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194

ADVENTURES OF HENRY AND HIS QUEEN.- 1464.

met with some slight successes, but was defeated at Hedgby Moor April 25th, 1464; and three weeks afterwards at Hexham.

7. This last defeat was so decided, that Henry was only saved by the swiftness of his horse from being made prisoner. The queen and her son sought to conceal themselves in a wood; but there, losing their way, they fell among robbers, who took from them everything they had that was valuable.

8. The robbers then luckily began to quarrel about the division of the plunder, which gave Margaret and the prince an opportunity of escaping from them. As they were wandering about in the wood, they met another robber. The queen, knowing that both flight and resistance were impossible, went boldly up to him, and, presenting her son, said, “Behold, my friend, the son of your king. I commit him to your protection."

9. The man was so affected by this appeal, that he led them to a place of concealment, where they remained till the pursuit was over. He then conducted them to the sea-coast, whence they made their escape to France.

10. Henry wandered about from one place of concealment to another for the space of a year, during which he suffered many hardships and privations. In July, 1465, as he sat at dinner at Waddington Hall, he was betrayed by a monk to Sir James Harrington, who conveyed him to London, and resigned him into the hands of his great enemy, the Earl of Warwick.

11. Warwick treated him with the utmost indignity, and, tying his feet under his horse's belly, as if he had been a criminal, compelled him to ride three times round the pillory, while the populace were by proclamation forbidden to show him any marks of respect or compassion. He was then confined in the Tower.

12. His partisans were now reduced to so much distress, that many of the most distinguished nobles were absolutely begging their bread in foreign lands, while the Yorkists were revelling in their estates. Comines says, "I have seen the Duke of Exeter, barefooted and barelegged, begging from door to door; but becoming known, the Duke of Burgundy bestowed on him a pension."

13. Edward, with savage ferocity, did all he could to exterminate the Lancastrian nobles, and those who remained in England could save themselves only by concealment. The son of that Lord Clifford who murdered Prince Edmund was brought up as a shepherd. Another Lancastrian was concealed for five years in a cave on the banks of the river Derwent. The Countess of Oxford maintained herself and her family for some time by working with her needle, and when that failed, she was obliged to beg about the streets of London.

Relate the adventures of Henry till his capture. 11. How was he treats 1 by Warwick i 12, 13. What of his party?

MARRIAGE OF EDWARD IV.-1464.

195

CHAPTER CIX.

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Marriage of King Edward IV.- Warwick, offende at i becomes his Enemy.--Battle of Barnet.-Death of Warwick.-Batile of Tewksbury.-Captivity and Death of the young Prince of Wales.-Death of Margaret and of Henry.

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1. THE Earl of Warwick was very desirous that the king should marry into some powerful foreign family. He was accordingly sent abroad to negotiate a match, and succeeded in procuring for Edward the hand of Bona, sister to the Queen of France.

2. In the mean time, as Edward was one day hunting in Witchwood Forest, he chanced to stop at the manor of Grafton, where was the Lady Elizabeth Gray, daughter of the Duchess of Bedford, and widow of Sir John Gray. This lady became a suitor to the king for some lands which had been forfeited for the part her husband had taken in the war.

3. King Edward was so much charmed by her beauty and graceful behavior that he in his turn became a suitor to her. His addresses met with favor, and he presently married her. The court was soon crowded by her relations. Her father, Sir Richard Woodville,-whom her mother had married after the death of the Duke of Bedford, her three brothers, and five sisters, were all raised to the rank of nobility, and married into the greatest families.

4. Her eldest son, by Sir John Gray, was married to the king's niece, the daughter of the Duke of Exeter. This sudden prosperity

CIX.-1. How did Warwick wish the king to marry? 2, 3. Relate the incident

196 EARL OF WARWICK CONSPIRES AGAINST EDWARD.-1470.

made the new queen's family objects of jealousy to all the other courtiers. Edward gave himself up to pleasure, and the court was one continued scene of revelry; yet under an outside of gayety and amusement was hidden a smothered fire of hatred and envy.

5. The Earl of Warwick was of course highly indignant at this marriage of the king, which he considered as a personal affront to himself; and from being the king's best friend, he became his most formidable enemy. He concealed his resentment, however, till a favorable opportunity should occur for taking his revenge.

6. The king's two brothers, who had been created Dukes of Clarence and of Gloucester, were also offended at seeing themselves supplanted by the new favorites. The Duke of Clarence had married Warwick's daughter, and in 1469 the two conspired together against the king. To further their views, they proceeded to France, where they were received with great joy by all the Lancastrians there.

7. Queen Margaret hastened to secure his friendship by marrying her son to his daughter Anne. Edward was warned of the approaching storm by the Duke of Burgundy, but gave no heed to the admonition, and continued to spend his time in idle diversions.

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8. Warwick landed in England, Sept. 13, 1470, where no preparations had been made to oppose him. He was joined by large numbers of disaffected persons, and Edward and his brother Gloucester departed on horseback, and saved themselves by taking passage in a trading-vessel to Friesland. They had embarked with so much haste, that they were unprovided with money to pay their passage, and the king was obliged to reward the captain of the ship by giving him his cloak.

which led to the king's marriage. 4. What excited the jealousy of the courtiers? 5. How was Warwick affected by the king's marriage? brothers? 8 When did Warwick invade England?

6. What is said of the king's What became of Edward? 9.

BATTLE OF BARNE.-1171.

197

9. The poor queen took refuge in a sanctuary at Westminster, where her son, afterwards Edward V., was born. Warwick now carried all before him. The poor forgotten Henry was dragged from his prison, and once more made a king. But this triumph lasted only a few months.

10. The Yorkists, who had been, as it were, stunned by so sudden a blow, soon recovered from their consternation. Edward returned to England, was joyfully received into London, and the imbecile Henry was once more committed to his prison. Warwick collected his forces, and went to meet Edward, who was advancing against him. 11. The two armies met near Barnet, April 12th, 1471. In the course of the night, the fickle Clarence deserted to his brother with twelve thousand men. The next day the battle was fought. Warwick fell, covered with wounds; a large number of nobles perished with him, and his army was completely routed.

12. Queen Margaret and her son, having been detained by contrary winds, did not land in England till the evening of the day on which the battle of Barnet was fought. When, instead of the triumphant return they had expected, they found all their hopes were blasted by the result of that fatal day, for the first time the queen's undaunted spirit forsook her, and she sank fainting to the. ground.

13. When she revived, she fled with her son to a sanctuary, intending to return to France. But some of the Lancastrians having

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gathered around her, she was persuaded to stay and make one more

What of the queen? 11. When and where was the decisive battle fought between Ed. ward and Warwick? 12. What is said of Margaret? 13 What of the battle of Tewks

198

DEATH OF HENRY VI.-1471.

effort to regain the kingdom; a fatal resolution, which cost the lives of many brave men, who were defeated and slain in a battle fought near Tewksbury, on the 3d of May.

14. The queen and her son were soon after taken prisoners. The young prince was brought into the king's presence, who asked him how he dared to come into his kingdom in arms. He boldly replied, "I came to recover my father's kingdom;" upon which the king, who seemed insensible to magnanimity, gave him a blow on the face. This was considered as a signal for further violence, and he was dragged out of the room by the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, and murdered with their daggers.

15. Margaret survived her son nine miserable years; five of which she passed in the Tower. The King of France then ransomed her, and she returned to that country, where she died in 1480. Edward returned in triumph to London, and the next day Henry was found dead in his bed. The manner of his death is not certainly known; but there is little reason to doubt that he was murdered by Gloucester.

FAMILY OF HENRY.

WIFE.

Margaret of Anjou.

SON.

Edward, Prince of Wales, murdered.

TABLE OF THE KINGS OF THE HOUSE OF LANCASTER.

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Edward IV. loses his energy.—Is outwitted by Louis of France.—Richard, Duke of Gloucester, procures the Death of his brother Clarence.

1. THE king now led a life of luxury and indulgence; but he had one secret care which corroded all his enjoyments. Although the family of Lancaster had been in a manner extirpated, one distant and slightly connected branch yet remained. Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, a grandson of Owen Tudor, was the only person in whose veins ran any of the blood of Lancaster.

2. He was, therefore, considered the representative of that family. He had been brought up by the Duke of Brittany, who protected him from every attempt the King of England made to get nim into his

bury? 14. What was the fate of Margaret's son? 15. What of Margaret herself? What of Henry?

CX.-1. Who was the only survivor of the family of Lancaster? 3, 4, 5 What is

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