=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.