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diff --git a/44852-0.txt b/44852-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2b55458 --- /dev/null +++ b/44852-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5933 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44852 *** + + YORKSHIRE BATTLES. + + + + + YORKSHIRE BATTLES. + + BY + EDWARD LAMPLOUGH. + + AUTHOR OF + "THE SIEGE OF HULL," "MEDIÆVAL YORKSHIRE," + "HULL AND YORKSHIRE FRESCOES," ETC. + + HULL: + WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO. + + LONDON: + SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO., + LIMITED, + 1891. + + + + + HULL: + WILLIAM ANDREWS AND CO. + PRINTERS, + DOCK STREET. + + + + + TO THE + REV. E. G. CHARLESWORTH, + + VICAR OF ACKLAM, + + A CONTRIBUTOR TO AND LOVER OF + YORKSHIRE LITERATURE, + + This Volume + + IS + MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. + + E. L. + + + + + Contents. + + + PAGE + I.--WINWIDFIELD, ETC. 1 + + II.--BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE 15 + + III.--AFTER STAMFORD BRIDGE 36 + + IV.--BATTLE OF THE STANDARD 53 + + V.--AFTER THE BATTLE OF THE STANDARD 75 + + VI.--BATTLE OF MYTON MEADOWS 83 + + VII.--BATTLE OF BOROUGHBRIDGE 101 + + VIII.--BATTLE OF BYLAND ABBEY 116 + + IX.--IN THE DAYS OF EDWARD III. AND RICHARD II. 131 + + X.--BATTLE OF BRAMHAM MOOR 139 + + XI.--BATTLE OF SANDAL 150 + + XII.--BATTLE OF TOWTON 165 + + XIII.--YORKSHIRE UNDER THE TUDORS 173 + + XIV.--BATTLE OF TADCASTER 177 + + XV.--BATTLE OF LEEDS 183 + + XVI.--BATTLE OF WAKEFIELD 187 + + XVII.--BATTLE OF ADWALTON MOOR 192 + + XVIII.--BATTLE OF HULL 196 + + XIX.--BATTLE OF SELBY 199 + + XX.--BATTLE OF MARSTON MOOR 203 + + XXI.--BATTLE OF BRUNANBURGH 216 + + XXII.--FIGHT OFF FLAMBOROUGH HEAD 221 + + INDEX 227 + + + + + Preface. + + +In the history of our national evolution Yorkshire occupies a most +important position, and the sanguinary record of Yorkshire Battles +possesses something more than material for the poet and the artist. +Valour, loyalty, patriotism, honour and self-sacrifice are virtues not +uncommon to the warrior, and the blood of true and brave men has +liberally bedewed our fields. + +It was on Yorkshire soil that the tides of foreign invasion were +rolled back in blood at Stamford Bridge and Northallerton; the +misfortunes attendant upon the reign of weak and incapable princes are +illustrated by the fields of Boroughbridge, Byland Abbey, and +Myton-upon-Swale, and, in the first days of our greatest national +struggle, the true men of Yorkshire freely shed their blood at +Tadcaster, Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, Adwalton Moor and Hull, +keeping open the pathway by which Fairfax passed from Selby to +Marston Moor. + +Let pedants prate of wars of kites and crows; we take national life as +a unity, and dare to face its evolution through all the throes of +birth, owning ourselves debtors to the old times before us, without +being either so unwise or ungenerous as to contemn the bonds of +association, and affect a false and impossible isolation. + +To the educated and intelligent our Yorkshire Battles present +interesting and important studies of those subtle and natural +processes by which nations achieve liberty, prosperity, and greatness. + + E. L. + HULL LITERARY CLUB, + _January 6th, 1891_. + + + + + YORKSHIRE BATTLES. + + + + + I.--WINWIDFIELD, ETC. + + +From the earliest ages of our recorded national history the soil of +Yorkshire has been the "dark and bloody ground" of mighty chieftains +and their armed thousands. Where the sickle gleams to-day amid the +golden fields of autumn, our ancestors beheld the flashing steel of +mighty hosts, and triumphed by the might of their red right hand, or +endured the bitter humiliation of defeat. + +Vain was the barrier of Hadrian's Wall to restrain the fiery +Caledonians from their prey in the old times before us, when the Roman +Eagle was borne above the iron cohorts of the Empire through the +remote and rugged Northland. When Severus visited the island, to +maintain his rule and quell the raging storms of invasion, he found +the city of York surrounded by barbarians, and encountered and drove +them afar in bloody defeat When the Roman gallies bore off the last of +the legionaries, and the Britons were left to their own resources, the +tide of devastation spread wide and far, and the suffering people were +driven to the verge of despair. According to William of Malmsbury, the +Romans had drained the land of its best blood, and left it cursed with +a sottish and debauched population. Hordes of Picts and Scots +inundated the land, fired its villages, overthrew its cities, and slew +the inhabitants with the edge of the sword. Oft has the pathetic +earnestness of Gildas been quoted: + + "The barbarians drive us to the sea, the sea throws us back on + the barbarians; thus two modes of death await us, we are either + slain or drowned." + +Again the clang of arms and the loud tones of war rang through the +north, when the White-horse Standard of the Saxons was spread upon the +breeze, and the tall, muscular warriors, with their long, fair hair +and flowing beards, swept towards the borders, filling the Briton with +astonishment and admiration. Then blood flowed like water, and the +fiery Picts were turned to sullen flight; but, ere long, Yorkshire +plain and hill groaned under a fresh burden of blood as Briton and +Saxon strove together for the mastery. The tide of war ebbed and +flowed around the ancient city of York, and sanguinary and numerous +were the engagements that ensued before the Britons relinquished the +sovereignty of the island. + +The history of Edwin, King of Deira and Bernicia, is worthy of a +passing notice; he was left an orphan at the tender age of three +years, when King Ethelfrith seized his inheritance of Deira, and +pursued his steps with implacable persistency until Redwald King of +East Anglia took him under his protection. Ethelfrith at once marched +upon Redwald, and two sanguinary battles followed, the usurper +perishing in the last conflict. Redwald then placed Edwin upon the +throne of Deira and Bernicia. + +Edwin was a pagan, but on espousing the sister of Ethelbald, King of +Kent, he came under the influence of Bishop Paulinus, and his +conversion followed. On Easter Day, 626, Edwin gave audience to his +subjects in his "regal city" on the Derwent, a few miles from York. +Doubtless it was a favourable time for the presenting of petitions, +for during the night the Queen had given birth to a daughter. + +Towards the conclusion of the morning's business, a messenger was +ushered into the royal presence, and, when about to address the King, +drew forth a long double-edged knife, with which he attempted to stab +the monarch, throwing all the weight of his body into the blow. Lila, +the King's minister, perceiving his master's danger, interposed his +body, which was transpierced by the weapon, which inflicted a slight +wound upon the King. Upon the instant the assassin was slain by a +score of weapons, but not before he had also killed Forthhere, one of +Edwin's household. It transpired that the murderer was a servant of +Cuichelm, king of the West Saxons, and was named Eumer. The knife had +been poisoned, and though robbed of its virulence in passing through +the body of Lila, the King had to endure somewhat at the hands of his +physician, and was no doubt under some apprehension of death. In +conversation with Paulinus he vowed to accept the Christian religion +if he recovered from his wound, and succeeded in punishing the +murderous treachery of Cuichelm, and on Whit-Sunday the infant +princess received Christian baptism. + +The avenging army of Northumbria burst into the fair Westland with +sword and spear, and Edwin carried his banner through many a +sanguinary engagement, when the strong growing corn was trampled under +foot and cursed with red battle-rain, as the massy columns of +Northumbria drove over the field, banners flapping overhead, javelins +and stones beating in a terrible shower along the front, whilst a +forest of portended pikes rent and overwhelmed all who dared to brave +the dreadful onset. + +On the King's return he hesitated long before professing the Christian +religion, and called his chiefs to take council with him. To his +surprise the way was prepared for him. Coifi, chief of the pagan +priests, doubted the power of his gods. He gave them careful service, +omitted nothing, and deserved well of them, yet he was not first in +the King's favour, nor prosperous in his undertakings. + +One of Edwin's chieftains took a more just and elevated view of the +subject: + + "The present life of man, O King, seems to me, in comparison of + that time which is unknown to us, like the swift flight of a + sparrow through the room wherein you sit at supper in winter, + with your commanders and ministers, and a good fire in the + midst, whilst storms of rain and snow prevail abroad--the + sparrow, I say, flying in at one door and immediately out at + another, whilst he is within, is safe from the wintry storm; + but after a short space of fair weather, he immediately + vanishes out of your sight, into the dark winter from which he + had emerged. So this life of man appears for a short space, but + of what went before, or what is to follow, we are utterly + ignorant. If, therefore, this new doctrine contains something + more certain, it seems justly to deserve to be followed." + +The result was that Coifi undertook to desecrate his gods, assuming +sword and spear, and mounting a stallion, forbidden to priests. Great +was the astonishment and awe of the people as the royal party rode +towards the temple. As Coifi approached he brandished his spear, and +hurled it into the building. As it clashed upon the floor an awful cry +burst from the priests, but no dire catastrophe followed, and fire +being applied to the temple, building and gods were alike consumed. +The impotence of the pagan gods established, the conversion of the +people rapidly followed, and the wise and good King reigned over a +flourishing state for several years. + +Unhappily, the virtues of the King and the affection of his subjects +were no protection from misfortune, and the chequered life went down +in ruin and defeat. Penda, the pagan King of Mercia, a wretch inured +to crime, entered into a confederacy with Cadwalla, King of North +Wales, and, after vowing to compass the destruction of all the +Christians in the island, marched against King Edwin. + +The royal Northumbrian was neither slow to mass his troops nor meet +his arch-enemy; but the triumph that had so often attended his arms +was not vouchsafed in this inauspicious hour; and when the terrible +waves of battle rolled against each other at the village of Hatfield, +near Doncaster, in the October days of 633, his throne and crown went +down in the fierce storm, though brave men flung themselves before his +banners, and struggled with the savage foe as long as life lingered in +the hacked and bleeding frame. + +Falling with honour in the van of battle, Edwin breathed out his life +amidst the roar of the contending hosts, and so the day darkened ere +the night closed on Christian Northumbria. By the King's side fell his +son, the gallant young Osfrid, and the slaughter of the defeated army +being very great, a season of extreme depression ensued. Great as the +confusion was, the dead King received the last melancholy offices, his +head being buried in the porch of the church at York, and the Abbey at +Whitby receiving his body. + +In the year 655, when the winters of eighty years had bleached the +head of the warlike and ferocious Penda, he again participated in a +tremendous conflict which took place on the Field of Victory, or +Winwidfield, on the northern bank of the Aire, near Leeds. The +occasion of the war was as follows: Adelwald, King of Deira, was +threatened by Oswy, King of Bernicia, and perceiving that he could +only hope to retain his crown by compassing the ruin of that powerful +monarch, he formed a league with the Kings of Mercia and East Anglia, +and declared war against Oswy, who, dismayed by so powerful a +coalition, strove, by every possible means, to avert the bursting of +the storm. All his efforts proving futile, he humbled himself in +fervent supplications for victory on the solemn eve of the impending +battle, and recorded a religious vow that, in the event of his being +delivered from his enemies, his infant daughter, Elfleda, should be +devoted to the service of the Holy Church. While Oswy was buried in +supplication the shrewd brain of Adelwald was busily revolving the +position. Should Oswy be defeated, he would be at the mercy of his +allies of Mercia and East Anglia, and his own destruction and the +division of his kingdom might be anticipated. To obviate such a +disastrous result Adelwald resolved to reserve his own forces, and +leave his allies to deal with Oswy, when he might reasonably hope to +secure his kingdom against the decimated army, or armies of the +victor. On the morning of the 15th of November, the four Kings +marshalled their forces, spearmen, and other variously armed infantry +and cavalry; and Penda, animated and impetuous, his fiery spirit +undimmed by the four score years that had passed over his head, rushed +to the attack, and the clash of arms and tumult of war resounded over +the field as the troops of Oswy nobly sustained the fierce assault. At +this juncture, the crafty Adelwald, assured that the deadly game would +be continued to the bitter end, began to retire his troops, and the +Mercians, losing heart under the suspicion of his treachery, relaxed +their efforts, and commenced a hasty and confused retreat. Penda and +his numerous chieftains appealed to them, and strove to restore their +broken ranks, but in vain. Oswy pressed them hard; smote them with +fierce charges of cavalry, and with the rush of his serried spearmen +bore down all resistance. The Kings of Anglia and East Mercia were put +to the sword, and their armies decimated and scattered. Oswy, secured +in the possession of life and throne, exulted in the signal victory +which had blessed his arms. Amid the lifeless thousands that +encumbered the sanguinary field, twenty-eight vassal chieftains of the +highest rank had fallen with their Kings. + +Oswy satiated his regal ambition by taking possession of the realms of +his conquered adversaries, but he respected the crown of the crafty +Adelwald, who retained the glittering bauble until his death, a few +years later. + +Before the Saxon monarchy had time to develope, the Danes visited the +unhappy island with fire and sword. Coasting along the shores, +interrupting the commerce, blocking up the mouths of the rivers, or +penetrating far inland, their only mission to plunder and destroy, +they proved a terrible curse to the nation, and brought the islanders +to the verge of ruin and despair. + +With the name of Penda, is associated that of a very opposite Prince, +Alfred, King of the Northumbrians, as he is styled in the Anglo-Saxon +Chronicle. Alfred espoused Kyneburga, Penda's daughter, by whom he had +issue one son, Osred, who succeeded to the throne. + +This talented Prince ascended the throne after many vicissitudes, and +was slain at Ebberston on the 19th January, 705, and was buried in the +church of Little Driffield. It appears that the country was being +ravaged by a large body of Danes and Norwegians, and that Alfred +pursued and engaged them, holding them to a desperate trial of arms +for the whole of the short winter's afternoon. The gloomy night was +closing in on the dreadful scene, and the Northmen were breaking +before the charges of the royal troops, when an arrow smote the King, +and he fell in the front of battle. On the instant a Danish warrior +charged the prostrate monarch, and, before a hand could be raised in +his defence, wounded him in the thigh. In haste and confusion the +wounded man was carried away from the scene of strife, and concealed +in a cave until the invaders had retired, when he was borne to the +castle of Deira-field, and every attention given to recover him from +his wounds, but after a week of suffering he expired, to the regret of +his subjects. + +In the year 867, a great conflict for the sovereignty of Northumbria +was maintained between Osbert and Ella, the former having been +expelled from his throne and the latter elected thereto in his stead. +At this unhappy juncture, the Danish chieftains, Hinguar and Hubba, +brought a powerful fleet into the Humber, and therewith passed their +land forces over the river into Northumbria, directing the march of +their principal forces upon York, and marking their track in blood and +ashes. The common danger arrested the course of the internecine feud, +and Osbert and Ella proposed to combine their forces for the defence +of the capital. Before this junction could, however, be effected the +Northmen fell upon York, and Osbert, without waiting for his ally, +threw himself into the city, and attacked the advancing Danes. For a +time the battle raged hotly. The banners were brought to the front, +and the leaders fought gallantly beneath them, animating their +followers by their example and exhortations. So fierce was the defence +of the Northumbrians that the Danes were driven back, but only to +again struggle forward through dust and blood to the devoted city. +Osbert and his chieftains strove nobly to hold up against the heavy +masses that bore down upon them with such determined energy. Again +and again they cast themselves upon the steel-bound ranks of their +enemies, only to be borne down in the press, before the descending +swords, and lie beneath the feet that pressed forward and entered the +city in triumph. Scarcely had Hubba and Hinguar established +themselves, before Ella approached, and addressed himself to the +storming of the walls. So fierce and stubborn was the onslaught, that +his troops broke through the defences and penetrated the Danish lines. +The Northman was never more to be feared than when at bay, with the +sword above his head. The Danes sallied out, slew or drove out all the +Northumbrians who had entered the city, and, engaging them in the open +field, put Ella and the flower of his army to the sword. The day was +fittingly concluded by a fiendish massacre of the citizens of York. + +In Saxon and Danish times Northumbria was continually invaded, and in +the days of King Athelstan the famous battle of Brunanburgh was fought +north of the Humber, and, if we may attach any importance to the +speculations of some of our Yorkshire antiquaries, our favoured county +was the scene of that desperate conflict. As a matter of fact, the +exact locality of the battle has not yet been established on +sufficient evidence, and no doubt our historians will continue to +regard it as unascertained. + + + + + II.--BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE. + + A.D. 1066. + + +Two circumstances secured the triumph of William, Duke of Normandy, +when he invaded Saxon England in the year 1066. The first was the +temporary withdrawal of the Saxon fleet, for the purpose of securing +supplies; the second was the enmity of Tosti Godwinsson, who incited +Harold Hardrada to attempt the subjugation of the island. Had the +Saxon fleet kept the sea, had Harold encountered the invader with the +unbroken strength of his army of defence, the Norman might have +effected a landing, but it would have been with decimated forces, and +probably in the face of an army that would have offered a desperate +resistance to their disembarkation, and would have called them to an +even more bloody conflict than that of Senlac. + +The chain of events which led to the Battle of Stamford Bridge may be +traced back to that memorable scene when the aged and heroic +Northumbrian, Jarl Siward, lay dying in his house at York. Disdaining +to meet death in other than his customary guise of warrior and chief, +he caused his servitors to invest his gigantic frame in the iron +panoply of war, to arm him with the heavy sword and tempered +battle-axe which he had so long and ably employed in the national +service, and so breathed his last, leaving the wild hordes of +Northumbria to be disposed of by King Edward, for his son, the +afterwards far-famed Waltheof, was too young to rule over so extensive +and warlike a province. No doubt Harold employed his great influence +with King Edward to secure the aggrandisement of his own family, for +his brother Tosti was invested with command of the province. + +Tosti was the most froward of the sons of Godwin, and showed none of +the high qualities and sincere patriotism which distinguished Godwin +and his son Harold. + +Cruel and passionate, Tosti was ill-fitted to govern a proud and +inflammable people like the Northumbrians. The following passage from +Roger of Wendover illustrates the violent disposition of the Earl: + + "Tosti quitted the King's court in a rage, and coming to the + city of Hereford, where his brother Harold had prepared a + great feast for the King, he cut off the limbs of all the + servants, and put an arm, or some other member, in each of the + vessels of wine, mead, ale, or pickle; after which he sent a + message to the King, that on coming to his lodgings, he would + find the food seasoned to his mind, and that he should take + care to carry away the delicacies with him." + +Tosti's rule in Northumbria came to a sudden termination, A.D. 1065. +The "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" thus records the event: + + "All the thanes in Yorkshire and Northumberland gathered + themselves together, and outlawed their Earl, Tosty, and slew + his household men, all that they might come at, as well English + as Danish: and they took all his weapons at York, and gold and + silver, and all his treasures which they might anywhere there + hear of, and sent after Morkar, the son of Elgar the Earl, and + chose him to be their Earl: and he went south with all the + shire, and with Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire, and + Lincolnshire, until he came to Northampton: and his brother + Edwin came to meet him with the men who were in his earldom, + and also many Britons came with him. There came Harold, the + Earl, to meet them; and they laid an errand upon him to King + Edward, and also sent messengers with him, and begged that they + might have Morkar for their Earl. And the King granted it, and + sent Harold again to them at Northampton, on the eve of St. + Simon's and St. Jude's Mass; and he made known the same to + them, and delivered a pledge thereof to them: and he there + renewed Canute's law. But the northern men did much harm about + Northampton whilst he went on their errand, inasmuch as they + slew men and burned houses and corn; and took all the cattle + which they came at, that was many thousand: and many hundred + men they took and led north with them; so that shire, and the + other shires which there are nigh, were for many years the + worse. And Tosty the earl, and his wife, and all those who + would what he would, went south over sea with him to Baldwin, + the earl, and he received them all; and they were all the + winter there." + +The indignation of Tosti was extreme, and was not unnaturally directed +towards his brother, Harold, who had used his influence with the +Confessor to obtain the pardon of the turbulent Northumbrians, and the +confirmation of Morkar in the possession of the earldom. That Harold +was actuated by personal motives cannot be questioned, for he +procured the government of Mercia for Earl Edwin, and espoused the +sister of these potent nobles. It was obvious that a crisis must come +in his history, and in that of his country, and as a man and a patriot +he could not afford to be hampered by the crimes of his brother, and +by the disaffection and revolt of a province so remote and difficult +of access as Northumbria. Although Harold was at the head of an army +when he treated with the Northumbrians at Northampton, it is apparent +from the passage already quoted that they were assembled in such +numbers and array, that any attempt to reinstate Tosti in the earldom +would have resulted in a battle, and probably would have necessitated +an armed invasion of Northumbria. + +On the 5th of January, 1066, King Edward fulfilled the number of his +days, and on the morrow was buried in Westminster Abbey. From the day +of his death England entered upon a long course of stormy and +disastrous years; and it must be confessed that to his own folly in +promising the succession to his kinsman, William, Duke of Normandy, +the national troubles are to be largely attributed. It is said that +Edward's last hours were vexed by the vision of a warrior shooting a +bloody arrow, portending evil days for the Kingdom; and also that he +gave a reluctant consent to the succession of Harold, warning him that +the result would be very grevious. + +The citizens of London, the nobility, and clergy, were largely +favourable to the claims of Harold; the lineal heir to the crown being +the Confessor's nephew, Edgar Atheling--a youth of far too tender +years to wear the crown to which the Duke of Normandy and Harold +Godwinson aspired. No man wished to behold the Norman duke seated upon +the throne of the great Alfred; and when Harold caused himself to be +proclaimed king on the evening of the day of the Confessor's death, +his action was ratified by the Witenagemot, and the crown was placed +upon his head by Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury. + +In the North alone was any disaffection manifested towards King +Harold, and he met it by paying the Northumbrians a visit, in which he +was accompanied by Wulstan, Bishop of Worcester. He was favourably +received, and won the esteem and support of the Northumbrians. + +In the true sense of the word, Harold was an elected king, chosen of +the nation; not a tyrant and usurper. + +Earl Tosti spared no pains to raise up enemies against his brother +during the period of his enforced banishment, and succeeded in +inducing the famous Norwegian monarch, Harold Hardrada, to make a +descent upon the island. Too impatient to await the appearance of his +ally, Earl Tosti was the first to raise sword in the land, coming from +beyond sea with a fleet of daring adventurers, Flemings, and others. +Landing in the Isle of Wight, he enforced contributions of food and +money, and proceeded to ravage the coast as far as Sandwich. Harold +had, however, provided so largely for the protection of his Kingdom by +the formation of a large fleet, and of formidable land forces, that +Tosti was compelled to beat a speedy retreat, and directed his course +to the North, taking "some of the boatmen with him, some willingly and +some unwillingly." Entering the Humber, he devastated the Lindsey +shore with fire and sword; but being beset by the troops of Morkar and +Edwin, he was deserted by the greater part of his fleet, and was +obliged to precipitately retire into Scotland with the twelve gallies +that remained to him. King Malcolm III. hospitably entertained the +fugitive prince at his court, but all the solicitations of Tosti +failed to induce him to invade the territories of King Harold. Tosti +succeeded in attaching a number of adventurers to his cause, or rather +a number of pirates followed his fortunes in the hope of obtaining +plunder, and with the certainty of being allowed to slaughter the +inhabitants of the coasts, and to ravage the land. + +Where the North Sea foams around the Orkneys, Tosti was to meet the +Norwegian monarch; and the Orkneyinga Saga thus narrates his arrival +and departure:-- + + "At this time, when the brothers, Paul and Erlendr, had taken + up the rule in Orkney, there arrived at the east side of the + island from Norway Harold Sigurdson with a large army. He came + first to Shetland. Went from thence to Orkney. There he left + Queen Ellisif, and their daughters, Maria and Ingigerdi. From + Orkney he had much help. Both the jarls joined the expedition + of the king. The king thence went south to England, and landed + where it is called Klifland, and came to Skardaborg." + +Tosti and his gallies joined the Norwegians, and in the expressive +phraseology of the time:--"Tosti submitted to him and became his man." +Northumbria was the seat of war, the Saxon fleet and Harold's army of +defence being located in the South, for the arrival of the armament of +the Duke of Normandy was daily expected, and Tosti and his ally had +therefore every prospect of obtaining a strong hold of the North, the +population of which was largely of Danish origin. + +From the first the proceedings of the invaders were not calculated to +win over the Northumbrians to their cause. As the great fleet of 500 +sail bore for the Humber, numerous troops were landed to ravage the +coast; and a fierce swoop was made upon Scarborough, which was burnt +to the ground. Sailing up the Humber, the invaders continued their +evil work, and the sky was lurid with flame and dark with smoke, and +slaughtered peasants were strewn on the soil which they had ploughed +and sown in the earlier days of the year, when they looked forward to +the harvest of the scythe and sickle, nor dreamt that Autumn would +bring upon them the sharp chastisement of the sword. + +York was the prize for which the invaders offered, and, sailing up the +Ouse, they moored their fleet at the village of Riccall, ten miles +from the city, upon which they at once directed their march. Jarls +Edwin and Morkar made strenuous efforts to arrest the invaders, but +the northern forces were insufficient to meet so numerous and powerful +an army as that of Hardrada. Nevertheless, the brothers assembled such +troops as they could collect, and took up a position at Fulford to +cover the city. Hardrada occupied a defensive position, with the river +on his right flank, and a morass on his left. Edwin and Morkar showed +no lack of spirit in the combat which ensued, and promptly charged the +Norwegian lines, which they penetrated, making a very great slaughter; +but being too weak in numbers to reap the full advantage of their +valour, they were unable to rout the ranks which they had thrown into +disorder; and the Norwegians clung to their ground, and maintained a +hand-to-hand conflict until the arrival of large reinforcements from +the fleet enabled them to push back the Northumbrian ranks, and to +charge them in turn. This was decisive of the battle: the +Northumbrians had exhausted their strength in the first conflict, and +could not stem the tide of fresh warriors that bore down upon them, +with their ringing war-song, and with flashing spears and axes. The +disordered ranks of the Northumbrians were speedily broken, and the +army dissolved in a wild rout of savage fugitives, oft turning +stubbornly at bay, and exacting a heavy price for their lives. Many of +the Northumbrians were forced into the river, or took to the water in +their endeavours to escape the vengeance of the unsparing Norwegians, +so that more men of the Saxon army perished in the Ouse than fell by +the sword on the field of Fulford. "And this fight was on the vigil of +St. Matthew the apostle, and it was Wednesday." + +Morkar and Edwin retired into York with the remnant of fugitives that +rallied around them; but their numbers were insufficient for the +defence of the city, and they retreated thence, when Harold and Tosti +entered in triumph at the head of a division of their army, and +received the submission of the citizens, who furnished them with +provisions, and placed hostages in their hands; "and they agreed upon +a full peace, so that they should all go with him south, and this land +subdue." + +The Norwegians had retired from the city, and taken up a position at +Stamford Bridge, part of the army remaining at Riccall for the +protection of the fleet, while the commanders appear to have been +engaged in projects for organising an army to march south; but the +enemy was approaching by forced marches; and on the 26th of September, +1066, the decisive battle of Stamford Bridge was fought + +No sooner was Harold apprised of the invasion of Northumbria, than he +placed himself at the head of his army, advanced his ensigns; and +pressed forward with such celerity that, on the 23rd of September, his +army occupied Tadcaster. On the following day he entered York; the +Norwegians, who had been left in occupation, retiring before him. The +battle commenced at sunrise on the 25th; and the forces of Harold and +Tosti appear to have been taken by surprise, for a large number of +Norwegians were with the fleet at Riccall. Under any circumstances, +however, Hardrada was certain to provide for the safety of his fleet; +and the fact that he afterwards drew large reinforcements from it does +not of itself imply that he was taken by surprise, unless, indeed he +had under-estimated the forces of Harold, and had prepared for battle +accordingly. + +The armies were sufficiently powerful for so important an occasion, +each consisting of some 60,000 men; those of Hardrada being +adventurers and soldiers by profession; whilst the warlike element +was sufficiently developed in Harold's army, many of the troops being +veterans, and all accustomed to wield arms, for there had not been +time to collect hasty levies, such as some of those that fought at +Hastings three weeks later. + +Before the battle commenced, Harold Godwinson dispatched a troop of +twenty horse to negotiate with the enemy, no doubt in the hope of +winning over his brother Tosti, against whom his mind revolted from +engaging in war. Tosti manifested a marked disposition to accede to +his brother's wishes on being informed that he should be reinstated in +his territories and honours; but, on his demanding what price would be +paid to secure his ally, Harold Sigurdson, he was met by the +significant reply:--"Six feet of earth; or, as he is a giant, he shall +have seven." + +Then Tosti swore a great oath that no man should ever say that Tosti, +son of Godwin, broke faith with Harold, son of Sigurd; whereon the +trumpets sounded, and the Saxon advance began. + +The Norwegians occupied a purely defensive position on rising ground +in the rear of the Derwent; the narrow wooden bridge, which spanned +the river, being held by a strong detachment posted on the Saxon side +of the water. There is a strange legendary story told of a gigantic +Norwegian holding the bridge, single-handed, against the Saxon army +for three hours; meeting every rush of the assailants with tremendous +blows of a huge battle-axe, and only falling by a treacherous blow +from the spear of a Saxon soldier, who, in a boat, passed underneath +the bridge, and directing a stroke of his spear between the planks, +smote the warrior underneath his mail, and so slew him. Considering +that Harold's army contained both archers and slingers, it is +difficult to believe that three hours should be lost, and forty Saxons +slain by this terrible warrior, before he fell to the cowardly stroke +of a concealed enemy. + +It is certain, however, that the bridge was stormed by the Saxons, and +that Harold Hardrada maintained a defensive position while they +crossed, although he might have attacked them at great disadvantage +while forming in the open ground. Being deficient in cavalry, he had +formed his troops somewhat in the old Scottish fashion of the +Schiltron: massing them in one huge circular column, with the front +rank kneeling, and all presenting their pikes, so that the bristling +column might scarcely be broken by the most desperate and repeated +charges, and the soldiers, who loved fighting with the wild Norse +love, which has not yet died out of the earth, might safely count upon +a feast of blows that day. + +Hardrada occupied the centre of his army, with his jarls and captains +around him, and his famous war-standard, the "Land-Ravager," floating +above his head. He was mounted upon a powerful black war-horse, his +hauberk and helmet were of burnished steel, and a long blue cloak +rendered him conspicuous amidst his warlike thousands, over whom he +towered in the physical superiority of his gigantic stature; as the +battle commenced he lifted his powerful voice, and sang his war-song, +kindling the enthusiasm of his warriors, and preparing them for the +storm that was about to burst upon them. + +Before the main-battle commenced, the force that guarded the bridge +had to be driven back, and if there be any truth in the story of its +sturdy defence, Hardrada's reinforcements should have reached him +before the Saxons passed the bridge. + +The initiative was forced upon Harold Godwinson, and no slackness was +shown by the Saxons in closing in upon their formidable adversaries. +The charges were repeated again and again, and the famous Saxon twibil +did good service that day; nor were the spearmen wanting in their +efforts, while the Saxon cavalry charged again and again. The day wore +on; the cries of battle and the clash of weapons sounded far; the +Norwegian host was belted by a wide hem of the dead. The Saxon light +troops did good service on this memorable day, and brought down many +of the sea-rovers by the discharge of their missiles. Although both +armies suffered severely, the battle endured steadily; the invaders +maintained their formation with stubborn valour, and the Saxons +continued their attacks with equal determination. In the heat of the +battle an arrow smote King Hardrada in the throat, and he died in the +midst of his army, at the foot of his standard, to the sound of +ringing steel and fierce war-cries. + +Although the noble form of Hardrada was missed from the press, and his +war-cry no longer presaged victory to the Norwegian host, his valiant +troops maintained the field with unabated ardour; and Prince Olave +bringing up reinforcements from the fleet, the strife waxed fiercer, +and the most sanguine might question with whom the victory would rest. +Harold was an expert warrior, and failing to penetrate the Norwegian +ranks by dint of hard fighting, he feigned a retreat, and induced them +to abandon their close formation, in the excitement of attack and +pursuit, when he turned upon their disordered lines, and the field +instantly became the scene of a fierce hand-to-hand encounter, with +its dreadful attendant carnage. Tosti, and many of the Norwegians, +fell in the last stubborn effort to maintain the field, for although +the generous Saxon offered them quarter, it was disdainfully refused +by the maddened Northmen. + +The following quaint and pithy account of the battle is taken from the +"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," and is well worthy of quotation:-- + + "Then, during this, came Harold, King of the Angles, with all + his forces, on the Sunday, to Tadcaster, and there drew up his + force, and went thence on Monday throughout York; and Harold, + King of Norway, and Tosty, the Earl, and their forces, were + gone from their ships beyond York to Stamford-bridge, because + it had been promised them for a certainty, that there, from all + the shire, hostages should be brought to meet them. Then came + Harold, King of the English, against them, unawares, beyond + the bridge, and they there joined battle, and very strenuously, + for a long time of the day, continued fighting: and there was + Harold King of Norway and Tosty the Earl slain, and numberless + of the people with them, as well of the Northmen as of the + English: and the Northmen fled from the English. Then was there + one of the Norwegians who withstood the English people, so that + they might not pass over the bridge, nor obtain the victory. + Then an Englishman aimed at him with a javelin, but it availed + nothing; and then came another under the Bridge, and pierced + him terribly inwards under the coat of mail. Then came Harold, + King of the English, over the bridge, and his forces onward + with him, and there made great slaughter, as well of Norwegians + as of Flemings. And the King's son Edmund, Harold let go home + to Norway, with all the ships." + +Dreadful were the events of that September day, and most dismally +tragic the retreat from Stamford Bridge to Riccall; the pursuers +wielding sword and spear with merciless energy on the rear of the +fugitive army, while ever and anon the Northman turned upon his foe +and died fighting. + +The fleet was reached by the war-worn Norwegians, but afforded them no +refuge, for the Saxons pressed on to the attack, and captured ship +after ship, and in some instances appear to have fired the vessels, +failing to carry them by the sword, for the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" +says:-- + + "And the English from behind hotly smote them, until they came, + some to their ships, some were drowned, and some also burned; + and thus in divers ways they perished, so that there were few + left. The King then gave his protection to Olave, son of the + King of the Norwegians, and to their bishop and to the Earl of + Orkney, and to all those who were left in the ships: and they + then went up to our King, and swore oaths that they ever would + observe peace and friendship toward this land, and the King let + them go home with twenty-four ships." + +On the low plain of Riccall the dead lay thickly, and to this day the +villagers point out to the curious visitor the huge earthen mounds +that cover the bones of the Norwegians. + +The Harold Hardrada Saga gives us a last glimpse of the remnant of the +forlorn fleet, as it sailed from the ancient port of +Ravenser:-- + + "Olafr, son of Harold Sigurdson, led the fleet from England, + setting sail at Hrafnseyri, and in the autumn came to Orkney. + Of whom Stein Herdisson makes mention: + + 'The King the swift ships with the flood + Set out, with the autumn approaching, + And sailed from the port, called + Hrafnseyri (the raven tongue of land). + The boats passed over the broad track + Of the long ships; the sea raging, + The roaring tide was furious around the ships' sides.'" + +The memory of the Norwegian giant who held the bridge was perpetuated +by the people of Stamford, for Drake tells us that they + + "have a custom, at an annual feast, to make pies in the form of + a swill, or swine tub, which tradition says was made use of by + the man who struck the Norwegian on the bridge, instead of a + boat." + +Harold is accused of having disgusted his army by refusing them a +share of the spoil; but this is difficult to reconcile with the known +generous character of the man; and no prince could have been more +nobly seconded by his troops than was Harold on the field of Senlac. + +Brief indeed was the victor's respite from the dangers of the field; +for, as he was presiding at a great feast of his chieftains and +officers at York, a messenger entered the hall in haste, and +delivered his ominous message that William of Normandy had disembarked +his army at Pevensey, unopposed, on the 29th of September. + +The march south was at once commenced; and on the 14th of October a +murderous battle was fought at Senlac, raging with unwavering fury +from sunrise to sunset. King Harold, his brothers Leofwin and Gurth, +fell in the front of battle, with the flower of the army; and from +that day the Norman rule commenced in England. + + + + + III.--AFTER STAMFORD BRIDGE. + + +William, Duke of Normandy, landed at Pevensey on the eve of St. +Michael, 1066, and cast up fortifications for the protection of his +army. Not venturing to penetrate into the country, he awaited the +approach of the Saxon army. He had not long to wait. The route from +York to Hastings was covered by forced marches, and, with a decimated +and wearied army, Harold Godwinson took up his position before the +Norman host. His rear was protected by rising ground; his front and +flanks by trenches and huge wooden piles. He had especially to fear +the Norman cavalry and archers, and took every precaution to defend +his troops against them. + +On the eve of the battle the Saxons regaled themselves with strong +ale, and chanted legendary songs by their bivouac fires; but the +Normans occupied themselves in religious services, as befitted hired +cut-throats and the "scum of Europe." + +Harold's banner, embroidered in gold with the figure of a warrior, in +battle attitude, was fixed near the "hoar apple tree." The men of +Wessex brought with them their great banner, emblazoned with a golden +dragon. + +On the 14th October, Harold's birthday, the battle was fought. The +Norman army advanced in three lines: the light infantry and archers +under Roger de Montgomerie; the men-at-arms under Martel; and the +knights, esquires, and picked men-at-arms under the command of the +Duke. + +As the Normans advanced they raised the song of Roland, and the +minstrel Taillefer claimed first blood, as a sturdy Saxon fell to his +sword. + +The Norman archers shot their arrows fast and well, point-blank +against the Saxons, but the palisades proved a most efficient +protection, and from their bows, and slings, and military machines, +the Saxons replied, but they were not famous in missile warfare. Then +the Norman lines closed on front and flanks, with thrust of lance, and +fierce axe-play against the stout wooden piles, and all the while the +heavy Saxon twibils rose and fell, crashing through Norman helm and +shield, as horse and rider bit the dust, and from the Saxon rear the +heavy javelins came whirling through the air. The dead and wounded lay +thick on both sides of the palisades, and blood trickled and curdled +in the dust. With unflinching courage the conflict was maintained, +amid a tumult of discordant sounds: the clash and clatter of steel +against steel, the groans of the wounded, and the sudden death-yells +of those whose spirits fled as the axes came crashing through helm and +brain-pan, or lance was driven sheer through corset and breast: above +the heat and roar of the _melee_ pealed the Saxon war-cry: "Christ's +Rood! the Holy Rood!" answered by the sonorous Norman death-cry: "Our +lady of help! God be our help!" + +The day sped to the heat and languor of the mid October noon, and the +Normans toiled before the Saxon front, and belted it with flashing +steel. + +With painful anxiety Duke William saw his repeated charges spent +against the Saxon army, saw his ranks shaken and thinned, without one +foot of ground being won. He now bade his archers shoot high in the +air, so that their arrows might descend upon the heads of the Saxons. +By this the slaughter was dreadfully increased within the Saxon lines, +but the warriors were unshaken in their resolution to maintain their +ground. + +Along the front the Saxons nobly avenged their slaughtered brethren, +and William poured his whole army against them in a murderous charge. +Quicker rose and fell the Saxon axes, and, recoiling from the shock, +the surging mass of mail-clad warriors rolled down the ravine, between +two hills, and many men were trampled to death by the struggling +horses. Surely a charge of heavy cavalry would, at this crisis, have +secured the throne and crown of Harold. Thrice the stalwart form of +Norman William sank amid the surges, as three horses were slain +beneath him. A cry arose that the Duke was slain, and panic and defeat +appeared inevitable, when William rode, bare-headed, among his +warriors, and reformed their ranks. + +During the dreadful carnage, Harold maintained the van, fighting with +heroic courage, although suffering severely from an arrow-wound which +had destroyed one of his eyes. William's strenuous efforts were nobly +seconded by his officers, and especially by his half-brother, Odo, the +warlike bishop of Bayeux. Foiled in every attempt to penetrate the +Saxon lines, and hopeless of beating them out of their defences, +William drew the Saxons by a feigned retreat of his cavalry, and on +passing the broken ground, turned upon them, and cut them to pieces. +Twice was the ruse repeated, and although the Saxons maintained their +position with undaunted front, their ranks were terribly thinned and +shaken. + +The charges were repeated, again and again, and the Normans rolled +back in blood. The day waned, but the desperate attacks were foiled. +At length a number of palisades were displaced, and the Norman horse +bit into the Saxon masses, hewing a bloody pathway, and paying heavily +for every foot they won. Twenty knights vowed to take Harold's banner, +and William of Normandy, rendered desperate by his peril, was +anxiously seeking the Saxon hero. The conflict inside the palisades +was tremendous. Harold's brothers, Gurth and Leofwin, perished in the +van: the King was slain; there was a bloody rally round the royal +banner; ten of the Norman knights were hewn down, but the banner was +captured, and the Norman flag elevated in its place. Still the Saxons +would not fly; the "Golden Dragon" was taken, and they were reduced to +a mere mob of struggling warriors. The grey of evening merged into +the dusk of night before the retreat commenced. In retreat they were +almost as dangerous as in battle, and repeatedly turned and drew +Norman blood. The Normans were driven back, William advanced to their +succour, and while their leader, Eustace of Boulogne, was whispering +in the Duke's ear, he was struck on the back by a heavy Saxon axe, and +fell, insensible, from his horse, the blood gushing from his mouth and +nostrils. + +The Normans, relaxing the pursuit, rode their horses over the slain +Saxons, in savage elation, before returning solemn thanks to God for +the victory. + +Gurtha, the mother of Harold, came to beg the hero's body, to give it +burial; but William is reported to have refused, ordering the corse to +be buried on the strand, remarking, with unknightly anger--"He guarded +the coast while he was alive, let him thus continue to guard it after +death." The dead King was, however, interred in Waltham Abbey, which +he had founded and endowed; or, if Tovi, Canute's standard-bearer, was +the original founder of the abbey, yet Harold was largely its +benefactor. + +On the field of Senlac King William built the famous Battle Abbey, +that priests might perpetually pray for the souls of the slain, but, +as Palgrave remarks:-- + + "All this pomp and solemnity has passed away like a dream. The + 'perpetual prayer' has ceased for ever--the roll of Battle is + rent--the shields of the Norman lieges are trodden in the + dust--the Abbey is levelled to the ground--and a dark and reedy + pool fills the spot where the foundations of the quire have + been uncovered, merely for the gaze of the idle visitor, or the + instruction of the moping antiquary." + +Yorkshire endured terrible evils at the hands of the Conqueror, as he +penetrated its wilds with his famous bowmen and men-at-arms. + +The year 1068 witnessed a Northumbrian revolt, which was easily +quelled; but a more determined effort to cast off the Norman yoke was +made in the following year. The events are thus recorded in the +"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," and were graphically realized by the acutely +sympathetic mind of the Rev. Charles Kingsley in his stirring story of +"Hereward, the last of the English." The accuracy of the latter part +of the title of his novel is, however, generally disputed: + + "A.D. 1068--This year King William gave the earldom of + Northumberland to earl Robert, and the men of that country + came against him, and slew him and 900 others with him. And + then Edgar etheling marched with all the Northumbrians to York, + and the townsmen treated with him; on which King William came + from the south with all his troops, and sacked the town, and + slew many hundred persons. He also profaned St. Peter's + minster, and all other places, and the etheling went back to + Scotland. + + "After this came Harold's sons from Ireland, about Midsummer, + with sixty-four ships, and entered the mouth of the Taff, where + they incautiously landed. Earl Beorn came upon them unawares + with a large army, and slew all their bravest men; the others + escaped to their ships, and Harold's sons went back again to + Ireland. + + "A.D. 1069--This year died Aldred, Archbishop of York, and he + lies buried in his cathedral church. He died on the festival of + Protus and Hyacinthus, having held the see with much honour ten + years, all but fifteen weeks. + + "Soon after this, three of the sons of Sweyne came from Denmark + with 240 ships, together with earl Osbern and earl Thorkill, + into the Humber, where they were met by child Edgar and earl + Waltheof, and Merle-Sweyne, and earl Cospatric with the men of + Northumberland and all the landsmen riding and marching + joyfully with an immense army; and so they went to York, + demolished the castle, and found there large treasures. They + also slew many hundred Frenchmen, and carried off many + prisoners to their ships; but, before the shipmen came thither, + the Frenchmen had burned the city, and plundered and burnt St. + Peter's minister. When the King heard of this, he went + northward with all the troops he could collect, and laid waste + all the shire; whilst the fleet lay all the winter in the + Humber, where the King could not get at them. The King was at + York on Midwinter's day, remaining on land all the winter, and + at Easter he came to Winchester." + +It was on the 19th of September that the Danes and Northumbrians +entered York, and, amid the flame and smoke of burning houses, stormed +the Norman stronghold, and put the garrison to the sword. Egbert, the +seventh Archbishop of York, had founded a valuable library in the +city, but it was utterly consumed in the flames. + +The triumph of King William was not so easily achieved as might be +supposed from the account given in the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle;" and +had he not succeeded in buying off the Danish fleet, it is quite +possible that all the fruit of his great victory at Senlac might have +been swallowed up at York. Although the Northumbrians were not strong +enough to brave the Normans in open field, they defended York against +all the attacks of the King's troops for a period of six months, and +the garrison only surrendered when they were in danger of perishing +from starvation. + +During the siege Waltheof Siwardsson especially distinguished himself, +and on one occasion defended, single-handed, a breach in the +city-wall, dashing out the brains of the Normans as they came within +the sweep of his axe. + +In the first burst of rage on receiving news of the slaughter of the +Norman garrison, William vowed to lay the whole of Northumbria in +ashes, and he carried out with ruthless severity this rash and cruel +resolution. The troops who fought beneath his banner were mercenary +cut-throats, the fit agents of his vengeance, and they addressed +themselves to the work of destruction with a keen appreciation. The +peasantry fell by the edge of the sword, neither age nor sex being +respected: the shrieking children were mingled in the common ruin. +Cottages were fired, orchards hewn down, the instruments of husbandry +destroyed, and every energy was bent to the destruction of human life, +and to ensure by starvation the death of those whom the sword failed +to reach. For nine years after the storm had passed over the devoted +province, the ground remained untilled, and the villages unrestored. +The wretched fugitives who hid their heads in forests and caves were +driven to feed upon the flesh of unclean cats and dogs, and finally +they endeavoured to prolong their miserable lives by the last resort +to cannibalism. It is computed that one hundred thousand persons +perished in a district of sixty miles in length. The sea-ports were +subjected to the same severities, that, in case of further Danish +invasions, the ships might be unable to obtain supplies. + +York itself was not spared by the ruthless Norman. The prisoners, who +had been delivered into William's hands by the extreme pangs of +famine, were put to the sword, and the city was given to the flames. + +During his expedition to Northumbria, William narrowly escaped +receiving the reward of his demerits, an example of poetic justice +that would have been particularly striking to the historian, and +useful to the moralist. + +While on the march from Hexham to York, he became involved in a wild +and unknown country; his horses perished, his soldiers were reduced to +the extremes of suffering and privation; and William missed his way, +in the obscurity of a night-march, and was reduced to a state of great +anxiety, not to say fear, being uncertain of the ground over which he +wandered, and equally uncertain of the direction in which his troops +were marching. + +The North continued to suffer from war and invasion. Malcolm wasted +Northumberland, A.D. 1079, and his wild Scots invaded the country as +far as the Tyne, and re-entered Scotland with much spoil, and many +prisoners. + +The bishopric of Durham had been bestowed upon Walcher of Lorraine, +and as he equally governed by crozier and sword, taxing the people +heavily, and allowing his Norman mercenaries to plunder, insult, and +slay his flock at their pleasure, he was bitterly hated; and, when his +servant Gilbert murdered Liulf, a noble Englishman, who had married +Jarl Siward's widow, the mother of the heroic Waltheof, their rage +knew no bounds. Walcher consented to confer with the Northumbrians at +Gateshead, and was attended by a large escort. Every Englishman +carried a weapon with him, concealed beneath his garment, and the +bishop, becoming alarmed for his life, took refuge in the church, +which was speedily fired, when the murderer and his accomplice were +driven out, and received a summary requital for their crime. Compelled +to sally out by flame and smoke, the bishop appeared among the raging +multitude, his face wrapped in the skirt of his robe. There was +silence, then a voice gave the death-words: "Good rede, short rede! +slay ye the bishop!" and the protector of murderers was slain. His +escort of a hundred men, Normans and Flemings, died beneath +Northumbrian steel in that awful hour, only two of his servants, +menials of English birth, being saved. + +Vengeance was delegated to Odo of Bayeux, and there was no Hereward, +no Waltheof to welcome him with blood-wet steel. He entered Durham +unopposed, a Norman army at his back, and slew or maimed all the men +that he could find. + +Seven years later, and William lay dying in the monastery of St. +Gervas, passing to his last account at sunrise on the 9th of +September, as the bells of St. Mary tolled the hour of prime. His last +words were: "I recommend my soul to my Lady Mary, the holy mother of +God." + +Rufus succeeded, and in his reign the King's army besieged Durham +Castle, and received its surrender. This arose from the revolt of Odo +of Bayeux, who was captured at Rochester Castle, and sent out of the +country, to the sound of Saxon curses and the triumphant strains of +Saxon trumpets, for the proud prelate who had cursed England with his +presence since the day of Senlac was conquered by Saxon steel at last. + +The North was again ravaged by the Scots, A.D. 1091, when Rufus +marched to protect it, and "Edgar Atheling mediated a peace between +the kings." The following year saw the King again in the North, with a +large following, when, + + "he repaired the city (Carlisle), and built the castle. And he + drove out Dolfin, who had before governed that country, and + having placed a garrison in that castle he returned into the + South, and sent a great number of rustic Englishmen thither, + with their wives and cattle, that they might settle there and + cultivate the land." + +A.D. 1093.-- + + "King Malcolm returned home to Scotland, and as soon as he came + thither, he assembled his troops and invaded England, ravaging + the country with more fury than behoved him: and Robert, Earl + of Northumberland, with his men, lay in wait for him, and slew + him unawares. He was killed by Moræl of Bamborough, the earl's + steward, and King Malcolm's own godfather: his son Edward, who, + had he lived, would have been King after his father, was killed + with him. When the good Queen Margaret heard that her most + beloved lord, and her son, were thus cut off, she was grieved + in spirit unto death, and she went with her priest into the + church, and having gone through all befitting rites, she prayed + of God that she might give up the ghost." + +The Northern province had little rest from marching armies, sieges, +and battles. In the Easter of 1095, Robert, Earl of Northumberland, +treated with contempt the King's summons to attend the court at +Winchester; whereon the King took an early opportunity of attacking +him, seized his principal servants and officers, took Tynemouth +Castle, and after vainly besieging Bamborough, built a castle, +_Malveisin_, or "evil neighbour," over against it, and leaving +therein a strong garrison departed. After the King's departure, the +earl sallied out one night, riding towards Tynemouth, when a part of +the garrison of _Malveisin_ pursued after him, carried him off, +wounded, and slew or captured his attendants. On this Rufus ordered +his captains to carry Northumberland to Bamborough Castle, and summon +it to surrender, threatening to put out the earl's eyes if the castle +continued to hold out. The scheme was successful, the countess--a +young and beautiful woman, recently married to Northumberland--at once +surrendered, when the unhappy earl was condemned to a life-long +imprisonment. + +The mysterious death of William Rufus, who was found in the New +Forest, slain by an arrow, on the 2nd of August, A.D. 1100, was +followed by the accession of Henry I., when the Northern provinces of +the island enjoyed a period of unwonted repose, which was terminated +by the usurpation of Stephen of Blois, when the Scottish invasions +re-commenced, and the battle of the Standard was fought. + +During these years York was steadily rising from its ashes, after the +Conqueror's fiery chastisement, when, on the 4th June, 1137, a fire +accidently broke out, and the city was again consumed. + +Of the patriots who combatted so valiantly against the Conqueror +during the invasion of Northumbria, Earl Edwin was slain in 1071, +being betrayed to the Normans by three of his servants; Morkar, after +joining Hereward in the famous Camp of Refuge, fell into the hands of +the King, and was cast into prison, pursuant to a sentence of +imprisonment for life, but, when the Conqueror lay on his death-bed, +he ordered his release, and William Rufus immediately re-committed him +to prison; Earl Cospatrick was banished for the slaughter of the +Normans at Durham and York, and received honours and lands from the +King of Scotland. Hereward was murdered by the Normans, but exacted an +heroic price for his life. + + + + + IV.--BATTLE OF THE STANDARD. + + A.D. 1138. + + +The crown which the Conqueror won at Hastings was fated to pass from +the direct male line of succession in the third generation. + +Robert, the eldest of King William's sons, was passed over by his +father, who transmitted the crown to Rufus. When that violent, but not +wholly ungenerous, prince was slain in the New Forest Prince Henry, +the Conqueror's youngest son, usurped the crown, and ultimately +overcame his brother Robert, seized his Duchy of Normandy, and +condemned him to a life-long imprisonment. + +Each of the brothers had a son bearing the name of his grandsire, and +it appeared certain that the feud of the fathers would be perpetuated +by the children. + +William, son of Robert, had many stout friends, and enjoyed, in a +special degree, the protection of the King of France; hence wars and +revolts arose in the King's usurped Duchy of Normandy, and it seemed +probable that when King Henry died the duchy would be re-conquered by +Robert's son. All the energies of King Henry were therefore turned to +securing the duchy for his son. In the year 1120 he carried the prince +to Normandy, and, by his valour and address in the field, seconded by +his crafty policy, he succeeded in restoring peace and order in the +duchy, and also in detaching his nephew's chief supporters from his +cause. + +When about to sail from Barfleur, he was accosted by an ancient +mariner, who claimed that his father had piloted the Conqueror to +England in 1066, and besought the honour of now carrying King Henry +across the Channel. The King had already made his arrangements, but he +entrusted Prince William and his suite to the care of Fitz-Stephen. It +was a serene, moonlight night when the _Blanche Nef_ sailed, but the +prince had provided too generously for the good cheer of the mariners, +and a drunken and careless crew carried him to his fate. The _Blanche +Nef_ struck on the rocks of the Ras de Catte, and rapidly filled. +Prince William was hastily thrust into the ship's boat, but he +insisted upon attempting the rescue of his half-sister, and vainly, +but generously, sacrificed his life in the endeavour. + +The position of Duke Robert's son was apparently more hopeful now that +he was the only lineal male heir to the throne. King Henry was not, +however, the less earnest in his endeavours to transmit all his +dignities to his own children. Thus reads the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," +for 1127:-- + + "This year at Christmas, King Henry held his court at Windsor, + and David, King of Scotland, was there, and all the headmen of + England, both clergy and laity. And the King caused the + archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, and all the thanes who + were present, to swear to place England and Normandy, after his + death, in the hands of his daughter the princess, who had been + the wife of the Emperor of Saxony. And then he sent her to + Normandy, accompanied by her brother Robert, Earl of + Gloucester, and by Brian, the son of the Earl Alan Fergan; and + he caused her to be wedded to the son of the Earl of Anjou, + named Geoffrey Martel." + +In the following year the brief, but brilliant, career of Prince +William came to an end. After a most honourable campaign, whilst + + "he was besieging Eu against King Henry, and expected on the + morrow to receive its surrender, for the enemy was almost + worn-out, the young man died of a slight wound in the hand, + leaving behind him an endless name." + +Robert of Normandy fulfilled the number of his days in the year 1134. +No doubt the statement of Matthew Paris was quite correct:-- + + "When the King heard of his death, he did not grieve much, but + commanded the body to be reverently interred in the conventual + church of Gloucester." + +King Henry had reigned many years, and committed many crimes to secure +his crown, but, such is the irony of fate, he was not permitted to +enjoy his triumph long, for, on the 1st of December, he died through +over-indulgence in supping on lampreys, and, to use the expressive +ambiguity of Carlyle, "went to his own place, wherever that might be." + +Prominent among the nobles of England was Stephen, Count of Blois, the +son of the Conqueror's daughter Adela, and the first peer of the +realm--a position which he put to the proof when the oath of +allegiance was taken to the ex-Empress Matilda, Robert, Duke of +Gloucester, having vainly claimed precedence, although he could only +claim as the natural son of the King. + +Stephen was a brave, generous, and popular noble, and both the peers +and commons of England would have preferred his rule to that of the +King's daughter; when, therefore, he made claim to the throne no +opposition was raised. + + "For when the nobles of the kingdom were assembled at London, + he promised that the laws should be reformed to the + satisfaction of every one of them, and William, Archbishop of + Canterbury, who was the first of all the nobles to take the + oath of fidelity to the Empress as Queen of England, now + consecrated Stephen to be King. In fine, all the bishops, + earls, and barons who had sworn fealty to the King's daughter + and her heirs gave their adhesion to King Stephen, saying that + it would be a shame for so many nobles to submit themselves to + a woman." + +Having obtained the crown, Stephen assisted in burying the corpse of +his uncle, being one of those who sustained the coffin on their +shoulders. How suggestive such a scene must have appeared to many who +were present. The dead King had broken the closest ties of +relationship and blood in obtaining the crown; the retribution that +took the shape of his son's untimely death was to some extent +compensated by the death of his nephew; but no sooner is the old King +dead than his nephew usurps the crown, maugre his vows of allegiance +to Matilda, and piously assists in conveying him to the grave. + +For the moment no man seemed disposed to maintain the claims of the +ex-Empress: the first to move on her behalf being her uncle David, +King of Scotland, a humane and religious prince, who occupied the same +relationship to Stephen's wife that he did to the ex-Empress. + +In his first invasion David succeeded in occupying Carlisle and +Newcastle, but being confronted by Stephen at the head of a powerful +army, a treaty was entered into at Durham, whereby King David engaged +to abandon hostilities on certain territorial concessions being made +to him. Thrice in one year Northumbria was inundated by the wild +Scots, and Stephen, harassed by his treacherous barons, could only +avenge his unhappy subjects by laying waste the frontiers of Scotland. + +The wildest storm of war swept over Northumbria in the year 1138, the +unfortunate inhabitants of that province being mercilessly +slaughtered in requital for the sins of their princes and +nobles--sins in which they had neither art nor part. David was deeply +afflicted by the enormous cruelties which his troops perpetrated, but +he was utterly unable to control their passions, and endeavoured to +quieten his conscience by condemning the acts of his armies, and by +his royal munificence to the church--James the First expressed his +appreciation of the liberality of his predecessor by remarking that, +"He kythed a sair saint to the crown." + +The tumultuary army which followed him "consisted of Normans, +Germans, and English, of Cumbrian Britons, of Northumbrians, of men +of Teviotdale and Lothian, of Picts commonly called men of Galloway, +and of Scots." + +Barely threescore years and ten had elapsed since William the Norman +had carried fire and sword through Northumbria. The charred and +blackened ruins of grange and village were not yet entirely hidden by +the dense growth of bramble and thorn; and the human bones, that had +been gnawed by the wolves in their midnight banquets in the evil days +that succeeded the Confessor's death, had not yet mouldered into their +kindred earth. + +It was in the wild and stormy season of the opening spring of 1138 +that King David commenced his operations. + +Shaken to its centre, Northumbria lay at the mercy of the invader: +again the sword reaped its bloody harvest, again the torch performed +its evil office, and the midnight skies were illumined by the glare of +burning homesteads and villages. The highways and byeways were strewn +with the dead: with the gashed clay of strong men, of women, and of +little children. Age and womanhood lay together in dishonoured death; +the white hairs and the flowing tresses trodden in the same bloody +mire, and, most cruel spectacle! the little babes, pierced and +shattered by spears, lay where they had been cast in fiendish sport by +the pitiless barbarians. The blood of the priests reeked upon the +altars of the most High God, and the sacred fanes were heaped with the +sweltering corruption of slain worshippers. Miserable fugitives turned +their faces towards the Humber, striving to escape the hot-footed +Scot, who pressed so keen and fast upon their track. + +The remnant of the maddened people, desperate in their despair, only +required a leader to organise and direct their strength. + +Thurstan, the aged Archbishop of York, although bowed down to the +verge of the grave by the weight of many years and infirmities, came +forward to organise the strength of his afflicted people. Stephen +being unable to disengage himself from the toils of his revolted +barons, the civil war having already broken out in the south, +despatched Bernard de Baliol to the north, at the head of a body of +men-at-arms. The real strength of the movement was, however, the +combination of those eminent northern barons, William, Earl of +Albemarle, Robert de Ferrars, William Percy, Roger de Mowbray, Ilbert +de Lacy, and the veteran Walter l'Espec, who, responding with prompt +energy to the supplications of Archbishop Thurstan, gathered their +vassals together, and prepared to take the field, as soon as all +arrangements were completed, and the widely scattered strength of the +North was concentrated. + +To draw the people to one standard, and to animate them with an +unconquerable fortitude, was the peculiar work of the Archbishop; but, +being too infirm to take a public part in the exciting scenes which +were being enacted, he deputed Ralph Nowel, the titular Bishop of +Orkney, to carry out his plans. This prelate caught the spirit of his +superior, and a signal success rewarded his efforts. Processions of +the clergy were organised, and the exhibition of crosses, relics, and +religious banners, tended to increase the devoted courage of the +superstitious peasantry. The whole of the male population was called +to arms, and a certain victory was promised, with a quick transition +into paradise for those who perished on the field. Thirsk was the +rendezvous, and, as the news was carried through the province, +men-at-arms and knights came trooping in, attended by the desperate +peasantry, whose rude arms, and lack of defensive armour, but ill +befitted them for what promised to be so dubious and sanguinary an +enterprise. + +Three days were occupied in fasting and devotion: the troops then took +a common vow of adherence to each other, victory being most +emphatically promised them. Nerved by every art of the church, by +their own desperate position, and by their thirst for vengeance, they +encamped around the grand standard which Thurstan had raised at +Elfer-tun, to command their piety and patriotism. It consisted of a +lofty spar, or mast, mounted on a huge four-wheeled car, and +terminating in a large crucifix, with a silver box attached, +containing the sacramental elements of the Romish Church. Around the +mast waved the holy banners of the sainted Peter of York, Wilfrid of +Ripon, and John of Beverley. Hugo de Sotevagina, Archdeacon of York, +inscribed this remarkable rhyme on the foot of the mast:-- + + "Dicitur a stando standardum quod stitit illic + Militæ probitas vincere sive mori. + + Standard, from stand, this fight we aptly call: + Our men here stood to conquer or to fall." + +From the turn of the lines we should infer that the inscription was +affixed subsequent to the battle. + +Norman baron and Saxon peasant had not long to wait the trial of +strength. The summer was now far advanced, for David had been detained +before the strong fortress of Norham; but that stronghold once in his +hands, he marched onward, unopposed, until he approached the +neighbourhood of York. His standard was simply a wreath of blooming +heather, attached to a long lance. Eustace Fitz-John commanded the +guard of completely accoutred knights and men-at-arms which attended +Prince Henry, the commander of the first division, comprising +Lowlanders, defended by cuirasses, and armed with long pikes; the +archers of Teviotdale and Liddesdale; the troopers of Cumberland and +Westmoreland, riding small but useful horses; and the fierce +Galwegians, destitute of defensive armour, and bearing long and +slender pikes. The Highlanders and Islemen followed the first +division, and carried target, claymore, and the ancient Danish +war-axe. King David followed with a gallant body of Anglo-Norman and +English knights, and a mixed corps of warriors, gathered from various +parts of the land, brought up the rear. + +With King David marched his warlike nephew, William MacDonoquhy, +flushed with the memory of his victory at Clitheroe, where, on the 4th +of June, he had defeated a strong force of the English, and gained +much spoil. + +The position of the Anglo-Norman barons was extremely peculiar; not +only did King David claim Northumberland, where they held lands, +but they acknowledged him for their liege lord, holding from him +estates which were situate on the Scottish side of the border. Under +these circumstances they prudently despatched Robert Bruce, Earl of +Annandale, and Bernard de Baliol, to the Scottish camp, to offer terms +to the King. If his Scottish Majesty would withdraw his army, and +conclude a permanent peace, they engaged "to procure from Stephen a +full grant of the earldom of Northumberland in favour of Prince Henry." + +The King was, however, firm in his resolution to maintain the cause of +the ex-Empress; and William MacDonoquhy declared that Bruce was a +false traitor. The two noblemen had no alternative but to renounce +their allegiance to the Scottish crown, and to beat a hasty retreat to +the English army. + +The disposition of the Scottish army was then discussed, and David +proposed to place his Saxon archers and Norman knights in the van, +to commence the attack. Deep was the indignation of Malise, Earl of +Strathearn, and bitter his protest against the King's confidence in +Norman mail. Said he, "I wear no armour; but there is not one among +them who will advance beyond me this day." + +The Norman, Allan de Piercy, angrily protested that the "rude earl" +boasted of that which he had not the courage to perform; whereon David +checked the growing quarrel, and pacified Malise by ordering the +Galwegians to take the van. + +It was the 22nd day of August, the wide moor, gay with blooming +heather, was involved in a land-mist, and, as a further cover to their +approach, the wild Scots fired some villages. The English were, +however, already formed around the standard, expectant of the +inevitable conflict, and no doubt experienced neither alarm nor +disappointment when Bruce and Baliol came in on the spur, and declared +that the enemy was on the march. + +Old Walter l'Espec spake a few soldierly words of hopeful exhortation +to his warriors, then placed his ungloved hand in that of the Earl of +Albemarle, with the dauntless exclamation, "I pledge thee my troth to +conquer or to die." Kindled to enthusiasm by the spirit of the valiant +old man, the soldiers gripped each other's hands, and the vow became +general. Archbishop Thurstan's representative was not slow to seize so +favourable a moment for increasing the enthusiastic ardour of the +troops, and he uttered a brief, but thrilling, harangue, in which, +according to the old chroniclers, he at once flattered and provoked +the emulous courage of the Anglo-Norman chivalry, by referring to the +achievements of their ancestors; kindled their resentment by pointing +them to the desecrated altars of their churches; assured them of a +swift and retributive vengeance; opened paradise to all who should +fall sword in hand that day, and encouraged them by reminding them of +their superiority over their enemies in respect of their arms and +armour. The form of absolution was then read, and answered by the +solemn "Amen" of the host. All was ready for the ordeal. + +The knights and men-at-arms in both armies were similarly armed. + + "From the Conquest to the close of the twelfth century but + little change had taken place in the armour and weapons of the + English; but five distinct varieties of body-armour were worn + by them about the time of the Standard--a scaly suit of steel, + with a _chapelle de fer_, or iron cap; a hauberk of iron rings; + a suit of mascled or quilted armour; another of rings set + edgewise; and a fifth of tegulated mail, composed of small + square plates of steel lapping over each other like tiles, with + a long flowing tunic of cloth below. Gonfarons fluttered from + the spear-heads; and knights wore nasal helmets and kite-shaped + shields of iron, but their spears were simply pointed goads." + +According to some accounts, the English men-at-arms were drawn up in a +dense column, surrounding their holy standard; and the archers, +consisting of peasants and yeomen from the woods and wolds of +Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottingham, were posted in the van. It is +certain that the Norman barons and the men-at-arms dismounted, and +sent their horses to the rear, and the probability is that the mailed +troops occupied the front of battle, and protected the archers, who +were destitute of defensive armour. All the accounts of the battle +favour this inference, although it is distinctly stated that the +archers were broken, but afterwards rallied--a statement that seems +incredible, for the English army being outflanked, the broken archers +would have been cut to pieces, it being impossible for the dense +column that surrounded the standard to open its ranks to receive the +fugitives, while the charging Scots were pressing hot and hard upon +their rear, and the action of the spearmen was retarded by the +presence of the archers upon their front, as these unfortunates were +being massacred by the enemy. + +The Galwegians made the first charge, with Ulgrick and Dovenald +leading. Their dreadful cries of _Albanigh, Albanigh!_ ("We are the +men of Albyn!") rolled like thunder over the field, as they rushed +furiously upon the Norman men-at-arms, threatening to bear down all +that withstood them with the forest of their long, thin pikes. The +centre of the English army was pierced, but the formation was too +dense to be shattered by a charge of pikemen, however furiously made, +and the long pikes were broken upon shield and hauberk, or shivered by +blow of sword and axe. The Galwegians bit deep, but fell in scores +along the front, and as they recoiled from the meeting, the archers +let fly a shower of shafts upon them. It was impossible to rally and +re-form in the face of that storm of deadly shafts, beating as hard +and fast as winter hail upon their naked bodies, and while numbers +fell, weltering in their gore, the disordered masses began to retire, +probably to the right and left, while the English taunted them with +derisive cries of "_Eyrych, Eyrych!_" ("You are but Irish!") which, +Scott remarks, "must have been true of that part of the Galwegians +called the wild Scots of Galloway, who are undoubtedly Scotch-Irish." + +As the men of Galloway staggered back from the storm of arrows, +leaving Ulgrick and Dovenald dead upon the field, Prince Henry charged +down upon the English with his knights and men-at-arms upon the spur. +With spear, and sword, and axe, he won a bloody pathway sheer through +the English centre, and put to flight the servants who were posted in +the rear of the army in charge of their masters' horses. The +oft-quoted expression of Alred, that "they broke through the English +ranks as if they had been spiders' webs," must be regarded as largely +figurative, for two reasons. In the first place, the Galwegians were +re-forming with the utmost alacrity, and the other lines were bearing +down fast and stern, yet the English ranks closed in before they could +take advantage of the confusion caused by the cavalry, and presented +an impenetrable front to the advancing Scots. In the second place, the +prince achieved nothing by his charge, beyond chasing a few grooms +from the field. On his return, he found the battle over, and passing +undiscovered through the pursuing forces, succeeded, after many +perils, in reaching Carlisle on the 28th of August. + +There is a curious, but not over-reliable story, that in the perilous +moment when the English were re-forming their ranks, and the remains +of Prince Henry's men-at-arms were dashing after the fugitives in the +rear, an English soldier, with singular presence of mind, averted the +impending storm by hewing off a Scotchman's head, and bearing it, at +point of spear, to the front, loudly exclaiming, "Behold the head of +the King of the Scots." Before this ominous spectacle the Galwegians +fell back in a sudden panic, arresting the advance of the second line, +and causing the third line to beat a hasty retreat without lifting +weapon on the field. Bare-headed, King David rode amid the breaking +ranks in a gallant effort to rally his soldiers; but all his efforts +proving fruitless, he assumed the command of his cavalry, and +protected, as far as possible, the retreat of his disorganised army. + +There can, however, maugre this oft-told story, be no question that a +tremendous battle raged for upwards of two hours. The devoted savages +of Galloway rallied, and, supported by the second and third lines of +their army, closed in upon the English, "after giving three shouts in +the manner of their nation." Thus the holy standard, and its heroic +defenders, was belted with a wide and deep hem of raging enemies, who +sought, with sword and axe, to hew a passage through the phalanx of +spears that held them back. They combated fiercely together in a mist +of dust and heat; blood flowed like water, and the trampled earth was +dreadful with the bodies of the slain; but no despoiling hand reached +the standard; a hedge of glittering steel defended it, the Normans +fenced it with flashing swords, the serried spears sustained the +fierce attack, though indented here and there by the pressure of horse +and men. The continuous shower of shafts from the archers sorely +distressed and harassed the Scots, and abandoning all hope of breaking +or hewing down the valiant enemy, around which they had drawn their +triple line of warriors, they broke and fled. First the decimated +remnant of the savage heroes of Galloway recoiled, and spread +confusion through the second line, and then the outward hem of mixed +troops, who had never struck blow, wavered and broke; and the battle +of the Standard was lost and won. + +David valiantly protected the retreat of his disordered army, leaving +some 12,000 upon the field. He halted at Carlisle, in grave distress +as to the fate of his son, who rejoined him three days later, as +before mentioned. Quarrels took place in his army, and weapons were +freely resorted to, and some blood shed. + +The 200 mailed knights of King David lost nearly the whole of their +horses, and only nineteen carried their harness from the field. The +Norman barons were not particularly fortunate in making prisoners, but +fifty knights fell to their spear and sword. Of these, William Cumin, +the Scotch Chancellor, was detained in prison for a short time by the +Bishop of Durham, and, on being liberated, "gave thanks to God," +desiring heartily that he never at any time should again meet with the +like experience. His companions in affliction were ransomed about the +time of the feast of All-Saints following. + +The Scottish army having rallied at Carlisle, continued the war, +besieged and reduced, by famine, Wark Castle; and carried away as +prisoners a number of English women, who were ultimately restored to +their friends through the good offices of Alberic, Bishop of Ostia, +who, being seconded by King Stephen's wife, succeeded in bringing +about a peace, which was concluded on the 9th day of April, 1139. + +Before the English army disbanded, Eustace Fitz-John, who had +garrisoned Malton with Scotch troops, received their attention. In the +conflict which ensued the town was stormed and given to the flames. + +On this eventful day the English archers won their first laurels with +the long bow and arrows, two cubits in length; and this sanguinary +conflict derives an additional interest from the fact. As brave and +experienced warriors, the captains would probably perceive and +acknowledge the service performed by the Northumbrian infantry, but +not one of them considered the possibility of a day dawning that would +see the laurels of war bestowed upon the English archers, while the +Anglo-Norman chivalry had to be contented with less honourable +trophies of bravery and skill. + + + + + V.--AFTER THE BATTLE OF THE STANDARD. + + +The reign of Stephen was cursed by the worst evils of civil war. The +King was captured at Lincoln, A.D. 1140, being deserted by many of his +troops; but was afterwards exchanged for Robert, Earl of Gloucester, +who had been taken prisoner by Stephen's partisans. Ultimately +Matilda's son, Prince Henry, entered England, when it was arranged +that he should succeed to the throne on the King's death. + +Under Henry's rule happier days dawned upon the Kingdom. A.D. 1160, a +great Council was held at York, said to be the first of such +assemblages to which the title of Parliament was applied. The King of +Scots attended, with his nobles and clergy, and rendered feudal homage +for his province of Lothian. Scott asserts that + + "homage was done by the Scottish kings for Lothian, simply + because it had been a part, or moiety, of Northumberland, ceded + by Eadulf-Cudel, a Saxon Earl of Northumberland, to Malcolm + II., on condition of amity and support in war, for which, as + feudal institutions gained ground, feudal homage was the + natural substitute and emblem." + +Malcolm, being greatly attached to the King of England, yielded to him +all his possessions in Cumberland and Northumberland, possessions +which Henry would probably have conquered had they not been ceded. + +Malcolm was succeeded by his brother William, the declared enemy of +England. Invading Northumberland, he was surprised near Alnwick Castle +by Bernard de Baliol. Sixty cavaliers escorted him, and he made a +desperate charge upon the English, exclaiming, "Now we shall see who +are good knights." He was unhorsed, and carried off to Newcastle on +the spur. As the price of his liberty he performed feudal homage at +York for the whole of Scotland, placing hostages and certain +strongholds in King Henry's hands. + +Henry died, broken-hearted and conquered by the repeated revolts of +his sons. On his accession Richard I. annuled the acts of his father, +as regarded the independence of Scotland, but homage for Lothian was +of course continued. + +Early in 1190, a dreadful fire broke out in York, and rapidly spread, +being fanned by a strong wind. During the confusion a number of +thieves entered the house of a Jewish widow, slew her and her +children, and plundered the house. Benedict, the husband of the +murdered woman, had fallen in the massacre of Jews during King +Richard's coronation. Jocenus had attended Benedict to London, and had +effected his escape with much difficulty. Being very wealthy he feared +the fury of the mob, and took refuge in the castle, carrying with him +his treasures. His example was largely followed by the Jews. The +governor of the castle sallied out, leaving it in the hands of the +refugees. On his return he was largely accompanied, and the Jews, in +their fear, refused to admit him. He at once raised the country, and +besieged the castle. Their offer of ransom being rejected, in their +despair the Jews resolved to kill themselves, after destroying their +property and setting fire to the fortress. Jocenus cut the throats of +his wife and five children, and this dreadful example was largely +followed. The less courageous of the Jews then appealed to the +besiegers, told the story of the tragedy, and, as proof, threw at +their feet several mangled corpses. Protection was promised to the +survivors, when the gates were thrown open. The besiegers entered, and +completed the extermination of the Jews. The cathedral was then +visited, and the bonds and securities of the Jews, deposited there for +safe keeping, were destroyed. + +William Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, was deputed to punish the offenders. +He appointed Osbert de Longchamp governor of the county; and the +sheriff and governor of the castle were deprived of their offices, and +cast into prison. Fines were inflicted on many citizens, and a hundred +hostages taken. + +On Richard's release from his German captivity, he sold many offices +to raise his ransom. For 3,000 marks Geoffrey Plantagenet, Archbishop +of York, purchased the office of Sheriff. This rendered him all but an +absolute prince of the province. + +Early in his reign King John visited York, and held a convention, +which was attended by the King of Scotland, and many of his nobles. +The citizens abstained from any expression of welcome, and the +disgusted King consoled himself by exacting a fine of £100. In the +last year of the tyrant's life, York was besieged by the northern +barons, who were bought off with 1,000 marks. + +Henry III. held a convocation at York in 1220, when his sister Joanna +was engaged to King Alexander of Scotland. In the following year his +majesty attended the espousals, celebrated in the cathedral church. On +this occasion Alexander's sister, Margaret, bestowed her hand upon +Hubert de Burgh, the justiciary. + +Henry celebrated his Christmas festivities in York, A.D. 1230 and +1252. On the last occasion he bestowed the hand of his daughter +Margaret upon Alexander, King of Scotland. Matthew Paris gives a +particular and most interesting account of the ceremonies:-- + + "The Earl-Marshal earnestly demanded that the palfrey of the + King of Scotland, which he claimed as his right, should be + given to him, with its caparisons--not for its value, or out of + any avarice, but according to an ancient custom in such + cases--that it might not die away in his time through any + neglect of his." + +Alexander + + "would not submit to such an exaction, because, if he chose, + he might obtain these equipments from any Catholic prince, or + from some of his own nobles." + +The Archbishop of York nobly performed his part. + + "In making presents of gold, silver, and silken dresses, he + sowed on a barren shore four thousand marks which he never + afterwards reaped. But it was necessary for him to do these + things for a time, that his good fame might be preserved in its + integrity, and that the mouths of evil-speakers might be + closed." + +Necessarily Edward I. was many times in Yorkshire during his Scottish +wars. In 1291 he treated the citizens to the spectacle of one of his +state-butcheries, when Rees-ap-Meredith, a descendant of the ancient +royalty of South Wales, was dragged on a hurdle to the gallows, and +hanged and quartered. In the year 1298, he obtained sole possession of +the port and lands of Wyke, afterwards known as Kingston-upon-Hull. +Under his royal patronage, the port speedily rose to a position of +great maritime importance. In the same year he twice summoned +Parliament to assemble at York, commanding the attendance of the +Scotch nobility, and declared the pains and penalties of high treason +against all absentees. + +Six years later Edward concluded that the conquest of Scotland was +achieved, and disbanded his army. In 1307, he died upon the red +war-path, commenced in subtlety and falsehood. He drew his last breath +at Burgh-on-Sands, in Cumberland, on the 7th of July. + +In Yorkshire the Barons ran Piers Gaveston to earth in the days of +Edward II. In 1311 they curtailed the royal power, and sentenced +Gaveston to perpetual banishment, attaching the death-penalty should +he re-enter the Kingdom. Edward commanded Gaveston to return, and +restored his honours and possessions. The Barons flew to arms, and +marched to York. The King fled to Newcastle, proceeded to Scarborough +Castle, where he left Gaveston in command, and vainly endeavoured to +raise an army. + +Attacked by the Barons, Gaveston surrendered. Pembroke and Lord Henry +Percy engaged that he should be imprisoned in Wallingford Castle, and +that he should suffer no violence. Nevertheless he was carried to +Dedington Castle, near Banbury, when Pembroke departed, and Warwick +appeared upon the scene. Threatened with attack, the garrison declined +to defend their prisoner, and surrendered him into the hands of +Warwick. Gaveston was mounted upon a mule, surrounded by his enemies, +and carried to Warwick Castle with extravagant parade, being welcomed +with a loud flourish of trumpets. He read his fate in the fierce +elation of the Barons, but made a vain appeal for mercy. It was +rejected, and he was condemned to death. + + + + + VI.--BATTLE OF MYTON MEADOWS. + + A.D. 1319. + + +After the battle of Bannockburn the whole of Scotland regained its +ancient freedom, saving only the border town and fortress of Berwick, +the security of which was zealously guarded by the unfortunate son of +the terrible "Hammer of Scotland." + +The severe and even harsh discipline to which the burghers were +subjected by the commandant of the fortress caused much +dissatisfaction, and one of the inhabitants, a burgess named Spalding, +proposed, in the bitterness of his heart, to betray the place into the +hands of the Scottish monarch. King Robert eagerly entered into +negotiations which were placed before him by the Earl of March, and +deputed the conducting of the somewhat hazardous enterprise to his +favourite captains, Douglas and Randolph. The project was duly carried +to a successful termination, a body of troops scaling the walls under +cover of a dark night, being materially assisted by Spalding, who went +the rounds that night. Some confusion occurred, the governor of the +castle made a desperate sally into the town, and bloody fighting +followed before Douglas, Randolph, and Sir William Keith of Galston +succeeded in forcing the stubborn Southrons back to the shelter of +their works. Soon after the King appeared upon the scene, and, further +resistance obviously being futile, the castle was surrendered. For +Spalding it may be said that his action was probably more patriotic +than treacherous, as he was married to a Scottish woman, and was, +doubtless, himself of the same nationality. + +This loss was severely felt by the English, and was bitterly resented +by King Edward. It was followed by a dreadful invasion of the northern +provinces of England, when Northallerton, Boroughbridge, and +Skipton-in-Craven were committed to the flames, and Ripon only secured +immunity from a similar visitation by the payment of a ransom of one +thousand marks. The unhappy people were utterly without protection, +and the Scots leisurely returned to their own country, driving their +miserable captives before them "like flocks of sheep." + +Involved with his barons in those wretched complications which +embittered his reign, Edward the II. was so mortified by the loss of +Berwick, that he hastily came to an arrangement with the malcontents, +and raising his banner prepared to invade Scotland, and attempt the +recovery of the town and fortress which had so suddenly passed out of +his possession. + +The royal army assembled at Newcastle in the month of July, and, being +very strong, Edward was hopeful of bringing the expedition to a +successful termination. No measure was omitted for the securing of the +object in view, and a powerful fleet from the Cinque ports followed +the army with supplies of stores and warlike material. The walls of +the fortress being so low that the warriors at the base could exchange +stroke of lance with the defenders of the ramparts, Edward prepared to +carry the place by assault, no doubt remembering the feat of his great +sire in 1296, when he rode his good steed Bayard over ditch and wall, +and commenced the work of pitiless slaughter with his own strong right +hand. + +Bruce, equally determined to retain the place, had appointed his +gallant son-in-law, Walter, the high-steward of Scotland, to the +command of the town and castle. The garrison was reinforced by 500 +volunteers, all gentlemen, friends and relations of the steward. +Provisions to serve for a year having been laid up, the gallant Scots +awaited the course of events. + +However sanguine Edward of Cærnarvon may have been, he certainly +exhibited all reasonable prudence before Berwick, and, before +commencing active operations, caused his camp to be strongly +fortified. When the hour of attack arrived, the valiant Scots who +manned the walls of Berwick found they had a double danger to meet, as +the English mariners were bringing up one of their largest ships, +which was crowded with soldiers, who clung to the masts, rigging, and +spars, ready to leap upon the ramparts, as soon as the sailors brought +up alongside the walls, and got the vessel in position with their +grappling irons. As the vessel drew near, gleaming with steel, and +presenting a most formidable appearance, she suddenly took the ground, +and in a moment all was confusion, the mariners straining every nerve +to get her off into deep water again. All these attempts proving in +vain, and as the vessel lay stranded at ebb-tide, she was set on fire +by the Scots, and consumed, to the great elation of the garrison, and +equally to the disgust of the English. + +While this exciting incident was being enacted, Edward was furiously +assaulting the town from the land, sending his fierce stormers, who +were abundantly supplied with scaling ladders, to the attack by +thousands, and covering their advance by the incessant discharge of +his archers, whose long and deadly shafts swept the ramparts like a +hail-storm. But the Scots met the storm with indomitable bravery, +fringing their walls with glittering pikes, hurling down showers of +missiles upon the enemy, casting down their ladders, and sending their +heavy axes through the iron skull-caps of the stormers before they +could make good their foot-hold upon the ramparts. After long hours of +stubborn and sanguinary toil, Edward withdrew his troops to the +shelter of their entrenchments, and both parties rested after their +severe and exhausting toil: but at the base of the walls, and upon the +bloody ramparts many brave men slept their long death-sleep. + +Untamed by their repulse, the English soldiers prepared to renew their +efforts, and set to work upon the construction of a huge military +machine called a "Sow": this was framed of solid timber, and moved +upon heavy rollers, the roof sloping and affording an efficient +protection to the soldiers who toiled with pick and spade beneath its +cover, intent upon undermining the walls of the beleaguered hold. The +"Sow" was especially dangerous to the Scots in the present case, for +the whole length of the walls being exposed to repeated assaults, they +were so completely outnumbered that they were unable to spare any +considerable number of men to guard against its action, and should +once a breach be effected in the walls it would be impossible to +arrest the pressure of Edward's stormers, who kept the hardy Scots +fully employed even while their ramparts were intact. + +When the English engineers levelled the ground, and wheeled the heavy +machine against the walls, and the miners were waiting, pick in hand, +to fall to work, the contending warriors awaited the result with equal +anxiety and interest. Berwick was indebted for its safety to the +labours of a Flemish engineer named John Crab, who had prepared a huge +catapult for the purpose of hurling heavy missiles against the +terrible "Sow," and, as it approached the wall, he discharged a huge +mass of rock against it. The flight of the missile was regarded with +the utmost interest by both parties, but it failed to strike the +machine, and a second discharge was equally inoperative, and the "Sow" +now drew near the walls, amid the exulting shouts of the besiegers; +but Crab had now obtained a better idea of the power of his catapult, +and, calculating the distance to a nicety, sent a large piece of rock +upon the mid-roof of the doomed "Sow." The massive stone went +thundering and crashing through the solid timber, and, as cries of +rage and dismay burst from the English troops, the miners came rushing +wildly from the ruined machine, and sought to gain the trenches, while +the Scots sent their arrows and missiles after them, exclaiming, in +grim mockery and exultation, "Behold, the English sow has farrowed!" + +The Scots were inspired by their success, the English aggravated by +repeated disappointments and repulses, and the conflict necessarily +waxed fiercer, Crab working his military engines with great vigour, +hurling showers of missiles upon the assailants, and giving the +unlucky "Sow" its _coup de grace_ in the form of a quantity of blazing +and highly inflammable material, which quickly set it on fire. Amid +the tumult of the assault it continued to burn, sending up showers of +sparks and dense volumes of smoke, until it was reduced to ashes. + +The English fleet was brought up to second the efforts of the +stormers, but John Crab had so many cranes and springals in position, +and hurled his huge copper-winged darts, heavy iron chains, and +grappling hooks, and bundles of ignited tow, saturated with pitch, +with such unfailing precision that the commanders were fairly daunted, +and, fearing to involve the fleet in utter destruction, drew off, and +the Scots, thus opportunely relieved, directed their undivided +attention to the repeated assaults of the enemy. + +During those hours of murderous strife the grand steward was passing +from point to point with a reserve of 100 men, and wherever he found +the garrison hardly pressed he succoured them with a few men, and +animated them by his example and exhortations; and where the slaughter +had been especially heavy he made good the loss from his fast +diminishing reserves. The conflict was at its height, and the steward +had done all that he could to strengthen the sorely-pressed garrison, +only one soldier remaining in attendance upon him, when the startling +news was brought that Edward's warriors had destroyed the barriers at +St. Mary's gate, which they were endeavouring to burn down. + +Hastily collecting a band of warriors, he pressed forward to the +threatened point, passing numbers of young lads and fearless women +busily engaged in collecting the missiles thrown over the walls by the +enemy, and on approaching the scene of peril, he commanded the gate to +be thrown open, and charging through the flame and smoke at the head +of his brave followers he fell upon the assailants, sword in hand, and +after a fierce conflict drove them off, restored the defences, and +made fast the door again. The conflict ended in the utter repulse of +the English forces, nevertheless the garrison was sorely thinned and +exhausted, so that unless it was augmented by reinforcements, or some +diversion was made in its favour, but little prospect of maintaining +the fortress remained. + +It was the policy of Robert Bruce never to risk a battle with his +powerful enemies, and although sorely tried by the dangerous state to +which Berwick was reduced, he maintained his resolution, but attempted +a diversion by despatching Douglas and Randolph with 15,000 men to +make a raid upon the northern shires of England, and, if possible, to +fall upon York, and carry off Queen Isabella, who there awaited the +issue of the campaign, imagining that she was secured from all peril +by her distance from the theatre of war and by the strong walls of the +city. + +The Scots were not slow in carrying out the instructions of King +Robert, but crossed the Solway, and made a rapid march upon York, only +to find that their project had been discovered, and the Queen's escape +secured. It appears that a Scottish spy had fallen into the hands of +the English, and confessed, + + "how our enemy, James Douglas, with a chosen band of men, would + come to these parts in order to carry off the Queen, and those + whom he should find resisting should be killed at the same + time." + +The danger of Queen Isabella, whose character was then +unimpeached, aroused all the loyal energies of the Archbishop and +Mayor of York, and hastily collecting a body of armed men, they made a +rapid march to secure her majesty's safety, and caused her to be +conveyed by water to Nottingham. + +The attempt to draw Edward from the siege of Berwick by threatening +the safety of his queen having failed, the Scottish captains +proceeded to carry out the second part of their programme with the +utmost energy, and giving loose to their wild passion for burning and +plundering, they wrought terrible mischief upon the northern towns and +villages, as though determined to extort from King Edward the heaviest +price for the fortress of Berwick, should he decide to maintain the +siege, in spite of every obstacle, until it fell into his hands. + +Deeply touched by the distress of the peasantry, the Archbishop of +York, William de Melton, and the Mayor, Nicholas Fleming, attempted to +organise an army, and check the depredations of the Scots, who had +carried their wild riders to the gates of York, and set the suburbs on +fire. + +Perhaps history can furnish no more rash undertaking than this: +Randolph and Douglas were cool and experienced captains, and ferocious +soldiers; the troops they commanded were veterans, accustomed to +victory, and experienced in the hardships and toils of the field; men +who could only be approached by tried and steady soldiers, and who +were not likely to yield the palm to the flower of the English army. +To meet these, the Archbishop had to rely upon burghers and peasants, +men little accustomed to the use of arms, and entirely deficient in +military training, and for whom no competent leaders could be found. +No lack of energy was shown by the Archbishop and Mayor, and the hasty +and untried levies responded to their exhortations with equal zeal. +There was no time to prepare the volunteers for the ordeal, no +opportunities for testing their courage in skirmishes, for training +them to advance upon such dangerous enemies as the Scots, or to retire +before them in good order if they found them too strongly posted to be +attacked with any prospect of success. + +As though to compensate all physical defects by an extraordinary +weight of spiritual influence, the numbers of the army were augmented +by many priests, who are supposed to have been brought together at +York for the celebration of the feast of St. Matthew. + +Ten thousand men were all that the Archbishop could bring into the +field, and with these he marched after the Scots, who prepared to +receive his attack at "Myton Meadow, near the Swale water," supposed +to be a large field, at that time unenclosed, and situate some three +miles east of Boroughbridge, just above the confluence of the rivers +Ure and Swale, and in the immediate locality of the obscure village of +Myton. + +Half the army of Douglas and Randolph would probably have sufficed to +worst the English in fair and open field, but the Scots commanders had +been long accustomed to foil the English by ambuscades and surprises, +the fatal English archers, and their usual superiority in numbers, +necessitating the utmost caution on the part of the Scots when +engaging with their formidable Southern foes; and on this unfortunate +day the Scots prepared an ambush, which was certain to foil the onset +of the English, and to cast them into that confusion which ends in +panic where undisciplined troops are concerned. + +On the English approaching the bridge across the Swale, the Scots, or +more probably an advanced division of them, feigned a retreat, drawing +the Englishmen within the toils of an ambush, that was prepared for +their destruction. To ensure their more complete defeat, they were +permitted to cross the bridge, and while pushing on, no doubt in some +uncertainty, they were suddenly involved in dense clouds of smoke, +which, drifting before the wind, veiled the movements of the enemy. +The Scots had fired three haystacks, and were coming furiously down +upon their enemies under cover of the smoke, having concentrated their +forces "after the manner of a shield." Before the onset was delivered, +the Scottish army separated into two divisions, and uttering their +dreadful battle-cry, one division threw itself between the English and +the bridge, cutting off every prospect of retreat, while the other +charged full upon the Archbishop's troops. + +Confused by the drifting smoke, the dreadful war-cries of Douglas and +Randolph, the English troops were so completely taken by surprise that +they were half-beaten before a blow was struck. With no regular troops +to maintain the van and rear, and give them steadiness by example, and +without leaders to form them in the best way to meet the charging +enemy into whose hand they were so rashly delivered, the confused mass +of Englishmen were held at utter disadvantage. With steady charge the +Scottish spearmen bore down upon them, the billmen and swordmen rushed +upon their ranks like a tempest, and the men-at-arms taking them in +the rear, a bloody massacre ensued. Utterly unable to maintain their +ranks, hurled upon each other by the furious charges of the enemy, +smitten, broken, trampled under foot, the English, after a vain +attempt at defence, broke, and sought to secure their safety by a +headlong flight. Beset on every side, followed close by the victors, +cut off from the bridge, the wretched troops lost all heart, and, +seized with panic, thought not of attempting to make a stand against +their enemies, but turned all their energies to secure their escape. A +scene of dreadful carnage followed: the Scots were pitiless in their +triumph, and cut down the fugitives with remorseless activity. The +English vainly attempted to cross the Swale, and dreadful and tragic +scenes took place on the bank and in the waters of the river. The +fugitives who hesitated to cast themselves into the water fell by the +sword of the pursuer, and of those who attempted to pass the river +about a thousand were drowned. The approach of night alone saved the +army from utter destruction, and the total loss was computed at nearly +4,000 men, of whom 300 were priests, arrayed in full canonicals, but +who were put to the sword with merciless severity by the Scots, who +lost few men themselves, and treating the slaughter of the churchmen +as a pleasant joke referred to the battle as the Chapter of Mitton. It +was fought on the 13th, September, 1319. + +Sir Nicholas Fleming, who was serving as Mayor of York for the seventh +year, was slain on the field. The pursuit was close, but the +Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Ely, although hardly pushed, +succeeded in effecting their escape. The Archbishop's cross was among +the missing, however, the cross-bearer having secreted it in the hope +of preserving it from the Scots; but a peasant finding it by chance +was tempted to conceal it in his hut for some days, when the pricking +of his conscience becoming too severe he penitently restored it to the +rightful owner. + +The loss of the Scots was insignificant, but the churchyard of Myton +received a huge and ghastly burthen of slain Yorkshiremen. The corpse +of Sir Nicholas Fleming was tenderly cared for, and buried in the +church of St. Wilfred, York, the citizens deeply lamenting the loss of +their patriotic mayor, for the repose of whose soul special provisions +were made by the Archbishop. + +From the bloody field of Myton the hardy Scots pursued their way +triumphantly to Castleford, where they crossed the river Aire, and +proceeding through Airedale, Wharfedale, and Craven, bore off many +captives and much plunder, entering Scotland in safety. + + + + + VII.--BATTLE OF BOROUGHBRIDGE. + + A.D. 1321. + + +On the 1st of July, 1312, a dark and tragic deed was enacted on the +gentle eminence of Blacklow, where the Avon winds through a calm and +peaceful scene. The sun shone brightly on the flashing waters of the +river, on the summer foliage of wood and grove, and on the polished +steel mail of armed men, for the English barons, Arundel, Lancaster, +and Hereford, were actors in the tragedy, and their banners waved from +the ranks of numerous men-at-arms, pikemen, and archers, for at +length, by mingled violence and guile, they had won into their own +hands the life of the King's favourite, and him they now called upon +to conclude the drama of life with what spirit and courage he could +command for so trying an occasion. Then stood forward the handsome and +talented young knight, the favourite of his unhappy monarch, hurried +by rough hands to the fatal block, and the grim headsman performed +his unholy office, striking off the head of Piers Gaveston, sometime +Earl of Cornwall, and--with all his faults--an accomplished knight, +deserving of a better fate. + +Chief of the self-constituted judges who thus presumed to rid +themselves of a personal enemy, was Thomas Earl of Lancaster, the +grandson of Henry the Third, and the most potent noble in the whole +realm of England. To this exalted person, a prince of many virtues, +Gaveston had humbled himself, and pleaded, but vainly pleaded, for +mercy. Lancaster could not forgive the gibes of his fallen enemy. The +"stage-player" and "old hog" now held the life of the offender in his +hands; his proud heart indignantly remembered the shame and +mortification of that day when, in the lists of the tournament, his +haughty crest was abased to the very dust, as the lance of the upstart +Gaveston hurled him from his saddle. So Lancaster avenged himself for +defeat and unmerited insult, and the rude barons declared that he had +done well. + +But Edward of Cærnarvon remembered the deed of shame, and waited, as +weak and gentle-minded men will sometimes wait, until circumstances +should enable him to demand of Lancaster a full reckoning for the +blood that had been shed. In the first bitterness of his wrath he +attempted to meet the barons in the field, but they were too powerful +for so unwarlike a monarch as Edward to contend with, and being averse +to endanger the peace of the Kingdom by attacking the King in his own +person, they submitted to his clemency, and were restored to favour. +Persuaded to pardon the crime Edward would not legalize it by +declaring Piers Gaveston a traitor, although importuned to take this +step by the most powerful of the barons. + +Time passed, and all men forgot the Gascon knight Piers Gaveston, or +only remembered him to blame his follies and exult in the sharp and +sudden punishment that overtook him. + +After the triumphs achieved by Edward the I. in his attempts to +subjugate Scotland, and destroy its national life by ruthlessly +slaying her patriots with the soldier's sword or the headsman's axe, +it was with extreme bitterness that the English endured the +humiliation of defeated armies and invaded provinces. They had taken +to the sword, and when that sword fell from the hands of Edward at +Burgh-on-Sands it was seized by Randolph and Douglas, and mercilessly +it was used, until in the invaded, blood-stained Northern provinces +of England the fear and hatred of the Scots became a passion, and he +was indeed a bold or foolish man who presumed to enter into +negotiations with the national enemy. + +Naturally King Edward's hold upon the loyalty of his subjects was +weakened by the Northern troubles, for the stubborn English mind +regarded the red-handed crimes of the father as the virtuous +enterprise of a great monarch, and contrasted with his success the +feeble efforts of his son: it was the glory of Berwick and Falkirk +contrasted with the disasters of Bannockburn and Berwick: it was the +ravaged, outraged Scotland of the first Edward contrasted with the +wasted and blood-stained Northumbria of the second Edward. + +So troubles thickened around the life-path of Edward of Cærnarvon. His +authority was subverted, and so low had he descended in the estimation +of his feudatories, that Queen Isabella was denied admission into the +King's Castle of Leeds, in Kent, then held by the Lord of Badlesmere, +under his majesty's authority, and for his majesty's use. The Queen's +attendants naturally insisted upon being admitted, and endeavoured to +force their way into the castle, when the garrison proceeded to +extremities, and several of her majesty's suite were slain. This +high-handed proceeding of Badlesmere caused a revulsion of feeling in +favour of the King, and availing himself of the transient emotion, he +gathered together a powerful army. For once his actions were +energetic, and his blows fell heavily. He took Badlesmere prisoner, +and loaded him with chains, at the same time inflicting a heavy and +well-merited punishment upon his lawless vassals. He made an +unexpected visit to the Lords of the Marches, and captured and hanged +twelve knights. Like all weak-minded men he knew no moderation in the +hour of success, and presumed more upon a transient advantage than a +great monarch would have done if successful in the utter destruction +of a hostile party. + +This sudden change in the royal fortunes alarmed the barons, and many +made submission; but Edward cast them into prison, and seized their +castles. Great Lancaster was now sorely discomposed, and learned, too +late, to fear the monarch whose authority he had so openly slighted. +It had been long suspected that this potent noble had entered into a +confederacy with the Scots, to avert the doom which would probably +overtake him if deserted by the English barons, or defeated by the +royal forces. The time had now arrived when it was necessary to call +in the national enemy to his rescue; and in this crisis of his +fortunes he openly avowed his unpatriotic measures, took up arms, and +urgently appealed to the King of Scotland for assistance. Before those +redoubtable warriors, Moray and Douglas, assembled their men-at-arms +and pikemen, the promptitude of Edward had prevailed. + +Finding that he could not maintain himself against King Edward until +succoured by the Scottish reinforcements, Lancaster marched northward, +and was joined by the Earl of Hereford. This accession of strength did +not, however, enable him to assume the offensive, although it +encouraged him to make a stand at Burton-upon-Trent, where he took up +a position that commanded the bridge, in the vain hope of holding the +royal forces at bay, and of receiving reinforcements from the +disaffected barons. + +The noble blood that had already been shed in requital of treason +against the crown had operated forcibly upon the reasoning faculties +of Edward's violent and restless barons, and they prudently kept their +steeds in stall, and swords in scabbard, leaving Lancaster and +Hereford, with their band of adherents, to make the best of their +quarrel with the King, alone, and unaided, unless they could succeed +in reaching the Scottish border and forming a junction with the Scots +under Randolph and Douglas. It would have fared ill with the nation if +Lancaster's design had succeeded, for although Robert Bruce was too +wise a monarch to attempt to annex any of the English territory, being +satisfied to strictly maintain the integrity of the Kingdom of +Scotland, yet Lancaster might have involved the nation in the +distractions of a wide-extending civil war, for placed in so desperate +a position he would necessarily have urged the Scots to press any +advantage that their arms might have achieved, and although the +resistance of the English would have been the rising of the nation +against a foreign invader, yet Lancaster might have succeeded in +winning over some of the barons, especially as Edward knew not the art +of attaching them to his interests, but was possessed of an unhappy +facility in disgusting them by his too-obvious lack of the qualities +necessary to a great prince in the middle ages. + +Lancaster failed in his proposed operations, and was obliged to beat +a hasty retreat to secure himself from the advancing royalists. On the +16th March he approached Boroughbridge, to find it defended by the +Warden of the Western Marches, Sir Andrew Harcla, and the Sheriff of +Yorkshire, Sir Simon Ward. The crisis had come: but the conflict was +not to win a sceptre, or a protectorship, but to escape from the axe +and block wherewith traitors were requited for their misdeeds in the +days of the Plantagenets. + +In happier and more fortunate times Earl Lancaster had bestowed the +accolade of knighthood upon Andrew Harcla, and he now endeavoured to +induce the loyal knight to make common cause with him against King +Edward. Harcla was too prudent a man to take so rash and ruinous a +step, and Lancaster drew up his soldiers to attempt to force the old +wooden bridge, which spanned the river Ure. + +The hasty levies which Harcla and Ward had called to arms consisted +largely of northern archers, famous for their skill with the bow, and +they were strongly posted at the head of the bridge. To ford the river +was impossible, it being sixty yards wide at that part; to follow the +course of the river and seek to cross at some other point, with Ward +and Harcla marching _en rapport_ on the opposite side of the river, +and with the royal troops nigh at hand, closing in upon their rear, +was to risk an almost inevitable and irremediable disaster. +Lancaster's one path to freedom was by the storming of the bridge, and +they accordingly prepared for their last passage-at-arms. + +The archers were ordered forward to clear the bridge, and a deadly +trial of skill commenced; the long, keenly-barbed shafts sweeping like +a hail of death from end to end of the bridge: in a moment the dead +lay thick at either end, and the brave and determined archers of +either army mutually faced with admirable courage the fierce sleet of +death that smote them down in bloody heaps. It could not last: the +superiority of the northern archers was beyond dispute, and Lancaster +ordered back the remains of his archers to a less exposed position, to +make room for bills and pikes, and the lances of the dismounted +men-at-arms, for the bridge was too old and full of holes to admit of +a charge of horse. A violent conflict ensued, blood was spilled +freely, and the bridge was heaped with the slain, for the old +Northumbrian war-fury rose to the fierce music of clashing steel and +resonant war-cries, and the defensive position of the royal troops, so +deeply massed at the head of the bridge, gave them every advantage +over their assailants, who could only bring a few lances to the front +in the hopeless struggle to beat a bloody pathway for their escape. +The insurgents fought desperately, as men entrapped, fighting for bare +life, or exacting the heaviest price from the slayer. Hereford set a +noble example to the unfortunate soldiers, charging on foot, sword in +hand, the foremost man in the sanguinary toil; but an untoward stroke +mocked his valour, and discouraged the devoted vassals who fought +beneath his flag. Under the rickety old bridge, with its gaping +timbers, lurked a felon Welshman, armed with a long spear, waiting for +some noble victim, whom he could thus slay without risking his own +person. The wished-for opportunity at length occurred, as Hereford +headed the desperate charge of the Lancastrians, and sustained the +fight in the vicinity of his concealed enemy. Suddenly, to the dismay +and horror of his friends, he reeled and fell heavily upon the bridge; +the pallor of death overspread his features, and the blood gushed from +his wounds. The Welshman had gashed his bowels by a murderous stroke +of his lance. + +Lancaster now attempted to ford the river with a portion of his +troops, but this proved impossible in face of the deadly superiority +of the opposing archers. Sir Roger Clifford was wounded in the head; +Sir William Sulley and Sir Roger Bernefield were slain outright; the +Earl's army was utterly demoralised, his loss was severe, and +abandoning the last hope of forcing the river, he utterly lost heart, +and retired into the town, taking refuge in a chapel. + +De Harcla now ordered the royal troops to advance, and they rushed +furiously over the bridge, bearing down the last feeble defence of the +disheartened Lancastrians, and pursuing the scattered fugitives with a +cruel ardour. Many archers and pikemen fell by sword and bill in that +dark hour, vassals whose only crime was obedience to the lords whose +badge they wore. Many knights and barons surrendered their swords, and +were rudely haled away in bonds, to await the punishment that follows +unsuccessful treason. That day the shadow of death gloomed over many a +brave young soldier, whose valour might have been worthily employed in +defending the northern borders against the incursions of the Scots. + +Earl Lancaster was speedily surprised in the chapel where he had +hidden his unhappy head. Exulting in having achieved so notable a +capture, the rough soldiers laid rude hands upon him, whereon he sadly +gazed upon the crucifix, and fervently and pathetically ejaculated, +"Good Lord, I render myself unto Thee, and put me unto Thy mercy!" And +great was his need of the Divine, for of human mercy he was to receive +none. His knightly armour was torn off, never to be resumed, and, +after many insults, he was conveyed to York, to be hailed with +derisive cries of "King Arthur!" by the rude populace, as they cast +the street mud at him. In his famous Castle of Pontefract was a new +dungeon, built by his directions, and to which entrance was obtained +by means of a trap-door in the turret of the tower. To Pontefract the +Earl was carried, and lowered into this gloomy dungeon, so close a +type of the grave to which he was hourly drawing near. + +King Edward was not long in reaching Pontefract with his army; when +Lancaster was brought to trial before his majesty and the loyal +barons who marched with him. Among them were the Spencers, around +whom he had hoped to draw the toils, and whom he regarded with +indignation and disgust, as the rapacious, upstart favourites of a +weak and foolish prince. The Spencers looked upon him as their most +dangerous enemy, and Edward was only fierce when defending his +favourites: who should speak of mercy in such an hour as that? +Certainly none of Edward's barons, however deeply they might deplore +the fate of the noble Earl, for their plea for mercy might be regarded +as a proof of disloyalty, and Edward was showing a leven of that +savage spirit which existed so strongly in his father, and was shown +by the butchering of so many noble Scotchmen on the scaffold. + +The condemnation and sentence were speedily arrived at. Lancaster was +to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, but being of the royal blood he +was spared the torture which meaner traitors were subjected to, and +the punishment was commuted to decollation. + +On the 22nd of March the headsman waited for Lancaster, who was led to +the scaffold, mounted on a miserable hack, insulted and reviled by the +spectators, many of whom pelted him with mud. Calm and dignified, he +implored the grace of heaven to enable him patiently to endure the +sorrow of that bitter hour. The block was placed upon a hill near his +castle, and he knelt with his face to the east, expecting the stroke +of the executioner; but his pitiless enemies ordered him to turn to +the north, from whence he had expected the Scottish succours, and in +this position he received his death-blow. + +The rebellion of Lancaster involved many noblemen in his ruin. +Ninety-five knights and barons were cast into prison, and stood their +trial for high treason. Other bloody executions followed with +merciless barbarity. The lords Warren-de-Lisle, William de Fouchet, +Thomas Mandute, Fitz-William, Henry de Bradburne, and William Cheney, +suffered at Pontefract; and Clifford, Mowbray, and Deynville were +decapitated at York. Thus bloodily did King Edward avenge the death of +Gaveston--for there can be little doubt that the blow aimed at the +Spencers, and the recollection of Gaveston's doom, were the motives +that moved him to such a cruel exercise of his power over his revolted +and defeated subjects. Perhaps a more humane and generous policy might +have averted the evil days, when he was left as helpless in the hands +of his enemies as was Lancaster on the day of his defeat and capture. +In reguerdon of his great service to the crown, Sir Andrew Harcla was +exalted to the rank of Earl of Carlisle. + +Among the revolted barons who fought with Lancaster and Hereford at +Boroughbridge, was John de Mowbray, lord of the vale of Mowbray, of +Kirby Malzeard, and Thirsk and Upsall Castles. Tradition still retains +his name, and gives a strangely wild and legendary account of his +death; probable enough, but not to be received as authentic history. +In the breaking up of the Lancastrian troops, in the last stormy +passage of the day, John de Mowbray, disengaging himself from the +press, put spurs to his horse, and rode off, in the direction of +Upsall Castle, near Thirsk, where he hoped to secure his safety. The +royalists, however, were soon on his track, pressed him hard, and +reached him as he was making his way through a lane, within sight of +Upsall Castle. In a moment he was seized and unhelmed, and his throat +stretched across the trunk of a fallen tree as one of the King's men +struck off his head. His armour was then stripped off and suspended +from the branches of an oak tree, his body being cast into a way-side +ditch. The tradition is preserved in the name of the lane which is +still called Chop Head Loaning. The Rev. Thomas Parkinson, F.R.H.S., +gives this tradition at length in his interesting volume, "Yorkshire +Legends and Traditions," and quotes Mrs. Susan K. Phillips' poetical +version of the legend--a poem which would have delighted Sir Walter +Scott. + +The blood-stained old wooden bridge across the Ure has long ceased to +bear the traffic of the locality, and a handsome stone erection now +replaces it. Harcla and Ward's old fighting ground, that bristled with +sword and spear and deadly bill on the 16th of March, 1321, is now +more prosaic soil, burdened with houses, timber, and coal-yards; and +is partly cleft by a short canal, the property of the River Ure +Navigation. When the river was embanked in 1792, the excavators at the +Old Banks, below the bridge, discovered some presumed relics of the +battle, consisting of many fragments of arms and armour. + + + + + VIII.--BATTLE OF BYLAND ABBEY. + + A.D. 1322. + + +After the tragedy of Earl Lancaster's revolt had been concluded by the +wholesale executions of the barons and knights implicated in that +misguided movement, the Scots, commanded by Randolph, Earl of Moray, +invaded the Western marches, and ravaged the country in their +customary barbarous style, slaying all who attempted resistance, and +driving before them all the flocks and herds that their swift and +well-organised cavalry could collect. What they could not carry away +they burnt, returning to Scotland without having received a check in +the field. Where they had passed, the summer sun gleamed brightly on +ruined cots and devastated fields, and the English peasantry, inured +to toil and suffering, gazed despairingly upon the ruin of the fruit +of the soil, fostered by their hard labour, and by the sun and rain of +the departed months. + +While the Scots were acting Edward of Cærnarvon was preparing to take +the field. Referring to the English monarch's victory at +Boroughbridge, Sir Walter Scott makes the following +reflections:-- + + "This gleam of success on his arms, which had been sorely + tarnished, seems to have filled Edward, who was of a sanguine + and buoyant temperament, with dreams of conquest over all his + enemies. As a king never stands more securely than on the ruins + of a discovered and suppressed conspiracy, he wrote to the pope + to give himself no further solicitude to procure a truce or + peace with the Scots, since he had determined to bring them to + reason by force." + +Edward spared no pains to ensure the success of the expedition into +Scotland, and Parliament authorised military levies in the country to +the extent of one man from every English hamlet and village, and a +proportionate number from the towns and cities. Subsidies of money +were largely granted, and enabled Edward to obtain supplies of arms +and provisions from over seas, besides reinforcing his army with +soldiers from Aquitaine. + +The Scottish monarch timed his movements, and organised his plans to +check the English advance, with his customary foresight and energy; +and although the cruel slaughter of so many of his nearest relatives +and dearest friends might well have steeled his heart against the +English, we are bound to admit that his repeated devastations of the +Northumbrian provinces were of incalculable service in protecting +Scotland from hostile attacks, although they might and did excite the +English to cross the border in expeditions organised for the purpose +of revenge. + +Bruce never wanted for an army to invade England--an army that repaid +its toils by the plunder of the enemy, and this is clearly illustrated +by the campaign that ended with the battle of Byland Abbey; while +Edward was spending months in raising an army, taxing the people, and +making forced levies, drawing supplies of men and munitions from his +continental provinces, Bruce had but to raise his standard, when a +numerous army followed him, to win the reguerdon of their toil with +sword and spear from the fertile English provinces. + +King Robert dared not risk the liberties of Scotland by meeting the +powerful hosts of England, with their deadly archers, in the open +field, and his plan of defence was therefore to devastate the English +borders with fire and sword, to the farthest practicable limit, and +to drive all the flocks and herds on the Scottish border far inland, +wasting the country as far as the Firth of Forth. + +As soon as Moray had performed his raid on the West marches, he was +instructed to join his forces with those of Douglas, and cross the +borders in a more easterly direction, while King Robert penetrated +into Lancashire through the Western marches. The expedition commenced +on the 1st of July, and was concluded on the 24th, when the Scotch +army re-entered Scotland in triumph, with numerous waggons heavily +laden with the plunder of the English. The vale of Furness had been +the scene of their triumphant march, and they left it utterly +desolated; barns, stacks and ricks, and fields of ripening grain had +been given to the flames, or trampled under foot. + +The unhappy peasantry, abandoning their rude cots, sought such refuge +as the woods and wilds afforded, or haply took shelter in the nearest +walled town. Men-at-arms and burghers took spear and bow in hand, made +fast their gates, and kept careful watch lest the enemy should burst +upon them with fire and sword some dreadful night. The wasted country +gleamed with the light of burning villages, and many a rude +border-fortress was taken by assault before King Edward headed his +warriors and marched northward with his mail-clad barons and stout +yeomen. + +The wary Scots waited not for the approach of the splendid army that +marched behind the banners of the unfortunate Edward of Cærnarvon; +although the English warriors were animated by an intense desire to +avenge their wrongs, and not a monarch in Christendom but might have +quailed at the prospect of joining battle with them, yet all their +high courage and warlike accomplishments failed to serve them in their +contest with the Bruce. + +Pressing onward, rank after rank, squadron after squadron, with the +glitter of thousands of lances, pikes, and bills, and with hundreds of +banners floating on the breeze, the warriors of King Edward found +neither foes to fight nor plunder to repay their toil, but "a land of +desolation, which famine seemed to guard." The transport of stores for +so large an army was attended with extreme toil and difficulty, for +the wasted soil would not even afford forage for the English horses. +The English captains, hoping that by some chance the enemy might be +brought to an engagement, resolutely maintained their advance, and +the patient soldiers held on their way, in spite of increasing +difficulties and dangers. It was the month of August, and the fatigue +of the heavily armed troops must have been excessive. At length the +toil-worn army reached the capital, but without any amelioration of +their condition, or the prospect of an engagement. The sole spoil +between England and Edinburgh was one lame bull. Well might Earl +Warenne declare, "By my faith, I never saw dearer beef." A fleet with +supplies was expected in the firth, but it was detained by adverse +winds, and after vainly waiting for three days, during which the +troops began to experience the pangs of hunger, Edward reluctantly +commanded the retreat to commence. They knew that Bruce had massed his +army at Culross, and was keeping them under observation, but it was +impossible to get within sight of the Scottish army, or to force an +engagement. In their retreat the suffering and enraged soldiery burst +into the convents of Dryburgh and Melrose, from which all but a few +aged and infirm monks had retired: these unfortunates they put to the +sword, defiled the sanctuaries, and carried off the consecrated +vessels. + +Bruce was now following hard and fast on the track of the retreating +army, alert to seize every advantage, and anxious to secure the safety +of his kingdom by inflicting a crushing blow upon his enemy. The +English soldiery were harassed by being kept continually on the alert, +and by the scarcity of provisions, but their greatest disaster awaited +them on their native soil. Travel-wasted and famine-stricken they +entered England, and were liberally supplied with food from the +principal magazines in the north. Partaking with the impatient avidity +of starving men, they sickened in great numbers, and in a few days +16,000 were carried off by inflammation of the bowels; and of the sick +who recovered, few were ever again fit for service in the field. + +To avert further disasters, and renew the strength and spirit of the +survivors, the King formed a camp at Byland Abbey, some fourteen miles +from York; and there the sorely-tried and weary soldiers found a +temporary rest, and again enjoyed sufficient supplies of wholesome +food. + +The position was extremely strong, and under ordinary circumstances +might perhaps have been considered unassailable when held by English +archers and men-at-arms. It was a country of rocks and woods, where +deep ravines cleft the rocks, and formed huge cliffs, easy of defence. +The soldiers were judiciously posted on the elevated ground +surrounding the abbey, a steep ridge very difficult to scale, the pass +to which was narrow and easily defended by veteran soldiers. The exact +ground that was held cannot now be ascertained; it was certainly an +elevated ridge, and very probably that now known as the Old Stead +Bank, at one end of which is a piece of land called "Scot's corner." +If this is the scene of the conflict, it took place about a mile and a +half to the north-west of the abbey. Doubtless the royal troops were +still demoralised by the mortifying results of the campaign, +disheartened by their losses, and weakened and dejected by their +sufferings. + +King Robert's troops were largely mounted on small and active ponies, +which enabled them to follow fast upon the tracks of the English. +Crossing the Tweed, he attempted to carry Norham Castle, but failed, +and directed his march towards Byland Abbey, for he had intelligence +that the English army had there formed their camp. By a forced march +he appeared in front of the English, to their great surprise. No +doubt Bruce inferred that the English had lost all heart, for Cressy, +Poictiers, and Agincourt were then unfought, and the world knew little +of what the indomitable British spirit could endure, when great and +esteemed captains animated the warriors to the conflict. Edward II. +was neither great nor fortunate in arms, and was dining in the abbey, +attended by his principal officers, when the Scots appeared and +commenced the attack. + +It was the 14th day of October, and the Scots commenced the conflict +by a desperate attempt to carry the pass that was the key to the +English position. Earls Pembroke and Richmond were there, however, +directing the defence, and, although taken by surprise, the English +soldiers made good their position with great courage. The pikemen held +the crest of the rock in solid formation, ready to charge should the +Scots force the pass, and bear them down again: the archers swept the +front of the position with showers of arrows, and huge masses of rock +were hurled upon the advancing enemy. The terrible Scottish infantry +swept on with their long spears and heavy bills and claymores, and a +hot encounter ensued. The Scots were so roughly handled, and the +position was so strong, that Bruce despaired of winning it by +storming the pass. To Douglas was appointed the arduous duty of +continuing the conflict, Randolph, with four squires, fighting under +his command, as volunteers. The English advanced post that defended +the ascent of the cliff was commanded by Sir Thomas Ughtred and Sir +Ralph Cobham--two gallant English knights who acquitted themselves +nobly. There was great bloodshed, and hard fighting for some time. +Bruce, who fully realised the position, headed a chosen band of +Highlanders, active and daring men, and resolved to attempt to take +the English in the rear, for closely engaged with the furious attacks +of Douglas, and probably believing the natural defence sufficient for +their protection, the English had neglected to post their troops in +such a position as would secure them in case of a rear attack being +made. Bruce seems to have realised the necessity of his attack being +too sudden and secret to admit of defensive measures being taken, and, +making a circuit, his Highlanders quickly and noiselessly scaled the +high rocks in flank and rear of the English army. What followed may be +easily imagined. The charge of the Highlanders was resistless, and +being unexpected, a dreadful scene of slaughter and panic ensued. +Vainly the English sought to close in, and meet the foe that burst +upon rear and flank: this diversion naturally distracted the attention +of the troops who supported the attacks of Douglas and Randolph, and +those hardy warriors forcing the pass won the heights, where a +terrible conflict was going on, the English troops breaking away, and +taking to flight whenever the opportunity offered. Good men were +there, although the panic-stricken fled, and many fell on that +corpse-encumbered and blood-stained ridge, fighting at close quarters, +and dying in their tracks. The bravest were cut down, and those that +could escape the toils took to hurried flight. The battle was soon +over; not so the pursuit. Great was the slaughter that ensued, but the +actual loss of life is not chronicled. + +So unexpected and complete was the victory of the Scots, that Edward +was utterly incapable of making an attempt to rally his troops, or +effect any orderly retreat. Mounting a swift horse, he directed his +flight to York with all conceivable speed, leaving behind him his +plate, money, and treasure, and even the privy seal. Walter Stewart +followed hard after him with 500 horse, and had it not been for the +swiftness of the royal steed, in all probability England would have +undergone the humiliation of having her monarch borne a prisoner from +her own soil by the invaders. As it was, the Scottish warrior could +ill brook the loss of the intended prize, and he lingered before the +walls of York with his slender force of men-at-arms until the shades +of evening began to close over the scene; but so dejected and +dispirited were the royal troops that they tamely submitted to the +affront, although in sufficient numbers to have swept away the stout +riders of Stewart. The Despensers succeeded in effecting their escape +from the scene of confusion and bloodshed, and the day after the +battle accompanied the King to Bridlington. With them went the Earl of +Kent, John de Cromwell, and John de Ross. + +Many Englishmen had taken refuge in the Abbey of Rivaulx when the +struggle became too obviously hopeless; and among the knights and +nobles who there surrendered their swords to the Scots were the Earl +of Richmond, and Sir Henry de Sully. The prisoners were treated with +the greatest courtesy, being simply regarded as chivalrous warriors +doing their devoir in the field; but the Earl of Richmond had +expressed himself in most disrespectful terms against the Bruce, and +to show his opinion of such ungentle behaviour King Robert ordered the +earl to be closely confined. + +On the 22nd of October the Scottish army returned to their own +country, laden with spoil, including £400 exacted for the ransom of +Beverley: they left behind them a ravaged and ruined country. + +Andrew de Harcla for some reason or other had failed to join King +Edward with his levies, but, halting near Boroughbridge, had wasted +the country. This was a suspicious circumstance, and was openly +commented upon, with the implication that he had entered into a league +with the Scots, and would not act against them. It was in the last +days of the year that these grave charges were brought before the +royal notice, when the earl's arrest was immediately ordered. + +Surrounded by his retainers, and occupying the strong fortress of +Carlisle, the earl might have successfully resisted the King's arms +until an opportunity of effecting his escape into Scotland offered; +and Lord Lucy, who put the royal orders into execution, resorted to +strategy rather than force. + +Attended by Sir Hugh de Moriceby, Sir Richard de Denton, Sir Hugh de +Lowther, four squires, and a small party of soldiers, Lord Lucy +entered Carlisle Castle, with as little ostentation as possible, his +soldiers dispersing, to re-assemble in small parties near the gates. +Lord Lucy and his knights then sought the presence of de Harcla, and +demanded his instant surrender, with the option of defending himself +against their attack. The Earl declined to defend himself against the +four warriors, but as he was being carried off a cry of treason was +raised, and the keeper of the inner ward, making a movement to close +the gate, was immediately slain by Sir Richard de Denton. At the same +moment Lord Lucy's soldiers seized the gates, and the Earl's doom was +virtually sealed. He was tried before the chief justiciary, Jeffrey de +Scroop, and was sentenced to degradation and death; being found guilty +of having entered into a treasonable undertaking with King Robert, to +whom he guaranteed the crown of Scotland in return for services to be +rendered in England--no doubt embracing the destruction of the royal +favourites, the Despensers. + +It is difficult to believe that Harcla would enter into so dubious an +undertaking, so soon after the failure of the powerful Earl of +Lancaster. If he had acted as the agent of the Barons, we may believe +that some particulars of the confederation would have been elicited +during his trial. The statement that he summoned the principal +inhabitants of Cumberland to meet him at Carlisle, informed them that +he had entered into a treaty with the King of Scotland, and succeeded +in obtaining their support, is scarcely to be credited. The Earl is +generally regarded as the scapegoat who bore the sins of Byland Battle +to the block. Degraded from his nobility, despoiled of the insignia of +his knightly merit, the unfortunate man was conducted to the scaffold +at Carlisle on the 2nd of March, 1322, and there executed. + +Edward was induced by this final disaster to give more serious +attention to negotiations for peace. Henry de Sully, the French +knight, used his influence to bring the two monarchs to an +understanding, and a preliminary truce was agreed to at Thorpe, and +finally a truce for thirteen years was ratified by Robert Bruce, King +of Scotland, and Edward the II. of England, at Berwick, on the 7th of +June, 1323; a merciful peace after such long and bloody strife, and +for which the name of Henry de Sully deserves to be held in honourable +remembrance. + + + + + IX.--IN THE DAYS OF EDWARD III. AND RICHARD II. + + +King Edward directed his first essay in arms against the Scots, in +requital of their sanguinary invasions of the North. + +The flower of his army was supposed to consist of 2,000 men-at-arms +under Lord John of Hainault, and the distinction thus bestowed upon +foreign troops aroused the honest wrath of the English. King Edward +was accompanied by his mother, Queen Isabella, and while the court was +engaged in festivities in the monastery of the Friars Minors, at York, +on Trinity Sunday, a dreadful tumult arose in the suburbs--the +Hainaulters and the Lincolnshire archers, being quartered near each +other, engaged in a dreadful conflict. A great part of the army was +drawn into the quarrel; houses were fired, and lighted the scene of +murder with a weird and fitful light. + +All authority was defied, and exhaustion alone arrested the conflict, +which was renewed later on, when the Hainaulters combined, and beat up +the quarters of the bowmen of Lincoln and Northampton, slaughtering +three hundred of them before the tumult was quelled. + +After this the English foot entered into a confederation to cut off +the Hainaulters, and the young King had great difficulty in restoring +peace and order in his army. + +The campaign was extremely unfortunate. Douglas surprised the camp one +night, cut down the royal tent, raised his war-cry in the midst of the +startled army, and, after nearly capturing the King, effected his +escape. The Hainaulters received £14,000 for their assistance. + +The Hainaulters were again at York in the following January, on the +occasion of the marriage festivities of King Edward and Queen +Philippa. + +The foreigners distinguished themselves by firing the suburbs of the +city, and by insulting the wives, daughters, and female servants of +the citizens, who challenged them to mortal combat. The foreigners +lost 527 men, slain by the sword or the waters of the Ouse, and +slaughtered 242 Englishmen. + +Several Parliaments were held at York in Edward's reign, and when +David Bruce invaded Northumbria in 1346, Queen Philippa raised her +standard in the city. The Scots kept York under observation for some +time, and attacked the suburbs. + +The impending battle was fought near Durham on the 17th of October. +After a vain attempt to cut off the English archers, the Scots closed +in a hand-to-hand conflict, and fought under a deadly hail of arrows. +The English steadily won ground, and the Scots began to break before +repeated repulses and attacks. The King fought like a lion; his banner +disappeared; the Earl of March and the Great Steward retired their +divisions, believing the King was slain. He still fought on; eighty +loyal gentlemen supporting him. He was surrounded, wounded in the leg, +two spears were entangled in his harness, his sword was dashed out of +his hand, and he was called upon to surrender. Maddened by +mortification and pain, he struck out with his gauntleted fist. John +Copeland lost two teeth by the King's hand, but was gratified by +receiving his surrender. + +After Edward's days of warfare and pride came to an end, Richard II. +reigned in his stead. Some little ferment occurred in Beverley and +Scarborough, but Wat Tyler's death prevented the movement from +spreading. + +In 1385 Richard quartered his army at Beverley, during an expedition +to Scotland. A Bohemian knight, Sir Meles, was insulted by two of Sir +John Holland's squires, and protected by two archers, retainers of +Lord Ralph Stafford. A heated dispute was settled by the death of one +of the squires, who was shot by an arrow. The guilty archer appealed +to Lord Ralph Stafford for protection, and Lord Ralph at once sought +Sir John Holland, who was also out in quest of Sir Meles, vowing to +avenge the death of his favourite squire. Knight and lord met in a +narrow lane, and, it being dark, did not recognise each other until +the challenge passed, when Holland drew his sword, exclaimed, +"Stafford, I was inquiring for you; thy servants have murdered my +squire, whom I loved so much;" then he smote the young lord, and laid +him dead at his feet. + +Holland took sanctuary at Beverley, and King Richard confiscated his +possessions, and declared that he should be executed if he ventured +out of bounds. + +Holland was the King's half-brother by their mother Joan, the widow of +the Black Prince, and she besought pardon for the guilty knight, and +so bitterly bewailed his peril, that, after three days of continuous +weeping, she expired. Holland was then pardoned. He was afterwards +raised to the rank of Earl of Huntingdon, and being seized by the +vassals of the late Duke of Gloucester, whom he had held in deadly +hatred, he was delivered to the headsman's axe. + +For six months, A.D. 1392, the Courts of King's Bench and Chancery +were held at York, Richard being at feud with the citizens of London. +He bestowed the title of Lord Mayor upon the mayors of York; presented +the city with the first mayor's mace; and created the first Duke of +York in the person of Edward Plantagenet, the fifth son of Edward III. +and Queen Philippa. + +In Richard's reign the battle of Otterburn was fought. Earl Douglas +won Sir Henry Percy's lance before the barriers of Newcastle, and +vowed that it should float from the loftiest tower of Dalkeith Castle. +Percy swore that it should not be carried out of Northumberland, and +Douglas promised to plant it before his tent, that Percy might have +an opportunity of regaining it + +On the following night Percy, with 6,000 horse and 8,000 foot, +furiously attacked the Scots, who were encamped at Otterburn. Douglas, +by a skilful movement, took the English in flank, and a hot encounter +ensued, which was interrupted as a dark cloud swept before the moon. +It passed, and the battle was resumed, as the scene was flooded with +light. Douglas smote his way through the press, wielding his axe in +both hands. Three spears smote him, and man and horse went down. He +was found dying, defended by his chaplain, William Lundie, who +bestrode him, curtail-axe in hand. Douglas thanked God that few of his +ancestors had died in bed or chamber. He reminded his friends of the +old prophecy that a dead Douglas should win a field; and commanded +them to raise his fallen banner and his war-cry, but to tell none that +he lay dying there. His orders were followed, and the English were +defeated. + +The De la Poles, merchants of Hull, rose to power during the reigns of +Edward III. and Richard II. Edward received princely assistance from +the brothers during his French wars, and in 1327 bestowed the office +of Chief Butler upon Richard. William he created a Knight-Banneret. +Sir Michael was appointed Admiral of the King's fleet in the North, +and was raised to the peerage as Earl of Suffolk. In 1389 he died at +Paris, a broken-hearted exile. His son and successor followed Henry V. +to France, and died, of a malignant disease, before the walls of +Harfleur. Michael, his eldest son, took up his honours, but perished +on the field of Agincourt, a few weeks later. William, the fourth +earl, famous as a statesman and warrior, was foully slain in the roads +of Dover, his head being struck off against the side of the long-boat +of the ship _Nicholas_. His son, created Duke of Suffolk in 1462, +married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Duke of York. Their eldest son, +John, Earl of Lincoln, was declared heir to the crown by Richard III. +He fell at the battle of Stoke, June 16th, 1487. The fifth Earl of +Suffolk was brought to the block in 1513; and the exile, Richard, +fought beneath the banner of King Francis, and was slain amid the rout +at Pavia in 1525, when King Francis was taken prisoner, after a +desperate defence. + +In "The Story of the De la Poles," J. Travis-Cook, F.H.R.S., furnishes +the student with a very interesting account of this talented but +unfortunate family. + +Edward Baliol's expedition against Scotland, fruitful of so much +suffering and useless bloodshed, sailed from Ravenser in 1332. The +crown that he won was as suddenly lost as acquired. + + + + + X.--BATTLE OF BRAMHAM MOOR. + + A.D. 1408. + + +In 1387 the Barons of England deprived King Richard of the reins of +government, and impeached his friends, the Archbishop of York, the +Duke of Ireland, the Earl of Suffolk, Sir Robert Tresilian, and Sir +Nicholas Brember. Brember and Tresilian were publicly executed, the +others secured their safety by flight. + +Years passed, and Richard recovered his authority, when he punished +the lords appellant, sparing only his cousin Hereford and the Duke of +Norfolk. Some conversation appears to have passed between these +nobles, and Hereford accused Norfolk of having expressed his suspicion +that Richard would yet revenge himself upon them for their past +offence, and especially for the affair of "Radcot Bridge," when the +Duke of Ireland's forces were dispersed. + +Norfolk denied the charge, and the King permitted the quarrel to be +decided by wager of battle. The 29th of April, 1398, was appointed for +the trial; the place, Coventry. The noblemen had put spurs to their +horses, when Richard, under the advice of his council, stopped the +combat, and banished the offenders--as guilty of treason. Norfolk's +sentence was for life; Hereford's for ten years. + +The Londoners were incensed at losing their favourite, Hereford, and +when his father, the aged John of Gaunt, died on the Christmas +following his son's banishment, and Richard seized his estates, the +general indignation was extreme; for the King had granted legal +instruments to both the exiles, securing to them any inheritance which +might fall to them. + +In face of the gathering storm Richard sailed for Ireland. On the 4th +July, 1399, three small ships entered the Humber, and Hereford, +attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Fitz-Alan, son of the +late Earl of Arundel, a few servitors, and fifteen men-at-arms, landed +at Ravenser Spurn. + +Shut out of Hull, he was met at Doncaster by the Earls of +Northumberland and Westmoreland, who espoused his cause, affecting to +believe his assertion that he had returned to claim the estates of +his father. + +King Richard threw himself into Conway Castle, and Northumberland +induced him to leave his refuge, to make terms with Hereford. Drawn +into an ambush, Richard was delivered into his cousin's hands. +Northumberland had sworn on the sacramental elements to keep faith +with the King, and Richard thus reproached him, on the moment of his +seizure, "May the God on whom you laid your hand reward you and your +accomplices at the last day." + +On the 1st of October, the day following his coronation, Henry IV. +signed a licence for Matthew Danthorpe, a hermit, who had welcomed him +at Ravenser Spurn, granting him permission to erect a hermitage and +chapel on that desolate place. + +Richard was imprisoned, and expired in a dungeon of Pontefract Castle, +but whether by stroke of Sir Piers Exton's axe, or broken down by +famine, matters not _now_. + +Northumberland was honoured by the dignity of Constable of England, +and at the coronation bore a naked sword on the King's right hand. He +was further guerdoned by a grant of the Isle of Man. + +On the 7th of May, 1402, the Percies defeated Earl Douglas at the +battle of Homildon, inflicting a heavy loss upon the Scots, and +capturing Douglas; Murdoch, son of the Duke of Albany, and other +captains to the total sum of eighty. + +King Henry forbade the ransoming of the prisoners, an interference +which aroused the bitter wrath of the Percies. As though in mockery of +their pride, he bestowed upon them the Scottish estates of the +Douglas, and ordered them to abstain from ransoming Sir Edward +Mortimer, Hotspur's brother-in-law, who had fallen into the hands of +Owen Glendower, the Welsh patriot. + +These impositions of the royal commands resulted in the revolt of the +Percies. The Scotch prisoners were released, and assisted the Percies +in the field. The captive Mortimer married Glendower's daughter, and +drew that chieftain into the conspiracy. The lineal heir to the throne +was Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March. Him Northumberland proposed to +raise to the throne, virtually partitioning the kingdom between the +Percies, Mortimers, and Glendower. + +The revolt came to the issue of battle at Shrewsbury, on the 21st +July, 1403, when Percy and Douglas penetrated the centre of the royal +army, and Hotspur, casting up the ventaille of his helmet, was shot in +the brain by an arrow, and fell in the press. The victorious advance +was turned into a rout. Of Prince Henry, it is written: "The prince +that daie holpe his father like a lustie young gentleman." + +Northumberland was marching to join his sons, but retired into +Warkworth Castle on receiving the news of their defeat. The King, +either from fear or policy, condoned his part in the revolt. + +When the Archbishop of York, Richard Scrope, took up arms in 1405, the +Earl was implicated in his revolt. Sir John Falconberg had raised the +banner of revolt in Cleveland, but Prince John and the Earl of +Westmoreland had defeated the rebels. The Archbishop's army was so +strong, for it had been augmented by Lord Bardolph and Thomas, Lord +Mowbray, that the royal captains resorted to treaty, and induced the +Archbishop to disband his army. No sooner was this done than the +leaders of the revolt were arrested. + +The Archbishop of York, Lord Mowbray, Sir John Lamplugh, Sir Robert +Plumpton, and several other unfortunates, were put upon their trial, +and condemned to death. On the 8th June the Archbishop of York was +executed at his palace of Bishopthorpe, and his head, with that of +Mowbray, was piked and exposed on York walls. + +The city of York was heavily fined, and the King proceeded to Durham, +where he executed Lords Hastings and Fauconbridge, and Sir John +Griffith. + +Northumberland, "with three hundred horse, got him to Berwike," but on +the King's advance passed into Scotland, accompanied by Lord Bardolph. + +After brief exile, the end came. + + "The earle of Northumberland, and the lord Bardolfe, after they + had been in Wales, in France, and Flanders to purchase aid + against King Henrie, were returned backe into Scotland, and had + remained there now for the space of a whole yeare: and as their + evill fortune would, while the King held a councill of the + nobilitie at London, the saide earle of Northumberland and lord + Bardolfe, in a dismall houre, with a great power of Scots + returned into England, recovering diverse of the earle's + castels and seigneories, for the people in great numbers + resorted unto them. Hereupon encouraged with hope of good + successe, they entered into Yorkshire, and there began to + distroie the countrie." + +The Sheriff of Yorkshire, Sir Thomas Rokeby, is stated to have lured +the old warrior to his doom. Sir Nicholas Tempest reinforced him at +Knaresborough, and the little army crossed the Wharfe at Wetherby. +They had achieved a succession of trifling successes, but now Sir +Thomas Rokeby interposed his forces, cut off their retreat, and +compelled them to give battle, on the 28th February, 1408, on Bramham +Moor, near Hazlewood. + +They were brave men who thus stood opposed. Northumberland's troops +were incited by their dangerous position, by the hope of recovering +their lost possessions, and by their hatred of the King. On the other +hand, the royalists were anxious to gain the honours and rewards which +princes bestow. + +The Sheriff was not slack to close, but advanced his standard of St. +George, and sounded the charge, as Northumberland bore down upon him +with his lances, doing battle once more beneath his banner, that +displayed the proud emblazonments of the house of Percy. + +The onset was fierce and bloody. Lances shivered to splinters; men +went down in their blood, wounded and dying; riderless horses burst +from the press, and wildly galloped over the moor. Lances were cast +aside, as knights and men-at-arms fell-to with sword, and mace, and +axe, testing mail, smashing shield and casque, and finding and +bestowing wounds and death despite of guarding weapons and tempered +plate-mail. + +The archers were fiercely at work, pouring their long shafts upon the +rear ranks; the footmen face to face with the wild play of deadly bill +and thrust of pike. Morions were cleft, corsets pierced, and men fell +thick and fast. The battle was hotly maintained, but for a short time, +the insurgents being sorely over-matched. Northumberland fell--never +to rise again until rough hands stripped off his mail, and held him +for the butcher's work of headsman's axe and knife. There ended Lord +Bardolph's many troubles, as he fell, a sorely wounded and dying man, +into the Sheriff's hands. + +The leaders fallen, no further object for contention remained to the +rebels, and the defeat was complete and irretrievable. The tragedy of +the battlefield had to be concluded by the rush of the pursuers, eager +to maim and slay; and by the useless rally of defeated men, turning +fiercely at bay, to claim blood for blood and life for life; and, +alas! by the seizure of flying men, doomed to rope and axe in +reguerdon of their last act of vassalage to the devoted house of +Northumberland. + +The Earl's head, + + "full of silver horie hairs, being put upon a stake, was openly + carried through London, and set upon the bridge of the same + citie: in like manner was the lord Bardolfe's. The bishop of + Bangor was taken and pardoned by the King, for that when he was + apprehended, he had no armour on his backe. The King, to purge + the North parts of all rebellion, and to take order for the + punishment of those that were accused to have succoured and + assisted the Earl of Northumberland, went to Yorke, where, when + many were condemned, and diverse put to great fines, and the + countrie brought to quietnesse, he caused the abbot of Hailes + to be hanged, who had been in armour against him with the + foresaid earle." + +So, after his treacheries, his aspiring ambitions, the once puissant +Earl of Northumberland was brought as low as Richard of Bordeaux when +he lay upon his bier at St. Paul's, his set and rigid face, bared from +eyebrows to chin, for the inspection of the Londoners, and, in its +surrounding swathing of grave-clothes, in its dreadful emaciation, +eloquent of the unrecorded tragedy of secret murder. + +A grant of the manor of Spofforth, a former possession of the slain +Earl, rewarded the loyalty of Sir Thomas Rokeby. + +In the reign of Henry V., an attempt was again made to restore the +lineal heir to the throne, an augury of the War of the Roses commenced +in his son's reign. The Earl of Marche, the object of the conspiracy, +himself betrayed it to the King. Henry, whose assassination had been +planned, took immediate revenge upon the principal offenders, Richard, +Earl of Cambridge, Lord Scroop of Masham, and Sir Thomas Grey. They +were executed at Southampton, on the 13th of August, 1415, at the +moment when the royal fleet was sailing from the harbour to add the +terrors of invasion to unhappy France, then suffering from internecine +strife. + +There is an old tradition that on the day of Agincourt the shrine of +St. John of Beverley exuded blood, and when King Henry was in +Yorkshire he naturally paid his devotions at the shrine. He was +accompanied by his Queen; and it was at this time that he received the +sad news of the death of his brother Clarence at Beaujé. The Duke was +dashing over the narrow bridge when the charging Scots burst upon him; +Sir John Carmichael shivered his lance upon the Duke's corset, Sir +John Swinton smote him in the face, and, as he dropped from the +saddle, the Earl of Buchan, with one blow of a mace, or "steel +hammer," dashed out his brains. + + + + + XI.--THE BATTLE OF SANDAL. + + A.D. 1460. + + +Although Henry VI. was beloved by his subjects, he was subjected to +the vicissitudes of the Wars of the Roses. His Queen, Margaret of +Anjou, was unpopular with the people, her favourite minister, William +De la Pole, was hated of the nobles, and nobles and commons were alike +exasperated by the loss of the French possessions. + +Richard, Duke of York, a brave soldier, and popular with the people, +was the lineal heir to the throne, and he was determined to assert his +claim. + +The first battle was fought at St. Albans, on the 23rd May, 1455. The +royalists maintained the town, being commanded by Lord Clifford, the +Dukes of Buckingham and Somerset, and the Earls of Northumberland and +Stafford. York fiercely attacked, being supported by Norfolk, +Salisbury and Warwick. The Northern archers poured their shafts into +the town, and inflicted great slaughter, and the Earl of Warwick, +"seizing his opportunity, moved to the garden side of the town, and +attacking it at the weakest side, forced the barriers." A desperate +conflict ensued, Somerset, Northumberland, and Clifford were slain, +and King Henry, Stafford, Buckingham, and Dudley were wounded by +arrows. Abbot Wethemstede states that he saw, "here one lying with his +brains dashed out, here another without his arm; some with arrows +sticking in their throats, others pierced in their chests." + +The King was defeated and captured, and the Yorkists divided the +government. The Duke was created Constable of the Kingdom, Salisbury +Lord Chancellor, and Warwick governor of Calais. + +Each party watched the other, and the pious King attempted to +reconcile the leaders in 1458, when they went in solemn procession to +St. Paul's, the Duke of York leading the Queen, and the opposing +barons being paired accordingly. + +A few weeks later, and Warwick fled into Yorkshire, the two factions +being put into opposition by a brawl between the servants of Warwick +and Queen Margaret. + +In September, 1459, the Yorkists were again in arms, and Salisbury, +feigning to fly before Lord Audley and the royalists, turned upon +them as they were crossing a brook on Bloreheath, and bore them down +with lance and bill. The conflict was somewhat desultory, and lasted +five hours, the victory remaining with the Yorkists. Lord Audley was +slain, and with him 2,400 men, including the good knights Thomas +Dutton, John Dunne, Hugh Venables, Richard Molineaux, and John Leigh. + +Henry and York met at Ludlow, when Sir Andrew Trollope carried his +command over to the King, and the Yorkists, panic-stricken by this +defection, dispersed. + +The Duchess of York, and two of her sons, fell into Henry's hands, and +was sent to her sister, Anne, Duchess of Buckingham. At Coventry, +November 20th, Parliament attainted and confiscated the estates of + + "the duke of York, the earl of March, the duke of Rutland, the + earl of Warwick, the earl of Salisbury, the lord Powis, the + lord Clinton, the countess of Salisbury, sir Thomas Neville, + sir John Neville, sir Thomas Harrington, sir Thomas Parr, sir + John Conyers, sir John Wenlock, sir William Oldhall, Edward + Bourchier, sq., and his brother, Thomas Vaughan, Thomas Colt, + Thomas Clay, John Dinham, Thomas Moring, John Otter, Master + Richard Fisher, Hastings, and others." + +On the submission of Lord Powis he received the King's grace, but lost +his goods. + +Warwick, March, and Salisbury fled to Calais, and Somerset, the +newly-appointed governor, proceeded to attempt the reduction of the +fortress; but, by a clever counter-stroke, Warwick captured the fleet, +Lord Rivers and his son being surprised before they could leave their +bed. Rivers + + "was brought to Calais, and before the lords, with eight-score + torches, and there my lord Salisbury rated him, calling him + 'knave's son, that he should be so rude to call him and these + other lords traitors; for they should be found the King's true + liege-men, when he would be found a traitor.' And my lord + Warwick rated him, and said, 'that his father was but a squire, + and brought up with King Henry V., and since made himself by + marriage, and also made a lord; and that it was not his part to + hold such a language to lords, being of the king's blood.' And + my lord March rated him likewise. And Sir Anthony was rated for + his language of all the three lords in likewise." + +A notable scene, and picturesque: making easy the mental +transition to a later period, when these fierce lords called for +block and headsmen, and their prisoners made short shrift. Indeed the +period was very near. Osbert Mountford, despatched to reinforce +Somerset, was captured at Sandwich, carried to Calais, and beheaded on +the 25th June, 1460. + +On the 5th June Salisbury and Warwick landed at Sandwich, and reached +London with 25,000 men arrayed under their banners. Margaret strove to +shut them out of the city, but in vain; and Lord Scales discharged the +Tower guns against them. + +On the 19th of July the two armies engaged at Northampton. Margaret, +with a strong escort, watched the conflict with the keenest anxiety. +The heavy rains rendered the King's artillery inoperative, yet, after +five hours of sanguinary fighting, the battle was decided by the +treachery of Lord Grey, of Ruthin, who carried his command over to the +Yorkists. + +King Henry was captured, and carried, in honourable captivity, to +London. Margaret fled to Scotland, accompanied by Somerset and the +young Prince of Wales. + +Richard of York entered London, appeared before the peers, and +advanced to the throne, placing his hand upon the canopy. This mute +claim was received in silence, that was broken by the Archbishop of +Canterbury, as he enquired whether the Duke would not wait upon the +King. York haughtily replied, "I know of none in this realm than ought +not rather to wait upon me," and turning his back upon the peers, +retired. + +It was admitted by the lords that Richard was the lineal heir to the +throne, but Parliament had elected Henry IV. to the crown, Henry V. +had succeeded, and his son, the present King, had been accepted by the +lords and commons, and, but for the ambition of York, his title would +have remained unquestioned. The peers passed over the claims of the +young Prince of Wales, and decided that the King should retain the +crown, but that, on his death, York and his heirs should inherit it. + +Margaret was immediately summoned to London, and prepared for the +journey by raising her standard. Before she appeared upon the scene +the battle of Sandal was fought. + +The Yorkists now freely dipped their hands in blood. Lords Hungerford +and Scales were allowed to pass out of the Tower free men, but the +soldiers and officers had "to abide by the law." Lord Scales was +murdered within the week by mariners serving Warwick and March. He was +seen + + "lying naked in the cemetery of the church of St. Mary Overy, + in Southwark. He had lain naked, being stripped of his clothes, + for several hours on the ground, but afterwards on the same day + he was honourably interred by the earls of March, Warwick, and + others." + +In the same month, July, Sir Thomas Blount, of Kent, with five others +of the household of the Duke of Exeter, were accused before "the +Earl of Warwick and the other justiciaries of the King, of illegally +holding the Tower," and "were drawn to Tyburn and beheaded, and shortly +afterwards John Archer, who was in the councils of the duke of Exeter, +shared the same fate." + +Duke Richard was declared heir-apparent on the 9th of November, with +the present title of Lord Protector, and an allowance of £10,000 to +maintain the dignity. The Yorkshire royalists were in arms, and "had +destroyed the retainers and tenants of the Duke of York and Earl of +Salisbury." + +Salisbury and York immediately marched for the North. + +Their vanguard struck Somerset's army at Worksop, and was cut off. On +the 21st December York occupied his Castle of Sandal. His army +consisted of 6,000 men, too few to cope with the enemy lying at +Pontefract under Somerset and Northumberland. The Duke might have +maintained the defensive until the Earl of March came up from the +Welsh borders, but on the 30th of December he sallied out to rescue a +foraging party from the Lancastrians. With so numerous an army to +feed, and in a position so remote from succour, Richard might +reasonably risk something to protect his foragers. + +Vainly Sir David Hall argued against so perilous an adventure. The +drawbridge was lowered, and York's banner was given to the wintry +wind. It bore for device a Falcon _volant_, _argent_, with a +fetter-lock, _or_. The bird was depicted in the effort of opening the +lock, typical of the crown. + +Behind the falcon-banner marched 4,000 veterans. With the Duke there +rode to his last battle, Salisbury and the good knights, Thomas +Neville, David Hall, John Parr, John and Hugh Mortimer, Walter +Limbrike, John Gedding, Eustace Wentworth, Guy Harrington, and other +notable men-at-arms. + +Raising the war-cry of York, and sounding trumpets, they charged +through the drifting snow-flakes, and awoke the fury of the battle. +The Duke was outnumbered and surrounded, but fought stubbornly, being +nobly seconded by his heroic army. Lord Clifford hotly attacked him, +exerting every effort to cut off his retreat. Duke Richard valiantly +attempted to cut his way through and retire into Sandal, but Clifford +as sternly drew around him the iron bonds of war, prevented all +retreat, and held him to the trial. The battle was extremely +sanguinary, and the Lancastrians fought as though they were the +red-handed arbiters of the whole dispute, and, like avenging angels, +must wash out the treason of York in streams of blood. As Mountford +fought at Evesham so fought the Lord Protector that day--exacting the +heaviest price for his doomed life. Weapons whirled before his face, +rang on his mail, and probed the jointed armour with point and edge +until the good steel harness was dinted and stained with gore. Many +warriors perished around him, and he, too, fell, sorely stricken, and +died in his blood, amid the trampling of iron-clad feet, and the clash +of crossing swords, as friends and foes fought hand-to-hand above his +body. The crisis came. The falcon-banner fell, and the pursuing swords +maimed and slew the fugitives, burdening the old year with the +sorrows of the widow and the orphan. In the triumphant van, in the +moment of victory, Richard Hanson, Mayor of Hull, laid down his life +for Queen Margaret and her fair son. Salisbury won his way through the +press, to fall by headsman's axe. Rutland broke away from the +slaughter, reached Wakefield Bridge, to perish by the steel of +Clifford, happy in his early death that saved him from the infamy of +bloody years that tarnished the fame of his brothers, March, Clarence, +and Gloucester. + +Some chroniclers represent the Queen as commanding her army in person, +and as luring the Duke to meet her in open field. Dissuaded from the +encounter by his friends, he declared that: "All men would cry wonder, +and report dishonour, that a woman had made a dastard of me, whom no +man could even to this day report as a coward! And surely my mind is +rather to die with honour than to live with shame! Advance my banners +in the name of God and of St. George." This is not the York of +history. + +Rutland is represented as a boy, aged twelve years, a spectator, not a +combatant, and accompanied by his tutor, Aspall. Clifford overtook +him, and demanded his name. "The young gentleman dismayed, had not a +word to speak, but kneeled on his knees, craving mercy and desiring +grace, both with holding up his hands and making a dolorous +countenance--for his speech was gone for fear." "Save him," cried +Aspall, "he is a prince's son, and peradventure may do you good +hereafter." Said Clifford, "By God's blood thy father slew mine, and +so will I thee and all thy kin," and so smote him to the heart with +his dagger, and bade the chaplain, "Go, bear him to his mother, and +tell her what thou hast seen and heard." Doubtless Clifford was as +red-handed a sinner as any of the barons, but probably no worse. He is +said to have cut off the Duke's head, crowned it with paper, and +carried it upon a pole to the Queen, exclaiming, "Madam, your war is +done: here I bring your King's ransom." + +Such are some popular errors, perpetuated by historians who have +followed the romantic versions of Grafton and Hall. Margaret did not +lure York to his fate, for she was in Scotland when the battle was +fought, and he did not sally out to fight a battle, but to rescue his +foragers. The execution of Yorkist prisoners was simply a retaliation +for the treason and blood-guiltiness of the Yorkists, and was carried +out without the Queen's knowledge. Clifford may have vowed to avenge +his father's death upon the house of York, and Rutland may have fallen +to his sword: but the duke was in his eighteenth year, and no doubt an +approved man-at-arms. As recorded, he had been attainted of treason a +few months prior to his death. We may safely conclude that there were +no schoolboys on Wakefield-Green on the 30th of December, 1460, and +the only tutors there were tutors in arms. + +William of Wyrcester's account of the battle may be considered the +most probable, and best authenticated:-- + + "The followers of the Duke of York, having gone out to forage + for provisions on the 29th of December, a dreadful battle was + fought at Wakefield between the Duke of Somerset, the Earl of + Northumberland and Lord Neville, and the adverse party, when + the Duke of York, Thomas Neville, son of the Earl of Salisbury, + Thomas Harrington, Thomas Parr, Edward Bourchier, James + Pykering, and Henry Rathforde, with many other knights and + squires, and soldiers to the amount of two thousand, were slain + in the field. After the battle, Lord Clifford slew the young + Earl of Rutland, the son of the Duke of York, as he was fleeing + across the bridge at Wakefield; and in the same night the Earl + of Salisbury was captured by a follower of Sir And. Trollope, + and on the morrow beheaded by the Bastard of Exeter at + Pontefract, where at the same time the dead bodies of York, + Rutland, and others of note who fell in the battle, were + decapitated, and their heads affixed in various parts of York, + whilst a paper crown was placed in derision on the head of the + Duke of York." + +Thus perished Duke Richard in his fiftieth year. + +Edward, Earl of March, Richard's eldest son, was at Gloucester when +the news reached him of the disaster before Sandal Castle. He promptly +advanced his army to intercept the Lancastrians, and dispute their +advance upon the capital. + +Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, harassed his rear with a tumultuary +army of Welsh and Irish troops. Marching to engage an army, and +alarmed by a powerful enemy in the rear, was too critical a position +for Edward not to appreciate its danger. On the 2nd of February, 1461, +he turned furiously upon the enemy, at Mortimer's Cross, +Herefordshire, and defeated Pembroke with a loss of 3,800 men. + +At Hereford Edward halted, and handed over to the headsman Owen Tudor, +Sir John Throckmorton, and eight of the Lancastrian captains--the +captives of his sword and lance at Mortimer's Cross. + +London threw open its gates to the victor on the 4th of March, and he +was proclaimed King, under the title of Edward IV. + + + + + XII.--THE BATTLE OF TOWTON. + + A.D. 1461. + + +Margaret of Anjou had the honour of defeating the famous Warwick. Thus +Wyrcester:-- + + "After the battle of Wakefield Queen Margaret came out of + Scotland to York, where it was decided by the Council of the + Lords to proceed to London and to liberate King Henry out of + the hands of his enemies by force of arms. Shortly after the + Feast of the Purification, the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the + Dukes of Exeter and Somerset, the Earls of Northumberland, + Devonshire, and Shrewsbury, the Lords Roos, Grey of Codnor, + Fitzhugh, Graystock, Welles and Willoughby, and many others, + amounting in all to 24,000 men, advanced upon St. Albans, and + at Dunstable destroyed Sir Edward Poyning, and 200 foot." + +Margaret's tumultuary army consisted of English, Irish, Welsh, and +Scotch troops, and their excesses tended to the ruin of the +Lancastrian cause. + +On the 17th of February the second battle of St. Albans was fought. At +first the Lancastrians fell back before Warwick's archers, but, +renewing the attack, they fought their way to St. Peter's Street, +driving the enemy before them. On reaching the heath at the north end +of the town, the Yorkists made a stand, and, after a furious struggle, +were put to the rout. Warwick lost Sir John Grey of Groby, and 2,300 +men. King Henry was rescued from the hands of Warwick, but Margaret +ungenerously executed his warders, Lord Bonville, and the veteran Sir +Thomas Kyriel, although the King had pledged his word for their +safety. + +Margaret reached Barnet, but London feared her and her rude army. When +she sent for "victuals and Lenten stuff," the mayor and sheriffs +obeyed her orders, but the commons stopped the carts at Cripplegate. +March and Warwick were drawing near, London would not admit her army, +and Margaret "fled northward, as fast as she might, towards York." + +Henry was deposed by the Yorkists, and the Earl of March declared King +in his stead. Edward IV. carried on the war with vigour. Norfolk +visited his estates to raise troops; Warwick marched out with the +vanguard, the infantry followed, and lastly, on the 12th of March, +Edward issued out of Bishopgate with the rear-guard. + +On the 28th of March Lord Fitzwalter secured Ferrybridge, but at +daybreak the Lancastrians fell on: Fitzwalter was slain as he issued +from his tent, in his night gear, to quell, as he thought, a quarrel +of his rude soldiery. Clifford pressed the fugitives furiously, and +they carried a panic into the camp of Edward, that was only arrested +when Warwick slew his horse, swearing upon the cross-hilt of his +sword, that, "Who would might flee; but he would tarry with all who +were prepared to stand and fight the battle out." + +The troops recovered courage, and Edward proclaimed freedom to depart +for all who desired to quit before the battle; threatening severe +punishments to any who, remaining, manifested fear in the presence of +the enemy. Such cowards were to be slain by their companions. No man +accepted the permission to retire. + +Lord Fauconbridge then fell upon Clifford, defeated him, and recovered +the post. During the retreat Clifford paused, to remove his gorget, +and was struck on the throat, and slain, by a headless arrow. + +Edward crossed the river, and confronted the enemy on Towton field. +The Lancastrians were formed on an elevated ridge between Towton and +Saxton, and presenting a front some two miles in extent. The Yorkists +occupied a neighbouring ridge. A broad battle-space lay between the +two armies. + +The villagers were at mass in Saxton Church when "the celebration with +palms and spears began," for it was Palm Sunday. The heavy clouds hung +low in the sombre sky, and as the wind arose the snow began to fall +heavily, and was driven full into the faces of the Lancastrians. + +It was nine o'clock when, from the heavy masses of Edward's army, +looming portentiously through the thickened air, the flight arrows +descended upon the Lancastrians, and mingled with the wind-driven +snow. In an instant the snow was red with blood, and dead and wounded +men encumbered the ground. + +Falconberg having advanced his archers, and struck the first blow, +retired them, drawing the Lancastrian fire. The Queen's archers shot +fierce and fast, but uselessly exhausted their quivers, when the +Yorkists took a terrible revenge, pouring a deadly sleet of arrows +upon their enemies. It is said that they drew the Lancastrian arrows +from the soil, leaving a few to impede the Queen's advance. + +Somerset determined to close, and ordered a general advance. Knights +dashed from point to point along the lines; Northumberland and +Trollope closed their decimated ranks, and moved to the attack. +Edward's army had suffered little, and was kept well in hand. It +advanced steadily to meet the tide of war that surged madly forward +through the mirk air and falling snow. + +King Edward commanded the centre: the lion of England crested his +helmet, he carried a long lance, with a peculiar vamplate, and the +crimson velvet housings of his steed were powdered with suns and white +roses. When the armies joined battle, he dismounted, and fought on +foot. Warwick commanded the right wing, Lord Falconberg the left, and +Sir John Denman and Sir John Venloe were in charge of the rear-guard + + "As if battle were the gate of Paradise, and the future an + incomprehensible dream, they raised against each other a + tumultuous shout of execration and defiance." + +The front ranks struck, with +shivering of knightly lances on the wings, and with deadly play of +mauls, of bills and pikes in the van. The slaughter was dreadful: the +moans of the dying were drowned in the clashing of steel, fierce +war-cries, and the rush of stormy winds. Savagely assailed, and beaten +by the pitiless, incessant snow, the Lancastrians valiantly maintained +their ground, although their original superiority in numbers was more +than balanced by their first losses and their exposed position. The +front ranks fought desperately, for Edward of York had issued orders +that no quarter should be extended to the vanquished. The archers of +York poured their last arrows into the rear of the Queen's army. + +Norfolk should have commanded the van, but, seized with a sudden +sickness, he had remained at Pontefract with the rear-guard. His +orders were to bring forward his command, with any reinforcements that +might reach him. Edward anxiously awaited his arrival. The battle +raged for hours; the imprisoned peasantry in Saxton Church fearfully +awaited the end; and Edward was scarcely less anxious, for the +murderous butchery of the hand-to-hand fight favoured neither army. +Norfolk was steadily marching through the wintery weather with his +hardy soldiers, and messenger after messenger reached him requesting +him to hurry up the reserves. + +The form of battle was lost, as the two hosts were locked in the +sanguinary struggle. The dark and stormy day was glooming to a wild +and early night, when a louder tumult of battle rose on the +Lancastrian left flank at North Acres. Norfolk was on the field, and +had struck his enemy. The Lancastrians could not bear up under the +augmented storm, and the retreat commenced. In the confusion the +retiring wings struck each other, and the difficulties of the position +were increased. Edward urged his infuriated soldiery to unsparing +vengeance, and the Lancastrians turned again and again upon their +pursuers. Ere they reached the river Cock--a tributary of the +Wharfe--the Lancastrian army had merged into a dense and tumultuary +crowd of fugitives, upon whose flank and rear the Yorkists hung with +the blood-thirsty fury of barbarians. On reaching the stream the +massacre became frightful, and the waters were tinged with gore and +darkened with the slain, and are stated to have communicated their +dreadful burthen and sanguinary stains to the Wharfe. For three days +the Lancastrians were hunted out and butchered by the victors. + +On the gloomy night of that fatal 29th of March, 1461, a stormy rout +of knights and men-at-arms urged their jaded war-horses through the +narrow streets of York, calling loudly upon the King and Queen to +mount in hot haste and ride for their lives. That night the King and +Queen, with the young prince, rode through Bootham, through the gloom +of Galtres forest, fugitives, _en route_ for Scotland. + +The total loss was computed at 40,000 souls, the Lancastrians being +heavily in excess. The death-roll contains the names of the Earls of +Northumberland, Westmoreland, and Shrewsbury; of Lords Dacres and +Wells, and Sir Andrew Trollope. + +At York Edward executed the Earls of Devonshire and Ormond, Sir +Baldwin Fulford, Sir William Talboys, and Sir William Hill. The Earl +of Wiltshire suffered at Newcastle on the 1st of May. The heads of +York and Salisbury were replaced by those of Devonshire and Hill. + +According to tradition, "The Lord Dacres was slain in Nor-acres." +Having removed his gorget he was shot in the throat by the cross-bow +bolt of a lad lurking behind a burtree, or elder-bush. + +The blood and snow froze on the field of Towton, and when the thaw +came the furrows overflowed with mingling blood and water. The slain +were buried in vast pits; and there is a strange legendary belief that +the roses which so persistently flourish upon the field, and the +petals of which are pure white, slightly flushed with red, sprang from +the commingling blood of the partisans of the red and white roses. + +Edward was duly crowned, but his throne was threatened by the plots of +the Lancastrians, although he kept the headsman's axe steadily at +work. In 1462 the Scots caused some trouble in the North; and, towards +the close of the year, Margaret appeared in arms, but precipitately +retired without being able to make head against the King. + +In 1464 Margaret again appeared in the North, when the gallant Sir +Ralph Percy was slain on Hedgeley Moor, fighting for the red rose. The +battle of Hexham followed a rout of the Lancastrians, whose leaders, +Somerset, Ross, and Hungerford, were executed. + +Sir Ralph Grey having betrayed Bamborough Castle to the Queen, and +then defended it against Edward, was executed at Doncaster. + +Margaret escaped, but Henry ultimately fell into Edward's hands, and +was committed to the Tower. + + + + + XIII.--YORKSHIRE UNDER THE TUDORS. + + +Edward IV. disgusted the Earl of Warwick by espousing Elizabeth, widow +of Sir John Grey, of Groby, and the Yorkshire rising, known as the +Thrave of St. Leonard, followed. The defeat and death of the royal +captains, the Earls of Devon and Pembroke, was succeeded by Edward's +confinement in Middleham Castle, and his escape to the Continent, when +Warwick restored King Henry to the throne. On the 14th March, 1471, +Edward landed at Ravenser Spurn and defeated Warwick at the battle of +Barnet, when the king-maker and his brother Montacute were slain. On +the day of Barnet, Queen Margaret, her son and his bride, landed at +Weymouth, and the battle of Tewkesbury was fought on the 4th May, when +Prince Edward was slain, and Queen Margaret captured. Edward was now +firmly fixed upon the throne, and in 1478 he requited the numerous +treacheries of his brother Clarence by procuring his condemnation on a +charge of high treason. Clarence perished in the Tower, either being +drowned in a butt of wine, or permitted to drink himself to death. On +the 9th of April, 1483, Edward IV. departed this life, leaving two +sons, Edward and Richard. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, promptly +appeared upon the scene, seized Lord Rivers, the Queen's brother, and +Lord Grey, her son, and sent them to Pontefract, where they were +executed. Procuring possession of the persons of his nephews, he +caused them to be murdered, and usurped the throne. Nemesis followed +him; he lost his only son, and was defeated and slain at Bosworth +Field by Henry Tudor, who espoused Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV., +and was crowned under the title of Henry VII. Richard had proclaimed +John De-la-Pole, Earl of Lincoln, heir presumptive to the throne, but +this unfortunate nobleman was slain at the Battle of Stoke, ostensibly +fighting in the cause of the Pretender, Lambert Simnel. The wars of +the Roses were now ended, and Henry concluded the series of diabolical +tragedies by obtaining the condemnation and execution of the Earl of +Warwick, Clarence's son, and the lineal heir to the throne. He was +judicially murdered on the 24th November, 1499. + +Henry's love of gold led to a revolt in Yorkshire, A.D. 1489, when the +people, furious against the imposition of a tax, murdered the Earl of +Northumberland, and took up arms; to be defeated and severely +punished. + +Henry VIII. succeeded to the throne, and by the suppression of the +monasteries roused the indignation of the Yorkshire people, who made +an armed remonstrance, known as the Pilgrimage of Grace. But for the +moderation of the people, Henry's throne might have been overturned, +and His Majesty requited their loyalty by wholesale executions, and by +hanging Sir Robert Constable over the Beverley gate at Hull, and +executing Robert Aske at York. Another of the leaders, Lord Darcy, was +executed on Tower Hill. + +The reign of Edward VI. witnessed a tumultuary outbreak at Seamer, +consequent upon changes that had been made in the forms of religious +worship. It was promptly put down by troops from York, and the +ringleaders were executed. + +During the reign of Queen Mary there was some little excitement in +Yorkshire, consequent upon Sir Thomas Wyat's insurrection, when +Thomas, son of Lord Stafford, seized Scarborough Castle, and paid with +his life for the daring exploit. + +The nation was sorely disturbed by the complications resulting from +the lust and religion of Henry VIII., when Elizabeth ascended the +throne, and Her Majesty's interference with the affairs of Scotland, +and her imprisonment of Mary Stuart, added to the difficulties of the +position. + +The Northern Rising, headed by Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland, +and Charles Neville, Earl of Westmoreland, occurred in November, 1569, +and was promptly suppressed, and followed by the customary severities. + +Fortunately royal lines die out, and with Elizabeth the Tudors ceased; +but only to entail upon the nation the wars and revolutions resulting +from the follies of the Stuarts. + + + + + XIV.--THE BATTLE OF TADCASTER. + + A.D. 1642. + + +When Charles I. visited Hull in 1639, he was most loyally received by +the people; but his second visit, on the 23rd of April, 1642, ended in +a bitter disappointment, and brought on the resort to arms. His power +had waned, the Star Chamber was a tyranny of the past; Stafford was +surrendered to the block, and Laud was in prison. + +Before Charles reached the town, he was requested to defer his visit, +and on appearing before the Beverley gate, he found it closed, the +drawbridge raised, shotted cannon frowning upon him, pikemen and +musketeers holding the ramparts. + +Sir John Hotham dare not for his life admit the King. Vain the orders, +the threats, the persuasions of Charles; he was compelled to retire, +after commanding the garrison to hurl the traitor over the walls. Sir +John was deeply distressed; he had heard himself proclaimed a traitor +by the royal heralds, who sounded trumpets before the walls. + +On the 3rd of June, the nobility and gentry of Yorkshire met the King +on Heworth Moor, and from that day the nation was virtually in arms. + +On the 2nd of July, the Royalists occupied Hull Bridge, and the +"Providence" entered the Humber with military stores for the King. +Hotham attempted to capture the stores, but his troops were driven +back, and the munitions of war were carted to York, being escorted by +a large force of the King's friends. + +Shortly after Hull was besieged, and the banks of the river being cut, +the country around was submerged. Batteries were erected and the town +cannonaded, but with little effect. As the month waned, sorties were +organised, and the royal lines penetrated. One day the foot were +scattered and the royal cavalry had to retire to Beverley. +Reinforcements from London encouraged Sir John Meldrum, who assisted +in the defence, in repeating the sorties. On one occasion the Earl of +Newport was hoisted out of his saddle by a cannon ball, and hurled +into a ditch. He was with difficulty rescued, being reduced to a state +of insensibility. The siege was raised. + +At Nottingham, on the 25th of August, Charles raised his standard. It +was blood-red, bore the royal arms, quartered, with a hand pointing to +the endangered crown, and the motto, "Give to Cæsar his due." It was +almost instantly levelled with the ground as a sudden blast of wind +swept with a weird moaning across the face of the hill. + +Cumberland maintained the King's cause in the loyal North, and to +counteract his influence, Parliament appointed Lord Fairfax to the +command of the Northern forces, his son, Sir Thomas, acting as General +of Horse. + +Various skirmishes ensued, Fairfax operating from his head-quarters at +Tadcaster. On one occasion the loyal city of York was insulted by one +of Fairfax's officers, who fired a pistol in Micklegate Bar. + +At Wetherby, the younger Fairfax was surprised by Sir Thomas Glemham, +but the explosion of a powder magazine induced the Royalists to draw +off. Sir Thomas was in great peril, being repeatedly fired upon at +close quarters. Major Carr, of the King's army, was slain, and the +Parliamentarian Captain Atkinson was mortally wounded, his thigh being +fractured by the repeated blows of pistols. + +The Earl of Newcastle assuming the command of the Cavaliers, attacked +Fairfax at Tadcaster. A bridge over the Wharfe led to the main street +of Tadcaster, and Fairfax cast up a breastwork to command this bridge, +while he posted musketeers in a number of houses that flanked the +position. The attack commenced on the morning of Tuesday, the 7th of +December, eight hundred Parliamentarians withstanding the numerous +army of Newcastle. When Fairfax beheld Newcastle's cavaliers marching +down the York Road, and over the fields on each side, he resolved to +evacuate the town, perceiving the impossibility of holding it against +so numerous an enemy. It was, however, too late to retire in the face +of the enemy, and the troops had barely time to occupy the position at +the bridge before Newcastle made a determined attack upon them. +Planting two demi-culverins to command the bridge, and hurrying up his +infantry, Newcastle opened the ball at eleven o'clock. For five hours +the cavaliers attacked, and the Parliamentarians as gallantly defended +the position. + +Again and again the King's men came steadily on, with pikes in the +front, and the musketeers firing and reloading with the most +determined courage; but ere they could reach the breastwork the brave +men of Nunappleton and Denton, and the stout-hearted burghers of +Bradford and Bingley, smote them with a storm of shot, shattered and +thinned their ranks--sending them back to re-form and renew the attack +with the same obstinate but unavailing courage. After a while the +fight slackened, the Royalists lining the hedges and maintaining a +brisk exchange of shot with their adversaries. + +It was important that Newcastle should effect a lodgment within the +lines of defence by carrying the houses on the river banks, and +several desperate attempts to effect this were made. Some fierce +conflicts resulted, and many men were slain. At length Newcastle +carried one of the houses that commanded the main body of the +Parliamentarians. In this strait, Major-General Gifford was ordered +forward to retake the lost positions. Some heavy fighting at close +quarters ensued, and pike and sword were red with blood, and the soil +cumbered with the slain and wounded, before the stubborn Royalists +were driven out, and the buildings re-occupied. + +As the shades of evening closed over the mournful scene of slaughter +and confusion, Newcastle sent forward another party against one of +the houses. It was his last effort, and was gallantly made; but the +hail of bullets smote so fiercely in the face of the division, that it +was driven back in confusion, with some loss of men, including Captain +Lister, a young and promising officer, whose death was deeply +lamented. + +Newcastle drew off, intending to renew the attack on the following +morning. Upwards of a hundred dead and wounded men were left upon the +field. + +Lord Fairfax retained the honours of the field, but was compelled to +retire his forces, and accordingly occupied the town of Selby. His +position was extremely precarious, and he was deeply distressed by the +necessity of leaving the towns of the West exposed to the attacks of +their powerful enemies. + + + + + XV.--THE BATTLE OF LEEDS. + + A.D. 1643. + + +On the 14th December, Sir Thomas Fairfax and the gallant Captain +Hotham sallied out of Selby, and stormed Sherborne, to come back on +the spur, closely pursued by the enraged Goring. + +Sir William Savile, of Thornhill, compelled Leeds and Wakefield to +surrender; and on Sunday, December 18th, attacked Bradford with 200 +foot, six troops of dragoons, and five of horse. A spirited engagement +ensued, and the Royalists were beaten off. Shortly after, Sir Thomas +made a night-march through the Royalist lines, and entered Bradford +with 300 foot and three troops of horse. + +Reinforced by numerous recruits Sir Thomas resolved to attack Sir +William Savile, who was strongly entrenched in Leeds. The approaches +from the Bridge and Hunslet Lane were defended by breastworks, and two +demi-culverins commanded the long, broad Briggate, or principal +street. + +On Monday, January 23rd, 1643, Fairfax summoned the town with 2,000 +clubmen, 1,000 musketeers, six troops of horse, and three of dragoons +at his back. Sir William Savile rejoined by a gallant defiance, having +1,500 foot and 500 horse posted in the town. Sir Thomas had formed his +troops in two divisions to storm both sides of the town, and they +advanced to attack as a snow-storm burst over the moor. + +The watchword was "Emanuel," and with sounding trumpets Sergeant-Major +Forbes and Captain Hodgson fell on at the head of five companies of +foot and one of dismounted dragoons. They were saluted with a volley +of musketry, all but inoperative. The musketeers had aimed too high. + +The roar of battle rose at the end of Ludgate, when Sir William +Fairfax and Sir Thomas Norcliffe assaulted the entrenchments, and was +answered from the south side of the river, where the stormers were +fighting their way to the south end of the bridge. Here they +established themselves, and flanked the defenders of the works at the +north-end of the bridge, who were holding Forbes and his stormers in +check. Sir William Savile ordered up one of the demi-culverins, and +planted it upon the bridge, to arrest the Parliamentarian advance. +Maitland, who led the attack, despatched a party of dragoons to the +waterside, and compelled the defenders of the lower breastwork to +retire, when Forbes occupied the deserted position. Schofield, a +minister of Halifax, celebrated this success by singing a verse of the +lxvii. psalm; and as it was concluded the cheers of the dragoons +announced the evacuation of the upper breastwork. Still singing the +psalm, Forbes charged up the Briggate, and captured the +demi-culverins. Here they were met by Sir William Fairfax, who had +gallantly forced his way into the town. + +Fairfax had stormed three positions, and captured Leeds, after three +hours of close fighting. His conduct was highly eulogised. + +Sir William Savile and the Rev. Mr. Robinson swam their horses across +the Aire, and escaped. Unhappily Captain Beaumont was drowned in the +attempt. + +Fairfax lost about twenty men, and took 460 prisoners, the two +demi-culverins, a number of muskets, and fourteen barrels of +gunpowder. The prisoners were allowed to depart on engaging not to +arm against Parliament. + +Sir Thomas Fairfax being in delicate health returned to the +head-quarters at Selby. Newcastle withdrew from Wakefield, and +concentrated his army at York, leaving the country between Selby and +the West open to the Fairfaxes, who occupied Howley Hall, between +Wakefield and Bradford. + + + + + XVI.--THE BATTLE OF WAKEFIELD. + + A.D. 1643. + + +While the Fairfaxes held Selby, Queen Henrietta landed at Bridlington, +where she was briskly cannonaded by Vice-Admiral Batten, whose +ungallant conduct was generally reprobated. Fairfax offered her +Majesty an escort of Yorkshire Parliamentarians. + +The plots of the Hothams closed Hull to the Fairfaxes, and they +resolved to march to Leeds, a distance of twenty miles, although +exposed to a flank attack. Sir Thomas drew off the enemy by marching a +division in the direction of Tadcaster, thus enabling Lord Fairfax to +carry the main body to Leeds. + +The Royalists believed that Sir Thomas had designs upon York, and +Goring followed hot upon his track, and on Whin Moor, near the village +of Seacroft, charged his rear and right flank, and dispersed the +Parliamentarians, of whom a few were wounded or slain, and many were +captured. + +After a sharp pursuit and some shrewd blows, Sir Thomas Fairfax and +Sir Henry Foulis reached Leeds with a few troopers. + +Chiefly for the purpose of obtaining prisoners for the exchange of his +captured soldiers, Sir Thomas resolved to make an attempt upon +Wakefield, then held by Goring with seven troops of horse and six +regiments of foot. Outworks, trenches, breastworks, and several cannon +defended the town. + +The Royalist officers were given to drinking and playing at bowls, and +although aware of Fairfax's advance, he found some officers in liquor +when the attack began. Doubtless this refers to the few; the majority +would be on the alert like gallant and loyal gentlemen. + +At midnight on Saturday, the 20th of May, Sir Thomas marched from +Howley with 1,500 horse and foot, drawn from the garrisons of Leeds, +Bradford, Halifax, and Howley. At four o'clock, he approached +Wakefield, to find the enemy on the alert. Driving a body of horse out +of Stanley, he assailed Wrengate and Northgate. Major-General Gifford, +Sir Henry Foulis, Sir William Fairfax, and other brave officers, +supported Sir Thomas. The stormers were saluted by a hot fire from +muskets and cannon, but suffered little thereby. Undaunted by their +hot reception, the stormers faced the hail of shot and fell on with +pike and musket, capturing the works and turning the guns upon the +enemy. Driving the cavaliers before him, Fairfax cleared the streets, +capturing, with many others, General Goring, Sir Thomas Bland, +Lieut.-Colonel Sir Geo. Wentworth, Lieut.-Colonel Saint George, +Lieut.-Colonel Macmoyler, Sergt.-Major Carr, Captains Carr, Knight, +Wildbore, Rueston, Pemberton, Croft, Ledgard, Lashley, Kayley, and +Nuttall; Captn.-Lieut. Benson, Sergt.-Major Carnabie. Left wounded in +Wakefield, upon their engagement to be true prisoners, Lieutenants +Munckton, Thomas, Wheatley, Kent, Nicholson; Ensigns Squire, Vavasor, +Masken, Lampton, Ducket, Stockhold, Baldwinson, Davis, Carr, Gibson, +Smathweight, Ballinson, Watson, Smelt, Hallyburton, and Cornet Wivell. + +Too weak to retain his conquest, Fairfax marched off in triumph with +his prisoners, captured cannon, colours, arms, ammunition, etc. + +London greatly rejoiced on receiving news of the victory. Parliament +ordered public thanksgivings to be observed in the city; and in the +churches and chapels narratives of the action were read. + +The following is the official account of the battle, as made to Lord +Fairfax: + + "On Saturday night, the 20th of May, the Lord General Fairfax + gave orders for a party of 1,000 foot, three companies of + dragoons, and eight troops of horse, to march from the garrison + of Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, and Howley; Sir Thomas Fairfax + commanded in chief. The foot were commanded by + Sergt.-Major-General Gifford and Sir William Fairfax. The horse + were divided into two bodies, four troops commanded by Sir + Thomas Fairfax, and the other four troops by Sir Henry Foulis; + Howley was the rendezvous, where they all met on Saturday last, + about twelve o'clock of night; about two next morning they + marched away, and coming to Stanley, where two of the enemy's + troops lay, with some dragoons, that quarter was beaten up, and + about one-and-twenty prisoners taken. About four o'clock in the + morning we came before Wakefield, where, after some of their + horse were beaten into the town, the foot, with unspeakable + courage, beat the enemies from the hedges, which they had lined + with musketeers, into the town, and assaulted it in two places, + Westgate and Northgate, and after an hour and a half fight, we + recovered one of their pieces, and turned it upon them, and + entered the town at both places at one and the same time. When + the baracadoes were opened, Sir Thomas Fairfax, with the horse, + fell into the town, and cleared the street, when Colonel Goring + was taken by Lieut. Alured, brother to Captain Alured, a member + of the house; yet in the Market Place there stood three troops + of horse and Colonel Lampton's regiment, to whom Major-General + Gifford sent a trumpet with offer of quarter, if they would lay + down their arms. They answered they scorned the motion. Then he + fired a piece of their own ordnance upon them, and the horse + fell in among them, beat them out of the town, and took all + their officers, expressed in the enclosed list, twenty-seven + colours of foot, three cornets of horse, and about 1,500 common + soldiers. The enemy had in the town 3,000 foot and seven troops + of horse, besides Colonel Lampton's regiment, which came into + the town after he had entered the town. The enemy left behind + them three pieces of ordnance, with ammunition, which we + brought away.--Signed, Thomas Fairfax, Henry Foulis, John + Gifford, William Fairfax, John Holmes, Robert Foulis, Titus + Leighton, Francis Talbott." + + + + + XVII.--THE BATTLE OF ADWALTON MOOR. + + +With an army of 12,000 men at his back the Marquis of Newcastle was +bound to clear Yorkshire of the Parliamentarians. Having stormed +Howley Hall, he marched upon Bradford, halting on Adwalton Moor on the +29th of June, 1643; making a careful disposition of his army, and +placing his artillery in position, as though apprehensive of an attack +from his active and daring opponents. + +The audacity of the Fairfaxes was justified by their desperate +position. Hull was closed to them by the defection of the Hothams; the +open towns of the West were exhausted, and they were surrounded by +enemies in the heart of a hostile country. + +While Newcastle was encamping on Adwalton Moor, Fairfax was preparing +to march upon him at four o'clock on the following morning. The +excitement in Bradford was intense. The success of Fairfax could +alone deliver them from the hands of the Royalists, who were deeply +exasperated against the stubborn burghers. + +The march of the Parliamentarians was delayed until eight o'clock, in +consequence of the tardiness or treachery of Major-General Gifford, if +we may believe the grumblings of Sir Thomas Fairfax, who was doubtless +impatient to be at the enemy. + +The main body of the Cavaliers was posted before the hamlet of +Adwalton, and a "Forlorn Hope," as the advanced guard was called, held +the Westgate Hill, half a mile distant from the army. + +Here Fairfax dealt his first blow, and swept the Cavaliers before his +advancing army. So first blood was claimed, and scattered on the turf +lay the mangled forms of many brave men, their cold, still faces +looking doubly pallid and sad in the bright morning sunshine. + +Jutting out from the main road by Westgate Hill, Hodgson's Lane led up +to Newcastle's position, and entered Warren's Lane, opening on the +moor from Gomersal. + +Lord Fairfax, with 3,000 men against 12,000, had to fight a defensive +battle, and lining the hedges at the head of Warren's Lane with +musketeers, he ordered Gifford to move down Hodgson's Lane upon +Newcastle's position. + +The ground was scarcely occupied before twelve troops of cavalry swept +across the moor, trumpets sounding, armour clashing, and the long, +thin rapiers flashing back the morning's sun. Ere they reached the +Roundheads, the muskets flashed from the hedge-rows, and as the white +smoke drifted on the breeze, and the loud report rang out, the gallant +Cavaliers retired with thinned and disordered ranks, leaving Colonel +Howard and many other gallant men dead upon the field. Again they +charged, again broke before the deadly fire of the musketeers, leaving +another colonel upon the field. Then Fairfax charged, and bore them, +sorely buffeted and cut-up, before his strong riders, until they found +protection beneath the muzzle of their cannon. + +Gifford was handling his infantry with such address that Newcastle's +spirits drooped, and he thought of commanding a retreat. But he had +bold, strong gentlemen beneath his banners, and Colonel Skerton, +heading a stand of pikes, broke Gifford's ranks, and made deadly work +as the royal horse followed his charge. The Parliamentarians were not +allowed time to rally, but were driven into Bradford. + +Sir Thomas had no order to retire, and was not aware of the defeat of +his father's command. For some time he maintained his ground, and +succeeded in carrying his troops into Halifax. + +The next morning he was in Bradford. A day of heavy fighting followed, +but the place could not be maintained. Sir Thomas attempted to pass +through the royal lines, but his party was dispersed, and his wife +captured by the enemy. He gained Leeds, where the news arrived that +the Hothams had been arrested, and Hull was open to the +Parliamentarians. The Fairfaxes resolved to make the attempt to reach +the fortress, and succeeded after many perils, Sir Thomas being shot +through the wrist during a skirmish, and fainting from excessive pain +and loss of blood. + + + + + XVIII.--THE BATTLE AT HULL. + + A.D. 1643. + + +Newcastle marched upon Hull, drove Sir Thomas Fairfax out of Beverley, +and besieged the town with 12,000 foot and 4,000 horse, on the 2nd of +September, 1643. Attempts were made to command the Humber by the +erection of forts at Hessle and Paull, and red-hot shot were thrown +into the town. A sally was beaten back, but the besiegers were +hindered by the cutting of the banks of the Hull and Humber, when the +country around was laid under water. Oliver Cromwell and Lord +Willoughby of Parham visited the town to consult with the Fairfaxes as +to the best measures for the defence, but appeared satisfied that it +could be maintained. The sorties of the garrison were spirited, and +attended with some success. On the 9th October the Royalists attempted +to carry the town by escalade, and almost succeeded. The Charter House +battery was stormed, but re-captured, and many lives were lost. The +gallant Captain Strickland was slain while leading the stormers. On +the morning of the 11th of October a pitched battle was fought before +the town. Fairfax organised a force of 1,500 men, drawn from the +garrison, burghers, and the crews of the warships in the Humber. + +Meldrum and Lord Fairfax issued out of the Hessle and Beverley gates, +and took the Royalists by surprise, driving them out of their works; +but being assailed by fresh troops from the main body of the +besiegers, they were very roughly handled, and driven under the town +walls, when the cannon opened upon the Cavaliers, and enabled Meldrum +and Fairfax to re-form their troops. + +Supported by the fire of the town guns, the Parliamentarians renewed +their attack; and, in the face of a heavy fire, stormed the enemy's +works, the dispute being very severe, and the fighting stubbornly +maintained at close quarters. Newcastle's warriors made a gallant +attempt to re-conquer their lost forts, but the cannon were turned +upon them, and the Parliamentarians repulsed every attack. After three +hours of hard fighting the Cavaliers retired, having received over +one hundred discharges of the town guns. + +An anxious night was passed, for the Parliamentarians expected +Newcastle to renew his attempts to regain his forts and cannon, but +the Marquis had suffered heavily, and, taking council with his +officers, resolved to abandon the siege, and retire under cover of the +night. His main army retired upon York, securing the retreat by +breaking down bridges and obstructing the roads. + +The men of Hull rejoiced in the capture of two famous cannon, Gog and +Magog, a demi-culverin, four small drakes mounted on one carriage, two +large brass drakes, and a saker. + +The burghers spent the following day in public thanksgiving, and thus +observed the anniversary of their deliverance until the restoration of +the Stuarts. + + + + + XIX.--THE BATTLE OF SELBY. + + A.D. 1644. + + +In 1644 King and Parliament were so closely matched that any accession +of strength to either party would tend to the speedy conclusion of the +conflict. When, on the 4th of March, the Earl of Leven occupied +Sunderland with 30,000 Scots, reinforcements for Parliament, the +greatest concern was felt by all good Cavaliers, and the Marquis of +Newcastle promptly brought up his Yorkshire Royalists, and held Leven +at bay. + +In this strait Sir Thomas Fairfax was ordered to the North to +reinforce the Scots with cavalry, and enable them to engage the King's +men. Lord Fairfax joined his son near Hull, and, augmenting his +forces, it was resolved to attack Selby, which was defended by +barricades, and garrisoned by a strong force of foot and horse under +the command of Colonel Bellasis, the son of Lord Falconberg. + +On the 11th of April, 1644, the Parliamentarians advanced to the +storm. The army was formed into three divisions, commanded by Lord +Fairfax, Sir John Meldrum, and Colonel Bright. Sir Thomas Fairfax +supported with his cavalry. + +The steady advance was met by the red flash of the guns, and the smoke +rose and drifted over the front. But the drums beat on, the pikemen +held bravely to the front, and the musketeers began to handle their +guns, as the front ranks poured into the trenches, leaving on the +green sward behind them the silent forms of slain men, whose white, +drawn faces looked very sad in the midst of the fresh young grass, and +under the shifting April clouds. In the trenches and by the barricades +some hot work went on, with clash of pikes and hail of bullets, until +the Cavaliers were fairly beaten from their defences, and their +reluctant officers, failing to rally their disordered ranks, retired +them from the front. The lines were won, but Colonel Bellasis held the +open ground with his horse, ready to sweep back the hostile foot +should they attempt any further advance, and a desultory fire of +musketry was maintained, until Sir Thomas Fairfax succeeded, after a +fierce struggle, in breaking down a barricade and making way for his +horse. Then the files of heavy cavalry came crashing over the +disputed ground, beating under hoof the heaps of debris and rubbish, +and overthrowing all who strove with pike and musket to bar their +path. Sir Thomas occupied the ground between the houses and the river, +when, with trumpets sounding the charge, a numerous body of royal +horse bore down upon them. The charge was gallantly received, and a +severe conflict ensued, when, beaten back by dint of steel and lead, +the Royalists broke away in confusion, and availing themselves of the +bridge of boats, crossed the river and took to flight. + +Scarcely had the panting warriors time to re-form their disordered +ranks before the fiery Bellasis burst upon them in a furious charge, +eager to avenge his defeated horse. Cold steel met in thrust and +parry; the pistols flashed, and brave men fell thickly as, +hand-to-hand, in dust and smoke, the sharp hot _melee_ held; then +riderless steeds broke away from the shock; Sir Thomas was hurled from +his steed amid plunging hoofs and slashing steel, but was rescued by +his gallant troopers, and re-mounted. The Cavaliers fought as King's +men should that day, but were over-weighted by Fairfax's heavy horse, +and driven off in headlong flight for York, leaving Colonel Bellasis +a prisoner in the hands of the victorious Roundheads. + +In the meantime the Parliamentarian foot had made good their hold of +the town, and accepted the surrender of the royal foot. + +The results of this engagement were remarkable. The Fairfaxes had only +defeated some two or three thousand men, and wrested a small town from +the King's hands, yet the strong city of York trembled for its safety, +and Newcastle was urgently requested to return and defend the county. +He complied. The Scots were at liberty. Fairfax immediately joined +them with his little army; and, on the 19th of April, York was +blockaded by the combined forces. Manchester augmented the besieging +army; York was closely invested, its fall was imminent; and King +Charles urgently demanded of Prince Rupert the raising of the siege. +Gallantly was the demand met, but was followed by the famous battle of +Marston Moor, from the effects of which the royal cause never +recovered. + + + + + XX.--BATTLE OF MARSTON MOOR. + + A.D. 1644. + + +King Charles was fully conscious of the perilous position in which he +would be placed if York fell, and Yorkshire passed into the hands of +the enemy; he therefore instructed Prince Rupert to march to the +relief of York, using the following impressive language:-- + + "I command and conjure you, by the duty and affection which I + know you bear me, that, all new enterprise laid aside, you + immediately march, according to your first intention, with all + your force to the relief of York; but if that be either lost, + or have freed themselves from the besiegers, or that, for want + of powder, you cannot undertake that work, that you immediately + march with your whole strength to Worcester, to assist me and + my army, without which, or your having relieved York by beating + the Scots, all the successes you may afterwards have, most + infallibly will be useless unto me." + +Gathering up forces as he advanced, Rupert marched to the succour of +the city, and occupied Knaresborough and Boroughbridge on the evening +of the 30th of June. On the following morning the Parliamentarians +drew up on Hessay Moor, to arrest Rupert's advance. Outgeneraling his +adversaries, the Prince marched to Poppleton Ferry, halted his army, +and entered York with 200 Cavaliers. That night a council of war was +held, and Rupert resolved to give battle to the enemy. The Marquis of +Newcastle endeavoured to dissuade the Prince from this step, and +begged him to await the arrival of a reinforcement of 5,000 men, +expected in the course of a few days. Rupert is accused of behaving +with discourtesy towards Newcastle, and for this there can be no +defence. There was, however, good reason for fighting, and at once. +Certainly the Prince could not be expected to put a great value on +Newcastle's advice. Rupert had achieved many successes, and had +relieved York by a masterly movement; on the other hand, Newcastle had +not achieved any remarkable success, and had allowed himself to be +besieged in York without fighting a battle. If he could hold Leslie in +check, surely he might have attempted to raise the blockade of York +before Manchester arrived with reinforcements. Had Rupert waited for +reinforcements, would the Parliamentarians have accepted battle, or +retired to some stronger position? Rupert was in a favourable +position, with a tried army, almost as strong as that of the enemy, +and if he did not at once give battle as favourable an opportunity +might not again occur. Having relieved York, was he to retire and +leave the enemy in Yorkshire to again besiege the city, or capture the +various royal strongholds? Two nearly equal armies were opposed on +Yorkshire soil, would one army leave the other in possession? would +the Parliamentarians compel the Cavaliers to fight? or would the two +armies move away in different directions, seeking other fields and +other foes? Rupert and the Parliamentarian leaders knew that they were +there to fight. The King's affairs absolutely demanded a victory, and +the blame that attaches to Rupert is that he forgot the general in +acting the part of a captain of horse, and so lost a battle that it +was within his capabilities to have won, as the conduct of his army +abundantly proved. + +The morning of the 2nd of July beheld Rupert's army in motion; but +the enemy were marching upon Tadcaster, not expecting an engagement. A +threatening movement of Rupert's cavalry was promptly checked, and +both armies began to form for battle under the Earls of Leven and +Manchester and Lord Fairfax on the one hand; and Rupert, Goring, +Lucas, and Sir John Urrie on the other. Some time elapsed before the +various divisions reached the field, and stood opposed in order of +battle. + +The Parliamentarians occupied a gentle eminence covered by a crop of +rye, beaten down by horse and foot. The regiments of Scotch and +English were intermixed, that the grace or blame of victory or defeat +might be equally shared. The centre consisted of serried masses of +pikemen and musketeers, commanded by Leven and the elder Fairfax; Sir +Thomas Fairfax led the right wing, consisting of his Yorkshire +cavalry, supported by three regiments of Scottish horse, and +outflanked by the village of Marston. The left wing, extending to +Tockwith village, was commanded by Manchester and Cromwell. Their +field word was "God with us!" Before them was the open moor, held by +the King's men, but the furze and broken ground was calculated to +retard their charges. Between the two armies extended a ditch and +hedge, soon to be immortalised as the scene of some heavy fighting and +dreadful slaughter. + +Some uncertainty exists as to the disposition of the Royalists, the +various accounts of the battle being very contradictory, but it may be +assumed that the centre was commanded by Goring, Sir Charles Lucas, +and General Porter; Newcastle heading his own regiment of white-coated +pikemen. Rupert carried his huge red-cross banner, emblazoned with the +arms of the Palatinate, on the left wing; and Sir John Urrie commanded +the right. Grant seems disposed to support the statement of Rushworth, +that Rupert led the right wing, and Sir Charles Lucas the left. + +Rupert's position was excellent for the fighting of a defensive +battle. To cross the ditch that lay between the armies was a serious +undertaking for either army, but especially for the Parliamentarians, +as Rupert had lined the hedge with musketeers, and had planted a +battery on an eminence behind his centre, thus demanding a heavy +sacrifice of life from the Parliamentarians before they could exchange +blows with his centre, and, in the event of his assuming the +offensive, the advance would be partially covered by the battery. + +The combined armies consisted of about 46,000 men, and were of almost +equal strength, the Parliamentarians having, probably, some little +advantage in numbers. For several hours no hostile movement took +place, with the exception of a few discharges of cannon, by one of the +first shots of which the loyal Sir Gilbert Houghton lost his son. +Apparently both parties were awed by the importance of the impending +conflict, and reluctant to make the first movement, with all the +difficulties attending the passage of the ditch and hedge. + +The pleasant summer afternoon waned into evening, peaceful and calm. +Seven o'clock approached: surely the bloody bout would be delayed +until the morrow. Occasionally the cannon roared, and a few men fell; +one of these unfortunates was young Walton, Cromwell's nephew, who was +severely wounded; and it is supposed that this brought about the +Parliamentarian attack. + + "It was now between six and seven, and Rupert, calling for + provisions, dismounted, and began to eat his supper. A large + number of his followers did the like. Newcastle strolled + towards his coach to solace himself with a pipe. Before he had + time to take a whiff, the battle had begun."--_Gardiner._ + +Manchester moved forward his infantry in heavy masses, with pikes and +muskets ready for the deadly work, and attempted the passage of the +ditch, while Cromwell's magnificent cuirassiers swept forward to clear +the same formidable obstacle, and engage the enemy's right. Rupert +hurried forward a large body of musketeers to meet Manchester's +attack, and at the same time swept their ranks by the deadly +discharges of his field battery. Rupert's musketeers being covered by +the hedge, inflicted heavy loss upon the Parliamentarians, and +Manchester vainly exerted himself to re-form their shattered ranks. +Two cannons were hurried up, and the officers exposed themselves with +the utmost devotion to encourage their troops, but they were powerless +to advance in the face of that deadly shower of bullets, and the +position was becoming critical in the extreme, when relief came, and +that not a moment too soon. Cromwell, making a wide sweep, gained the +open moor, found room for a charge, and bore down upon the enemy's +right with a tremendous and fatal force. A short but desperate +conflict ensued as Cromwell carried his Ironsides through the sorely +buffeted and shattered squadrons of the royal horse. Pressing on, he +stormed the battery and put the gunners to the sword. A moment's +breathing space was allowed the horses, and then the musketeers, who +held Manchester's advance in check with their forks planted in the +ditch-bank, maintaining a steady and destructive fire, became the +object of attack. These brave soldiers did not attempt to meet the +charge, but retreated in close order, with presented pikes, and +although they suffered severely from the fury of the enemy, they +endeavoured to check the successive charges by the repeated fire of +their muskets. + +There was no braver man in the field than Sir Thomas Fairfax, but he +suffered a sad defeat on that memorable July evening. The ground +occupied by his troops was broken and intersected by a number of +lanes; not difficult to defend, but preventing united action when the +moment for the advance arrived. Nevertheless he struggled forward, +wasting his strength by a succession of weak charges, but unable to +find room for a general attack. The fiery Rupert was opposed to him, +and swept his ranks by a cruel and incessant fire of musketry, until +little hope for the Parliament remained in this part of the field. For +a time the impending ruin was averted by Cromwell, who charged the +Prince's infantry, and afforded Fairfax an opportunity of re-forming +his torn and wearied forces; but in the midst of the struggling +advance of the over-mastered Parliamentarians Rupert delivered his +grand charge, and storming over and through every obstacle, filled +this part of the field with a wild rout of unhappy fugitives, amongst +whom the keen rapiers of his gay Cavaliers wrought terrible havoc. The +brother of Sir Thomas Fairfax was mortally wounded, but the good +knight clung desperately to the ground with 500 of his own horse and a +regiment of lancers, to be wounded and fairly borne off the field by +the impetuous Rupert. Here the Prince took a deadly and fatal revenge +on the Scotch cavalry, put them to headlong flight, and bore on in +stormy pursuit, while the royal infantry was exposed to the attacks of +Manchester's foot and Cromwell's victorious Ironsides. Had Rupert +succoured his centre at this stage of the battle he must have +compelled the Parliamentarians to yield to him the victory. + +Nobly the royal foot met the deadly storm of battle; exerting such +heroic courage that they fairly pushed back the Parliamentarian +advance, and the King's prospects were yet promising, maugre the +terrible handling received from Cromwell. That gallant soldier held +his cavalry well in hand, albeit their ranks were somewhat thinned by +shot and steel; and they now wrested the victory from the rashly +impetuous Rupert. The Marquis of Newcastle's incomparable regiment of +Northumbrians perished here. They were known as "lambs," or +"white-coats," from the colour of their doublets, and resisted +Cromwell to the last. Again and again he charged them, but they +returned blow for blow, and, disdaining all offers of quarter, +perished almost to a man, the few that were saved owing their lives +rather to the magnanimity of their enemies than to any exertions of +their own to escape the slaughter. They fell in their proper +battle-order, and presented a ghastly spectacle as they lay upon the +field in rank and file, their white coats cruelly slashed with many a +crimson stain. The remainder of the royal foot were now taken in the +rear by the Ironsides, and sustained a bloody and ruinous defeat. +Before their ruin was consummated the Prince returned, and a fierce +conflict ensued. Rupert had counted the victory as already won, and +rage and mortification added to the fury of the last sanguinary and +stubborn conflict. Cromwell was wounded in the neck, and his charge +was all but abortive, when Leslie came up and retrieved the mishap by +a terrible onslaught that sent Rupert's over-mastered warriors in wild +confusion from the field. The infantry now surrendered, and Cromwell +captured all the cannon, baggage, &c, of the royal army, which was +pursued almost to the gates of York. + +At a late hour throngs of wounded men and fugitives from the field +appeared before Micklegate-Bar, but the soldiers of the garrison were +alone admitted into the city, and the confusion that ensued was of the +most deplorable and painful character. + +Cromwell remained on the field, anxious and alert, fearful that the +impetuous Rupert might rally some remains of his army, and, by a +sudden onslaught under cover of night, wrest from his shattered army +the victory so hardly won by dint of heavy fighting. + +The general loss was estimated at 7,000 men, Prince Rupert losing over +3,000 slain, and 3,000 prisoners, including many officers. The +Parliamentarians captured forty-seven colours, twenty-five pieces of +artillery, a number of carbines and pistols, 130 barrels of gunpowder, +and 10,000 arms. Among their prisoners were Generals Sir Charles +Lucas, Tilliard, and Porter, and Lord Goring's son. Amongst the +gallant gentlemen who laid down their lives for King Charles on +Marston Moor were Lord Kerry, Sir Francis Dacres, Sir William Lampton, +Sir Charles Slingsby, Sir William Wentworth, Sir Marmaduke Luddon, Sir +Richard Gledhill, Colonel John Fenwick, Sir Richard Graham, and +Captain John Baird. Sir Richard Gledhill, as a matter of fact, died in +his own house an hour after he succeeded in gaining its shelter. He +had received twenty-six wounds. Sir Charles Lucas was informed that he +could select some of the slain for private interment, and in thus +distinguishing one unfortunate Cavalier caused a bracelet of silky +hair to be removed from his wrist, "as he knew an honourable lady who +would thankfully receive it." The Scots suffered severely, and the +English lost Captains Micklethwaite and Pugh, and Sir Thomas Fairfax +had to deplore the loss of his brother Charles, and of Major Fairfax. + +No two accounts of the battle agree, and Cromwell, whose conduct +conduced so largely to the winning of the battle, has been even +accused of cowardice by one writer. Rapin says, + + "I shall not undertake to describe this battle, because in all + the accounts I have seen I meet with so little order or + clearness that I cannot expect to give a satisfactory idea of + it to such of my readers as understand these matters." + +The Parliamentarians assumed a white badge to distinguish them from +their opponents. + +Prince Rupert would probably have won the battle had he acted as a +commander-in-chief instead of leading a wing; but it was then +customary for each of the three commanders to fight his own battle, +with too little regard to the general issue, when there was no +commander directing the operations of the divisions. + +The King's affairs never recovered from the results of this battle, +and the royal cause undoubtedly received its death-blow on Marston +Moor, when the last of the Yorkshire battles was fought. + + + + + XXI.--BATTLE OF BRUNANBURGH. + + A.D. 937. + + +King Athelstan reigned in troublous days, with the restless Danish +population in the North, the Welsh in the West, the Scots ready to +support his enemies, and his own nobles discontented and disloyal. +Athelstan had conferred upon Sithric, King of Northumberland, the hand +of his sister; but the prince violated his obligations, and was only +secured from punishment by the sudden stroke of death. + +Sithric's sons, Anlaf and Godfrid, took refuge in Ireland and +Scotland; and a confederation of the princes of Scotland, Wales, +Ireland, and Cumberland, seconded by a Danish fleet, threatened the +crown of Athelstan. + +After four years of preparation and recruiting the storm burst. In 937 +Anlaf entered the Humber at the head of a huge armada of 615 sail, and +occupied Bernicia. + +Athelstan, with a powerful army, marched to the North and encamped at +Brunanburgh. It is said that Anlaf entered the King's camp disguised +as a minstrel, and was liberally rewarded by Athelstan, but, in his +pride, buried the gold, and was perceived by one of the royal +soldiers, who then recognised him, but permitted him to retire from +the camp before he apprised Athelstan of the identity of the minstrel. +His excuse that had permitted Anlaf to escape because he had at one +period sworn fealty to him, was accepted as a sufficient reason; but +Athelstan removed his camp, and shortly after the Bishop of Sherborne +came up with his troops and occupied the ground that Athelstan had +vacated. + +That night Anlaf made a sudden attack upon the Saxons, and slew the +Bishop of Sherborne and many of his followers, before he was driven +off. + +The day of battle dawned. Each army was formed into two corps. +Athelstan commanded the West Saxons; Turketul, his heroic chancellor, +led the warriors of Mercia and London. Anlaf and his wild Northmen +opposed the King; Constantine, King of Scotland, confronted Turketul +with his Scots and Cumbrians. + +At sunrise the war-smiths fell to, with sleet of arrows and deadly +play of bills and spears, as the banners were pushed forward. Bravely +the golden-haired Athelstan acquitted himself in the van, amid the +communion of swords and the clashing of bills, the conflict of banners +and the meeting of spears, when the keen javelins strewed the soil +with the slain, and the unerring arrows carried death above the +guarding shield. Athelstan's sword dropped in the press, but as Otho, +Archbishop of Canterbury, entreated the heavenly aid, a sword of +celestial potency filled the empty sheath, and with it Athelstan +fought until night closed upon the scene. + +As the day was drawing towards eventide, with the wild war-wrestle at +its maddest, and the song of the fiery Northman rolling like thunder +over the field, now heaped with slain and wounded men, for the front +ranks had been mown down, and renewed again and again, Turketul headed +a veteran corps of spearmen, and made an irresistible charge upon the +Scots. Vainly Constantine strove to hold his ground; his fierce Scots +were over-weighted, broken, and borne down. Anlaf's Northmen were +dismayed, and gave ground. Turketul charged them; a brief, fierce +struggle ensued; then he penetrated their ranks; flight commenced; +the field was covered with fugitives; the Northmen anxiously striving +to regain their nailed barks, and crowd all sail for Ireland. + +Then pressed the West Saxons hard on "the footsteps of the loathed +nations." "They hewed the fugitives behind, amain, with swords +mill-sharp," while on the battle-stead lay five "youthful kings, and +seven eke of Anlaf's earls." + + "Constantine, hoary warrior, he had no cause to exult in the + communion of swords. Here was his kindred band of friends + o'erthrown on the falkstead, in battle slain; and his son he + left on the slaughter-place, mangled with wounds, young in the + fight." + +The slaughter was dreadful, but the throne of Athelstan was secured, +and his northern subjects humbled. He left behind him a terrible +carnage field, + + "the sallowy kite the corse to devour, and the swarthy raven + with horned nib, and the dusky 'pada' erne white-tailed, the + corse to enjoy, greedy war-hawk, and the grey beast, wolf of + the wood. Carnage greater has not been in this island ever yet + of people slain, before this, by edges of swords, as books us + say, old writers, since from the east hither, Angles and + Saxons came to land, o'er the broad seas Britain sought, + mighty war-smiths, the Welsh o'ercame, earls most bold, this + earth obtained." + +In later years Anlaf obtained considerable successes over King Edmund, +and the northern provinces were ceded to him; but scarcely had he +obtained this high position ere death touched his brow, and kingly +pride and vain ambition were overcome. + +Despite the labours of Yorkshire and Lancashire antiquaries, the +locality of Brunanburgh must be regarded as unascertained, and no +evidence has been produced that can justify its inclusion in the list +of Yorkshire battles. + + + + + XXII.--FIGHT OFF FLAMBOROUGH HEAD. + + A.D. 1779. + + +In the years 1778 and 1779 British commerce suffered severely from the +attacks of Paul Jones. + +In September of the latter year he cruised along the East coast with +the "Bonne Homme Richard," 40 guns, 375 men; the "Alliance," 40 guns, +300 men; the "Pallas," 32 guns, 275 men; and the "Vengeance," 12 guns, +70 men. On the 20th of September, Bridlington was alarmed by an +express stating that Paul Jones was off Scarborough; that evening he +was seen by the fishermen of Flamborough, and a fleet of merchantmen +crowded into Bridlington bay, and the harbour was soon thronged with +vessels, a number being chained alongside the piers. The townsfolks +mustered, rudely armed, and supported the two companies of +Northumberland Militia, who marched to the quay with drums beating. + +The Baltic fleet, with a freight valued at £600,000 pounds, was +approaching the coast, convoyed by the "Serapis," 40 guns, captain, +Pearson; and the "Countess of Scarborough," 20 guns, captain, Piercy. +On Thursday, September 23rd, the fleet approached Scarborough, and was +warned by the bailiff that the enemy was in the neighbourhood. Captain +Pearson then signalled the fleet to bear down upon his lee, but the +ships continued their course. About noon a scene of confusion ensued +as the leading ships perceived the enemy bearing down upon them. The +two captains hoisted all sail, prepared for action, and took the post +of danger. + +Twilight was closing over waves and cliff when, at about twenty +minutes past seven, the "Serapis" challenged the "Bonne Homme +Richard," and saluted him with a cannon shot. The American flag was +run up, and the shot returned. Captain Pearson delivered a broadside, +which was returned, and for some time the battle was carried on by +repeated discharges of cannon. The moon arose with unusual brilliancy, +and the natives of Flamborough thronged to the cliffs to witness the +exciting scene. Paul Jones attempted to board, but with bayonet, pike, +and cutlass the British tars maintained their decks, and the "Bonne +Homme Richard" sheered off. An attempt to lay the "Serapis" square +with her adversary was foiled, and the "Bonne Homme Richard" was laid +across the bows of the "Serapis." With cannon and small arms a +murderous conflict was maintained, then the jib-boom of the "Serapis" +gave way, and the ships fell broadside to broadside, with yard-arms +locked; swaying and reeling as they ripped up each other's sides with +repeated broadsides, although the muzzles of the cannons touched, and +many of the port-lids were torn away. + +The night closed in, and the conflict continued. The decks of the +"Serapis" were swept by shot, covered with the slain and wounded. For +two hours her crew maintained the fight with heroic courage. +Combustibles were thrown upon her decks, ten times she took fire; a +hand-grenade exploded a cartridge, and the explosion ran along the +line of guns where the cartridges lay, abaft the mainmast. Many men +were killed or wounded, and the guns remained unfought to the end. + +During this murderous work the "Alliance" sailed round and round the +combatants, and raked the "Serapis" with successive broadsides. + +On a cry for quarter being raised, Captain Pearson boarded the "Bonne +Homme Richard," but at once retired on perceiving a numerous party of +the enemy lying in ambush. The battle re-commenced, when the +"Alliance" again raked the "Serapis," inflicting dreadful slaughter, +and bringing down the mainmast. + +The "Serapis" was little better than a wreck, and the old flag was +reluctantly hauled down. Paul Jones received the conquered enemy most +courteously. Without the aid of the "Alliance" the "Bonne Homme +Richard" would have been captured. She was on fire in two places, the +guns on her lower deck were dismounted, and she had seven feet of +water in her hold. Out of her crew of 375 men, 306 were killed and +wounded. The total loss of the two English ships did not reach half +that number. On the following day the "Bonne Homme Richard" was +abandoned, and, before all her wounded could be removed, went to the +bottom. + +The "Countess of Scarborough" fought the "Pallas" and "Vengeance" for +upwards of two hours, and only struck when a third vessel bore down +upon her. + +The King of France presented Paul Jones with a gold-hilted sword, and +requested the American Government to sanction the bestowal of the +military Order of Merit upon the gallant adventurer. + +Captain Pearson was knighted, and was rewarded by the merchants for +saving the Baltic fleet. He was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of +Greenwich, and received the Freedom of the corporations of Hull, +Scarborough, Appleby, and Dover. + +[Illustration: THE END] + + + + + Index. + + + Adela, daughter of William I., 56 + + Adelwald, King of Deira, 8-10 + + Aire, River, 8, 99, 185 + + Airedale, 99 + + Albany, Duke of, 142 + + Albemarle, William, 3rd Earl of, 61, 66 + + Alberic, Bishop of Ostia, 73 + + Aldred, Archbishop of York, 43 + + Alexander II., King of Scotland, 79, 80 + + Alexander III., King of Scotland, 79 + + Alfred, King of the North-Humbrians, 10, 11 + + Alfred, King of England, 20 + + Alnwick Castle, 76 + + Alred, 70 + + Alured, Lieut., 191 + + Alured, Captn., 191 + + Anlaf, 216-220 + + Annandale, Robert Bruce, Lord of, 64-66 + + Appleby, 225 + + Archer, John, 156 + + Arundel, Edmund Fitz-Alan, 2nd Earl of, 100 + + Aske, Robert, 175 + + Aspall, 159-160 + + Athelstan, King of Mercia, 13, 216-220 + + Atkinson, Captn., 179 + + Audley, John Touchet, 6th Lord, 152 + + Avon, River, 100 + + + Badlesmere, Bartholomew, 1st Lord de, 103-4 + + Baird, Captn., John, 214 + + Baldwin V., Earl of Flanders, 18 + + Baldwinson, Ensign, 189 + + Baliol, Bernard de, 61, 64-66, 76 + + Baliol, Edward, King of Scotland, 138 + + Ballinson, Ensign, 189 + + Bamborough Castle, 50-51, 172 + + Banbury, 81 + + Bangor, Bishop of, 147 + + Bardolph, Thomas, 5th Lord, 143-7 + + Barfleur, 54 + + Battles: Adwalton Moor, 193-5 + + Agincourt, 124, 137, 148 + + Bannockburn, 83, 103 + + Barnet, 173 + + Beaujé, 149 + + Bloreheath, 152 + + Boroughbridge, 107-110 + + Bosworth, 174 + + Bramham Moor, 145-6 + + Brunanburgh, 13-14, 217-220 + + Byland Abbey, 122-128 + + Cressy, 124 + + Durham, or Neville's Cross, 133 + + Ebberston, 11 + + Evesham, 158 + + Falkirk, 103 + + off Flamborough, 222-5 + + Fulford, 24 + + Hastings, or Senlac, 27, 37-41, 53 + + Hedgeley Moor, 172 + + Hexham, 172 + + Homildon, 142 + + Hull, 196-8 + + Leeds, 183-6 + + Marston Moor, 202 + + Mortimer's Cross, 162-3 + + Myton Meadows, 95-8 + + Northampton, 154 + + Otterburn, 135 + + Pavia, 137 + + Radcot Bridge, 139 + + Sandal, or Wakefield-Green, 157-162 + + Selby, 199-201 + + Shrewsbury, 142 + + St. Albans (first), 150-1 + + St. Albans (second), 164-5 + + Stamford Bridge, 15, 25-34 + + Standard, the, 51 + + Stoke, 137, 174 + + Tadcaster, 180-182 + + Tewkesbury, 173 + + Towton, 166-172 + + Wakefield, 188-191 + + Winwidfield, 8-10 + + Beaumont, Captn., 185 + + Bellasis, Col., 199-202 + + Benedict, a rich Jew of York, 77 + + Benson, Captn.-Lieut., 189 + + Beorne, Earl, 43 + + Bernefield, Sir Roger, 110 + + Berwick, 83-93, 103, 130, 144 + + Beverley, 128, 134, 148, 178, 196 + + Bingley, 181 + + Bishopthorpe, 144 + + Blacklow, 100 + + Blanche Nef, 54 + + Bland, Sir Thomas, 189 + + Blount, Sir Thomas, 156 + + Bonville, William, 1st Lord, 165 + + Bootham, 171 + + Boroughbridge, 84, 95, 107-111, 114-115, 117, 128, 204 + + Bourchier, Edward, 161 + + Bosworth, Battle of, 174 + + Bradburne, Henry de, 113 + + Bradford, 181, 183, 188, 190, 192, 194 + + Bramham Moor, 145 + + Brember, Sir Nicholas, 139 + + Brian, son of Earl Alan Fergan, 55 + + Bridlington, 127, 187, 221 + + Bright, Col., 200 + + Bruce, Robert, Earl of Annandale, 64-66 + + Bruce, Robert, Earl of Carrick and King of Scotland, 83-5, 91-2, 106, + 117-125, 128-130 + + Bruce, David, King of Scotland, 133 + + Buchan, Earl of, 149 + + Buckingham, Duchess of, 152 + + Buckingham, Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of, 150-151 + + Burgh, Hubert de, 79 + + Burgh-on-Sands, 81, 102 + + Burton-upon-Trent, 105 + + Byland Abbey, 118, 122-7, 130 + + + Cadwalla, King of the West Britons, 7 + + Calais, 153-4 + + Cambridge, Richard Plantagenet, 4th Earl of, 148 + + Canterbury, Wm. Corbois, Archbishop of, 57 + + Canterbury, Thos. Fitz-Alan (alias Arundel), Archbishop of, 140 + + Canterbury, Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of, 155 + + Canute, King of England, 18, 41 + + Carlisle, 49, 58, 70-73, 128-130 + + Carmichael, Sir John, 149 + + Carnabie, Sergt.-Major, 189 + + Carr, Major, 179 + + Carr, Sergt.-Major, 189 + + Carr, Captn., 189 + + Carr, Ensign, 189 + + Castleford, 99 + + Chapter of Mitton, 98 + + Charles I., King of England, 177-179, 203 + + Cheney, William, 113 + + Chop Head Loaning, 115 + + Cinque Ports, 85 + + Clarence, Thomas Plantagenet, 2nd Duke of, 148-9 + + Clarence, George Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of, 159, 174 + + Clay, Thomas, 152 + + Cleveland, 143 + + Clifford, Sir Roger, 110 + + Clifford, Thomas de Clifford, 8th Lord, 150-1 + + Clifford, John de Clifford, 9th Lord, 158-162, 166 + + Clinton, John de Clinton, 5th Lord, 152 + + Clitheroe, 64 + + Cobham, Sir Ralph, 125 + + Cock, River, 170 + + Coifi, a pagan priest 5-6 + + Colt, Thomas, 152 + + Constable of England (Duke of Northumberland), 141 + + Constable, Sir Robert, 175 + + Constantine, King of Scotland, 217-219 + + Conway Castle, 141 + + Conyers, Sir John, 152 + + Copeland, John, Esquire, 133 + + Cornwall, Piers de Gaveston, Earl of, 81-2, 100-2 + + Cospatrick, 4th Earl of Northumberland, 44, 52 + + Coventry, 140, 152 + + Crab, John, a Flemish engineer, 88-90 + + Croft, Captn., 189 + + Cromwell, John de, 127, + + Cromwell, Oliver, 196, 206, 208-13, 215 + + Cuichelm, King of the West Saxons, 4 + + Culross, 121 + + Cumberland, 179 + + Cumin, William, Chancellor of Scotland, 73 + + + Dacres, Ralph, 1st Lord, 171 + + Dacres, Sir Francis, 214 + + Dalkeith Castle, 135 + + Danthorpe, Matthew, hermit, 141 + + Darcy, Thomas, 1st Lord, 175 + + David I., King of Scotland, 55, 58-60, 63, 64-5, 71-2 + + David II., King of Scotland, 133 + + Dedington Castle, 81 + + Deira-field, Castle of, 11 + + Denman, Sir John, 168 + + Denton, Sir Richard de, 129 + + Denton, 181 + + Derwent, River, 3, 127 + + Despenser, Sir Hugh, 112, 113, 127, 129 + + Despenser, Hugh, Earl of Winchester, 112, 113, 127, 129 + + Devonshire, Thomas Courtenay, 14th Earl of, 171 + + Devonshire, Humphrey Stafford, 15th Earl of, 173 + + Deynville, 113 + + Doncaster, 7, 140, 172 + + Dovenald, 68-9 + + Douglas, Sir James, 83-4, 91-3, 95-6, 102, 105-6, 119, 125-6, 132 + + Douglas, James, Earl of, 135-6 + + Douglas, Archibald (Tine-man) Earl of, 142 + + Dryburgh, 121 + + Dunstable, 164 + + Durham, Geoffrey Ruffus, Bishop of, 73 + + Durham, 47-9, 52, 58, 144 + + + Edgar Atheling, 20, 43, 49 + + Edward, the Confessor, King of England, 16-20, 59 + + Edward I., King of England, 80, 81, 83, 85, 102, 112 + + Edward II., King of England, 81, 83-88, 90, 92-93, 100-7, 111-2, + 117-8, 120-1, 124, 126-7, 128, 130 + + Edward III., King of England, 131-3, 135 + + Edward IV., King of England, 163, 165-174 + + Edward V., King of England, 174 + + Edward VI., King of England, 175 + + Edwin, King of Northumbria, 3-8 + + Edwin Earl of Northumbria, 17, 19, 21, 23-5, 52 + + Egbert, Archbishop of York, 44 + + Ella, Usurper of Northumbria, 12-3 + + Ely, John Hotham, Bishop of, 98 + + Espec, Walter l', 61, 66 + + Exeter, Henry Holland, 4th Duke of, 156, 164 + + + Fairfax, Ferdinand, 2nd Lord, 179-187, 193-7, 199-200, 202-6 + + Fairfax, Sir Thomas, 179-202, 206, 210-11 + + Fairfax, Sir William, 184-5, 188, 190-1 + + Fauconberg, William Neville, 7th Lord, 167-8 + + Fitz-John, Eustace, 63-73 + + Fleming, Nicholas, Mayor of York, 92-5, 98 + + Foulis, Sir Henry, 188, 190-1 + + + Gaunt, John of, 2nd Duke of Lancaster, 140-1 + + Gaveston, Piers de, 81-2, 100-2, 113 + + Gifford, Major-General John, 181, 188, 190-1, 193-4 + + Glemham, Sir Thomas, 179 + + Gloucester, Robert, 1st Earl of, 55-6, 75 + + Gloucester, Thomas Plantagenet, 1st Duke of, 135 + + Gloucester, Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of, 159, 174 + + Goring, Lord George, 183, 187, 188-9, 191, 206-7 + + + Hanson, Richard, Mayor of Hull, 159 + + Harcla, Sir Andrew, 1st Earl of Carlisle, 107-8, 110, 114-5, 128-30 + + Harold Hardrada, King of Norway, 15, 21-32 + + Harold, King of England, 15-18, 20-3, 26-9, 31-7, 39-41, 43 + + Henrietta, Queen of Charles I., 187 + + Henry I., King of England, 53-8 + + Henry II., King of England, 75-6 + + Henry III., King of England, 79-80, 101 + + Henry IV., King of England, 141-4, 155, 164-5 + + Henry V., King of England, 137, 148, 153, 155 + + Henry VI., King of England, 150-5, 160, 165, 171-3 + + Henry VII., King of England, 174-5 + + Henry VIII., King of England, 175-6 + + Henry, Prince, of Scotland, 63, 65, 69-70, 72 + + Hereford, Humphrey de Bohun, 2nd Earl of, 100, 105-6, 109-10, 114 + + Hereford, Henry Plantagenet, 1st Duke of, 139-41 + + Hereward le Wake, 42, 48, 52 + + Hessay Moor, 204 + + Hinguar, a Danish chief 12-3 + + Holland, Sir John, 13th Earl of Huntingdon and 1st Duke of Exeter, + 134-5 + + Hotham, Sir John, 177-8, 187, 192, 195 + + Hotham, Captn. John, 183, 187, 190, 192 + + Houghton, Sir Gilbert, 208 + + Hubba, a Danish chief, 12, 13 + + Hull, Kingston-upon-, 80, 140, 175, 177-8, 187, 192, 195, 199, 225 + + Hungerford, Robert, 3rd Lord, 155, 172 + + + Ireland, Robert Vere, Ninth Earl of Oxford, and First Duke of, 139 + + Isabella, Queen of Edward II., 92, 103-4, 131 + + + John, King of England, 78, 79 + + John, Prince, First Duke of Bedford, 143 + + Jones, Paul, 221-5 + + + Keith, Sir William, of Galston, 84 + + Kent, Edmund Plantagenet, Fourth Earl of, 127 + + Kyriel, Sir Thomas, 165 + + + Lacy, Ilbert de, 61 + + Lancaster, Thomas Plantagenet, Second Earl of, 100-1, 104-114, 116, + 129 + + Lancaster, John of Gaunt, Second Duke of, 140-1 + + Lancaster, Henry Plantagenet, Third Duke of, 141 + + Leeds, 6, 183-5, 187-9, 195 + + Leeds Castle, Kent, 103-4 + + Leven, Earl of, 199, 206 + + Lincoln, John de la Pole, Ninth Earl of, 137, 174 + + London, 20, 57, 147, 154, 163-165, 178, 189 + + Longchamp, William, Bishop of Ely, 178 + + Lucas, Sir Charles, 206-7, 214 + + + MacDonoquhy, William, 64, 65 + + Malcolm III., King of Scotland, 21, 47, 50 + + Malcolm IV., King of Scotland, 76 + + Malcolm II., King of Scotland, 76 + + Malise, Earl of Strathearn, 65 + + Manchester, Earl of, 202, 205-6, 209-11 + + March, Edmund Mortimer, Fifth Earl of, 148 + + March, Edward, Titulary Earl of, 152-3, 156-7, 159, 162-3, 165 + + Margaret of Anjou, 150-1, 154-5, 159-60, 164, 167, 171-3 + + Matilda, daughter of Henry I., 55-58, 75 + + Matilda, Queen of Stephen, 73 + + Meldrum, Sir John, 178, 197, 200 + + Melton, William de, Archbishop of York, 92-4, 96, 98 + + Montacute, John Neville, First Marquis of, 173 + + Morkar, First Earl of Northumberland, 17-18, 21, 23, 24-5, 52 + + Mortimer, Edmund, Fifth Earl of March, 142 + + Mowbray, Roger de Mowbray, Second Lord de, 61 + + Mowbray, John de Mowbray, Second Lord de, 113, 114 + + Mowbray, Thomas de, Sixth Lord, 143-4 + + + Newcastle, 58, 76, 81, 85, 135, 171 + + Newcastle, Marquis of, 180-2, 186, 192-4, 196-9, 202, 204, 207, 209, + 212 + + Newport, Earl, 178 + + Norfolk, Thomas, Baron Mowbray, First Duke of, 139-40 + + Norfolk, John Mowbray, Third Duke of, 150 + + Norfolk, John Mowbray, Fourth Duke of, 165, 169-70 + + Northampton, 17, 18, 19, 154 + + Northumberland, Henry Percy, Twelfth Earl of, 140-47 + + Northumberland, Henry Percy, Thirteenth Earl of, 150-151 + + Northumberland, Henry Percy, Fourteenth Earl of, 157, 161, 164, 168, + 171 + + Northumberland, Henry Percy, Sixteenth Earl of, 175 + + Northumberland, Thomas Percy, Nineteenth Earl of, 176 + + Nottingham, 92, 179 + + Nowel, Ralph, Titular Bishop of Orkney, 61, 66 + + + Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, 39, 48-9 + + Ormond, Earl of, 171 + + Osbert, King of Northumbria, 12-13 + + Osred I., King of Northumbria, 11 + + Oswy, King of Northumbria, 8-10 + + Otho, Archbishop of Canterbury, 218 + + + Parkinson, the Rev. Thomas, F.R.H.S., 151 + + Pearson, Captain, 222-5 + + Pembroke, Aylmer de Valence, Tenth Earl of, 124 + + Pembroke, Jasper Tudor, Sixteenth Earl of, 162 + + Pembroke, William Herbert, Seventeenth Earl of, 173 + + Penda, King of Mercia, 7-11 + + Percy, Sir Henry, K. G., "Hotspur," 135-6, 142-3 + + Philippa, Queen, 132-3, 135 + + Phillips, Mrs S. K., 115 + + Pole, de la, Sir William, 137 + + Pole, de la, Sir Richard, 137 + + Pole, de la, Michael, First Earl of Suffolk, 137 + + Pole, de la, Michael, Second Earl of Suffolk, 137 + + Pole, de la, Michael, Third Earl of Suffolk, 137 + + Pole, de la, William, Fourth Earl and First Duke of Suffolk, 137 + + Pole, de la, John, Second Duke of Suffolk, 137 + + Pole, de la, John, Ninth Earl of Lincoln, 137 + + Pole, de la, Edmund, Fifth Earl of Suffolk, 137 + + Pole, de la, Richard, Titulary Duke of Suffolk, 137 + + Pontefract, 111, 113, 141, 157, 162, 174 + + Porter, General, 207, 214 + + Powis, Lord, 152-3 + + + Randolph, Thomas, Earl of Moray, 83-4, 91-3, 95-6, 102, 105-6, 116, + 119, 125-6 + + Richard I., King of England, 76-8 + + Richard II., King of England, 133-136, 139-41, 147 + + Richard III., King of England, 137 + + Richmond, John de Dreux, Ninth Earl of, 124, 127-8 + + Rivers, Richard Widvile, First Lord, 153 + + Rivers, Anthony Widvile, Second Lord, 174 + + Robert, Earl (Robert Comyn, Third Earl of Northumberland), 43 + + Robert, Earl (Robert de Mowbray, Eighth Earl of Northumberland) 50-1 + + Robert, Duke of Normandy, 53-4, 56 + + Rokeby, Sir Thomas, 145-6, 148 + + Roos, Thomas de Roos, Tenth Lord, 164 + + Rupert, Prince, 202, 215 + + Rutland, Edmund Plantagenet, Titulary Duke of, 152, 159-162 + + + Salisbury, Richard Neville, Eighth Earl of, 150-3, 156-7, 159, + 161-162, 171 + + Savile, Sir William, of Thornhill, 183-5 + + Scales, Thomas de Scales, Seventh Lord, 154-6 + + Scarborough, 23, 81, 134, 221-2,225 + + Scroop, Jeffrey de, Chief Justiciary, 129 + + Scroop, Henry le Scroop, of Masham, Third Lord, 148 + + Shrewsbury, John Talbot, Fifth Earl of, 164, 171 + + Siward, Earl of Northumbria, 15-16, 47 + + Somerset, Edmund de Beaufort, Second Duke of, 150-1 + + Somerset, Henry de Beaufort, Fifth Earl of, 153-4, 156-7, 161, 164, + 168, 172 + + Stafford, Humphrey de Stafford, Fifth Earl, 150-1 + + Stafford, Henry, First Lord, 176 + + Stephen, King of England, 51, 56, 57-8, 61, 75 + + Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury, 20 + + Sulley, Sir Henry de, 127, 130 + + + Tadcaster, 26, 31, 179, 187, 206 + + Thurstan, Archbishop of York, 61, 62 + + Tilliard, General, 214 + + Tosti Godwinsson, Earl of Northumbria, 15-7, 19-23, 25-27, 31-2 + + Travis-Cook, John, F.R.H.S., 137 + + Trollope, Sir Andrew, 152, 162, 168, 171 + + Tudor, Henry, Sixteenth Earl of Richmond, 174 + + Turketul, 217-8 + + + Urrie, Sir John, 206, 207 + + + Wakefield, 159, 161-2, 164, 183,186 + + Walcher of Lorraine, Bishop of Durham, Sixth Earl of Northumberland, + 47, 48 + + Wales, Edward, Prince of, 154-5, 164, 171, 173 + + Waltheof Siwardsson, Fifth Earl of Northumberland, 16, 43, 45, 47-8 + + Ward, Sir Simon, Sheriff of Yorkshire, 107-8, 115 + + Warwick, Guy de Beauchamp, Eleventh Earl of, 81 + + Warwick, Richard Neville, Sixteenth Earl of, 150-4, 156, 164-6, 168, + 173 + + Warwick, Edward Plantagenet, Eighteenth Earl of, 174-5 + + Welles, Leo de Welles, Sixth Lord, 164, 171 + + Westmoreland, Ralph Neville, First Earl of, 140, 143 + + Westmoreland, Charles Neville, Sixth Earl of, 176 + + Widvile, Sir Anthony, 153 + + William, Duke of Normandy, 19-20, 23, 35-41 + + William I., King of England, 44-49, 51-54, 59 + + William II. (Rufus), King of England, 49-53 + + William, son of Robert Duke of Normandy, 53-56 + + William, son of Henry I., 54-55 + + Willoughby, Richard Welles, Seventh Lord, 164 + + Willoughby, of Parham, Lord, 196 + + Wiltshire, James Butler, Second Earl of, 171 + + Wulstan, Bishop of Worcester, 20 + + + York, 1, 16-17, 25-26, 43-47, 75-81, 92-94, 126-7, 131-3, 135, 144, + 171, 202-5, 213 + + York, Walter de Grey, Archbishop of, 139 + + York, Richard Scroop, Archbishop of, 143-4 + + York, Edward Plantagenet, First Duke of, 135 + + York, Richard Plantagenet, Fifth Duke of, 174 + + York, Richard Plantagenet, Eighth Duke of, 137, 150-2, 154-62, 171 + + + + + PUBLICATIONS + + OF + + WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., + + HULL. + + + + + NEW BOOK BY WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S. + + _Elegantly bound in cloth gilt, demy 8vo., price 6s._ + + Old-Time Punishments. + + By William Andrews, F.R.H.S., + + AUTHOR OF "CURIOSITIES OF THE CHURCH," "HISTORIC ROMANCE," "FAMOUS + FROSTS AND FROST FAIRS," "HISTORIC YORKSHIRE," ETC. + + + CONTENTS. + + Carefully prepared papers, profusely illustrated, appear on the + following subjects:-- + + _The Ducking Stool_--_The Brank, or Scold's Bridle_--_The + Pillory_--_Punishing _Authors and Burning + Books__--_Finger-Pillory_--_The Jouga_--_The Stocks_--_The + Drunkard's Cloak_--_Whipping_--_Public Penance in White + Sheets_--_The Repentance-Stool_--_Riding the Stang_--_Gibbet + Lore_--_Drowning_--_Burning to Death_--_Boiling to + Death_--_Beheading_--_Hanging_, _Drawing, and + Quartering_--_Pressing to Death_--_Hanging_--_Hanging in + Chains_--_The Halifax Gibbet_--_The Scottish Maiden, etc._--_An + Index of five closely-printed pages._ + + MANY CURIOUS ILLUSTRATIONS. + + + PRESS OPINIONS. + + "This in an entertaining book ... well-chosen illustrations and + a serviceable index."--_Athenæum._ + + "A hearty reception may be bespoken for it,"--_Globe._ + + "A work which will be eagerly read by all who take it + up."--_Scotsman._ + + "It is entertaining."--_Manchester Guardian._ + + "A vast amount of curious and entertaining matter."--_Sheffield + Independent._ + + "We can honestly recommend a perusal of this book."--_Yorkshire + Post._ + + "Interesting, and handsomely printed."--_Newcastle Chronicle._ + + "A very readable history."--_Birmingham Daily Gazette._ + + "Mr. Andrews' book is well worthy of careful study, and is a + perfect mine of wealth on the subject of which it + treats."--_Herts Advertiser._ + + "It is sure of a warm welcome on both sides of the + Atlantic"--_Christian Leader._ + + + LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT, & CO. HULL: WILLIAM + ANDREWS & CO. + + + + + _In the Press._ + + YORKSHIRE FAMILY ROMANCE. + + By FREDERICK ROSS, F.R.H.S., + + AUTHOR OF "THE RUINED ABBEYS OF ENGLAND," "CELEBRITIES OF YORKSHIRE +WOLDS," "BIOGRAPHIA EBORACENSIS," "THE PROGRESS OF CIVILISATION," ETC. + + +It will be observed from the following list of subjects that the work +is of wide and varied interest, and will make a permanent contribution + to Yorkshire literature:-- + + + CONTENTS: + + The Alum Workers. The Murderer's Bride. + Blackfaced Clifford. The Orphan Heiress of Denton. + The Martyred Cardinal. Phases In the Life of a Political + Martyr. + Burning of Cottingham Castle. Rise of the House of Phipps. + The Doomed Heir of Osmotherley. The Plumpton Marriage. + The Eland Tragedy. The Prodigal Son. + St. Eadwine, the Royal Martyr. Saltmarshe, the Fanatic. + The Felons of Ilkley. The Shepherd Lord. + The Gunpowder Plot. The Viceroy Siward. + The Ingilby Boar's Head. The Synod of Streoneshalh. + The Lady Jockey. The Traitor Governor of Hull. + Little Moll and her Husband. The Topcliffe Insurrection. + The Londesborough Peerage. Waterton, the Wanderer. + The Maiden of Marblehead. The Earldom of Wiltes. + The Metcalfes and the Three Calves The Witches of Fewston. + passant. + + + _The Volume will be tastefully bound in Cloth Gilt, and printed + from new type on toned paper, and no pains will be spared to + render it a lasting and important contribution to Yorkshire + literature._ + + + HULL: WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., THE HULL PRESS. + + + + + _Elegantly bound in cloth gilt, demy 8vo., price 5s._ + + Curiosities of the Church: + + Studies of Curious Customs, Services, and Records. + + By WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S., + + AUTHOR OF "HISTORIC ROMANCE," "FAMOUS FROSTS AND FROST FAIRS," + "HISTORIC YORKSHIRE," ETC. + + + CONTENTS: + + Early Religious Plays: being the Story of the English Stage in + its Church Cradle Days--The Caistor Gad-Whip Manorial + Service--Strange Serpent Stories--Church + Ales--Rush-Bearing--Fish in Lent--Concerning Doles--Church + Scrambling Charities--Briefs--Bells and Beacons for Travellers + by Night--Hour Glasses in Churches--Chained Books in + Churches--Funeral Effigies--Torch-light Burials--Simple + Memorials of the Early Dead--The Romance of Parish + Registers--Dog Whippers and Sluggard Wakers--Odd Items from Old + Accounts--An Index of six closely-printed pages. + + ILLUSTRATED. + + + Press Opinions. + + "A volume both entertaining and instructive, throwing much + light on the manners and customs of bygone generations of + Churchmen, and will be read to-day with much + interest."--_Newbery House Magazine._ + + "An extremely interesting volume."--_North British Daily Mail._ + + "A work of lasting interest."--_Hull Examiner._ + + "Full of interest."--_The Globe._ + + "The reader will find much in this book to interest, instruct, + and amuse."--_Home Chimes._ + + "We feel sure that many will feel grateful to Mr. Andrews for + having produced such an interesting book."--_The Antiquary._ + + "A volume of great research and striking interest."--_The + Bookbuyer (New York)._ + + "A valuable book."--_Literary World (Boston, U.S.A.)._ + + "Contains, in a popular and readable form, much that is curious + and instructive."--_Manchester Guardian._ + + "An admirable book."--_Sheffield Independent._ + + "An interesting, handsomely got up volume.... Mr. Andrews is + always chatty, and expert in making a paper on a dry subject + exceedingly readable."--_Newcastle Courant._ + + "Mr. William Andrews' new book, 'Curiosities of the Church,' + adds another to the series by which he has done so much to + popularise antiquarian studies.... The book, it should be + added, has some quaint illustrations, and its rich matter is + made available for reference by a full and carefully compiled + index."--_Scotsman._ + + + HULL: WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., THE HULL PRESS. + + + + +_Elegantly bound in cloth gilt, demy 8vo., Vols. I. and II., price 5s. + each._ + + North Country Poets: + + POEMS AND BIOGRAPHIES + + Of Natives or Residents of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, + Durham, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. + + EDITED BY + + WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S. + + +_In Vol. I. Biographies and Examples of the best Poetry of the +following are included_:--James Armstrong, William E. A. Axon, Mrs. +Geo. Linnaeus Banks, Geo. Linnaeus Banks, A. A. D. Bayldon, Elizabeth +Barrett Browning, H. T. Mackenzie Bell, Ben Brierley, William Brockie, +James Burnley, Joseph Baron, W. Hall Burnett, W. Gershom Collingwood, +Samuel Collinson, James Clephan, Arthur Hugh Clough, Rev. E. G. +Charlesworth, Joseph Cooper, Sir Francis Hastings Doyle, Thomas +Parkinson Dotchson, J. H. Eccles, Rev. Robert W. Elliot, M.A.; C. F. +Forshaw, Dora Greenwell, Lord Houghton, Patty Honeywood, Henry +Heavisides, David Holt, Florence Jackson, Robert Kidson, George +Lancaster, William Leighton, George Milner, James Ashcroft Noble, +Thomas Newbigging, W. C. Newsam, Mrs. Susan K. Phillips, Jno. Macleay +Peacock, Rev. W. Morley Punshon, LL.D.; John Richardson, John Duncan +Richardson, Joseph Skipsey, Sir Henry Taylor, W. W. Tomlinson, William +Tirebuck, Samuel Waddington, Aaron Watson, William Watson, Jno. Rowell +Waller, Edwin Waugh, Joe Wilson. + +_In Vol. II. Biographies and Examples of the best Poetry of the +following are included_:--Rev. Richard Abbay, M.A.; Richard Abbot, +John Thomas Barker, John Thomas Baron, Bernard Batigan, William +Billington, Anthony Buckle, B.A.; Thomas Burns, The Earl of Carlisle, +George Cotterell, C. W. Craven, Canon Dixon, M.A.; Jno. Emmet, F.L.S.; +Rev. James Gabb, M.A.; Rev. A. Vine Hall, Jno. Harbottle, G. R. +Hedley, Jno. Holland, Fred Holmes, Allison Hughes, George Hull, J. W. +Inchbold, Rev. J. W. Kaye, Richard Le Gallienne, Thomas W. Little, +Alfred Lishman, Wm. Longstaff, Rev. J. Bernard M'Govern, H. Ernest +Nichol, Fred Pratt, Ben Preston, Joseph Readman, William Renton, J. +Ryley Robinson, LL.D.; J. P. Robson, John Sewart, Abraham Stansfield, +Alfred T. Story, Mrs. Tonkin, J. R. Tutin, Jno. Walker, R. +Spence-Watson, LL.D.; Mrs. Laura A. Whitworth, Geo. Oswald Wight. + + + Press Opinions. + + "It is a really excellent repository of the best local poetry + of the Northern Counties, the specimens being selected with + sound judgment, and the pithy biographies being in the case of + each poet supplied by some writer well situated to obtain + original and reliable information."--_Lancashire Evening Post._ + + "Mr. ANDREWS has not only achieved success, but deserved + it."--_Eastern Morning News._ + + "All lovers of English literature will eagerly welcome this + work."--_York Gazette._ + + "It is really a handsome and interesting book. It is a + permanent addition to the literature of the North + Country."--_Newcastle Weekly Chronicle._ + + "The biographical sketches are interesting in the + extreme."--_Sheffield Daily Telegraph._ + + "The memoirs are exceedingly well done, and the sample pieces + have been chosen with sound critical judgment."--_Christian + Leader._ + + + LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO., LIMITED. + + HULL: WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., HULL PRESS. + + + + + AN IMPORTANT BOOK FOR REFERENCE. + + F'cap 4to. Bevelled boards, gilt tops, Price 4s. + + FAMOUS FROSTS AND FROST FAIRS IN GREAT BRITAIN. + + Chronicled from the Earliest to the Present Time. + + By WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S., + + AUTHOR OF "CURIOSITIES OF THE CHURCH," "OLD-TIME PUNISHMENTS," ETC. + + Only 400 copies printed, each copy numbered, and only 50 remain on + sale. Three curious full-page illustrations. + + +This work furnishes a carefully prepared account of all the great +Frosts occurring in this country from A.D. 134 to 1887. The numerous +Frost Fairs on the Thames are fully described, and illustrated with +quaint woodcuts, and several old ballads relating to the subject are +reproduced. It is tastefully printed and elegantly bound. + + + _The following are a few of the many favourable reviews of "Famous + Frosts and Frost Fairs."_ + + "The work is thoroughly well written, it is careful in its + facts, and may be pronounced exhaustive on the subject. + Illustrations are given of several frost fairs on the Thames, + and as a trustworthy record this volume should be in every good + library. The usefulness of the work is much enhanced by a good + index."--_Public Opinion._ + + "The book is beautifully got up."--_Barnsley Independent._ + + "A very interesting volume."--_Northern Daily Telegraph._ + + "A great deal of curious and valuable information is contained + in these pages.... A comely volume."--_Literary World._ + + "The work from first to last is a most attractive one, and the + arts alike of printer and binder have been brought into one to + give it a pleasing form."--_Wakefield Free Press._ + + "An interesting and valuable work."--_West Middlesex Times._ + + "Not likely to fail in interest."--_Manchester Guardian._ + + "This chronology has been a task demanding extensive research + and considerable labour and patience, and Mr. Andrews is to be + heartily congratulated on the result."--_Derby Daily Gazette._ + + "A volume of much interest and great importance."--_Rotherham + Advertiser._ + + + HULL: WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., THE HULL PRESS. + + + _Elegantly bound in cloth gilt, crown 8vo., price 4s._ + + * * * * * + + YORKSHIRE IN OLDEN TIMES. + + Edited by WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S. + + * * * * * + +This work consists of a series of carefully written papers, reprinted + from the _Wakefield Free Press_ and other Journals. + + =CONTENTS:= + +=An Outline History of Yorkshire.= By THOMAS FROST. =The Cow-Devil: A +Legend of Craven.= By WILLIAM BROCKIE. =The First Anglo-Saxon Poet.= +By JOHN H. LEGGOTT, F.R.H.S. =The Battle of Brunanburgh.= By FREDERICK +ROSS, F.R.H.S. =Old Customs at York.= By GEORGE BENSON. =Elizabethan +Gleanings.= By AARON WATSON. =The Fight for the Hornsea Fishery.= By +T. TINDALL WILDRIDGE. =Folk Assemblies.= By JOHN NICHOLSON. =Quaint +Gleanings from the Parish Register-Chest of Kirkby Wharfe.= By the +Rev. RICHARD WILTON, M.A. =The Wakefield Mysteries.= By WILLIAM HENRY +HUDSON. =A Biographical Romance.= By WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S. =Some +Scraps and Shreds of Yorkshire Superstitions.= By W. SYDNEY, F.R.S.L. +=The Salvation of Holderness.= By FREDERICK ROSS, F.R.H.S. =Yorkshire +Fairs and Festivals.= By THOMAS FROST. =James Nayler, the Mad Quaker +who claimed to be the Messiah.= By WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S. =Duke +Ricard's Doom: A Legend of Sandal Castle.= By EDWARD LAMPLOUGH. +=Obsolete Industries of the East Riding.= By JOHN NICHOLSON. =Bolton +Abbey: Its History and Legends.= By ALFRED CHAMBERLAIN, B.A. =To +Bolton Abbey.= By the Rev. E. G. CHARLESWORTH. + + =A CAREFULLY COMPILED INDEX.= + + + Opinions of the Press. + + _The following are extracted from a number of favourable + reviews of_ "YORKSHIRE IN THE OLDEN TIMES." + + The _Bury Free Press_ says: "The volume is one of wide and + varied interest, which will secure for it readers in all parts + of the country." + + The _Shields Daily Gazette_ states: "The work consists of a + series of articles contributed by various authors, and it thus + has the merit of bringing together much special knowledge from + a great number of sources. It is an entertaining volume, full + of interest for the general reader, as well as for the learned + and curious." + + The _Hornsea Gazette_ concludes its notice by saying: "The work + is one which cannot fail to instruct and entertain the reader." + + It is pronounced by the _Hull Examiner_ "a most readable and + well-bound volume." + + Says the _Malton Gazette_: "Unlike many books akin to it, this + work contains nothing not of permanent and exclusive worth, and + Mr. Andrews' latest book is one which the future historian of + the shire of many acres will be glad to avail himself of." + + The _Christian Leader_ finishes a long and favourable review as + follows: "The volume is one of diversified interest, likely to + find readers in other parts of the country as well as in the + great province to which it has particular reference." + +_The Edition is limited to 400 copies, and only a few remain on sale. + + An early application for copies necessary._ + + * * * * * + + LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON. KENT, & CO. + HULL: WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., THE HULL PRESS. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Yorkshire Battles, by Edward Lamplough + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44852 *** |