306 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. to them from under the walls, to join with them, and he of their party; telling them, that the king would make them another London, if they would be the first town that would acknowledge him. But they had not the wit to send to them, in any orderly fashion, agents or chosen men, to tempt them and to treat with them. The citizens, on their part, showed themselves stout and loyal subjects ; neither was there so much as any tumult or division amongst them, but all prepared themselves for a valiant defence, and making good the town. For well they saw, that the rebels were of no such number or power, that they needed to fear them as yet; and well they hoped, that before their numbers increased, the king s succours would come in. And, howsoever, they thought it the extremest of evils, to put them selves at the mercy of those hungry and disorder ly people. Wherefore setting all things in good order within the town, they nevertheless letdown with cords, from several parts of the walls, privi ly, several messengers, that if one came to mis chance, another might pass on, which should ad vertise the king of the state of the town, and im plore his aid. Perkin also doubted, that succours would come ere long; and therefore resolved to use his utmost force to assault the town. And for that purpose having mounted scaling ladders in divers places upon the walls, made at the same instant an attempt to force one of the gates. But having no artillery nor engines, and finding that he could do no good by ramming with logs of timber, nor by the use of iron bars and iron crows, and such other means at hand, he had no way left him but to set one of the gates on fire, which he did. But the citizens, well perceiving the danger, before the gate could be fully consumed, blocked up the gate, and some space about it on the inside, with fagots and other fuel, which they likewise set on fire, and so repulsed fire with fire ; and in the mean time raised up rampiers of earth, and cast up deep trenches, to serve instead of wall and gate. And for the scaladoes, they had so bad success, as the rebels were driven from the walls with the loss of two hundred men. The king, when he heard of Perkin s siege of Exeter, made sport with it, and said to them that were about him, that the king of rake-hells was landed in the west, and that he hoped now to have the honour to see him, which he could never yet do. And it appeared plainly to those that were about the king, that he was indeed much joyed with the news of Perkin s being in English ground, where he could have no retreat by land ; think ing now that he should be cured of those privy stitches which he had had long about his heart, and at some times broken his sleeps, in the midst f all his felicity. And to set all men s hearts on Mre, he did by all possible means let it appear, that those that should now do him service to make
- n end of these troubles, should be no less accept
ed of him, than he that came upon the eleventh hour, and had the whole wages of the day. There fore now, like the end of a play, a great number came upon the stage at once. He sent the lord chamberlain, and the Lord Brook, and Sir Rice ap Thomas, with expedite forces to speed to Exe ter, to the rescue of the town, and to spread the fame of his own following in person with a royal army. The Earl of Devonshire, and his son, with the Carews, and the Fullfords, and other principal persons of Devonshire, uncalled from the court, but hearing that the king s heart was much bent upon this service, made haste with troops that they had raised, to be the first that should succour the city of Exeter, and prevent the king s succours. The Duke of Buckingham likewise, with many brave gentlemen, put themselves in arms, not staying either the king s or the lord chamberlain s coming on, but making a body of forces of themselves, the more to endear their merit ; signifying to the king their readiness, and desiring to know his pleasure. So that according to the proverb, in the coming down, every saint did help. Perkin, hearing this thunder of arms, and pre parations against him from so many parts, raised his siege, and marched to Taunton ; beginning already to squint one eye upon the crown, and another upon the sanctuary ; though the Cornish men where become like metal often fired and quenched, churlish, and that would sooner break than bow ; swearing and vowing not to leave him, till the uttermost drop of their blood were spilt. He was at his rising from Exeter, between six and seven thousand strong, many having come unto him after he was set before Exeter, upon fame of so great an enterprise, and to partake of the spoil ; though upon the raising of his siege some did slip away. When he was come near Taunton, he dissembled all fear, and seemed all the day to use diligence in preparing all things ready to fight. But about midnight he fled with three score horse to Bewdley in the New Forest, where he and divers of his company registered them selves sanctuary men, leaving his Cornish men to the four winds ; but yet thereby easing them of their vow, and using his wonted compassion, not to be by when his subjects blood should be spilt. The king, as soon as he heard of Perkin s flight, sent presently five hundred horse to pursue and apprehend him, before he should get either to the sea, or to that same little island called a sanc tuary. But they came too late for the latter of these. Therefore all they could do, was to beset the sanctuary, and to maintain a strong watch about it, till the king s pleasure were further known. As for the rest of the rebels, they, being destituted of their head, without stroke stricken, submitted themselves unto the king s mercy. And the king, who commonly drew blood, ar physicians do, rather to save life than to spill it,
