Historic%20Yorkshire

THE BATTLE OF TOWTON. 111
Duke of Norfolk, coming upon the field with a body of
5,000 unbreathedtroops,the tide of battlenowsteadilyset
infor theWhite Rose,the Lancastrians beingbeatenback,
though eventhen they retreated rather than fled, fighting
all the time, and making several brave but ineffectual
stands against Edward's soldiers. At last these, encouraged
by their decided superiority, dashed forward with
redoubledeffort, and converted the retreat into a helpless,
hopelessrout. Edwardhad issued theorder thatnoquarter
was to be given, and but too well was that command
observed; the fugitives were slaughtered by thousands,
the humble man-at-arms and the haughty noble being
alike ignominiously butcheredas soon as overtaken. The
survivors endeavoured to get over the Wharfe at Tadcaster,
and, in doing so, the Cock, a small tributary of
that river, became filled with the bodies of the fugitives,
who thus formed a ghastly bridge for their friends and
foes. There were slain on this memorable day nearly
38,000 persons,of whom 28,000 were Lancastrians,andit
is said that the Wharfe ran with blood, and the Cock
especially, for forty-eight hours. Afterwards also the
sanguinary nature of the strife became again apparent,
for upon the subsequent approachof milder weather the
frozen blood of the battle-field melted, and deluged the
district's waterways. The principal of the chiefs slain
were buried in the burial grounds of the surrounding
villages, but the "common bodies" were thrust into
immense pits. Stow says " the slain wereburied in five
great pits, yet appearing by north of Saxton Church;"
but Grainge (Battles and Battle-fields of Yorkshire) says
"they have since been removed to the Churchyard of
Saxton." In the neighbourhood,however,are yet many
mounds of a tumuli-like appearance, which may very
safely be conjectured to be due to the interment there of
the devoted partizansof the Red and White Roses. The
disastrous news of the defeat was brought to York by the
Duke of Somerset and the Duke of Exeter; and Henry
and Margaret,witha few of those who had survived the