The Strife of the Roses and Days of the Tudors in the WestRogers, W. H. Hamilton (William Henry Hamilton)
History
The Strife of the Roses and Days of the Tudors in the West
Rogers, W. H. Hamilton (William Henry Hamilton)
Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603; Great Britain -- History -- Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485
[28] Among the "Knightes made at the landinge of Kinge Henry the
Seventh at Mylforde Haven," fourth on the list occurs Sir John
Cheney. His arms are thus given,--Quarterly 1 and 4, _Azure, six
lioncels rampant argent, a canton ermine; 2 and 3, Ermine, a chief
per pale indented or and gules, in the dexter side a rose of the
last_ (SHOTISBROOKE). Crest, _Two bull's horns argent, separated
from the scalp, roots or, "fixed to the mantels without torce_."
(Metcalfe's _Book of Knights_.) recapitulated here. Our hero has
special traditional fame connected with the fray, if not of the
most fortunate kind, as will be seen.
In addition to the stream of deserters from his own army to that of
his rivals, which met Richard's eyes on that eventful day, the
defection of Lord Stanley, a misfortune of the first magnitude,
assured Richard that no time was to be lost, if he hoped to save his
crown. So, gathering a muster of as many as remained true to him, he
made a direct and magnificent charge into the centre of his foes'
line, striving gallantly to recover his fortune. Leading them in
person, he fought his way directly to his adversary's standard, and
"in his furie he manfully overthrew Sir William Brandon, the Earle's
Standard-bearer, and Sir John Cheney, both men of mightie force and
knowne valiancie," and he nearly reached Richmond himself. Hollingshed
thus describes it,--
"King Richard set on so sharplie at the first brunt, that he
ouerthrew the Erles standard, and slue Sir William Brandon, his
standard bearer, (which was father to Sir Charles Brandon by King
Henrie the eight created Duke of Suffolk,) and matched hand to
hand with Sir John Cheinie, a man of great force and strength,
which would haue resisted him, but the said John was by him
manfullie ouerthrowen. And so he making open passage by dint of
sword as he went forward, the Earle of Richmond withstood his
violence, and kept him at the sword's point without aduantage,
longer than either his companions thought or judged, which being
almost in despair of victorie, were suddenly recomforted by Sir
William Stanlie, which came to his soccour with three thousand
tall men. At which verie instant King Richard's men were driven
back and fled, and he himself manfullie fighting in the middle of
his enemies was slaine."
The old chronicler, as a matter of course, pays Richmond the
compliment of his "keeping him at the sword's point without
advantage," but other accounts relate that the Earl was in no hurry to
cross weapons with his redoubtable and now desperate antagonist, and
was doubtless greatly "recomforted" at Stanley's opportune defection,
with his "soccour of three thousand tall men."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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