Stowe.
Rymer.

Fabian.

A. C. 1470. attainted. 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 Polyd. Virg. this duke and the earl of Warwick, were conftituted regents of the kingdom, during the young Edward's minority, according to the agreement of Amboife. Mean while Clarence was declared heir to his father the late duke of York, invefted with all his poffeffions, and indulged with other advantageous grants of fee-farm rents, manours and honours, particularly, that of Richmond. The marquis of Montacute was pardoned for his late adherence to Edward; and gratified for his laft defection with the grant of Wrefel and fome other manours: the dukes of Somerset and Exeter, the earls of Oxford, Richmond, Pembroke, and Ormond, were restored to their eftates and dignities; and a compenfation of two and twenty thoufand marks, out of the estate of earl Rivers, allowed to Sir Thomas Cooke, who had been fo cruelly profecuted by that nobleman's father.

A. C. 1471.

coldly received by

his brother in-law the

duke of Burgundy.

During these transactions in England, the fugiEdward is tive Edward met with a very cold reception from his brother-in-law the duke of Burgundy, who would have been much better pleafed with the news. of his death, than with the account of his exile, While the king of England remained at the Hague, living at the expence of the lord Gruthuyfen, extremely mortified at the duke's coldness and neglect, that prince found himself involved in the utmost perplexity. Lewis XI. had declared war against him, and feized St. Quintin and Amiens; and now that Edward was expelled from his throne, he was afraid of intailing upon himself the joint enmity of France and England, fhould he affift the exiled monarch. The dukes of Somerfet and Exeter, who ftill continued at his court, preffed him ftrongly to abandon Edward, and even threatened him

with the indignation of Henry, fhould he protect, A. C. 1471. or patronize the fugitive; and the earl of Warwick had already fent a body of troops to Calais, that they might be at hand to join the French, and invade fome province of the Low Countries. When the duke fent Philip de Comines to Calais to confirm the commercial truce between the inhabitants of that town and his Flemish subjects, he found Vaucler the governor with his garrison, and all the burghers, wearing Warwick's device, and profeffing their attachment to king Henry. Seeing no other way of fucceeding in his negotiation, he obferved, that the truce having been made with Eng. land, and not with the perfon of Edward, it ought not to be affected by the revolution in England; and as the nation was very much interested in this trade, the truce was upon these principles, renewed.

plies him with fhips

and money.

Edward, impatient of his fituation, after his Who at fifter the dutchefs of Burgundy had in vain folicited length fupher husband to take fome vigorous steps in his favour, demanded an interview with that prince, which he could not with any decency refuse. At this conference, he reprefented that delays would be extremely prejudicial to his intereft, as his friends and adherents in England would drop off, while Warwick would be every day more and more strengthened in the power and authority he had ufurped; that therefore, the duke ought either to affift him immediately, or abandon him intirely to his evil fortune. In order to reinforce this remonftrance, he imparted to him the engagement he had contracted with his brother Clarence he reminded him of the oath by which he had bound himself to contribute his affiftance, in cafe it fhould be wanted by Edward: he defired him to confider, that in affifting him in his distress, he would act for the benefit of his own family, which might one day need

H 4

Comines.

4. C. 147. need fupport and affiftance; and at the same time have the glory of reftoring a brother-in-law to his throne. He folemnly promised to unite with him in the closest connexion against France, as foon as he fhould be re-established; and obferved, that the neutrality which the duke had hitherto obferved, could anfwer no purpose for his advantage, nor even hinder Lewis and the earl of Warwick from taking measures for his deftruction. This expoftulation had an effect upon the duke of Burgundy; and, though he was ftill afraid of furnishing Warwick with a pretext to attack his dominions, he contrived an expedient, by which he was enabled to accommodate the fugitive king, without running the rifque of a rupture with that formidable nobleman. He privately advanced a fum of money to certain individuals, who equipped four large veffels at Terveer, which was a free port in Zealand; and engaged fourteen fhips belonging to the Eafterlings, to convoy Edward to England, on the coaft of which they were directed to remain fifteen days after his landing, in order to carry him back, in cafe his efforts fhould not be attended with fuccefs. The king of England being thus fupplied with fhips and money, embarked at Terveer; and he had no fooner difappeared from Holland, than the duke of Burgundy, by proclamation, prohibited all his fubjects, on pain of death, from affifting him directly or indirectly, But, if the scheme of Edward had proved abortive, this artifice would not have deceived the earl of Warwick, who, at this period, concluded a long truce with Lewis, to ferve in lieu of an alliance, which could not be immediately effected on account of Henry's pretenfions to the crown of France; and at the fame time, the earl fent the great prior of the order of St. John of Jerufalem, to conduct queen Margaret and the prince of Wales from France into England,

Rymer,

Edward

lands at

himself

. Edward failing from Terveer, with the lords A. C. 1471.
Haftings, Say, and about fifteen hundred men, Edward
partly English, and partly Flemings, attempted to Ravenfpur,
land on the coaft of Effex; but, being repulfed by and makes
a brother of the earl of Oxford, he stood away to mafter of
the northward, and made a defcent at Ravenfpur York.
in Yorkshire, about the latter end of March, hoping,
that he fhonld be joined by the people of those parts,
as foon as he should produce the letters of invita-
tion he had received from the earl of Northumber-
land. But, he met with a very cold reception; and
the inhabitants of Holderneffe took up arms to op-
pofe his progrefs. He likewife understood by his
emiffaries, that the citizens of York were not at
all difpofed to receive him as fovereign of England.
He therefore profeffed himself a liegeman to king
Henry, wore the badge of the prince of Wales,
which was an oftrich feather; and declared, that
all he demanded was the dutchy of his father. Trust-
ing to the effect of thefe profeffions, and the affec-
tion of the people of York, of which he was intire-
ly poffeffed, although the magiftrates were devoted
to Warwick, he marched towards that city, and
was vifited by a deputation of the aldermen, who
defired that he would chufe another road, that they
might not be under a neceffity of refusing him ad-
mittance. He now again repeated his former de-
claration, touching his demand; and expostulated
with them in a modeft manner, upon the cruelty of
refufing him admittance into a city, from which he
derived his title, and on which he had conferred fo
many benefits; but, he depended more upon the
attachment of the inhabitants, than the power of
his eloquence; and was not disappointed in his
expectation. His partisans excited a commotion in
the city, and the magiftrates went forth again to
offer him the keys, and ftipulate for their being
exempted from pillage. Edward agreed to all their

pro

Fabian.

A. C. 1471. proposals; and being admitted into York, alighted at the cathedral, where by a folemn oath, he confirmed his former proteftations, that he would remain a loyal subject to Henry, and with refpect to his demand, touching his private inheritance, leave it intirely to the determination of parliament, Polyd, Virg. Having thus obtained poffeffion of York, he faw his army daily increafe, and borrowed money of the citizens for their fubfiftence; 'till at length, when he had affembled a confiderable body of forces, he left a strong garrifon in the place, and began his march for London.

Marches to
London.

The news of Edward's landing had no fooner reached the court of England, than commiffions of array were iffued to the duke of Clarence, and the 'earls of Warwick and Pembroke, for raifing forces to repel the invader: the marquis of Montacute, who had been lately appointed warden of the Scottish Marches, received an order to intercept Edward in his march to York, and engage him before he fhould be in a condition to fight with any profpect of fuccefs. Whether this nobleman had entered into a new engagement with Edward, or wavered in his refolutions between a weak prince already on the throne, and a powerful competitor,with whom he hoped one day to be joined by the alliance of that marriage which had been formerly projected; certain it is, he remained quiet in his camp at Pontefract, and allowed Edward to pafs unmolefted, within four miles of his ftation. When this prince arrived at Nottingham, he was joined by Sir William Stanley, Sir William Parr, Sir Thomas Burgh, Sir William Norris, and a great number of other gentlemen with their vaffals. This junction encouraged him to publifh his claim to the crown; and his number was every hour augmented, during his progress towards London. Mean while, the earl of Warwick having levied a body'

of