Historic%20Yorkshire

THE BATTLE OF WAKEFIELD.
105
to a battle, in order to avoid the danger to which he was
exposed." There can be no question that he did wrong
in permitting the collision of his small army with the
vastly superior forces of Margaret. He should have
retreated onfirst hearingof the great strengthofher army
until he could rejoin his son, who was in the meantime
raisinga powerful force. Whether the Duke was actually
in wantof provisions, was angered beyond endurance at
the Queen's reproaches and upbraidings, or whether he
thought himself deceived in the number of the opposing
army, it is impossible to conjecture. Suffice it to say
that he did commit the rashact of leaving his safe retreat,
and thereby lost the battle and his life together.
Before treating of the battle itself, wequote from Speed
thefollowing quaint descriptiveparagraphofthe affair: —
"
The Castle of Sandal standethpleasantly upon a small
hill, in view of the faire town of Wakefield. There the
Duke of York, coming thither upon Christmas Eve,
reposeth himself, and expecteth the increase of his
numbers. The Queen, advertised, thinks it wisdom to
fight before the Duke grows too strong, and therefore
marchethforward, having an army of eighteen thousand
men, ledby the Dukes of Somerset and Exeter, the Earls
of Devonshire and Wiltshire, the LordsNeville, Clifford,
Rosse, and,in effect, all the northernnobility. The host,
or as much thereof as they thought it necessary to show,
presentsitself before Sandal toprovoke and dare the Duke
to battle. His blood, impatient at these braves, and
ignorant, perhaps, that the enemyhad so great a multitude
will needs fight, though the Earl of Salisbury and
Sir David Hall, an ancient servant of his, and a great
soldier, advisehim to stay till his son, the Earl of March,
approached with such Welchmen and Marchers as he had
assembled in great numbers. The Queen, therefore,
addeth stratagem and wit to her force; to the intent he
might not escape her hands. Whereupon the Earl of
Wiltshire upon one side of the hill, and the Lord Clifford
upon the other, liein ambush to tempt between him and