of troops, advanced to Leicester, in order to join A. C. 1471. his brother Montacute, and receiving intelligence that Edward had taken the route to Coventry, he marched thither, with a view to hazard an engagement. When the two armies were in fight of each other, the earl received a letter from the duke of Clarence, giving him to understand that he was on the march to join him, and defiring, he would not give Edward battle until he should arrive with his forces. In compliance with this request, Warwick altered his refolution, and allowed his antagonist to proceed to London, believing that city would hold out until he fhould advance to its relief. This was a very flagrant piece of mifconduct, even fuppofing him ignorant of the intelligence which the enemy carried on with the Londoners, as well as of the treachery of his own relations: he ought to have known, that the rich merchants, who had formerly lent fums of money to Edward, had no other profpect of payment than that of his reftoration; that all the ladies were devoted to a prince of his gallantry and perfonal accomplishments, and would neceffarily influence their husbands and kindred in his behalf, that the archbishop of Canterbury, the earl of Effex, with fome other prelates and noblemen, were well-wishers to his caufe; and, that the fanctuaries and franchises of London and Weftminster contained above two thousand of his partifans, including four hundred knights and gentlemen, ready to take arms in his favour. Perhaps all these advantages might have proved ineffectual, had the archbishop of York, to whose care the perfon of Henry, and the city of London were committed, been true to the intereft of his brother Warwick. But, he had by this time made his peace with Edward, who, by his connivance, was admitted into the city, and feized king Henry in the palace of the bifhop of London. The arch bishop A. C. 1471 bifhop was apprehended at the fame time, in order to fave appearances, and committed to prison; bút, in two days he was released, and indulged with a full pardon for all treafons and mifdemeanours. Rymer. flain in the Barnet. Warwick is Mean while Warwick being joined by his fondefeated and in law Clarence, and his brother Montacute, adbattle of vanced towards London; and, on the thirteenth day of April, encamped on a heath in the neighbourhood of Barnet, the town itfelf being poffeffed by the troops of Edward, who had marched thither from London to give him battle, in confequence of a meffage he had received from Clarence, importing that he would join him with all his forces. In the night that preceded the action, Richard duke of Gloucester repaired without any fafe-guard to the tent of Clarence, where the two brothers embraced with all the marks of the most cordial affection; and after some private discourse, they went off together towards Edward's camp, with about twelve thousand followers. Immediately after this fcandalous desertion, he fent a meffenger to Warwick to excufe the part he had acted, and tell him he had made his peace with Edward, who had promised to pardon him upon his fubmiffion. But the earl rejected the proposal with difdain, either believing Edward infincere in his promife, or that he himself was ftill able to cope with him in the field of battle. In all probability his brother Montacute had found means to convince him of his fidelity, and was by this time determined to act heartily againft Edward; otherwise he would, on this occafion, have imitated the example of Clarence. Early in the morning of the fourteenth day of April, the action began with incredible fury on both fides, which were exasperated against each other to the most virulent degree of ranccur, that flighted friendship, personal animofity, and civil war could produce. The troops of Warwick, though inferior in number to the enemy, fought fought with a kind of defperate refolution, fore- A. C. 1471, feeing they should be treated as rebels if vanquished; and the earl himself was determined to conquer or die. Such was their impetuofity that Edward's firft line was obliged to give ground: and some of his horfe riding full speed to London, reported that he was utterly defeated. In this emergency, he or dered his body of referve to advance and charge the enemy in flank; and this expedient was the more fuccessful, as the earl of Oxford had pushed the Yorkifts fo far, that Warwick's main body was left defenceless. That nobleman, however, no fconer recollected this circumftance, than he wheeled about to refume his station; and that movement occafioned the loss of the battle. The device on his arms and enfigns was a star fhooting forth rays; and that of Edward was a fun. The followers of Warwick seeing the star advancing through the medium of a fog, miftook it for Edward's ftandard, and fell upon their friends with fuch fury, that they were broken and difperfed before the earl of Oxford could rectify the fatal error. These laft, believing themfelves betrayed, fled towards the enemy with great precipitation. Other parts of Warwick's army feeing them fly, imagined they had been attacked in the rear, and of confequence that they themselves were furrounded: they began to be seized with confternation; the panic spread from rank to rank, and universal confufion enfued. Edward, taking the advantage of their diforder, charged them with redoubled vigour, and Warwick in vain ufed his utmost endeavours to rally and reanimate them by his own example. In former battles he had always fought on horfeback, that he might ride along the line, and perceive at once the particulars of the action but on this occafion he had fent away his horse, and determined to fight on foot, that his foldiers might fee he was refolved to fhare their fate. in A. C. 1471. in the iffue of the day. Even this refolution contributed to his defeat; because he could not be perfonally prefent at every place where the men ftood in need of his direction and affiftance; and they were no longer encouraged by the fight of their commander. After having exerted all his capacity as an officer and hero, in fruitless attempts, he rushed into the hottest part of the battle, and fell covered with wounds; and his brother Montacute, endeavouring to difengage him, met with the fame fate. All oppofition ended with the life of the two generals; and about noon Edward obtained a complete victory over his enemies, five thousand of whom were left dead upon the field; though the carnage would not have been fo great had not the king forbid his foldiers to give quarter. The earl of Oxford fled into Wales, where the earl of Pembroke was employed in raifing forces for the fervice of Warwick; the duke of Exeter was wounded, ftripped, and left for dead on the field, where he remained till the evening, when he recovered the ufe of his fenfes, and made fhift to crawl to the house of one Rutland, where his wounds were cured; but he was afterwards difcovered and imprifoned in the Tower. Nor was the victory bloodlefs to Edward, who loft the lord Berners and fifteen hundred men, flain in the action. Such was the end of the famous earl of Warwick, who, from his great power, influence, military talents, and fortune, had acquired the epithet of the KingMaker. He was certainly a nobleman of great abilities and magnanimity; and if he had not been betrayed by thofe in whom he chiefly confided, Edward would not have triumphed over the house of Lancaster. On the day that fucceeded the battle, the king returned to London, and ordered the naked bodies of Warwick and Montacute to be exposed in the cathedral of St. Paul's, from whence they Fabian. Stowe. were were carried to Bisham in Berkshire, and interred in A. C. 1471. the priory founded by their ancestors of the house of Montacute. Anjou lands Edward had not time to enjoy the fruits of his Margaret of victory, before he was obliged to run the risque of at Weyanother battle. Margaret of Anjou, after a tedious mouth. and dangerous paffage, landed on Eafter day at Weymouth in Dorsetshire, accompanied by the prince of Wales and Edmund duke of Somerfet, with a small body of French forces. When she received the tidings of Warwick's death, and her husband's imprisonment, all her former courage feemed to forfake her: fhe was overwhelmed with grief and confternation; and took refuge with her fon in the fanctuary of Beaulieu, a Ciftercian monaftery in Hampshire. Her fpirits, however, revived, when she saw herself joined by John Courtenay earl of Devon, the viscount Beaumont, the lord Wenlock, Sir Hugh Courtenay, Sir John Beaufort, Sir Thomas Fulford, Sir John Fortescue, Sir Thomas Tresham, Sir Gervafe Clifton, Sir Thomas Seymour, and other gentlemen with their vaffals and adherents. She then took the field, and marching through the counties of Devon and Somerset, her followers increased to a very confiderable army; until fhe advanced to Tewksbury in Gloucestershire, from whence fhe propofed to march towards Wales, and join the earl of Pembroke. at Tewkef This fcheme, however, was defeated by the vi- Is defeated gilance, and activity of Edward, who profcribed bury. her and all her adherents by proclamation, and be-. gan his march immediately towards the banks of the Severne, in order to engage her before she should. be joined by the earl of Pembroke. As she had been denied entrance into Gloucefter, where fhe purposed to cross the river, she had marched to Tewkefbury with the fame defign; but Edward was fa clofe 11 |