Note 822 — How Iacke Cade naming himselfe Mortimer,[778] trayterously rebelling against his King, in Iune, Anno 1450,[779] was for his treasons and cruell doinges worthely punished.
Reading edition
“Marched towarde London: but the kyng with his power taried and met him at Saint Albone’s. Where whyle the kyng and he wer about a treatye, therle of Warwyke set vpon the king’s army and slew the duke of Somerset, the earle of Northumberland, the lorde Clyfforde, and other, and in conclusyon got the victorye, and the duke was made lorde protector, which so greved the quene and her accomplices, that pryuye grutches and open dissemblyng neuer ceased tyl the duke, and his allyes were glad to flee the field and realme, he in to Irelande, they to Calayes: whence they came agayne with an army whereof the earle of Salysbury was leader, and marched toward Coventry wher the king than was and had gathered an armye to subdue them, and encountred them at Northampton, and fought and lost the fyelde and was taken hym selfe, the duke of Buckyngham, the erle of Shrewsbury, the vycount Beaumont, the lord Egermount, and many other of his retynue slayn yf no man haue any mind to any of these noble personages because they were honourably slaine in battayle, let sum man els take the booke, for I mynde to say sum what of this duke of Somerset.”
☞ Whyle he was deuysyng thereon, and every man sekyng farder notes, I loked on the cronicles, and fyndyng styll fyeld vpon fyeld, and many noblemen slaine, I purposed to haue ouerpassed all, for I was so wearye that I waxed drowsye and began in dede to slumber: but my imaginacion styl prosecutyng this tragical matter, brought me such a fantasye. Me thought ther stode before vs, a tall man’s body full of fresshe woundes, but lackyng a head, holdyng by the hande a goodlye chylde, whose brest was so wounded that his hart might be seen, his louely face and eyes disfigured with dropping teares, his heare through horrour standing vpryght, his mercy crauing handes all to be mangled, and al his body enbrued with his own bloud. And whan through the gastfulnes of this pyteous spectacle, I waxed afeard, and turned away my face, me thought there came a shrekyng voyse out of the wesand pype of the headles bodye, saying as foloweth. 1559, 63. See Induction to the legend of Plantagenet Duke of York, p. 183.