foot between the Scots and English, the garrison of Alnwick were fuffered quietly to march out.

After the defeat of the Lancaftrian army at Hexham, Queen Margaret, with her young fon, made her efcape into Flanders (6); but her husband King Henry was not fo fortunate. For fome of that unhappy Prince's friends having taken him under their protection, had conveyed him into Lancashire; but he was there discovered by the Yorkifts, and being seized, his legs were faftened under the belly of a horfe, like the vileft malefactor, and in this unworthy manner they proceeded to carry him prisoner towards London. He was met on the road by the Earl of Warwick; who is faid to have been, on this occafion, fo forgetful of every principle of humanity and generosity, as to add fresh indignities to thofe which the unfortunate King Henry had already fuffered, and to engage the rude multitude to redouble their infults upon the head of the unfortunate Prince; a Prince, to whom Warwick had more than once folemnly fworn allegiance! and whofe innocency of manners and character, as well as his high rank, fhould certainly have fecured him from fuch unworthy treatment. Warwick proceeded with the captive Prince to London, and Henry was immediately committed prifoner to the Tower.

Befides the many preferments which King Edward had already bestowed upon the Earl of Warwick, he now gave him the temporalities of the Bishopric of Carlisle, which happened to be vacant; he also gave him fome Crown lands, and estates forfeited by the Lancaftrian party. His brother, Lord Montague, was also made Earl of Northumberland, in the room of Piercy,

(b) There was fomething very Angular in the manner of Margaret's efcape. After the battle of Hexham, The fled with her fon into a foreft, and there endeavouring to conceal herfelf, was befet, during the darknefs of the night, by a gang of robbers; who, either ignorant or regardlefs of her quality, ftripped her of her rings and jewels, and treated her with great indignity. However, the divifion of the booty occafioned a quarrel among the robbers; and while they were difputing the matter, the Queen, with her fon, efcaped out of their hands, and got into the thickest part of the foreft, where the wandered for fome time, exhaufted with hunger and fatigue, and overwhelmed with terror and affliction. Whilft in this distressful fituation, fhe obferved a robber advancing towards her with his drawn fword; and finding it impoffible for her to efcape, the fuddenly embraced the refolution

of trufting entirely for protection te the faith and generosity of the outlaw. Accordingly fhe approached him with an air of confidence and dignity; and prefenting to him the young Prince, then about ten years of age, "Here, friend," cried the, "fave my fon, the fon of good King "Henry." The man, whofe humanity had been obfcured, but not extinguished by his vicious courfe of life, was equally ftruck with the beauty of her perfon, and the nature of her addrefs. He vowed not only to abftain from all injury against her, but to devote himfelf entirely to her fafety and protection. He laid hold of the young Prince with one hand, and, fupporting the Queen with the other, carefully conducted them out of the foreft to a village near the fea-fide, and from thence the found means to make her escape into Flánders.

Piercy, who had forfeited his title and eftate by his attachment to the Lancaster family; but foon after King Edward thought proper to restore Piercy to the Earldom of Northumberland,. and in ftead thereof, created Montague a Marquis. Montague, however, was extremely difgufted with this alteration; and it is faid that his brother Warwick began now alfo to be difcontented with Edward, not thinking his fervices fufficiently rewarded.

But notwithstanding this, in 1464, the Earl of Warwick was appointed to go over into France, to treat of a marriage between King Edward, and the Lady Bona of Savoy, fifter to the Queen of France. It is faid, that Lewis XI. King of France, had before this held a clofe correfpondence with the Earl of Warwick; that they were perfectly well acquainted with each other's fentiments, and that Warwick had always been for keeping fair with the French Court; and, therefore, was not difpleafed at this opportunity of having a perfonal interview with Lewis, and of introducing Edward's intended bride to the Throne of England. However, the Earl of Warwick went over with a vaft equipage to France, and was extremely well received at the French Court, the intended marriage being very agreeable to Lewis. It appears, that Warwick was also empowered to treat about a final peace, an alliance, or a truce with Lewis; and also to conclude a treaty of amity and friendfhip between the two Kings. Nevertheless, nothing material was concluded with refpect to thefe; but the treaty of marriage was finally fettled, and nothing remained but the ratification of the terms agreed on, and the bringing over the Princess into England, when an unexpected occurrence put an end to the whole affair.

King Edward, who happened to be hunting in Northamptonfhire, near the manor of Grafton, had a mind to go and vifit Jaquelina of Luxemburgh, Dutchefs of Bedford, who had efpoufed in a fecond marriage Sir Richard Wideville. By him fhe had feveral children; and, among the reft, Elizabeth, who was remarkable for the beauty of her perfon, as well as for other amiable accomplishments. This young Lady had married Sir John Grey of Groby, by whom he had children; and her husband being flain in the second battle of St. Alban's, fighting for the family of Lancaster, and his estate being on that account confifcated, the young widow withdrew to her father's feat of Grafton, where the lived in a retired manner. But the King's vifit appearing to her a favourable opportunity of foliciting his favour, fhe came and threw herself at Edward's feet, befeeching him to reftore the lands of her deceased husband, and entreating him, with many tears, to have pity upon her children. The fight of fo much beauty in diftrefs, had a powerful effect upon the young Monarch, whofe confitution was remarkably amorous; he became violently enamoured with the beauti2. H

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ful widow, and fought to gratify his paffion in an irregular manner: but the refifted all his importunities; and Edward, defpairing of being able to obtain her any other way, at length of fered her marriage. This was too great an offer for the young Lady to reject; however, before he proceeded any further, the King acquainted his mother, the Dutchefs of York, with his intentions. And the Dutchefs exerted her utmost endeavours to diffuade him from his purpofe; urging the affront that would thereby be put upon the King of France, and particularly reprefenting to him the injury he would do the Earl of Warwick, to whom he was under fo many obligations, and who, there was reafon to fear, would highly refent it. But the King's paffion being too violent to be under the direction of reason, the arguments and remonstrances of the Dutchefs were without effect, and Edward privately married the Lady Grey at Grafton.

According to fome hiftorians, the Earl of Warwick and the French Ambaffador were at fea when this marriage was confummated, and were greatly aftonished when they understood it on their landing; but, according to others, Warwick received intimation of it while he was in France, and thereupon inftantly returned into England. But however this was, they all agree, that the Earl of Warwick was highly enraged at it, deeming himself affronted, both by being employed in fuch a deceitful negociation, and by being kept a ftranger to the King's intentions, who had owed every thing to his friendship. But whatever indignation Warwick might entertain against Edward on account of his marriage (c), it is certain that they did not immediately come to an open rupture; for on the 24th of March, 1465, Edward appointed the Earl of Warwick and the Lord Haltings to treat with James of Luxemburgh, the King's uncle, (by his late marriage) in behalf of the Earl of Charolois; and on the 8th of May following, while the Parliament was fitting, Warwick was put at the head of two other commiffions; one for treating about reftoring a full intercourfe of commerce with the Duke of Burgundy, and the other for concluding a definitive alliance with the Duke of Brittany.

The fituation of affairs at Court, was, however, by no means fuch as would naturally tend to remove any difguft which the Earl of Warwick might have conceived. The new Queen did not lofe her influence over King Edward by marriage; and the made ufe of it to draw every mark of royal grace and favour to her own friends and kindred, and to exclude thofe of the Earl of Warwick, whom the confidered as her mortal enemy. Her father,

(c) Some writers affirm, that Warwick had a much stronger caufe of animosity against Edward. They affert, that the King had attempted to debauch one of the Earl's daugh

tors.

And Rapin obferves, that Edward's character, who made no great fcruple to do fuch things, gives ground to believe the fact.

father, Sir Richard Wideville, was created Earl of Rivers; her brother, Anthony Wideville, was married to the only daughter of Lord Scales, enjoyed the great eftate of that family, and had the title of Lord Scales conferred upon him; and her fon by her former husband was created Marquis of Dorfet. And King Edward himself feems at this time to have been very jealous of the great power, credit, and popularity of the Earl of Warwick; and to have been very defirous of leffening his influence. It appears, nevertheless, that the Earl of Warwick had ftill great weight in the public affairs of the kingdom. For we find him, in 1466, named as the first in all commiffions on re cord, and acting even as Prime Minifter, And on the 6th of May, 1467, commiffioners being appointed to treat with the Admiral of France, who was come over on an embaffy from Lewis XI. the Earl of Warwick was placed at the head of them. He was alfo employed, together with the Lord Haftings, to treat of a marriage between Charles of Burgundy, Earl of Charolois, and the King's fifter. But the influence of the Queen's relations continued to encrease, and they began to engrofs all places of power and profit. The Earl of Rivers was made High-Treafurer, as well as High-Conftable, of England; and the Great Seal was taken from the Earl of Warwick's brother, George Nevil, Archbishop of York, and given to the Bifhop of Bath and Wells, a dependent of the Queen's.

It feems probable, from the appearance of Warwick at Court. and his being engaged in public affairs, after the marriage of Edward, that his refentment against the King on account of that event was not fo great, but that he might have been pacified. But the real and principal caufe of Warwick's refentment against Edward, feems to have been not merely the King's marriage, but the confequences of it, namely, the Queen's relations monopolizing the adminiftration of government. The Earl of Warwick had been the principal means of raifing Edward to the throne; he had been long confidered as the first man in the kingdom; and his high fpirit could not bear any diminution of his power and influence. But fhould it be admitted, that Warwick, on account of the obligations which Edward had to him, had fome reafon to be difcontented, it will furely be impoffible to vindicate his forming a defign to involve his country once more in all the horrors and calamities of civil war, merely for the fake of gratifying his own private refent

ment.

But though the Earl of Warwick was fometimes at Court, and employed in the public affairs of the kingdom, he yet frequently repaired to his caftle of Warwick. We have before taken notice of his unbounded hofpitality; and his popularity on this, and on other accounts, was not decreafed by the decline of his influence at Court. No great Roman, we are told, ever poffeffed the art of popularity more than this great Englishman

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did. To all the better fort he appeared a companion, and to their inferiors a father; and he was at the pains to welcome every one in perfon, and to be inftructed to falute them by their names. And even the antient Nobility of England, being difgufted at the fudden growth and great power of the Queen's relations, the Widevilles, were more generally difpofed to fupport the intereft of the Earl of Warwick, whofe grandeur and fuperiority they had been long accustomed to, and to which they had been the more reconciled, by the openness and affability of his manners.

At the beginning of the year 1468, the truce with France being very near expired, and no meafures taken for the renewal of it, preparations were made on both fides for a renewal of hoftilities. This gave the Earl of Warwick a very plausible pretext for repairing to his government of Calais; though the true reafon of his going there, appears to have been in order to have an interview with the King of France, which is faid to have been before projected between Lewis and him. And the former no fooner heard of Warwick's arrival in France, than he came to Rouen, and even met the Earl on the road to that place. Had Warwick been King of England, he could not have been more careffed by Lewis, nor could greater honours have been fhewn him. The King and the Earl dined together at the fame table; they lodged in the fame houfe; a private communication was opened between their apartments; and we are told, that they continued, with very little interruption, in clofe conference together for eight days. This intercourfe was of too private a nature for the fubject of their conferences to be known; but they are fuppofed to have turned upon the means of restoring the Houfe of Lancaster, and the measures which the Earl of Warwick fome time after put in execution, However, they parted extremely well fatisfied with each other; and Lewis impowered the Earl of Warwick to hold a noble fee in France.

After Warwick's return to England, he took every method of ftrengthening and encreafing his popularity. And King Edward, who feemed now defirous of being upon good terms with Warwick, about the beginning of the year 1469, named him in a commiffion of inqueft, concerning fome lands in Picardy; and on the 7th of Auguft the fame year, he was made chief Jufticiary of South Wales, and Conftable of Cardigan caftle; and had alfo fome other offices conferred upon him. But the Earl of Warwick's refentment was now too deeply rooted to be eafily removed.

King Edward's Queen was fo intent upon aggrandizing her own relations and immediate dependents, and in which the King imprudently concurred, that the principal Nobility of the kingdom were very much difgufted; and in particular the Duke of Clarence, the King's fecond brother, being excluded from

all