Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 The shiriffe hauing receiued this commission, to|gither 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. More|uer, the king sent to sir Rafe Uernon, & sir Richard Ratcliffe, willing them to assist the other. And so thus they set forward with the number of fiue thousand men.The lords seeke to stop the passage of the duke of Ireland. When the lords vnderstood that the duke of Ire|land was marching towards London, with such a power of men, meaning to ioine with the Londo|ners, and so to make as it had beene an inuincible ar|mie, 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 craf|tilie 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, as|sembled their powers out of all quarters, to incoun|ter with the duke of Ireland; and when they had got their companies togither, they forelaied all the waies by which he was thought to come.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But the duke of Ireland hauing with him Moli|neux, Uernon, 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 di|stant from him, readie in the midst of a vallie to a|bide his comming. Some of the earle of Derbies companie had broken the bridge, & so stopped his pas|sage. 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,The duke of Ireland his souldiers re|uolt frõ him. so there were other that quite forsooke him, and said flatlie they would not fight against so ma|nie 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 o|penlie 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 a|waie, 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 vs,The duke of Ireland flieth frõ his armie. we are readie to spend our liues with you.No said he, ye shall not so doo, and forthwith striking his horsse with spurs, he fled from them for feare which had set wings on his héeles, as one saith:
Virg. Aeneid. 9. —pedibus timor addidit alas.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 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 togi|ther 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 Moli|neux) will ye saue my life? I will make thée no such promise (said sir Thomas Mortimer) but notwith|standing, 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, & streight|waies drawing foorth his dagger,Thomas Molineux slaine. 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 vnder|taken; as the wiseman verie sententiouslie saith:
Animus vereri qui scit, scit tutò aggredi.