The lords for answer héerevnto said, that “they assembled their forces
togither, for the profit both of the king and realme, and speciallie to
take awaie from him such traitors as remained continuallie about him;
to wit, Robert de Veer duke of Ireland, Alexander Neuill archbishop of
Yorke, Michaell de la Poole erle of Suffolke, Robert Trisilian that
false iustice, and sir Nicholas Brambre, that disloiall knight of
London: for so they tearmed them all. And to prooue their accusations
true, they threw downe their gloues, protesting by their oths to
prosecute it by battell.” “Naie (saith the king) not so, but in the
next parlement, which we doo appoint before hand to begin the morrow
after the Purification of our ladie, both they and you appearing, shall
receiue (according to law) all that which reason shall appoint. And now
to you my lords I speake, by what meane or by what reason durst you so
presumptuouslie take vpon you within this my land to rise thus against
me? Did you thinke to feare me with such your presumptuous boldnesse?
Haue I not armed men sufficient to haue beaten you downe, compassed
about like a sort of deere in a toil? If I would: trulie in this
behalfe I make no more account of you, than of the vilest skullions in
my kitchen.”
[Sidenote: The king taketh both parties into his protection.
_Grafton._]
When he had said these words, with much more, he lift vp the duke
of Glocester that all this while knéeled afore him, and commanded
the residue to rise also. After this he led them courteouslie to his
chamber, where they sate and dranke togither. And finallie it was
concluded, that they should all méet togither againe at the next
parlement, and ech one to receiue according to iustice: and in the
meane time the king tooke aswell the duke of Glocester, as the duke of
Ireland into his protection, so that neither part in the meane time
should hurt the other, nor presume to make any gathering of people
vntill the time prefixed: and so this councell brake vp, and the lords
departed. These things yet were doone in absence of the forenamed
persons whom the lords accused, for they durst not appeare in presence
of the lords; for if they had béene espied, they had smarted for it,
as was thought, without any respect that would haue béene had of the
kings presence. And now, for somuch as it should be well knowne through
all the citie, that these lords had nothing offended him with their
comming, the king caused a proclamation to be made, the tenour whereof
was as followeth. |788|
A proclamation clearing the lords of treason.
RICHARD by the grace of God, &c. We will that it be knowne to all our
liege people throughout our realme of England, that whereas Thomas
duke of Glocester, Richard earle of Arundell, & Thomas earle of
Warwike, haue beene defamed of treason by certeine of our councellors;
we as it apperteineth diligentlie searching the ground & cause of this
defamation, find no such thing in them, nor any suspicion thereof:
wherfore we declare the same defamation to be false, and vntrue, and
doo receiue the same duke and earles into our speciall protection.
And bicause these accusers shall be notoriouslie knowne, their names
are Alexander archbishop of Yorke, sir Robert Veere duke of Ireland,
Michaell de la Poole earle of Suffolke, Robert Trisilian lord chiefe
iustice, and sir Nicholas Brambre of London knight, who in like
case shall remaine till the next parlement and there shall stand to
their answers. But in the meane time we likewise take them into our
protection, streictlie charging and commanding, that no maner of
person charge any of the forenamed, either priuilie or apertlie, in
word or deed, to hurt them, or or cause any hurt to be doone to them,
but all quarels & demands against them to be remitted, vntill the next
parlement prefixed.
Now to haue all things in more perfect readinesse and remembrance
when the estates should be assembled, certeine of the lords were
appointed to sit in the meane time, to deuise how they might procéed
orderlie in redresse of such matters, as séemed to require some spéedie
reformation: neither did they thinke it good to depart in sunder,
for feare to be intrapped through the malicious practise of their
aduersaries. Which doubt of theirs seemed afterwards to stand them in
stéed of great wisedome. For immediatlie after, their said aduersaries
came to the king, and declared how they were dailie in danger of their
liues, by reason of the malice which the lords had conceiued against
them onelie for the kings sake, and not for any matter of their owne.
And whereas the king had promised that they should appeare at the next
parlement, which was at hand, they told him plainelie that they neither
durst nor would put their bodies in such manifest danger. The king
considering hereof, withdrew himselfe from the companie of the lords
that were assigned to sit at London, to deliberate of matters that were
to be talked of and ordered in the parlement; and so that councell was
deferred and laid aside: and the kings councellors that stood in danger
of their liues through the malice of the lords confederated with the
duke of Glocester, got them from the court, and withdrew some into this
place and some into that.
[Sidenote: The earle of Suffolke fléeth ouer to Calis.
_Grafton._]
Among other the earle of Suffolke fled ouer vnto Calis in secret wise,
by the helpe of a knight called sir William Hoo, who holpe to conueie
him thither. He had changed his apparell, and shauen his beard, and
so disguised, counterfeited himself to be a poulter, and to sell
certeine foule which he had gotten, by which means he was not knowne,
till at length comming to the gates of the castell (wherof his brother
sir Edmund de la Poole was capteine) he discouered to him (scarselie
knowing who he was, by reason he was so disguised) the whole occasion
of his repairing thither, requiring him to keepe his counsell, and that
he might remaine with him in priuie maner for a time, till he might
heare more how things went in England, from whence he was thus fled,
to auoid the bloudie hands of his enimies, that sought his life. His
brother doubting what might be laid to his charge if he shuld conceale
this matter from the lord William Beauchampe lord deputie of the towne,
streightwaies aduertised him thereof, who tooke order that the earle
should foorthwith be sent backe againe into England to the king, who
receiued him with small thanks to them that brought him ouer, so that
(as some write) his brother being one, was committed to prison for
disclosing him. But yet bicause it should not séeme that he |789|
imprisoned him for that cause, he was shortlie after set at libertie,
and returned againe to his charge at Calis. The earle was also
permitted to go whither he would, although the king had vndertaken to
present him and others at the next parlement to answer their offenses,
as the same might be laid to their charge.
[Sidenote: A commission to the shiriffe of Cheshire to safe conduct the
duke of Ireland to the kings presence.]
¶ But here it may be doubted by the vncertentie of writers, whether
the earle of Suffolke thus fled ouer to Calis, before the iournie
at Ratcote bridge, or after. But whether it chanced either after or
before, it is certeine that since the time that the lords had forced
the king to promise to exhibit him and others at the next parlement
to abide their trials, he durst not openlie remaine in the court, but
taking leaue of the king departed from him. Whervpon the king being out
of quiet for the absence of him and other his best beloued councellors,
whom he so much esteemed, and namelie of the duke of Ireland, and the
said earle of Suffolke, he appointed one Thomas Molineux constable of
the castell of Chester, a man of high valiancie, and great power in
the parties of Cheshire and Lancashire to raise an armie of men, with
the assistance of the shiriffe of Cheshire, to whom his commission of
authoritie in that behalfe, vnder the great seale was directed, to the
end that they might conueie the duke of Ireland in all safetie vnto the
kings presence.
[Sidenote: The lords séeke to stop the passage of the duke of Ireland.]
The shiriffe hauing receiued this commission, togither with the
foresaid Thomas Molineux raised a power, and such as refused to serue,
in respect of such good will as they bare to the lords, he committed
to prison, commanding the gailors to kéepe them streict in irons with
bread and water till his returne. Moreuer, the king sent to sir Rafe
Vernon, & sir Richard Ratcliffe, willing them to assist the other. And
so thus they set forward with the number of fiue thousand men. When the
lords vnderstood that the duke of Ireland was marching towards London,
with such a power of men, meaning to ioine with the Londoners, and so
to make as it had beene an inuincible armie, they bestirred themselues,
and fell in hand to arme their men, and to exhort one another, that
now they should not be negligent in their owne defense, but make hast
for the dispatching of those that craftilie had gone about to conspire
their deaths. And so these lords, to wit, the duke of Glocester, the
earles of Derbie, Arundell, Warwike, and Notingham, assembled their
powers out of all quarters, to incounter with the duke of Ireland; and
when they had got their companies togither, they forelaid all the waies
by which he was thought to come.
[Sidenote: The duke of Ireland his souldiers reuolt frō him.
The duke of Ireland flieth frō his armie.
_Virg. Aeneid. 9._]
But the duke of Ireland hauing with him Molineux, Vernon, and
Ratcliffe, rode forward in statelie and glorious araie, with an armie
(as ye haue heard) of fiue thousand men, supposing that none durst come
foorth to withstand him. Neuerthelesse when he came to Ratcote bridge,
not past foure miles from Cheping Norton (which bridge if he could haue
passed, he had béene out of the danger of all enimies) he suddenlie
espied where the armie of the lords laie, not far distant from him,
readie in the midst of a vallie to abide his comming. Some of the earle
of Derbies companie had broken the bridge, & so stopped his passage.
He therefore perceiuing his enimies intention, staied, and caused
the kings banner to be spred, and began to set a good countenance of
the matter, and to exhort his people to shew themselues valiant; and
herewith caused the trumpets to sound. But when it appeared that as
some were readie to fight in his quarell, so there were other that
quite forsooke him, and said flatlie they would not fight against so
manie noble men, in so vniust a cause: he being thereof aduertised,
began to wax faint-harted, and to prepare himselfe to escape by
flight; and declaring no lesse openlie vnto them, said: “Before we
come to ioine, I will séeke to withdraw my selfe out of the waie, and
saue my selfe if I can; for me they onlie seeke, against you they
haue no quarell, so that I being shifted awaie, you shall easilie be
preserued.” Herewith one of the knights said to him; “You haue brought
vs out of our countrie, you haue procured vs to giue you our promise,
you haue caused vs to take this iournie in hand: here therefore are
we readie to fight & win the victorie with you, if our hap be such;
or if fortune will not so fauour us, we are readie to spend our liues
with you.” “No” said he, “ye shall not so doo,” and |790| forthwith
striking his horsse with spurs, he fled from them for feare which had
set wings on héeles, as one saith:
――pedibus timor addidit alas.
[Sidenote: Thomas Molineux slaine.]
Herevpon manie that were with him, cursing this his demeanour, prepared
to yeeld themselues to the lords. But Thomas Molineux determined
to fight it out, sith the lords were not yet all come togither to
that place, but onelie the earle of Derbie and certeine others.
Neuerthelesse, after he had fought a while, and perceiued it would
not auaile him to tarie longer, as one despairing of the victorie,
betooke him likewise to flight, as the duke of Ireland had led him the
waie: and plunging into the riuer, which was at hand, it chanced that
sir Thomas Mortimer being present amongst other at the same place,
willed him to come out of the water vnto him; for if he would not, he
threatened to shoot him through with arrowes in the riuer where he
stood. “If I come (said Molineux) will ye saue my life?” “I will make
thée no such promise (said sir Thomas Mortimer) but notwithstanding,
either come vp, or thou shalt presentlie die for it.” “Well then (said
Molineux) if there be no other remedie, suffer me to come vp, and let
me trie with hand-blowes, either with you or some other, and so die
like a man.” But as he came vp, the knight caught him by the helmet,
plucked it off his head, & streightwaies drawing foorth his dagger,
stroke him into the braines, and so dispatched him. This was the end
of sir Thomas Molineux, which through his bold and rash aduenture, in
a most dangerous and desperat case, he pulled vpon himselfe; and might
as well haue auoided as incurred, if the same prouident care of safetie
had taken him in the head that mooued the duke of Ireland to take
flight for his indemnitie: wherein he séemed to remember that there is
no safe attempting of any perilous enterprise without dread of danger:
for he that can tell when a thing is to be feared, can tell in like
sort when it is to be vndertaken; as the wiseman verie sententiouslie
saith:
Animus vereri qui scit, scit tutò aggredi.
[Sidenote: The duke of Ireland flieth into Holland.]
In the meane time, the duke of Ireland (as ye haue heard) séeking to
escape by flight, came to the riuers side; but finding the bridge
broken, he galoped till he found an other bridge, where he found a
number of archers readie to stop his passage. When he saw that he
was thus inclosed with his enimies on the one side, and the riuer of
Thames on the other, he thought to put all in aduenture; and casting
awaie his gantlets, and sword (to be the more nimble) gaue his horsse
the spurres, and lept into the riuer; but missing the foord, and not
able to land with his horsse on the further side, he forsooke him, and
swimming ouer so well as he might, got to the banke, and so escaped.
It was now night, and therefore his enimies hauing no knowledge of
the countrie, followed him not; but his horsse, helmet, curasses,
gantlets, and sword being found, it was thought verelie that he had
béene drowned. The next newes heard of him, was that he had passed
the seas, and was got into Holland, where he had no great freendlie
welcome, by reason that Albert duke of Bauiere, who was lord of that
countrie, bare such good will to his coosins of England, the dukes of
Lancaster, Yorke, and Glocester, that he commanded this duke of Ireland
to depart foorth of his countrie, as immediatlie therevpon he did, from
thence resorting to the bishoprike of Vtreict, and after into other
countries, till finallie he ended the course of his life, as after in
place conuenient shall appeare.
[Sidenote: Letters foūd in the duke of Irelands trunks.