Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 For the lord Stanleie was afraid, least if he should séeme openlie to be a fautor or aider to the earle his sonne in law, before the day of the battell, that king Richard, which yet vtterlie did not put in him diffi|dence and mistrust, would put to some cruell death his sonne and heire apparant George lord Strange, whome king Richard (as you haue heard before) kept with him as a pledge or hostage, to the intent that the lord Stanleie his father should attempt nothing pre|iudiciall to him. King Richard at this season kéeping his house in the castle of Notingham, was informed that the earle of Richmond, with such vanished men as were fled out of England to him, were now arri|ued in Wales, and that all things necessarie to his enterprise were vnprouided, vnpurueied, and verie weake, nothing méet to withstand the power of such as the king had appointed to méet him.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This rumor so inflated his mind, that in maner disdeining to heare speake of so small a companie,K. Richard contemneth the earle and his power. he determined at the first to take little or no regard to this so small a sparkle, declaring the earle to be in|nocent and vnwise, bicause that he rashly attempted such a great enterprise with so small and thin a num|ber of warlike persons: and therefore he gaue a defi|nitiue sentence, that when he came to that point that he should be compelled to fight against his will, hée either should be apprehended aliue, or else by all like|lihood he should of necessitie come to a shamefull con|fusion: and that he trusted to be shortlie doone by sir Walter Herbert, and Rice ap Thomas, which then ruled Wales with equall power and like authoritie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But yet reuoluing and casting in his mind, that a small war begun and winked at, and not regarded, maie turne to a great broile and trouble; and that it was prudent policie not to contemne and disdeine the little power and small weakenesse of the enimie (be it neuer so small) thought it necessarie to prouide for afterclaps that might happen & chance. [For vic|torie dooth not alwaies follow the greatest multitude, neither is it a necessarie consequent, that the biggest bodie is indued with most force. For we see that the small viper is the huge buls deadlie bane, and a little curre dooth catch a bore boisterous and big; as the poet properlie (and to the purpose) verie well saith:

Ouid.Parua necat morsu spatiosum vipera taurum,

A cane non mag no saepè tenetur aper.