Biography of Thomas Bardolf 5th Baron Bardolf 1369-1408

Thomas Walsingham [~1422]. At that time, while the King was holding a great council at London with the magnates of the realm, the Earl of Northumberland (age 66) and Lord Thomas Bardolf (age 38), pressed by adverse fate, returned into England. After a long ride, when they came to the town of Thirsk, they caused proclamation to be made that whoever desired liberty should take up arms and eagerly follow them. And so many followed them, thinking all would turn out according to their wishes. But the sheriff of York, with the knights of the country, came against them; and near Haselwood, a fierce battle being joined, he slew the Earl, whose head was immediately cut off. Lord Bardolf, wounded from the blows he had received, was taken alive, but soon afterwards died of his wounds. These things, as far as concerned the battle, were done 11 days before the Kalends of March [19th February 1408]; and it was thought that the prophecy, which had been foretold earlier in this veiled form, was fulfilled;—

"The Percy line shall perish in a shattered ruin."

For this lord was the last stock of all of the name of Percy that survived, the others having ended by various disasters. Over whose misfortune the common people grieved not a little, recalling the man's magnificence, favor, and glory, applying to him the mournful verse of Lucan, saying thus;—

But neither the blood nor the many wounds of our old man so deeply moved us,

as when we saw the face of the leader,

borne through the city, disfigured on the spear that transfixed it.

For his head, adorned with venerable gray hairs, was set upon a spear, carried publicly through the city of London, and was shamefully fixed upon the Bridge.

The Bishop of Bangor, taken with the aforesaid lords, obtained the grant of life, because he had been captured unarmed.

Eo tempore, Rege tenente Consilium grande Londoniis, cum regni magnatibus, Comes Northumbriæ Dominusque Thomas de Bardolf, fatis iniquis urgentibus, in Angliam rediere. Qui, post longam equitationem, cum pervenissent ad villam de Thrisk, proclamari fecerunt, ut quisquis libertatem cuperet, arreptis armis, eos alacriter sequeretur. Igitur secuti sunt eos plurimi, putantes sibi cuncta pro votis accidere. Vicecomes vero de Euerwyk, cum militibus patriee, illis occurrens, juxta Heselwode commisso gravi prœlio, Comitem interemit; cujus caput illico præcisum est. Dominus de Bardolf, ex vulneribus acceptis saucius, captus est vivus, sed cito postea defecit in mortem. Acta sunt hæc, quantum ad bellum, undecimo Kilendas Martii; completaque putabatur prophetia que preemissa preenunciaverat sub hoc involucro;—

"Stirps Persitina periet confusa ruina."

Nempe dominus iste stirps fuit cunctorum de nomine Percy superstitum, et aliorum plurimorum variis cladibus finitorum. De cujus infortimio vulgus non parum doluit, recolens viri magnificentiam, favorem, et gioriam, applicans sibi Lucani carmen lugubre, sic dicentis;—

"Sed nos nee sanguis, nee tantuni vulnera nostri

Affecere senis, quantum gestata per urbem

Ora ducis; quæ transfixo deformia pile

Vidimus. — "

Nam caput ejus, veneranda decoratum canitie, pilo superpositum, per urbem Londoniarum publice deportatum, super Pontem confusibiliter est locatum,

Pontifex Bangorensis, captus cum prasdictis dominis, donari vita meruit, eo quod inermis captus fuit.