HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 335 



escape, than that any doubt was made to vanquish 

 them ; they grew to he quiet and out of fear ; the 

 rather, for the confidence they reposed, which was 

 not small, in the three leaders, Oxford, Essex, and 

 D Aubigny ; all men well famed and loved amongst 

 the people. As for Jasper, Duke of Bedford, whom 

 the king used to employ with the first in his wars, 

 he was then sick, and died soon after. 



Il was the two and twentieth of June, and 

 a Saturday, which was the day of the week the king 

 fancied, when the battle was fought : though the 

 king had, by all the art he could devise, given out a 

 false day, as if he prepared to give the rebels battle 

 on the Monday following, the better to find them 

 unprovided, and in disarray. The lords that were 

 appointed to circle the hill, had some days before 

 planted themselves, as at the receipt, in places conve 

 nient. In the afternoon, towards the decline of the 

 day, which was done, the better to keep tire rebels 

 in opinion that they should not fight that day, the 

 Lord D Aubigny marched on towards them, and 

 first beat some troops of them from Deptford-bridge, 

 where they fought manfully ; but, being in no great 

 number, were soon driven back, and fled up to their 

 main army upon the hill. The army at that time, 

 hearing of the approach of the king s forces, were 

 putting themselves in array, not without much con 

 fusion. But neither had they placed, upon the first 

 high ground towards the bridge, any forces to 

 second the troops below, that kept the bridge ; nei 

 ther had they brought forwards their main battle^. 



