Jealousy of the other nobility, and every odious or unsuccessful measure was attributed to him. The duke, however, boldly called upon his enemies to show an instance of his guilt. The house of commons immediately opened against him a charge of corruption, tyranny, and treason. He was accused of being the cause of the loss of France-of persuading the French king, with an armed force, to invade England-and of betraying the secrets of state. The popular resentment against him was so strong, that Henry, to secure him as much as possible, sentenced him to five years banishment. This was considered by his enemies as an escape from justice. The captain of a ship was therefore employed to intercept him in his passage to France. He was seized near Dover, his head struck off on the side of a long boat, and his body thrown into the sea.

The complaints against Henry's government were heightened by an insurrection, headed by one John Cade, a native of Ireland. He had been obliged to fly over into France for his crimes; but, on his return, seeing the people prepared for violent measures, he assumed the name of Mortimer; and, at the head of 20,000 Kentish men, advanced towards Blackheath. The king sent a message to demand the cause of their rising in arms. Cade, in the name of the community, answered, that their only aim was to punish evil ministers, and procure a redress of grievances for the people. On this a body of 15,000 troops were levied, and Henry marched with them in person against Cade, who retired on his approach, as if he had been afraid of coming to an engagement. He lay in ambush, however, in a wood, not doubting but he should be pursued by the king's whole army: but Henry was content with sending a detachment after the fugitives, and returning to London himself; upon which Cade issued from his ambuscade, and cut the detachment in pieces. Soon after, the citizens of London opened their gates to the victor, and Cade, for some time, main tained great order and regularity among his followers. He always led them out into the fields in the night-time, and published several edicts against plunder and violence of any kind. He was not, however, long able to keep his people in subjection. He beheaded the treasurer, lord Say, without any trial; and soon after, his troops committing some irregularities, the citizens resolved to shut their gates against him. Cade endeavouring to force his way, a battle ensued, which lasted all day, and was ended only by the approach of night. The archbishop of Canterbury and the chancellor, who had taken refuge in the Tower, being informed of the situation of affairs, drew up, during the night, an act of amnesty, which was privately dispersed among the rebels. This had such an effect, that in the morning Cade found himself abandoned by the greater part of his followers, and retreating to Rochester, was obliged to fly alone into the woods. A price being set on his head by proclamation, he was discovered and slain by one Alexander Eden; who, in recompense for his service, was made governor of Dover Castle. The count how began to entertain suspicions that

the insurrection of John Cade had not happened merely in consequence of his own machinations and ambition, but that he had been instigated thereto by the duke of York. As he was about this time expected to return from Ireland, and a report took place that he was now to assert his right by force of arms, orders were issued in the king's name to deny him entrance into England. This was prevented by his appearing with no more than his ordinary attendants; but though he thus escaped the present danger, he saw the necessity of instantly proceeding in support of his claim. His partizans were instructed to distinguish between his right by succession, and by the laws of the kingdom. The adherents of Lancaster maintained, that though the advancement of Henry IV. might be looked upon as irregular, yet it was founded upon general consent; or even allowing it to have been at first invalid, it had now been for a long time established, and acquired solidity of consequence; nor could the right of succession at any rate be pleaded for the purpose of overthrowing the general peace and tranquillity of the kingdom. The principles of liberty as well as the maxims of true policy had been injured by the house of York; while the public were bound to those of Lancaster, no less by political than moral duty, in consequence of the oaths of fealty that had been so often sworn to them; the duke of York himself having repeatedly sworn allegiance to them, and thus renounced those claims which he now brought forward to disturb the public tranquillity. On the part of the duke of York, it was replied, that the good of the people required the maintenance of order in the succession of princes; that by adhering constantly to this rule, a number of inconveniences would be prevented which must otherwise ensue; and though that order had been broken through in the case of Henry IV. it was never too late to remedy any pernicious precedent. It would indeed be a great encouragement to usurpers, if the immediate possession of power, or their continuance in it for a few years, could convert them into legal princes; and the people must be in a very miserable situation; if all restraints on violence and ambition were taken off, and full liberty given to every innovator to make what attempts he pleased. They did not indeed deny that time might confer solidity on a goverment originally founded in usurpation; but a very long course of years was not only required for this purpose, but a total extinction of those who had any just title. The disposition of Richard II. and advancement of Henry IV. were not legal acts, but the effects of mere levity in the people; in which the house of York had acquiesced from necessity, and not from any belief of the justice of their cause; nor could this be ever interpreted into any renunciation of their pretensions; neither could the restoration of the true order of succession be considered as an encouragement to rebellion, but as the correction of a former abuse by which rebellion had been encouraged. Besides, the original title of Henry IV. was founded entirely on present convenience; and even this was now entirely shifted to the house of York. The present prince was evidently incapable of

The northern barons, provoked at the southern ones for settling the government and succession to the crown without their consent, soon furnished her with an army of 20,000 men. Another battle was fought near Wakefield Green, on the 24th of December, 1460. The Yorkists were defeated, and the duke himself was killed in the action. His head was afterwards cut off by the queen's orders, and fixed on one of the gates of York, with a paper crown, in derision of his title. His son, the earl of Rutland, a youth of seventeen, was taken prisoner, and killed in cold blood by lord Clifford, in revenge for his father's death, who had fallen in the battle of St. Alban's. After this victory, Margaret marched towards London, to set the king at liberty; but the earl of Warwick, who now put himself at the head of the Yorkists, led about the captive king, in order to give a sanction to his proceedings. He engaged the queen's forces at St. Alban's; but, through the treachery of lord Lovelace, who deserted during the heat of the engagement with a considerable body of forces, Warwick was defeated, and the king fell once more into the hands of his own party. The submission of the city of London seemed now to be the only thing wanting to complete the queen's success; but Warwick had secured it in his interests, and the citizens refused to open their gates to the queen. In the mean time young Edward, eldest son of the late duke of York, put himself at the head of his father's party. He was now in the bloom of youth, remarkable for his bravery and the beauty of his person. He defeated Jasper Tudor, earl of Pembroke, at Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire. The earl himself was taken prisoner, and immediately beheaded by Edward's orders. After this, the latter advanced to London; and, being joined by the remainder of Warwick's army, he soon obliged Margaret to retire, entered the city amidst the acclamations of the people, and was crowned king on the 5th of March,

1461.

7. Of England under the House of York. Queen Margaret, notwithstanding her misfortunes, still continued undaunted. She retired to the north, where she was soon joined by such numbers, that her army amounted to 60,000 men. She was opposed by young Edward and Warwick at the head of 40,000; and both armies met near Touton in Yorkshire, on the 29th of March, 1461. A bloody battle ensued, in which the queen's army was totally defeated; and as Edward, prompted by his natural cruelty, had ordered no quarter to be given, 40,000 of the Lancastrians were slain in the field or in the pursuit. Edward is said to have obtained this victory principally through a violent storm of snow blowing full in the face of the queen's army, and almost incapacitating them for the use of their arms. After this disaster the queen fled to Scotland with her husband and son; whence, assisted by the king of France, she again entered England at the head of 5000 men. Her little fleet, however, was dispersed by a tempest, and she herself escaped with the utmost difficulty by entering the mouth of the Tweed. Soon after, a defeat, which her few forces sustained at Hexham, seemed to render her cause desperate; and the

cruelties practised upon her adherents rendered it very dangerous to befriend her. The house of Lancaster, in fact, was now in its wane, so that Margaret was obliged to separate from her husband. The king, protected by some of his friends, remained in Lancashire for a twelvemonth; but, being at last discovered, he was thrown into the Tower and kept close prisoner. The queen fled with her son to a forest, where she fell into the hands of banditti, who stripped her of her rings and jewels, and treated her with the utmost indignity. A quarrel which happened among them about the division of the spoil, afforded her, however, an opportunity of escape into another part of the forest, where she wandered for some time. At last, when spent with hunger and fatigue, she saw a robber approaching her with a drawn sword in his hand. Finding it impossible to escape, she took the resolution of putting herself under his protection. Advancing towards him, therefore, and presenting the young prince, 'Here,' said she, my friend, I commit to your care the safety of your king's son.' This address so much surprised the man, that, instead of offering her any injury, he professed himself devoted to her service; and, after living for some time concealed in the forest, she was conducted by him and his associates to the sea-side, where she found a ship which conveyed her to Flanders. On her arrival she went to her father's house, and awaited in this retreat some years an opportunity of retrieving her affairs.

Edward, in the mean time, believing himself securely possessed of the throne, gave a loose to his favorite passions; one of which was an immoderate love of women. To divert him from this, the earl of Warwick, to whom he was indebted for his crown, advised him to marry. Edward consented, and sent him over to the continent to negociate a match with the princess of Savoy. The negociation proved successful; but, in the mean time, the king had privately espoused Elizabeth Woodville, daughter of Sir Philip Woodville, who had married the duchess of Bedford after the death of her first husband. Edward had in vain employed the arts of seduction against this lady before he married her; but unfortunately the match was concluded just at the time that the earl of Warwick had proved successful in his negociation with the princess of Savoy. The minister therefore returned full of indignation against his sovereign: and Edward, forgetting the just reason for offence he had given him, determined to remove him from his councils. Warwick was likewise disgusted by the favor shown to the queen's party. A plan of revenge was, therefore, now conceived; and a most powerful combination was formed against Edward; to accomplish which, Warwick not only employed all his own influence, which was very extensive, but likewise that of the duke of Clarence, Edward's brother, to whom the earl had allied himself by giving him his daughter in marriage. Various circumstances of the time also favored this scheme. The inhabitants of the neighbourhood of St. Leonard's in Yorkshire, complained that the duties levied for that institution, and which had been, originally appointed for pious purposes, were secreted by

tague, he embarked for Holland, on board a small fleet at Lynn in Norfolk. While at sea, he was chased by some ships belonging to the Hanse Towns, then at war both with France and England; but at length, landed safely on the Flemish coast, where he met with but an indifferent reception from the duke of Burgundy, with whom he had lately entered into an alliance. Warwick, in the mean time, advanced to London, and once more released and placed Henry VI. on the throne. A parliament was called, which solemnly confirmed the king's title; Warwick himself being dignified by the people with the title of the king-maker. All the attainders of the Lancastrians were reversed, and every one was restored who had lost either honors or fortune by his former adherence to Henry's cause. Edward's friends fled to the continent, or took shelter in monasteries: but his party was not yet destroyed. After an absence of nine months, being seconded by a small body of troops granted him by the duke of Burgundy, he made a descent on Ravenspur in Yorkshire, and first met with little success; but his army increasing on his march, he was soon in a condition to appear before the capital. The unfortunate Henry was now again, therefore, dislodged from his throne, and the hopes of Warwick were almost totally blasted by the defection of Clarence, Edward's brother. Warwick knew his forces to be inferior to those of Edward, but placed great dependence on his own generalship. He, therefore, advanced to Barnet, within ten miles of London, where he resolved to give battle to Edward. The latter soon came up with him, and on the 14th of April 1471, a most obstinate and bloody conflict ensued. Edward, as usual, had ordered no quarter to be given; and, obtained the victory through a mistake of a body of Warwick's forces, who fell with fury on their own party instead of the enemy. The earl himself was slain, together with his brother, and 10,000 of his bravest followers. The queen was just then returned with her son from France, where she had been soliciting supplies. She had scarcely time to refresh herself from the fatigue of the voyage, when she received the fatal news of the death of Warwick, and the total destruction of her party. Her grief now, for the first time, it is said, manifested itself by tears; and she immediately took sanctuary in the abbey of Beaulieu in Hampshire. Here she found Tudor, earl of Pembroke, Courtney, earl of Devonshire, the lords Wenlock and St. John, with some other men of rank, willing to assist her. On this assurance, she resumed her courage; and, advancing through the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Gloucester, increased her army every day. At last, however, she was overtaken by the victorious Edward at Tewkesbury, on the banks of the Severn. The queen's army was totally defeated; the earl of Devonshire and lord Wenlock were killed in the field; the duke of Somerset, and about twenty other persons of distinction, who had taken shelter in a church, were dragged out, and beheaded; about 3000 of the party fell in battle, and the army was entirely dispersed. Queen Margaret and her son

the managers. As the clergy were concerned in this affair, they attempted to silence their antagonists by ecclesiastical fulminations; upon which the latter took up arms, fell upon the officers of the hospital, and having massacred them, proceeded towards York, to the number of 150,000. In the first skirmish, the insurgents had the misfortune to lose their leader, who was instantly executed. They, however, still continued in arms, and in a short time appeared in such numbers as to become formidable to the government. Henry, earl of Pembroke, was first sent against them with a body of 5000 men; and having taken Sir Henry Nevil, one of their leaders, prisoner, instantly put him to death: this was soon revenged by a similar doom being pronounced on himself, on his being defeated and taken prisoner. His defeat had been occasioned by a disagreement with the earl of Devonshire; in consequence of which the latter had gone off with his troops. The king enraged at this, now caused Devonshire to be executed in a summary manner, but this was of no service to his cause; a new body of insurgents appeared under Sir Robert Welles, son to a nobleman of that name. The latter, to secure himself from all suspicion of disloyalty, fled to a monastery; but he was soon enticed from thence, and put to death. His son soon after shared the same fate, being defeated and taken prisoner by Edward, who instantly ordered him to be beheaded, along with Sir Thomas Launde, and other persons of distinction. Notwithstanding this appearance of a general insurrection, the king had so little suspicion of the loyalty of Warwick and Clarence, that he employed them in raising troops to quell the insurgents. Instead of executing their commission with fidelity, however, they joined the malcontents with all the forces they could raise; but, disconcerted by the defeat and death of Welles, they retired to Lancashire, in hopes of being joined by lord Stanley, who had married the earl of Warwick's sister. Disappointed in this, they were obliged to disband their army and fly into Devonshire, whence they set sail for the continent. Upon their arrival at Calais, the deputy-governor, whom Warwick had left, refused him admittance; nor would he even allow the duchess of Clarence to land, though she had been delivered of a son on board only a very few days before. He, however, made an apology to Warwick for this behaviour, and the latter pretended to be reconciled, but immediately left the place, having seized some Flemish vessels which he found in the neighbourhood. As a very close alliance subsisted between Warwick and the duke of Burgundy, the king of France now received him with the greatest marks of esteem. A reconciliation also took place between him and the unfortunate queen Margaret, and a French fleet was prepared to reconduct them to England. They landed together at Dartmouth, with a small body of troops, while Edward was in the north suppressing an insurrection. In less than six days Warwick found himself at the head of 60,000 men. Edward was now, in his turn, obliged to fly the kingdom. Having narrowly escaped an attempt made upon his person by the marquis of Mon

being taken prisoners, and brought to the king, the latter asked the prince, in an insulting manner, how he dared to invade his dominions? The young prince replied, that he came thither to claim his just inheritance; upon which Edward struck him on the face with his gauntlet. The dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, lord Hastings, and Sir Thomas Gray, taking this blow as a signal for violence, hurried the prince into the next apartment, and there despatched him with their daggers. Margaret was thrown into the Tower along with her husband Henry, who expired in that confinement a few days after. It was universally believed that he was murdered by the duke of Gloucester, though of this there is no direct evidence. Margaret was ransomed by the king of France for 50,000 crowns, and died a few years after in that country. Edward being now freed from all his enemies, began to punish those who had appeared against him. Among the various cruelties he committed, the manner in which he put his brother, the duke of Clarence, to death, was perhaps the most remarkable. The king, happening to be one day hunting, a servant of the duke killed a white buck, which was a great favorite of the owner of the park, named Burdet, who vexed at the loss, broke out into a passion, and wished the horns of the deer in the belly of the person who advised the king to that insult. For this exclamation, Burdet was tried for his life, and executed at Tyburn. The duke of Clarence exclaimed against the iniquity of this sentence; upon which, he was arraigned before the house of peers, found guilty, and condemned to death. The only favor granted him was to have the choice of his death; and this is said to have been a singular one, namely, to be drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine. But the whole of this story respecting Clarence, is very differently told by some writers. Having lost his duchess in 1476, he is said to have aspired to the hand of Mary, heiress of the late duke of Burgundy, and thus to have excited the jealousy of his brother. At this time, two of the servants of the duke, Stacey and Burdet, were accused of practising magic, of having calculated the nativities of the king and princes, and of having circulated seditious songs. Clarence interfered upon their trial, we are told, to establish their innocence, and the day after their execution introduced their confessor into the council-chamber to confirm it by their dying declarations. When the king learnt these particulars, he upbraided the duke with insulting the administration of justice; and, in the presence of the lord mayor of London and the sheriffs, committed him to the Tower. A long bill of attainder against him appears in Rot. Parl. vi. 193, 4. Dr. Lingard says he died in the Tower; but the manner of his death has never been ascertained.' The rest of the reign of Edward affords little else than a history of the king's amours. Among his many mistresses, the celebrated Jane Shore deserves some mention. Historians represent her as extremely beautiful, cheerful, and of uncommon intellect and generosity. The king, it is said, was no less captivated with her mind than with her person: if ever she importuned him it was

in favor of the unfortunate. After the death of Edward, she attached herself to lord Hastings; and, when Richard III. cut off that nobleman as an obstacle to his ambitious schemes, Jane Shore was arrested as an accomplice, on the ridiculous accusation of witchcraft. This, however, terminated only in a public penance; excepting that Richard rifled her of all her little property; but, whatever severity might have been exercised towards her, it appears that she was alive, though sufficiently wretched, in the reign of Henry VIII., when Sir Thomas More saw her poor, old, and shrivelled, without the least trace of her former beauty. Rowe, in his tragedy of Jane Shore, has adopted the popular story, related in the old historical ballad, of her perishing by hunger in a ditch, where Shoreditch now stands. But Stowe assures us that street was so named before her time. The king died on the 9th of April 1482, in the forty-second year of his age, and the twenty-first of his reign, counting from his first assuming the crown. Besides five daughters, he left two sons; Edward, prince of Wales, his successor, then in his thirteenth year; and Richard, duke of York, in his ninth.

On the death of Edward IV. the kingdom was divided into new factions. The queen's family, which, during the last reign, had come into power, was become obnoxious to the old nobility, who considered them as their inferiors. The king had endeavoured to prevent these animosities from coming to a height, by desiring, on his death-bed, that his brother Richard, duke of Gloucester, should be entrusted with the regency; and recommended peace and unanimity during the minority of his son. But the king was no sooner dead, than the former resentment between these parties broke out with violence; and the duke of Gloucester was resolved to profit by these contentions. His first step was to get himself declared protector of the realm; and, having arrested the earl of Rivers, the king's uncle and guardian, he met young Edward in his way from Ludlow Castle, where the late king had resided during the latter part of his reign, and respectfully offered to conduct him to London. Having thus secured the king, he next obtained possession of his brother's person. The queen had retired with this child into Westminster Abbey; and it was with extreme reluctance, that she delivered him up, at the intercession of the primate and the archbishop of York. In the course of a few days, Gloucester conveyed the two princes to the Tower, under pretence of guarding them from danger; and soon after this spread reports of their illegitimacy; and, by pretended obstacles, put off the young king's coronation. Lord Stanley first began to suspect his designs, and communicated his suspicions to lord Hastings, who had long been firmly attached to the king's family. Hastings would not at first give credit to the surmises of his friend, but he soon had a fatal proof or the truth of it. On the 13th of June, 1483, he was hurried out of the council-room in the Tower by Gloucester's order, and beheaded on a log of timber. The soldiers who carried him off, made a bustle, as if an attempt had been made to