They reached York's castle of Sendal, and there merrily kept
Christmas, but on St. Thomas of Canterbury's Day they heard that the
foe were close at hand, many thousands strong, and on the morrow
Queen Margaret, with her boy beside her, and the Duke of Somerset,
came before the gate and called on the Duke to surrender the castle,
and his own vaunting claims with it, or else come out and fight.
Sir Davy Hall entreated the Duke to remain in the castle till his son
Edward, Earl of March, could bring reinforcements up from Wales, but
York held it to be dishonourable to shut himself up on account of a
scolding woman, and the prudence of the Earl of Salisbury was at
fault, since both presumed on the easy victories they had hitherto
gained. Therefore they sallied out towards Wakefield Bridge, to
confront the main body of Margaret's army, ignorant or careless that
she had two wings in reserve. These closed in on them, and their
fate was certain.
"My lord fell in the melee among the first," said Featherstone. "I
was down beside him, trying to lift him up, when a big Scot came with
his bill and struck at my head, and I knew no more till I found my
master lying stark dead and stripped of all his armour. My sword was
gone, but I got off save for this cut" (and he pushed back his hair)
"and a horse's kick or two, for the whole battle had gone over me,
and I heard the shouting far away.
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