thousand Rebels and many more taken prisoners the rest hardly escaped home who for all their defeature and vncomfortable newes to the people were rather accelerated to reuenge their companions wrongs then exanimated from further attempts or seemed grieued at the King and Countries molestation shewing sad lookes but stomachous hearts and so remained intoxicated in their braines and ready vpon euery occasion to a new rebellion as you shall heare hereafter When this battaile was ended and so delicately contriued for the King lost not aboue foure hundred men some imputed it to the Kings policy who appointing the same on Monday by way of anticipation fell vpon them on Saterday and so taking them somewhat vnprouided had the fortune to preuaile and thriue in his aduantage Such as were taken and apprehended had their pardon except the principall and fire-brands of the mischiefe For the Lord Audeley was drawne from Newgate to the Tower-Hill in a Coat of his owne armes painted vpon paper reuersed and all to torne and there beheaded the 28. of Iune Thomas Flamoch and Michael Ioseph were executed after the order of Traitors and their quarters sent into Cornwall for the terrifying of the people some were dispatched at sundry Townes as they deserued amongst whom the Smith and diuers others of his immodest friends had no excuse to make for this rebellion but whether they preuailed or no they were sure to be registred to eternity for daring to doe somewhat in behalfe of their Countries liberty and bidding battaile to Kings and Princes at their Pallace Gates and before the Citie Wals euen London it selfe that great Citie the Chamber for their treasury and strength of their roialtie which makes me remember a saying of Lucan Sed me velsola tueri Fama potest rerum toto quas gessimus orbe Et nomen quod mundus amat And in another place Quid plura feram tum nomina tanto Inuenies operi vel famam consule mundi and this was the end of the twelfth yeare In this time you must know that the King of Scots lay not idle but meerely vpon supposition of what would follow prepareth himselfe nor was so ill befriended but he had secret intelligences of all King Henries purposes and intendments whereupon he enlarged his Army barracadoed his passages entrenched and fortified the holds kept good Watch and Ward and stood on the pinacles of a high presumption to encounter with the proudest forces of England yea to giue defiance if need were to the King himselfe Notwithstanding he now lay a while only at defence watching with what warde the English would breake vpon him and wondring at my Lord Dawbneis retraction and why he came not forward as his espials had aduertised but when he vnderstood of the Westerne rebellion he then coniectured the truth and a while reposed himselfe till a Messenger of these Westerne men came vnto Perkin and profered their obedience and endeuours if he would come and ioine his Army with theirs and so as their Prince and Captaine reuenge there wrongs this was motioned to King Ieames who for all he confessed that if they would ioine with the Cornish men there might be a gate open indeed to preuaile and walke in the fields of Victorie yet he would by no meanes aduenture his people so farre and confessed plainly he wanted ships for transporting so great an Army into those parts Only because he would be doing to please the supposed Prince he meant to take this opportunitie of the King of Englands disturbance and once againe aduenture into his territories and so with a sufficient preparation he attempted the Castle of Norrham standing vpon the Riuer of Twede deuiding Scotland and England But Richard Fox Bishop of Durham a man of great learning courage experience and fidelitie suspecting as much had well stored and fortified the same and was in it with such power munition and prouision as he was able to raise sending the King word of the siedge and inuiting the Earle of Surrey to come to his reskue with all expedition The Earle was mustering of men in Yorke-shire when this newes extended it selfe and like a worthy seruitor hastned his iourney the rather and so with twelue Earles and Barons of the North Countrie one hundred Knights and Gentlemen of name and twentie thousand Soldiers well ordered and armed he came to raise the siedge in which this braue Prelate was so engaged Besides he furnished a hansome Nauy at Sea whereof the Lord Brooke was Admirall to giue their attendance whatsoeuer should chance But when the King of Scots and his counterfet Duke of Yorke had full and certaine notice of the Earle of Surreis approach and that the Lord Dawbenies army was also integrat and vnbroken yea ready to march forward as a second to the former they thought it better to retire with securitie then to tarry the aduenture with certeinty of losse if not hazzard both of life and honour and so by a voluntary consent they raised their campe and returned vnder colour of commiseration of the people whom they knew in the best war must be subiected to slaughter or captiuitie and to this purpose they could yield a reason out of our Poet to certain spirits that wondred at their affrightings and drawings back seeing no perill apparant nor hearing of any stedfast reports concerning a more forcible enemie and so calling for a book reading to them this leâ—â—on of satisfaction Potuit tibi Vulnere nullo Stare labor belli potuit fine caede subactum Captiuumque ducem violatae tradere paci Quiâ— furor â— Coeci scelerum Ciuilia bella Gesturimetuunt ne non cum sanguine vincant This answere of the Kings did rather harme then good to poore Perkin For they perceiued the King was weary of this warre and loth to take his part any longer and so they rested a while displeasingly pleased But the truth was the