15.1. The words of the duke of Yorke to all gentlemen and other assem|bled with him.
EEBO page image 643The words of the duke of Yorke to all gentlemen and other assem|bled with him.
_SIrs, the king our souereigne lord will not be reformed at our beseeching ne prai|er, nor will not in no wise vnderstand the intent wherfore we be here assembled and gathered at this time, but onelie is in full purpose to destroie vs all. And thervpon a great oth hath made, that there is none other waie, but that he with all his power will pursue vs; and if we be taken, to giue vs a shamefull death, léesing our liuelod and goods, and also our heires shamed for euer. Therefore sirs, now sith it will none otherwise be, but that we shall vtter|lie die; better it is for vs to die in the field, than co|wardlie to be put to an vtter rebuke and shamefull death, for the right of England standeth in vs. Con|sidering also in what perill it standeth at this time, and for to redresse the mischéefe thereof, let euerie man helpe to his power this daie, and in that quarell to quite vs like men, to the crowne of England; prai|eng and beséeching vnto that Lord, the which is eter|nall, th [...]t reigneth in the glorious kingdome celesti|all, to kéepe and saue vs this daie in our right, and through the gifts of his holie grace we may be made strong to withstand the great, abhominable, and hor|rible malice of them that purpose to destroie vs and the realme of England, and put vs to a shamefull death. Praie we therefore to the Lord to be our com|fort and our defendour, saieng these words, Domine sis clypeus defensionis nostrae.]
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But another historie-writer saith, that the king, when first he heard of the duke of Yorks approch, Whethamsted The duke of Buckingham sent to ye duke of Yorke. sent to him messengers, the duke of Buckingham, and others, to vnderstand what he meant by his comming thus in maner of warre. The duke of Buc|kingham to his message was answered by the duke of Yorke and his complices, that they were all of them the kings faithfull liege subiects, and intended no harme to him at all: but the cause of our com|ming (saie they) is not in meaning anie hurt to his person. But let that wicked and naughtie man the duke of Summerset be deliuered vnto vs, who hath lost Normandie,The duke of Summerset burdned with all things that had happened a [...]isse. and taken no regard to the preser|uation of Gascoigne; and furthermore, hath brought the realme vnto this miserable estate; that where it was the floure of nations, and the princesse of pro|uinces [now is it haled into desolation & spoile, w. P. not so dreadfull by malice of forren enimie, that indéed vtterlie (as yee know) seeketh our ruine, as by the in|tollerable outrages of him that so long ago & euen still appeares to haue sworne the confusion of our king and realme.] If it therefore please the king to deliuer that bad man into our hands, we are readie without trouble or breach of peace, to returne into our countrie. But if the king be not minded so to do, bicause he cannot misse him; let him vnderstand, that we will rather die in the field, than suffer such a mis|chéefe vnredressed.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 The king aduertised of this answer, more wilfull than tollerable, appointed him rather to trie battell, than deliuer the duke of Summerset to his enimies. Whereof they ascerteined made no longer staie, but streightwaie sounded the trumpet to battell: or ra|ther (as Hall saith) while king Henrie sent foorth his ambassadours to treat of peace at the one end of the towne, the earle of Warwike with his Marchmen entred at the other end,The first bat|t [...]ll of saint [...]bons. Wh [...]thamsted and fiercelie setting on the kings fore-ward, within a small time discomfited the same. The place where they first brake into the towne, was about the middle of saint Peters stréet. The fight for a time was right sharpe and cruell, for the duke of Summerset, with the other lords, comming to the succours of their companions that were put to the woorse, did what they could to beat backe the eni|mies: but the duke of Yorke sent euer fresh men to succour the wearie, and to supplie the places of them that were hurt, Edw. Hall. whereby the kings armie was final|lie brought low, and all the cheefteins of the field slaine and beaten downe.