Great Britain -- History -- Richard III, 1483-1485; Richard III, King of England, 1452-1485
While he was there, and before the re-enforcements came, the queen, at
the head of her army from Scotland, which was strengthened, moreover,
by the troops which she had obtained in the north of England, came
marching on down the country in great force. When she came into the
neighborhood of York, she encamped, and then sent messengers to Prince
Richard, taunting and deriding him for having shut himself up within
fortified walls, and daring him to come out into the open field and
fight her.
The prince's counselors advised him to do no such thing. One of them
in particular, a certain Sir Davy Hall, who was an old and faithful
officer in the prince's service, urged him to pay no attention to
Queen Margaret's taunts.
"We are not strong enough yet," said he, "to meet the army which she
has assembled. We must wait till our re-enforcements come. By going
out now we shall put our cause in great peril, and all to no purpose
whatever."
"Ah! Davy, Davy," said the prince, "hast thou loved me so long, and
now wouldst thou have me dishonored? When I was regent in Normandy,
thou never sawest me keep fortress, even when the dauphin himself,
with all his power, came to besiege me.[D] I always, like a man, came
forth to meet him, instead of remaining within my walls, like a bird
shut up in a cage. Now if I did not then keep myself shut up for fear
of a great, strong prince, do you think I will now, for dread of a
scolding woman, whose weapons are only her tongue and her nails, and
thus give people occasion to say that I turned dastard before a woman,
when no man had ever been able to make me fear? No, I will never
submit to such disgrace. I would rather die in honor than live in
shame; and so the great numbers of our enemies do not deter me in the
least; they rather encourage me; therefore, in the name of God and St.
George, advance my banner, for I am determined that I will go out and
fight them, if I go alone."
[Footnote D: In former years Prince Richard had acted as viceroy of
the English possessions in France, under King Henry, and while there
he had been engaged in wars with the King of France, and with the
dauphin, his son.]
[Illustration: LAST HOURS OF KING RICHARD'S FATHER.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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