The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

321 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII.
journey hinself towards Suffolk and Norfolk for there where the Lord Lovel had so lately disbandthe confirming of those parts. And being come ed, and where the king's presence had a little
to St. Edmond's-Bury, he understood that Tho- before qualified discontents. The Earl of Linmas, Marquis Dorset, who had been one of the coln, deceived of his hopes of the country's conpledges in France, was hasting towards him, to course unto him, in which case he would have
purge himself of some accusations which had been temporised, and seeing the business past retract,
made against him. But the king, though he kept resolved to make on where the king was, and to
an ear for him, yet was the time so doubtful, that give him battle; and thereupon marched towards
he sent the Earl of Oxford to meet him, and forth- Newark, thinking to have surprised the town.
with to carry him to the Tower; with a fair mes- But the king was somewhat before this time come
sage, nevertheless, that he should bear that dis- to Nottingham, where he called a council of war,
grace with patience, for that the king meant not at which was consulted whether it were best to
his hurt, but only to preserve him from doing hurt, protract time, or speedily to set upon the rebels.
either to the king's service, or to himself: and that In which council the king himself, whose continthe king should always be able, when he had clear- ual vigilancy did suck in sometimes causeless
ed himself, to make him reparation. suspicions which few else knew, inclined to the
From St. Edmond's-Bury he went to Norwich, accelerating a battle, but this was presently put
where he kept his Christmas: and from thence he out of doubt by the great aids that came in to
went, in a manner of pilgrimage, to Walsingham, him in the instant of this consultation, partly upon
where he visited our lady's church, famous for mi- missives and partly voluntaries, from many parts
racles, and made his prayers and vows for help of the kingdom.
and deliverance: and from thence he returned by The principal persons that came then to the
Cambridge to London. Not long after the rebels, king's aid were, the Earl of Shrewsbury and the
with their king, under the leading of the Earl of Lord Strange, of the nobility; and of knights and
Lincoln, the Earl of Kildare, the Lord Lovel, and gentlemen, to the number of at least threescore
Colonel Swart, landed at Fouldrey, in Lanca- and ten persons, with their companies; makingy
shire; whither there repaired to them Sir Thomas in the whole, at the least, six thousand fighting
Broughton, with some small company of English. men, besides the forces that were with the kingr
The king, by that time, knowing now the stormn before. Whereupon the king, finding his army
would not divide, but fall in one place, had levied so bravely reinforced, and a great alacrity in all
forces in good number; and in person, taking with his men to fight, was confirmed in his former rehimn his two designed generals, the Duke of Bed- solution, and marched speedily, so as he put himford, and the Earl of Oxford, was come on his way self between the enemies' camp and Newark, betowards them as far as Coventry, whence he sent ing loath their army should get the commodity of
forth a troop of light horsemen for discovery, and that town. The earl, nothing dismayed, came forto intercept some stragglers of the enemies, by wards that day unto a little village called Stoke,
whom he might the better understand the particu- and there encamped that night, upon the brow or
lars of their progress and purposes, which was hanging of a hill. The king the next day presentaccordingly done; though the king otherwise ed him battle upon the plain, the fields there bewas not without intelligence from espials in the ing open and chamnpain. The earl courageously
canmp. came down and joined battle with him. ConcernThe rebels took their way toward York, with- ing which battle the relations that are left unto
out spoiling the country, or any act of hostility, us are so naked and negligent, though it be an acthe better to put themselves into favour of the peo- tion of so recent memory, as they rather declare
pie and to personate their king; who, no doubt, the success of the day than the manner of the fight.
out of a princely feeling, was sparing and compas- They say that the king divided his army into
sionate towards his subjects: but their snow-ball three battails; whereof the vanguard only, well
did not gather as it went, for the people came not strengthened with wings, came to fight: that the
in to them; neither did any rise or declare them- fight was fierce and obstinate, and lasted three
selves in other parts of the kingdom for them: hours, before the victory inclined either way;
which was caused partly by the good taste that save that judgment might be made by that the
the king had given his people of his government, king's vanguard of itself maintained fight against
joined with the reputation of his felicity; and partly the whole power of the enemies, (the other
for that it was an odious thing the people of Eng- two battails remaining out of action,) what the
land to have a king brought in to them upon the success was like to be in the end: that Martin
shoulders of Irish and Dutch, of which their army Swart with his Germans performed bravely, and
was in substance compounded. Neither was it so did those few English that were on that side:
a thing done with any great judgment on the party neither did the Irish fail courage or fierceness;
of the rebels, for them to take their way towards but being almost naked men, only armed with
York: considering that howsoever those parts had darts and skeins, it was rather an execution than
formerly been a nursery of their friends, yet it was I a fight upon them; insomuch as the furious slaugh