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should unite their power and influence, in order to restore the House of Lancafter to the Throne of England (ƒ). And for this purpose he sent for Queen Margaret, who was then at Angers; and the arrived at Amboife, together with her fon the Prince of Wales. "No animofity (fays Mr. Hume) was ever "greater, than that which had long prevailed between the "House of Lancaster, and the Earl of Warwick. His father ❝had been executed by orders from Margaret: he himself had "twice reduced Henry to captivity, had banished the Queen, "had put to death all their most zealous partizans either in the "field or on the scaffold, and had occafioned innumerable ills to “that unhappy family." But notwithstanding this, as Edward was now the common enemy both of the Earl of Warwick, and the Lancaster family, they determined to unite their hitherto difcordant interefts, and to forget their antient animofity, for the mutual advantage of both. Margaret knew that the Earl of Warwick would be a most powerful auxiliary to her party; and Warwick confidered that by taking up arms in favour of the Lancaster family, he would naturally be joined by all the adherents of it, and would also have a more plaufible pretext for oppofing Edward in the field, and have a better profpect of dethroning him; which was what his refentment now fo ftrongly prompted him to. Accordingly it was ftipulated, "That the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick (hould do their utmoft to deliver Henry VI. out of prison, and to replace him on the Throne; that during the minority of young Edward, Henry's fon, the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick should be regents of the kingdom; and that Prince Edward should marry the Lady Anne, fecond daughter to the Earl of Warwick." And the laft article of the agreement, the marriage, was immediately celebrated in France. Thus (fays Rapin) "the brother of King Edward became brother-in-law of the young Prince of Lancaster, and the Earl of Warwick was "equally allied to the two contending Houfes."

Whilft the Earl of Warwick was making the neceffary preparations for his intended expedition into England, and waiting for the fuccours with which Lewis was to furnish him, part of his fleet cruized upon the Flemings, and took many of their fhips, because the Duke of Burgundy, their Sovereign, fided with King Edward, whofe fifter he had married. The Duke complained

(ƒ) No distress could be greater than that of the House of Lancatter at this time. Philip de Comines fays, that he himself saw the Duke of Exeter, a Prince of the House of Lancaster, and brother-in-law to King Edward himself, following the Duke of Burgundy's train, barefooted and bare-legged, and begging his bread from door to door. His

quality was then unknown; but being afterwards difcovered, he had a fall pension allowed him from the Duke of Burgundy for his fubfiftence. Other Princes and Noblemen, allied to the Royal Family, were not in a better condition; and Queen Margaret, with her fon, almoft wanted fubfistence,

complained of Warwick's proceedings to the French King, and demanded fatisfaction; which Lewis, to keep him in temper, promifed he should receive; and even put a confiderable number of fhips to fea, under a pretence of putting a stop to the depredations of Warwick's adherents; but, in reality, with a very different defign, namely, to fupport and protect the Earl of Warwick's fhips. The Duke of Burgundy was exceedingly enraged both at the French King (g), and Warwick; and he Ordered La Veer, his Admiral, to publish a declaration, "That, he was commanded by his Prince to feize the Earl of War"wick wherever he could find him."

King Edward, who was very defirous of drawing his brother, the Duke of Clarence, from his connections with the Earl of Warwick, fent over for that purpofe into France, a Lady who belonged to the train of the Dutchefs of Clarence. This Lady, who, as Comines fays, "was no fool, nor blab of her tongue, and had liberty granted her to vifit her miftrefs, and for that reafon was employed in this fecret rather than a man," executed her commiffion with great addrefs; and found means to reprefent to the Duke of Clarence, that by engaging in the party of Warwick, he only haftened his own ruin; for, if the fchemes of that Nobleman fhould be crowned with fuccefs, he could not expect that the family of Lancafter would repofe any confidence in a Prince of the Houfe of York; or even fuffer him to live, after they fhould have accomplished their purpose; that, instead of relying on the oath of Margaret, he ought to. regard it as a plot contrived to effect his deftruction; that the Earl of Warwick would be the first to opprefs him, in order to ingrofs into his own hands the fole adminiftration of public affairs; and that the King his brother having only one daughter' of a tender age, whom death might remove, he was the next heir to the Crown; but if the Earl of Warwick's schemes fucceeded, he would lofe all profpect of mounting the Throne. Thefe, and other reafons, together with a promife of forgive nefs, and of brotherly affection, from King Edward, had fo much effect upon Clarence, that he fecretly engaged, when a fa2 I 2 vourable

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vourable opportunity fhould offer, to defert the Earl of War wick, and abandon the Lancaftrian party.

During this negociation, the Earl of Warwick was carrying on a fimilar correfpondence with his brother, the Marquis of Montague, who was at this time entirely confided in by King Edward; and Montague agreed to join his brother Warwick the first favourable opportunity; but that he might at a proper feafon do this with the better effect, he determined, for the prefent, to maintain the appearance of being a zealous adherent to the Houfe of York.

Thefe fnares being thus laid by the different parties for the deftruction of each other, and the Earl of Warwick's fleet and his French fuccours being now ready, he fet fail for England. The Duke of Burgundy had fitted out a large fleet to oppofe Warwick, with which he guarded the channel; but this fleet was difperfed by a ftorm, and the Earl landed at Dartmouth, with the Duke of Clarence and the Earls of Oxford and Cambridge. King Edward, who was brave, but indolent, did not poffefs any confiderable degree of penetration. He was, therefore, not fenfible of his danger, though he was inceffantly informed by his brother-in-law, the Duke of Burgundy, of the perils to which he was expofed; but he, notwithstanding, had made no fuitable preparations to oppofe the execution of the Earl of Warwick's defigns. "He never was concerned at any thing, (fays Comines) but followed his hunting, and no body "was fo great with him as the Archbishop of York and the "Marquis of Montague, both the Earl of Warwick's bro

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The Earl of Warwick, when he landed, had but very few French with him, being unwilling to give umbrage to his coun trymen. He was immediately joined by the Earl of Shrewf bury and Lord Stanley. And Warwick's prodigious popularity, together with the zeal of the Lancaftrian party, and the difcontent of others against Edward, who had, indeed, been guilty of many acts of cruelty, had fuch effect, and drew fuch multitudes to the Earl's ftandard, that in a very few days his army amounted to fixty thousand men, and was continually increafing. And he had immediately on his landing caufed Henry VI. to be proclaimed, and iffued out an order in his name for all his fubjects from fixteen to fixty to take up arms, and drive out the tyrant and ufurper Edward.

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King Edward, who was exceedingly unprepared for this event, gave orders for the levying of troops, which he appointed to rendezvous near Nottingham; a part of the kingdom, indeed, fufficiently diftant from Dartmouth, where the Earl of Warwick had landed. But it is faid, that Edward, finding his adherents greatly difcouraged by the progrefs and great name of the Earl of Warwick, and finding himself unable to cope with him in the

open

open field, judged it most prudent to retreat to the northern Counties (b).

The Earl of Warwick, however, made long marches towards King Edward, who had now raised a confiderable army. Comines fays it was fuperior to Warwick's. The King's army was encamped near Nottingham, and Warwick had approached within a few miles of it. Edward had, in the front of his army, a bridge, and was ftrongly intrenched in a village, which could not be attacked but by this bridge. In this condition he lay, without any apprehenfions from the enemy, and was at dinner when he heard that the Marquis of Montague, who had raised fix thousand men, and was appointed to command the van of the royal army, had gone over to his brother, the Earl of Warwick, with all the troops under his command. As to the Duke of Clarence, he was either not yet determined about de ferting Warwick, and going over to his brother, agreeably to the promife which he is faid privately to have made; or otherwise he was over-awed, by the great fuccefs and power of Warwick, from attempting it at this time.

Edward at firft could fcarcely credit the account of Montague's defertion. However, he sent out meffengers to enquire into the truth; and, in the mean time, potted himself at the head of a strong detachment, in order to difpute the paffage of the bridge, in cafe of an attack. The mesengers speedily returned, not only with a confirmation of the defertion of Montague, but with an account, that the Earl of Warwick, with his whole army, was on full march towards the King. In this dilemma, he called a council of war; in which the Lord Hattings (who had married Warwick's fifter, but, nevertheless, headfaftly adhered to Edward,) gave it as his opinion, that the greater part of the Royal army would defert to the Earl of Warwick; or that even, though they should preferve their fidelity, they would not be able to make head against Warwick's army. He, therefore, advised the King to confult his own fafety, by retiring to the fea-fide, where he might find an opportunity of making his efcape into Holland. As the danger was fo preffing, Edward embraced the advice of Haftings, and immediately fet out towards Lynn in Norfolk, with his chief and most faithful adherents. However, he and his retinue were in danger of being overtaken on the road, by a party of light horfe, fent by the Earl of Warwick to purfue them. Nor did they escape till

(b) According to fome writers, at the time of Warwick's landing, King Edward was gone into the north, in order to fupprefs an infursection, raised in Yorkshire by the Lord Fitzhugh, married to Alice, fif ter to the Earl of Warwick. This,

after

indeed, if true, would fufficiently and naturally account for Edward's appointing the rendezvous of his forces at Nottingham; but no notice is taken of this circumftance by the generality of our historians,

after they haft loft all their baggage in the Wafhes of Lincoln fhire, through which they were obliged to pafs. Edward finding in the harbour of Lynn three or four fhips bound for Holland, inftantly fet fail, and after having narrowly escaped a fleet of Eafterlings, landed fafely at Alcmaer (i).

After King Edward's departure, his army laid down their arms, and fubmitted to the Earl of Warwick, who immediately marched towards London. He entered that city, on the 6th day of October, 1470, amidst the acclamations of the people. The Earl had fomewhat haftened his march to London, on account of his having received information, that great numbers of Effex and Kentifhmen, encouraged by the prefent unfettled ftate of the Government, had formed a defign of pillaging the city of London; and they actually did great damage in Southwark, and the fuburbs of the city. But Warwick foon put an end to thefe diforders, and gained great applaufe from the citizens of London, for his zeal and activity in the preservation of their houfes and properties.

On the fame day that the Earl of Warwick entered London, he went to the Tower, accompanied by the Duke of Clarence, the Earl of Shrewsbury, and other perfons of rank, and releafed King Henry from that ftate of confinement, in which he had now continued near nine years. Warwick, who had before been the principal author of the unfortunate King's confinement, was now the inftrument of his releafe. Henry was led from his prifon to his palace; while King Edward's Queen took fanctuary in the abbey of Westminster, where fhe was delivered of a fon named Edward.

In confequence of this extraordinary revolution, which had been accomplished in the fpace of eleven days, by which the Earl of Warwick was become mafter of the kingdom, all the Judges, Sheriffs, and Coroners of the kingdom, were removed from their places. On the 26th of November, the Parliament affembled, in which Edward was declared a tyrant and ufurper, his eftates and effects confifcated, and all ftatutes enacted by his authority were annulled; the Crown was fettled upon Henry, and the male iffue of his body; and, in default thereof, on the Duke of Clarence and his defcendants; and this Prince, and the Earl of Warwick, were appointed Regents of the kingdom during the minority of King Henry's fon Edward, It was allo

(i)" Thus (fays Comines) King Edward efcaped, having about feven or eight hundred men in his company, without any clothes but what they were to have fought in, not one crofs in their pockets, and not one in twenty knew whither they were going. It was ftrange to fee this poor

enacted,

King (for fo he might justly be called) run away in this manner, and be purfued by his own fervants. He had been used to his cafe and his pleasures twelve or thirteen years together, and enjoyed more of them than any Prince in his time,” Comines liv. 3. 4. 5.

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