Mediæval London, Volume 1: Historical & SocialBesant, Walter
History
Mediæval London, Volume 1: Historical & Social
Besant, Walter
London (England) -- History -- To 1500; London (England) -- Social life and customs -- To 1500
On October the 1st, Edward fled to Scotland where he was certain to
find safety at least. The Queen, then enceinte, took refuge in the
Sanctuary. The Tower of London was surrendered to the Mayor, who held
it until the arrival of Warwick and Clarence. But Henry was removed
from his prison to the State apartments. There appears to have been no
order maintained or attempted in the City during these distractions.
Every man made haste to change his side, and the caps that had been
tossed up for Edward now darkened the sky for Henry with equal zeal.
There was a rising of the City rabble, headed by one Sir Geoffrey
Gates, whose character is vaguely summed up by Maitland in the words,
“of abandoned principles.” The mob, under his leading, spoiled the
foreign merchants—Lombards, Flemings, and others—and then, probably
having met with some resistance, they got over to Southwark, where they
robbed, burned, and destroyed and ravished through all the Borough,
together with St. Catherine’s, Limehouse, and Ratcliffe, the City not
attempting anything until the arrival of Warwick, when the mob was
dispersed and the ringleaders hanged.
[Illustration: SHIPS OF THE PERIOD
From MS. in Brit. Mus. Reg. 15, Ed. IV.]
Henry was once more a King, and lodged in the Bishop’s Palace. The
Parliament, summoned in haste, met in St. Paul’s Chapter House and
called Edward a usurper. But the Mayor took care to be sick and
confined to his bed. Coke occupied his place, which seems to increase
the probability of that alleged treason. The restoration of the
unfortunate Henry lasted for six months. In April, Edward entered
London again with the customary rejoicings, sallied forth immediately,
met Warwick at Barnet, defeated and slew him, and returned for more
rejoicings and in order to lead Henry clad in a long gown like a
bedesman back to the Tower, and then marched into the west, where
Tewkesbury witnessed the final destruction of the Lancastrian cause.
Then followed, as concerns London, the gallant attempt of the captain
known as the Bastard of Falconbridge. We may look upon this leader
as a freebooter and as a pirate, or we may look upon him as a loyal
and faithful follower of Warwick. From either point of view it is a
striking episode in the history of the time as well as the history of
London. Moreover, it is one of the few early recorded appearances of
the English sailor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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