| "Pleisith it your grace to be
advertised, that upon Fridaye, at x a clok at nyght, I returned to this
towne and all the garrysons to their places assigned, the bishopricke
men, my Lorde of Westmoreland, and my Lorde Dacre, in likewise, every
man home with their companys, without loss of any men, thanked be God:
saving viii or x slayne, and dyvers hurt, at skyrmyshis and saults of
the town of Gedwurth, and the fortereissis; which towne is so surely
brent that no garrysons ner none other shal bee lodged there, unto the
time it bee newe buyided; the brennyng whereof I comytted to twoo sure
men, Sir William Bulmer, and Thomas Tempeste. The towne was much better
than I went ( i.e. ween’d) it had been, for there was
twoo tymys moo houses therein then in Berwicke, and well buyided, with
many honest and fair houses therein, sufficiente to have lodged M
horsemen in garryson, and six good towres therein; which towne and
towres be clenely destroyed, brent, and throwen down. Undoubtedly there
was noo journey made into Scotlande, in noo many day levying, with soo
fewe a nombre, that us recownted to be soo high an enterprise as this,
bothe with theis conremen, and Scottishmen, nor of truthe so much hurte
doon. But in th’ ende a great misfortune ded fal, onely by foly, that
such orare, as was commanded by me to be kepte, was not observed, the
manner whereof hereaftr shall ensue. Bifore myn entred into Scotland, I
appointed Sir William Bulmer and Sir William Evers to be marshallis of
th’ army; Sir William Bulmer for the vanguard, and Sir William Evers
for the rereguard. In the vanguard I appointed my Lord of Westmoreland,
as chief, with all the bushopricke, Sir William Bulmer, Sir William
Evers, my Lord Dacre, with all his company; and with me remained all the
rest of the garrysons, and the Northumberland men. I was of counsall
with the marshallis at th’ ordering of our lodging, and our campe was
soo well envirowned with ordynance, carts, and dikes, that hard is was
to entre or issue but at certain places appointed for that purpos, and
assigned the mooste commodious place of the said campe for my Lord Dacre
his company, next the water, and next my Lord of Westmoreland. And at
suche tyme as my Lord Dacre came into the felde, I being at the sault of
th’ abby, which conynned unto twoo houres within nyght, my seid Lord
Dacre wolde in no wise bee contente to ly within the campe, whiche was
made right sure, but lodged himself without, wherewith, at my returne, I
was not contente, but then it was too late to remove; the next daye I
sente my seid Lord Dacre to a stronghold, called Fernherste, the lord
whereof was his mortal enemy; and with him, Sir Arthur Darcy, Sir
Marmaduke Constable, with viii c of their men, one cortoute, and dyvers
other good peces of ordynance for the feld (the seid Fernherste stode
marvelous strongly, within a grete woods, the seid twoo knights, with
the most part of their men, and Strickland, your grace’s servante,
with my Kendall men, went into the woode on fote, with th’ ordynance,
where the said Kendall men were so handled, that they found hardy men,
that went noo foote back for theymn; the other two knightes were also
soo sharply assayled, that they were enforced to call for moo of their
men; and yet could not bring the ordynance to the fortrees, unto the
tyme of my Lord Dacre, with part of his horsemen, lighted on fote; and
marvelloously hardly handled himself, and finally, with long
skirmishing, and moche difficultie, gat forthe th’ ordynance within
the howse, and threwe down the same. At which skymyshe, my seid Lord
Dacre, and his brother, Sir Cristofer, Sir Arthure, and Sir Marmaduke,
and many other gentilmen, did marvelously hardly; and found the best
resistance that hath been seen with my compying to their partieis, and
above xxii Scottis sleyne, and not passing iiij Englishmen, but above xi
hurt. Aftir that, my said lord returning to the camp, wold in no wise
been lodged with me in the same, but where he lay the furst nyght. And
he being with me at souper, about viij a clok, the horses of his company
brak lowse, and sodenly ran out of his feld, in such nombre, that it
caused a marvellous alarome in our feld; and our standing watche being
set, the horses cam ronnyng along the campe, at whome were shot above
one hundred shief of arrows, and dyvers gonnys, thinking they had been
Scots, that wold have vaulted the campe; finally the horses were so
madde, that they ran like wild dere into the feld, above xv e at the
leest, in dyvers companys; and in one place, above L felle downe a grete
rok, and slew theymself, and above ij e ran into the towne being of
fire, and by the women taken, and carried awaye right evill brent, and
many were taken agayne. But, finally, by that can esteem by the nombre
of theym that I saw goo on foote the next daye, I think thare is lost
above viij c horses, and all with foly for lak of not lying within the
camp. I dare not write the wondres that my Lord Dacre, and all his
company , doo saye theye sawe that nyght, vj tyms of spirits and fereful
sights. And universally all their companys saye plainly, the devile was
that nyght amoug theym vi tymys; which mysfortune hath blemyshed the
best journey that was made in Scotland many yeres. I assure your grace I
found the Scottes, at this tyme, the boldest men and the hotest that
ever I sawe any nation: and all the journey, upon all parts of th’
armye, kepte us with soo continuall skyrmyshe, that I never saw the
like. If they might assemble xi M as good men as I nowe sawe xv c or ij
M, it wold be a hard encounter to mete theym. Pitie it is of my Lord
Dacre losse of the horses of his companye; he brought with hym above
iiij M men, and came and lodged one night in Scotland, in his moost
mortal enemy’s centre. There is noo herdyer, ner bettir knight, but
often tyme he doth not use the most sure order, which he hath nowe payd
derely for. Written at Berwike the xxnij of September. Your most bownden,
T. Surrey." |
