The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 363
and ill led, and without horse or artillery, they came from tile west of England to the east, with.were with no great difficulty cut in pieces, and out mischief almost, or spoil of the country, did
put to flight. And for their three leaders, the somewhat mollify him, and move himl tocornpasLoid Audley, the blacksmith, and Flarnmock, as sion; or lastly, that he made a great difference
commonly the captains of commotions are but between people that did rebel upon wantonness,
half-couraged men, suffered themselves to be and them that did rebel upon want.
taken alive. The number stain on the rebels' After the Cornish men were defeated, there
part were some two thousand men; their army came from Calais to the king an honourable emamounting, as it is said, unto the number of six- bassage from the French king, which had arrived
teen thousand.'he rest were, in effect, all at Calais a month before, and there was stayed in
taken; for that the hill, as was said, was encom- respect of the troubles, but honourably entertained
passed with the king's forces round about. On and defrayed. The king, at their first coming,
the king's part, there died about three hundred, sent unto them, and prayed them to have patience,
most of them shot with arrows, which were re- till a little smoke, that was raised in his country,
ported to be of the length of a tailor's yard; so were over, which would soon be: slighting, as
strong and mighty a bow the Cornish men were his manner was, that openly, which nevertheless
said to draw. he intended seriously.
The victory thus obtained, the king created This embassage concerned no great affair, but
divers bannerets, as well upon Blackheath, where only the prolongation of days for payment of mohis lieutenant had won the field, whither he rode neys, and some other particulars of the frontiers.
in person to perform the said creation, as in St. And it was, indeed, but a wooing embassage,
George's Fields, where his own person had been with good respects to entertain the king in good
encamped. And for matter of liberality, he did, affection; but nothing was done or handled to the
by open edict, give the goods of all the prisoners derogation of the king's late treaty with the
unto those that had taken them; either to take Italians.
themrn in kind, or compound for them as they But during the time that the Cornish men were
could. After matter of honour and liberality, in their march towards London, the King of Scotfollowed matter of severity and execution. The land, well advertised of all that passed, and knowLord Audley was led from Newgate to Tower- ing himself sure of a war from England, whensoHill, in a paper coat painted with his own arms; ever those stirs were appeased, neglected not his
the arms reversed, the coat torn, and at Tower- opportunity; but thinliing the king had his hands
Hill beheaded. Flammock and the blacksmith full, entered the frontiers of England again with
were hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn; an army, and besieged the castle of Norham in
the blacksmith taking pleasure upon the hurdle, person, with part of his forces, sending the restto
as it seemeth by words that he uttered, to think forage the country. But Fox, Bishop of Duresme,
that he should be famous in after-times. The a wise man, and one that could see through the
king was once in mind to have sent down Flam- present to the future, doubting as much before.
mock and the blacksmith to have been executed had caused his castle of Norham to be strongly
in Cornwall, for the more terror; but being ad- fortified, and furnished with all kind of munition;
vertised that the country was yet unquiet and and had manned it likewise with a very great
boiling, he thought better not to irritate the number of tall soldiers, more than for the propo:people further. All the rest were pardoned by tion of the castle, reckoning rather upon a sharp
proclamation, and to take out their pardons under assault than a long siege. And for the country
seal, as many as would. So that, more than the likewise, he had caused the people to withdraw
blood drawn in the field, the king did satisfy their cattle and goods into fast places, that were
himself with the lives of only three offenders, not of easy approach; and sent in post to the
for the expiation of this great rebellion. Earl of Surrey, who was not far off, in Yorkshire,
It was a strange thingr to observe the variety to come in diligence to the succour. So as the
and inequality of the king's executions and par- Scottish king both failed of doing good upon the
dons; and a man would think it, at the first, a castle, and his men had but a catchingr harvest of
kind of lottery or chance. But, looking into it their spoils; and when he understood that the
more nearly, one shall find there was reason for Earl of Surrey was coming on with great forces,
it, much more, perhaps, than after so long a dis- he returned back into Scotland. The earl, findtance of time we can now discern. In the Kent- ing the castle freed, and the enemy retired, put
ish commotion, which was but a handful of men, sued with all celerity in Scotland, hoping to have
there were executed to the number of one hundred overtaken the Scottish king, and to have given
and fifty; but in this, so mighty a rebellion, but him battle; but, not attaining him in time, sat
three. Whether it were that the king put to ac- down before the castle of Ayton, one of the strongcount the men that were slain in the field, or that est places, then esteemed, between Berwick and
he was not willing to be severein apopularcause, Edinburgh, which in a small time he took. And
or that the harmless behaviour of this people, that soon after, the Scottish king retiring fartlher into