HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 193 



king s aid, were the Earl of Shrewsbury and the 

 Lord Strange, of the nobility ; and of knights and 

 gentlemen, to the number of at least threescore and 

 ten persons, with their companies; making in the 

 whole, at the least, six thousand fighting men, be 

 sides the forces that were with the king before. 

 Whereupon the king, finding his army so bravely 

 reinforced, and a great alacrity in all his men to 

 fight, was confirmed in his former resolution, and 

 marched speedily, so as he put himself between the 

 enemies camp and Newark, being loth their army 

 should get the commodity of that town. The earl, 

 nothing dismayed, came forwards that day unto a 

 little village called Stoke, and there encamped that 

 night, upon the brow or hanging of a hill. The 

 king the next day presented him battle upon the 

 plain, the fields there being open and champain. 

 The earl courageously came down and joined battle 

 with him. Concerning which battle the relations 

 that are left unto us are so naked and negligent, 

 though it be an action of so recent memory, as they 

 rather declare the success of the day than the man 

 ner of the fight. They say that the king divided his 

 army into three battails ; whereof the vant-guard 

 only, well strengthened with wings, came to fight : 

 that the fight was fierce and obstinate, and lasted 

 three hours, before the victory inclined either way ; 

 save that judgement might be made by that the 

 king s vant-guard of itself maintained fight against 

 the whole power of the enemies, (the other two 

 battails remaining out of action) what the success 



