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PARLIAMENT AT PONTEFRACT. 261
The king sent orders to the latter to maintain his
position at Doncaster. Shrewsbury would have
preferred falling back upon the Trent, but the king
was determined that there should be no appearance
of a retreat. Schemes were now on foot for the
seizure, or for the murder, of Aske. A trusty messenger
was despatched by the Duke of Norfolk to Lord
Darcy, suggesting that he should deliver up Aske,
living or dead, but if possible living. Darcy indignantly
refused to stain his honour by acceding to so
base a proposition. He sent a message to the king
to the effect tluit if peace were desired it would be
well that an answer to the insurgents' petition should
be returned without delay. The result was that
EUerker and liowes were sent back with some unmeaning
e.\i)res:,ions intended to pacify the insurgents
for the time, and an assurance that the Duke of
Norfolk, with otiier commissioners, should be the
bearers of a final reply at tlie end of November.
The great body of the insurgents were now becoming
weary of inaction, and much irritation began
to prevail amongst them, which caused some uneasiness
to their leaders. A council was held, at which
the main question was whether or not to await the
arrival of the king's commissioners, and to receive
his final reply to their demands. It was at last resolved
that the reassembling of the insurgent forces
should go on in order to ensure security for their
leaders when tliey met the commissioners. A parliament
and convocation were summoned, which met at
Pontefract. The meeting of the latter took place in
Pontefract church, and was presided over by the