his party assembled under his banner the Duke of Buck- Paston ingham, the Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Penbroke, the 1455 Earl of Northumberland, the Earl of Devonshire, the Earl of Stafford, the Earl of Dorset, the Earl of Wiltshire, the Lord Clifford, the Lord Dudley, the Lord Burnys, the Lord Rose, with other divers knights, squires, and other gentlemen and yeomen to the number of 2000 and more. And upon the 22d day of the said month above rehearsed assembled the Duke of York, and with him came in company the Earl of Salisbury, the Earl of Warwick, with divers knights and squires unto their party into the field, called the Key Field, beside St. Albans. Furthermore, our said sovereign Lord the King, hearing and knowing of the said Duke's coming with other Lords aforesaid, pitcheth his banner at the place called Boslaw in St. Petrus Street, which place was called aforetime past Sandeford, and commandeth the ward and barriers to be kept in strong wise; for the said Duke of York abiding in the field aforesaid from seven of the clock in the morn till it was almost ten, without any stroke smitten on either party.

The said Duke sent to the King our sovereign Lord, by the advice of his council, praying and beseeching him to take him as his true man and humble subject; and to consider and to tender at the reverence of Almighty God, and in way of charity the true intent of his coming -to be good and gracious sovereign Lord to his liegemen, which, with all their power and might, will be ready at all times to live and die with him in his right. And to what thing it should like his Majesty Royal to command him, if it be his worship, keeping right of the Crown and welfare of the land: Moreover, gracious Lord, please it your Majesty Royal of your great goodness and righteousness to incline your will to hear and feel the righteous part of us your subjects and liegemen; first, praying and beseeching to our Lord Jesus of His high and mighty power to give unto you virtue and prudence, and

Paston that through the mediation of the glorious martyr St. Alban 1455 to give you very knowledge to know the intent of our assembling at this time; for God that is in heaven knoweth that our intent is rightful and true. And therefore we pray unto Almighty Lord Jesus these words-Domine sis clipeus defensionis nostrae. Wherefore, gracious Lord, please it your high Majesty to deliver such as we will accuse, and they to have like, as they have deserved and done, and ye to be honourabled and worshipped as most rightful King and our governor. For and we shall now at this time be promised, as afore this time is not unknown, of promise broken which full faith fully hath been promised, and thereupon great oaths made, we will not now cease for none such promise, surety, nor other, till we have him which have deserved death, or else we to die therefore.'

And to that answered the King our sovereign Lord, and said: 'I, King Henry, charge and command that no manner person, of what degree, or state, or condition that ever he be, abide not, but void the field, and not be so hardy to make any resistance against me in mine own realm; for I shall know what traitor dare be so bold to raise a people in mine own land, wherethrough I am in great disease and heaviness. And by the faith that I owe to St. Edward and to the Crown of England, I shall destroy them every mother son, and they be hanged, and drawn, and quartered, that may be taken afterward, of them to have ensample to all such traitors to beware to make any such rising of people within my land, and so traitorly to abide her King and governor. And, for a conclusion, rather than they shall have any Lord here with me at this time, I shall this day, for her sake, and in this quarrel myself live or die.'

Which answer came to the Duke of York, the which Duke, by the advice of the Lords of his Council, said unto him these words: The King our sovereign Lord will not be reformed at our beseeching nor prayer, nor will not under

stand the intent that we be come hither and assembled for Paston and gathered at this time; but only is full purpose, and 1455 there none other way but that he will with all his power pursue us, and if we be taken, to give us a shameful death, losing our liveload1 and goods, and our hairs shamed for ever. And therefore, sith it will be none otherwise but that we shall utterly die, better it is for us to die in the field than cowardly to be put to a great rebuke and a shameful death; moreover, considering in what peril England stands in at this hour, therefore every man help to help power for the right thereof, to redress the mischief that now reigneth, and to quit us like men in this quarrel; praying to that Lord that is King of Glory, that reigneth in the kingdom celestial, to keep us and save us this day in our right, and through the help of His holy grace we may be made strong to withstand the great abominable and cruel malice of them that purpose fully to destroy us with shameful death. We therefore, Lord, pray to Thee to be our comfort and defender, saying the words aforesaid, Domine sis clipeus defensionis nostrae.'

And when this was said, the said Duke of York, and the said Earl of Salisbury, and the Earl of Warwick, between eleven and twelve of the clock at noon, they broke into the town in three divers places and several places of the foresaid street. The King being then in the place of Edmond Westley, hunderdere2 of the said town of St. Albans, commandeth to slay all manner men of lords, knights, and squires, and yeomen that might be taken of the foresaid Duke's of York. This done, the foresaid Lord Clifford kept strongly the barriers that the said Duke of York might not in any wise, with all the power that he had, enter nor break into the town. The Earl of Warwick, knowing thereof, took and gathered his men together, and furiously brake in by the

VOL. I.

1 Lands from which an income was derived.

2 Headman of an hundred.

B

Paston garden sides between the sign of the Key and the sign of 1455 the Chequer in Holwell Street; and anon as they were

within the town, suddenly they blew up trumpets, and set a cry with a shout and a great voice, 'A Warwick! A Warwick! A Warwick!' and into that time the Duke of York might never have entry into the town; and they with strong hand kept it, and mightily fought together, and anon, forthwith after the breaking in, they set on them manfully. And as of Lords of name were slain the Lord Clifford, the Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Northumberland, Sir Bertram Entuwysselle, Knight; and of men of court, William Zouch, John Batryaux, Raaff of Bapthorp, and his son, William Corbyn, squires; William Cotton, receiver of the Duchy of Lancaster; Gilbert Starbrok, squire; Malmer Pagentoun, William Botelore, yeomen; Roger Mercroft, the King's messenger; Halyn, the King's porter; Raufe Wyllerby; and 25 more, which their names be not yet known. And of them that be slain be buried in St. Albans 48. And at this same time were hurt Lords of name-the King, our sovereign Lord, in the neck with an arrow; the Duke of Buckingham, with an arrow in the visage; the Lord of Stafford in the hand, with an arrow; the Lord of Dorset, sore hurt that he might not go, but he was carried home in a cart; and Wenlok, knight, in likewise in a cart sore hurt; and other divers knights and squires sore hurt. The Earl of Wiltshire, Thorp, and many others fled, and left their harness behind them cowardly, and the substance of the King's party were despoiled of horse and harness. This done, the said Lords, that is to wot, the Duke of York, the Earl of Salisbury, the Earl of Warwick, came to the King, our sovereign Lord, and on their knees besought him of grace and forgiveness of that they had done in his presence, and besought him of his highness to take them as his true liegemen, saying that they never intended hurt to his own person, and therefore the King our sovereign Lord took

them to grace, and so desired them to cease their people, and that there should no more harm be done; and they obeyed his commandment, and let make a cry on the King's name that all manner of people should cease and not so hardy to strike any stroke more after the proclamation of the cry; and so ceased the said battle, Deo gratias.

And on the morrow the King and the said Duke, with other certain Lords, came in to the Bishop's of London, and there kept residence with joy and solemnity, concluding to hold the Parliament at London, the 9th day of Julv next coming.

The Paston Letters.

Paston

1455

WH

THE DOLOROUS SHIRT

HEN Hercules had read this letter, he understood Caxton well what it contained, and was smitten with re1474 morse of conscience. By this remorse he understood that virtue was fouled in him; he was then all pensive, and so much prived from pleasance that none durst come to him in a great while and space, save only they that brought to him meat and drink; neither Yole durst not go to him. Lycas that had brought this letter was there awaiting and attending the answer long; no man could know whereof proceeded the solitude of Hercules, nor the cause why he withdrew him from the people. In the end, when Hercules had been long pensive, and had thought upon all his affairs, and that he had to do for to withdraw him and to eslonge1 him from Yole, he departed from his chamber on a day, saying that he would go and make sacrifice to the god Apollo upon the mount named Oethea, and commanded and defended upon pain of death that no man should follow him, reserved Philotes. Of adventure as he issued out of his palace, 1 Estrange.