their aduersaries beeyng afraied suspected some craft or gyle and began to breake of, and many of the same part wer not muche greued therwith, because thei were as glad the kyng should be loste as saued, and therefore thei fought with lesse 5 corage. Then therle of Oxford, with his men thicke together, stroke on more freshlier. The other of the other part did likewise the same. And while the first wardes of the battail had fought so manfully, Richard perceiued by his spies Henry afar of with a fewe compaigny of armed men. AfterIo ward comyng nere, Richard knewe him by signes and tokens,

then beeyng inflamed with an anger, furiously stroke the horse with the spurres and ran out of the one side of the hoste, and like a lion ran at hym. On the other side Henry, perceiuing hym commyng, was very desirouse to mete him. 15 Richard at the first settyng furth killed diuerse that stoode before him, again he threwe doune Henryes banner and William Brandon the bearer also, he ran at Cheiny, a man of great might, whiche came for to mete hym, and with great violence ouerthrewe hym to the grounde, and thus he made 20 hymself a waie through them for to come to Henry. But

Henry kepte better tacke with hym then his men would have thought, whiche then was almoste in despaire of the victory. And euen at that time lo there came William Stanley to aide them with thre thousand men, and euen at 25 the very same tyme the residue of kyng Richardes men wer put to flight. Then Richard fightyng alone in the middest of al his enemies was ouerthrowne and slain. In the meane tyme therle of Oxford in the forward, after he had fought manfully a little while, put the residue to flight of whom he 30 slewe a great numbre. But a great numbre more, whiche folowed Richard more for feare then for loue, helde their handes from fightyng and went awaie without hurte, for that thei looked not for his safegard, but rather for his destruccion.

There wer slain at this conflict not many more than one .M. of the whiche these wer noble men : Jhon duke of Norffolke, Walter Feris, Robert Brakyngbury, Richarde Radcliffe and many other more. And within .ii. daies after, William Catisby lawyer with certain other of his felowes was put to 5 deth at Leicester, and emonges those that ran awaie was Fraunces Louell, Humfray Stafford, with Thomas his brother, and many other more that ran into sanctuary at Colchester in Essex. Ther was of the captiues a great numbre, because that when kyng Richard was slain, euery man cast doune 10 his wepon and yeld hym self to Henry, of the whiche the more parte would haue dooen so at the beginnyng, if it had not been for feare of kyng Richardes spies, whiche then wandred in euery place. And emongest these, the nobles wer therle of Northumberlande, the erle of Surrey, of the 15 whiche therle of Surrey was put in prisone, the other as a frend was receiued into fauor. Henry at that feld lost not aboue a .C. men, emongest whom the chief was William Brandon whiche bare Henries banner. This battaill was fought in the .xxvii. daie of the monethe of Auguste, in the 20 yere of our lorde .M. cccc. lxxxvi. the conflict indured more then two houres. Richard might (as the fame went) a saued hym self if he would a fled awaie, for those that were about hym, when thei sawe his men from the beginnyng fight but faintly and that some were ronne awaie to the other part, 25 suspected treason and willed hym to flie, and when the matter was manifest that all hope of victory was paste, thei brought hym a swift horse. He puttyng aside all hope and trust that was in fliyng, made (as it was saied) this answere, that this daie he would haue either an end of battail or els 30 of his life, suche was his great audacite and manfulnes whiche because he did se certainly that in this daie he should obtain the kyngdome quietly all daies of his life or els lose bothe

foreuer, he entred in emongest theim, as it was declared before, intendyng vtterly either to lose all or els to win all. And so the wretche died, hauyng the ende that al suche wer wont to haue, whiche in the stede of lawe, honesty and al 5 godlinesse folowe their owne appetite, villany and all wickednesse. And plainly this [is] an example whiche cannot bee expressed, to feare them whiche will not suffre one houre to bee otherwise spent then in cruelte, mischief and al deuelishe fasions. Henry when he had thus obtained the victory he 10 fell doune on his knees and, with many praiers and thankes, referred all to the goodnesse of God. Then after he stoode vp beeyng wonderfully replenished with joye, and wente vp vpon a little hill and there gaue greate commendacions to his souldiours, commaundyng theim that were hurte to bee 15 heled and the ded to bee buried; afterward he gaue immortall thankes to his noble capitains promisyng them that he would neuer forget their benefite. The multitude in the meane time with one voyce and one minde proclamed him kyng. When Thomas Stanley sawe that, he toke kyng 20 Richarde his croune whiche was founde emongest the spoile, and by and by put it vpon Henries hed as though he had been then created kyng by the eleccion of the people as it was wont to be in the old tyme, and this was the first token of his felicite. After this kyng Henry with his compaigny 25 and carriage wente to Leicestre towarde nighte too bed, where, after he had refreshed his compaignie well for the space of twoo daies, that thei might the better go towarde London, Kyng Richardes body was brought naked ouer a horse backe, the hed and the armes hangyng on the one 30 side and the legges on the other, and caried into the Grey Friers of Lecester, and surely it was but a miserable sight to looke vpon, yet it was good inough consideryng his wretched liuyng, and there without any solempnitee was buried two

daies after. He reigned two yeres two monethes and one daie, he was but of a small stature hauyng but a deformed body, the one shulder was higher than the other, he had a shorte face and a cruell loke whiche did betoken malice, gyle and deceit. And while he did muse vpon any thyng 5 standyng, he would bite his vnder lippe continually, wherby a manne might perceiue his cruell nature within his wretched body striued and chaffed alwaie within hymself, also the dagger whiche he bare aboute hym, he would alwaies be choppyng of it in and out. He had a sharpe and pregnaunt 10 witte, subtile and to dessimule and fain very mete. He had also a proude and cruell mynde, whiche neuer wente from hym to the houre of his death, whiche he had rather suffer by the cruell sworde, thoughe all his compaignie did forsake hym, then by shamefull flight he would fauoure his life, 15 whiche after might fortune by sicknesse or other condyng punyshemente shortely too perishe.