straightwaies marched towards Yorke, wasting and spoiling the countrie
with great crueltie as they passed. Soone after also came Edgar, and
such other English exiles as had before fled into Scotland, and ioined
their forces with them. When the newes of these things were brought to
Yorke, the people there were striken with a maruellous feare, insomuch
that Aeldred the archbishop (through verie greefe and anguish of mind)
departed this life. The Normans also which laie there in garrison,
after they vnderstood by their spies that the enimies were come within
two daies iournie of them, began not a little to mistrust the faith of
the citizens, and bicause the suburbes should not be any aid vnto
them, they set fire on the same, which by the hugenesse of the wind
that suddenlie arose, the flame became so big, and mounted such a
height, [Sidenote: Yorke burnt.] that it caught the citie also, and
consumed a great part therof to ashes, togither with the minster of S.
Peter, and a famous librarie belonging to the same. Herevpon the
Normans and citizens in like maner were constreined to issue foorth at
the same time, and being vpon the enimies before they had any
knowledge of their approch, were forced to trie the matter by
disordered battell: whose number though it was far inferiour vnto
theirs, yet they valiantlie defended themselues for a time, till being
oppressed with multitudes, they were ouercome and slaine, [Sidenote:
Normans slaine.] so that there perished in this conflict, to the
number of three thousand of them. Manie of the Englishmen also that
came with them to the field, were saued by the enimies, to the end
they might gaine somewhat by their ransomes, [Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
as William Mallet shirife of the shire, with his wife, and two of
their children, Gilbert de Gaunt, and diuers other. This slaughter
chanced on a saturdaie, being the nineteenth day of September; a
dismall daie to the Normans.