The punishments were not all sanguinary: the king made his revenge subservient to his avarice.

Heavy fines were levied upon the delinquents.

The proceedings of the courts, and even the courts themselves, were arbitrary.

Either the criminals were tried by commissioners appointed for the purpose, or they suffered punishment by sentence of a court-martial.

And as a rumor had prevailed before the battle of Stoke, that the rebels had gained the victory, that the royal army was cut in pieces, and that the king himself had escaped by flight, Henry was resolved to interpret the belief or propagation of this report as a mark of disaffection; and he punished many for that pretended crime.