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soon as the light they cou'd see; With him he taketh his lords three, And straight to Paris he took his way. An herriott of arms they made ready, Of men and money they cou'd him pray, And shipps to bring him over the sea, The Stanleys' blood for me hath sent, The King of England for to make me, And I thank them for their intent, For if ever in England I wear the crowne, Well accquited the King of France shall be: Then answered the King of France anon, Men nor money he getteth none of me, Nor no shipps to bring him over the sea; In England if he wear the crowne, Then will he claim them for his own truely: With this answer departed the prince anon, And so departed the same tide, And the English lords three To Beggrames Abbey soon coud the ride, There as Humphrey Brereton then lee; Have Humphrey a thousand mark here, Better rewarded may thou be; Commend me to Bessy that Countesse clear, Before her never did I see: I trust in God she shall be my feer, For her I will travell over the sea; Commend me to my father Stanley, to me so dear, My owne mother married hath he, Bring him here a love letter full right And another to young Bessye, Tell her, I trust in Jesus full of might That my queen that she shall bee; Commend me to Sir William Stanley, That noble knight in the west countrey, Tell him that about Michaelmas certaine In England I do hope to be; At Millford haven I will come inn With all the power that make may I, The first town I will come inn Shall be the towne of Shrewsbury; Pray Sir William Stanley, that noble knight, That night that he will look on me: Commend me to Sir Gilbert Talbot, that royall knight, He much in the north countrey, And Sir John Savage, that man of might— Pray them all to look on me, For I trust in Jesus Christ so full of might, In England for to abide and bee. I will none of thy gold, sir prince, said Humphrey then, Nor none sure will I have of thy fee, Therefore keep thy gold thee within, For to wage thy company; If every hair were a man, With thee, sir prince, will I be: Thus Humphrey Brereton his leave hath tane, And sailed forth upon the sea, Straight to London he rideth then, There as the earle and Bessy lay; And bad them behold, read and see. The earle took leave of Richard the king, And into the west wind wou'd he; He left Bessye in Leicester then And bad her lye in pryvitye, For if King Richard knew thee here anon, In a fire burned thou must be. Straight to Latham the earle is gone, There as the Lord Strange then lee; He sent the Lord Strange to London, To keep King Richard company. Sir William Stanley made anone Ten thousand coats readily, Which were as redd as any blood, Thereon the hart's head was set full high, Which after were tryed both trusty and good As any cou'd be in Christantye. Sir Gilbert Talbot ten thousand doggs In one hour's warning for to be, And Sir John Savage fifteen white hoods, Which wou'd fight and never flee; Edward Stanley had three hundred men, There were no better in Christantye; Sir Rees ap Thomas, a knight of Wales certain, Eight thousand spears brought he. Sir William Stanley sat in the Holt Castle, And looked over his head so high; Which way standeth the wind, can any tell? I pray you, my men, look and see. The wind it standeth south east, So said a knight that stood him by. This night yonder prince, truely Into England entereth hee. He called a gentleman that stood him nigh, His name was Rowland of Warburton, He bad him go to Shrewsbury that night, And bid yonder prince come inn: But when Rowland came to Shrewsbury, The portculles was let downe; They called him Henry Tydder, in scorn truely, And said, in England he shou'd wear no crowne; Rowland bethought him of a wyle then, And tied a writeing to a stone, And threw the writeing over the wall certain, And bad the bailiffs to look it upon: They opened the gates on every side, And met the prince with procession; And wou'd not in Shrewsbury there abide, But straight he drest him to Stafford towne. King Richard heard then of his comeing, He called his lords of great renowne; The Lord Pearcy he came to the king And upon his knees he falleth downe, I have thirty thousand fighting men For to keep the crown with thee. The Duke of Northfolk came to the king anone, And downe he falleth upon his knee; The Earle of Surrey, that was his heir, Were both in one company; We have either twenty thousand men here, For to keep the crown with thee. The Lord Latimer, and the Lord Lovell, And the Earle of Kent he stood him by, The Lord Ross, and the Lord Scrope, I you tell, They were all in one company; The Bishopp of Durham, he was not away, Sir William Bonner he stood him by, The good Sir William of Harrington, as I say, Said, he wou'd fight and never fly. King Richard made a messenger, And sent him into the west countrey, And bid the Earle of Darby make him bowne, And bring twenty thousand men unto me, Or else the Lord Strange his head I will him send, And doubtless his son shall dye; For hitherto his father I took for my friend, And now he hath deceived me. Another herald appeared then To Sir William Stanley that doughty knight, Bid him bring to me ten thousand men, Or else to death he shall be dight. Then answered that doughty knight, And spake to the herald without letting; Say, upon Bosseworth Field I meen to fight, Uppon Monday early in the morning; Such a breakfast I him behight, As never did knight to any king. The messenger home can him gett, To tell King Richard this tydeing. Fast together his hands then cou'd he ding, And said, the Lord Strange shou'd surely dye; And putt him into the Tower of London, For at liberty he shou'd not bee. Lett us leave Richard and his lords full of pride, And talk we more of the Stanleys' blood, That brought Richmond over the sea with wind and tyde, From Litle Brittain into England over the flood. Now is Earle Richmond into Stafford come, And Sir William Stanley to Litle Stoone; The prince had rather then all the gold in Christantye, To have Sir William Stanley to look upon; A messenger was made ready anone, That night to go to Litle Stoon; Sir William Stanley he rideth to Stafford towne, With a solemn company ready bowne. When the knight to Stafford was comin, That Earle Richmond might him see, He took him in his arms then, And there he kissed him times three; The welfare of thy body doth comfort me more Then all the gold in Christantye. Then answered that royall knight there, And to the prince these words spake he— Remember, man, both night and day, Who doth now the most for thee; In England thou shalt wear a crown, I say, Or else doubtless I will dye; A fairer lady then thou shalt have for thy feer, Was there never in Christanty; She is a countesse, a king's daughter, And there to both wise and witty; I must this night to Stone, my soveraigne, For to comfort my company. The prince he took him by the hand, And said, farewell, Sir William, fair and free. Now is word come to Sir William Stanley there, Early in the Monday, in the morning, That the Earle of Darby, his brother dear, Had given battle to Richard the king. That wou'd I not, said Sir William anone, For all the gold in Christantye, That the battle shou'd be done; Straight to Lichfield cou'd he ride, In all the hast that might bee, And when he came to Lichfield that tyde, All they cryed King Henry: Straight to Bolesworth can they go In all the hast that might be, But when he came Bolesworth Field unto, There met a royall company; The Earle of Darby thither was come, And twenty thousand stood him by; Sir John Savage, his sister's son, He was his nephew of his blood so nigh, He had fifteen hundred fighting men, That wou'd fight and never flye; Sir William Stanley, that royall knight, then Ten thousand red coats had he, They wou'd bicker with their bows there, They wou'd fight and never flye; The Red Rosse, and the Blew Boar, They were both a solemn company; Sir Rees ap Thomas he was thereby, With ten thousand spears of mighty tree; The Earle of Richmond went to the Earle of Darby, And downe he falleth upon his knee, Said, father Stanley, full of might, The vaward I pray you give to me, For I am come to claime my right, And faine revenged wou'd I bee. Stand up, he said, my son, quickly, Thou hast thy mother's blessing truely, The vaward, son, I will give to thee, So that thou wilt be ordered by me: Sir William Stanley, my brother dear, In the battle he shall be; Sir John Savage, he hath no peer, He shall be a wing then to thee; Sir Rees ap Thomas shall break the array, For he will fight and never flee; I myselfe will hove on the hill, I say, The fair battle I will see. King Richard he hoveth upon the mountaine; He was aware of the banner of the bould Stanley, And saith, Fetch hither the Lord Strange certain, For he shall dye this same day; To the death, Lord, thee ready make, For I tell thee certainly That thou shalt dye for thy uncle's sake, Wild William of Stanley. If I shall dye, said the Lord Strange then, As God forbid it shou'd so bee, Alas! for my lady that is at home, It should be long or she see me, But we shall meet at doomsday, When the great doom shall be. He called for a gent in good fay, Of Lancashire, both fair and free, The name of him it was Lathum; A ring of gould he took from his finger, And threw it to the gent then, And bad him bring it to Lancashire, To his lady that was at home; At her table she may sit right, Or she see her lord it may be long, I have no foot to fligh nor fight, I must be murdered with the king: If fortune my uncle Sir William Stanley loose the field, As God forbid it shou'd so bee, Pray her to take my eldest son and child, And exile him over behind the sea; He may come in another time By feild or fleet, by tower or
