After that this prince Edward earle of March had taken vpon him the gouernementof this realme of England (as before ye haue heard) the morow next insuing,being the fourth of March, he rode to the church of saint Paule, and thereoffered: and after Te Deum soong, with great solemnitie he was conueied to Westminster,and there set in the hall with the scepter roiall in his hand, whereto peoplein great numbers assembled. His claime to the crowne was declared to be by twomaner of waies, the first, as sonne and heire to duke Richard his father, right inheritorto the same; the second, by authoritie of parlement, and forfeiture committedby king Henrie. Wherevpon it was againe demanded of the commons, if they wouldadmit and take the said erle as their prince and souereigne lord, which all with onevoice cried; yea, yea.
This part thus plaied, he entered into Westminster church vnder a canopie with solemneprocession, and there as king offered; and herewith taking the homages of allthe nobles there present, he returned by water to London, and was lodged in thebishops palace; and on the morrow after, he was proclamed king by the name ofEdward the fourth, throughout the citie. This was in the yeare of the world 5427,and after the birth of our Saviour 1461 after our accompt, beginning the yeare atChristmasse; but after the vsuall accompt of the church of England 1460, the twentithof emperour Frederike the third; the nine and thirtith and last of Charles theseuenth French king; and first yeare of the reigne of Iames the third king of Scots.
Whilest these things were adooing in the southparts, king Henrie being in the northcountrie, assembled a great armie, trusting (for all this) to subdue his enimies; namelie,sith their chiefe ringleader the duke of Yorke was dispatched out of the waie.But he was deceiued: for out of the ded stocke sprang a branch more mightie thanthe stem; this Edward the fourth, a prince so highlie fauoured of the people, for hisgreat liberalitie, clemencie, vpright dealing, and courage, that aboue all other, hewith them stood in grace alone: by reason whereof, men of all ages and degrees tohim dailie repaired, some offering themselues and their men to ieopard their liues with[Pg 277]him, and other plentiouslie gaue monie to support his charges, and to mainteine hisright.
By which meanes, he gathered togither a puissant armie, to the intent by battell(sithens none other waies would serue) at once to make an end of all. So, his armieand all things prepared, he departed out of London the twelfe daie of March, andby easie iournies came to the castell of Pomfret, where he rested, appointing the lordFitz Walter to kéepe the passage at Ferribridge with a good number of tall men.King Henrie on the other part, hauing his armie in readinesse, committed the gouernancethereof to the duke of Summerset, the earle of Northumberland, and the lordClifford, as men desiring to reuenge the death of their parents, slaine at the firstbattell at saint Albons. These capteins leauing king Henrie, his wife, and sonne,for the most safegard within the citie of Yorke, passed the riuer of Wharfe with alltheir power, intending to stop king Edward of his passage ouer the riuer of Aire.
And the better to bring that to passe, the lord Clifford determined to make a chargevpon them that