[1] [2] [3] The lord Warden being at Rochester (as yée haue heard) well furnished both with horsse and men,The lord Warden of the cinque ports verie willing to followe af|ter Wiat. perfectlie appointed to no small number, was wil|ling to haue followed after Wiat, and to haue she|wed his good will against him in the quéens quarrell: but yet vpon deliberation had, & aduise taken with o|thers that were there with him, he thought good first to vnderstand the quéenes pleasure how to proceed in his dealings; and heervpon he rode post to the queene himselfe, leauing the lord of Aburgauennie and the rest of the gentlemen with his and their bands be|hind till his returne. On sundaie the fourth of Fe|bruarie, the lord admerall caused a strong ward of three hundred men to be kept on the bridge till eight of the clocke at night, and then (for their reléefe) en|tred the watch of other thrée hundred: so that the bridge was thus garded both daie and night with thrée hundred men in armor.Wiat at his wits end. It troubled Wiat and all his companie verie sore, to sée that London did so stiffelie stand and hold out against them: for in the assistance which they looked to haue had of that citie, all their hope of prosperous spéed consisted. But now that they saw themselues greatlie disappointed [page 1098] therein, they meant yet to set all on a hazard. And so the sixt of Februarie being Shrouetuesdaie, afore six of the clocke in the morning, they departed out of Southworke, [...] mar|cheth to kingstone. marching directlie towards King|stone ten miles distant from London, standing vpon the Thames, where they arriued about foure of the clocke in the after noone: and finding thirtie foot or thereabout of the bridge taken awaie, sauing the posts that were left standing; Wiat practised with two mariners to swim ouer, and to conueie a barge to him, which the mariners through great promises of preferment accordinglie did, wherein Wiat and certeine with him were conueied ouer: who in the meane time that the number of soldiors baited in the towne, [...]at repa|reth the bridge [...] kingstone. caused the bridge to be repared with lad|ders, planks, and beames, the same being tied togi|ther with ropes and boords, so as by ten of the clocke in the night it was in such plight, that both his ordi|nance and companies of men might passe ouer with|out perill. And so about eleuen of the clocke in the same night, Wiat with his armie passing ouer the bridge without either resistance or perill, & before it could be once knowne at the court, marched toward London, meaning (as some haue written) to haue bin at the court gate before daie that morning. Ne|uertheles, before he came within six miles of the citie staieng for a péece of his great artillerie which was dismounted by the waie, [...]. Grafton. his comming was discoue|red before daie:The earle of Penbroke [...] the ar| [...] in order. wherby the erle of Penbroke gene|rall of the quéenes armie was with his men in good order of battell in S. Iames field beside Westmin|ster, two or thrée houres yer Wiat could rech thither.