lord Clifford, in revenge for his father's death, who had fallen in the battle of St. Alban's.

Margaret, being victorious, marched towards London in order to give the king liberty; but the earl of Warwick, who now put himself at the head of the Yorkifts, commanded an army, in which he led about the captive king to give a fanction to his attempts. Upon the approach of the Lancaftrians he conducted his forces, ftrengthened by a body of Londoners, who were very affectionate to his caufe, and he gave battle to the queen at St. Alban's. While the armies were warmly engaged, Lord Lovelace, who commanded a confiderable body of Yorkifts, treacheroufly withdrew from the combat, and this decided the victory in favour of the queen. Above two thousand of the Yorkifts perished in the battle, and the person of the king again fell into the hands of his own party; to be treated with apparent refpect, but real contempt. Lord Bonville, to whofe care he had been entrusted, ftaid with him after the defeat, upon an affurance of pardon; but Margaret, regardless of her husband's promife, immediately ordered his head to be ftruck off.

It only now remained, that the city of London fhould declare in the queen's favour, but Warwick had previously fecured it in his interefts; and the citizens, who dreaded her tumultuous army, refused to open their gates to her fummons. In the mean time, young Edward, the eldest fon of the late duke of York, began to repair the loffes his party had lately fuftained, and to give fpirit to the Yorkifts. This prince, in the bloom of youth, remarkable for the beauty of his perfon, his bravery, and popular deportment, advanced towards London with the remainder of Warwick's

army;

army; and obliging Margaret to retire, entered the city amidst the acclamations of the people. Perceiving his own popularity, he fup- A. D. pofed that now was the time to lay 1461. his claim to the crown; and his friend Warwick, affembling the citizens in St. John's fields, pronounced an harangue, setting forth the title of Edward, and inveighing against the tyranny and ufurpation of the houfe of Lancafter. He then demanded whether they chofe Henry for their king; to which the people crying, a York! a York! he quickly called an affembly of lords and bishops, at Baynard's castle, and these ratified their choice. The young duke was proclaimed king, by the title of Edward IV. and then conducted with great ceremony to the palace, where Henry used to lodge when within the walls of the city.

But the miferies of a civil war were not yet compleated, and Margaret was refolved to ftrike another blow. Upon her retiring to the North, great numbers flocked to her ftandard, and the was able, in a few days, to affemble an army of fixty thousand men in Yorkshire. On the other fide, the earl of Warwick conducted young Edward at the head of forty thousand men to oppofe her. Both fides at length met near Touten, in the county of York, to decide the fate of empire, and never was England depopulated by fo terrible an engagement. It was a dreadful fight, to behold an hundred thousand men of the fame country engaged against each other; and all to fatisfy the empty ambition of the weakest, or the worst of mankind. While the army of Edward was advancing to the charge, there happened a great fall of now; which driving full in the faces of

the

the enemy, blinded them, and this advantage, feconded by an impetuous on fet, decided the victory in their favour. Edward iffued orders to give no quarter; and a bloody flaughter enfued, in which near forty thousand of the Lancaftrians were flain. Edward entered York victorious; and taking down the heads of his father and the earl of Salisbury, that were placed over the city gates, put up that of the earl of Devonshire in their ftead.

In the mean time, Margaret hearing the fate of her army, and being fenfible that no place in England, could now afford her protection, the fled with Henry and her fon to Scotland. But no caJamity was able to repress her perfeverance; though fo often overcome, yet fhe was refolved once more to enter England with five thousand men, granted her by the French king; and the unfortunate Henry was led onward, by his presence to enforce her claims. But even here her former ill fortune attended her; and her little fleet was difperfed by a tempeft, while fhe herself escaped, with fome difficulty, by entering the mouth of the Tweed. Soon after a defeat, which her few forces fuffered at Hexham, feemed to render her caufe defperate; and the cruelty which was practifed upon all her adherents, rendered it still more dangerous.

'The lofs of this battle appeared to deprive her of every refource; the and her husband were obliged to feek for fafety in a feparate flight, without attendants, and without even the neceffaries of life. The weak unfortunate king, always imprudent, and always unfuccefsful, thought he could remain concealed in England; but his error was foon attended with the obvious confequences, being taken prifoner, carried to London with ignominy, and confined in the Tower. Margaret was ra

ther more fortunate. She flying with her son into a foreft, where the endeavoured to conceal herfelf, was fet upon during the darkness of the night by robbers, who, either ignorant or regardless of her quality, defpoiled her of her rings and jewels, and treated her with the utmoft indignity. But the found more respectful treatment from one of those lawless men, who, knowing her ftation, refolved to procure her fafety at the hazard of his own; and at last conducted her to the fea coast, whence the made her escape to her father in Flanders, who, though very poor, ftrove as well as he could to fupply her with the neceffaries of life. To the fame court the dukes of Somerset and Exeter retired; and they, literally speaking, felt all the miferies of want. Philip de Comines, the French hiftorian, fays he faw the duke of Exeter following the duke of Burgundy's equipage bare-footed, and ferving for his livelihood as a footman. This was a ftrange fituation for a lord, who had conducted armies, and was allied to kings and princes; but thofe enjoyments which served to diftinguifh the great from the little, were not fo apparent then as at present.

Edward being now by means of the earl of Warwick, fixed upon the throne, reigned in peace and fecurity, while his title was recognized by parliament, and univerfally fubmitted to by the people. He began, therefore, to give A. D. a loofe to his favourite paffions; and a fpirit of gallantry, mixed with cruelty, 1464. was feen to prevail in his court. In the very fame palace, which one day exhibited a fpectacle of horror, was to be feen the day following a mask or a pageant; and the king would at once gallant a mistress, and infpect an execution. In order to turn him from thefe purfuits, which were calcu

lated

lated to render him unpopular, the earl of Warwick advised him to marry; and, with his confent, went over to France to procure Bona of Savoy as queen, and the match was accordingly concluded. But whilft the earl was haftening the negotiation in France, the king himself rendered it abortive at home, by marrying Elizabeth Woodville, with whom he had fallen in love, and whom he had vainly endeavoured to debauch. Having thus given Warwick real caufe of offence, he was refolved to widen the breach, by driving him from the council. Every incident tended to encrease the jealousy between the king and this powerful fubject; the favour fhewn the queen's party, and the contempt which was thrown upon the earl, manifefted an open rupture. Warwick, whose prudence was equal to his bravery, foon made use of both to affift his revenge; he seduced the duke of Clarence, brother to the king; and to confirm that nobleman in his interefts, he gave him his daughter in marriage. Thus an extenfive and dangerous combination was formed against Edward and his miniftry; and an accident that followed foon after, contributed to fan the flame. The inhabitants about St. Leonard's Hospital, in Yorkfhire, complained that the duties levied for that inftitution, which were originally allotted for pious ufes, were now fecreted by the managers; and they refused to contribute their part. They foon after rofe in a body to oppofe the ecclefiaftical feverities that were levelled against them by the earl of Pembroke. It is thought that the earl of Warwick had fome hand in fomenting thefe diforders; and although this rebellion was quieted by a pardon from Edward, yet fome others, that broke out fhortly after, appeared favourable to Warwick's defigus. Vengeance feemed to be the

only