Edward being now firmly established on the A. C. 147 1. throne of England, affembled on the third day of July, ten bishops, five dukes, fix earls, fourteen barons, Sir William Courtenay, and ten other confiderable knights in the Parliament-Chamber, where they swore they would maintain and support the fucceffion of the crown in his family; and took the oath of eventual allegiance to his fon Edward, whom he had juft created prince of Wales, duke of Cornwall,' and earl of Chefter. The king granted a pardon to William Wainfleet bishop of Winchester, and feven other prelates who had been partisans of the houfe of Lancafter; but George Nevil archbishop of York, to whofe intereft his restoration was in a great measure owing, he fent into exile, and imprifoned in the caftle of Guifnes for feveral years, during which Edward enjoyed the revenues of his fee, after having feized all his other effects. The dignity of great chamberlain of England, vacant. by the death of Warwick, was conferred upon Richard duke of Gloucefter, who afterwards refigned it to Clarence, upon being promoted to the office of conftable. The government of Calais. was bestowed upon Anthony Wideville earl of Rivers, the queen's brother: but the garrifon refufed to admit any perfon in that quality, except the lord Haftings, who was therefore appointed governor; and Sir John Howard was nominated his deputy. The remaining part of the year was Hit. Croyemployed in negotiations with different potentates. land. The truce with Scotland had been frequently vio- Treaties lated during the troubles; and as the fentiments of both kings were altogether pacific with respect to each other, a congrefs was opened at Alnewick, to adjust and compromife all differences: the truce was confirmed, but the negotiation continued two years, during which the English ambaffadors were inftructed to propofe a match between the Scottish I 3

king

Rymer.

with diffe

ren Dowers

Rymer,

A. C. 1471. king and a princefs of England. On the thirtieth day of September, the truce for thirty years with Brittany was confirmed; and another was concluded for eight months with Lewis XI. king of France, though Edward had very little reason to be fatisfied with the conduct of that monarch: but his kingdom being quite exhaufted by the civil wars, he was not yet in a condition to execute the schemes of his refentment. He did not, however, depend fo much upon thefe treaties, as to neglect the neceffary means for putting his kingdom in a posture of A.@. 1472. defence. He convoked a parliament, which met on the fixth day of October, and obtained from the commons a fupply for the maintenance of thirteen thousand archers, together with a tenth from the lords fpiritual and temporal. During this feffion, commiffioners were appointed to treat with the deputies of the Hanfe towns, about renewing the antient league between England and that alliance, which had been violated by depredations in the courfe of the civil war. A difference of the fame nature with the Flemings was alfo accommodated; and the old confederacy with Portugal confirmed by letters patent.

The earl of
Oxford

makes an

Wales.

While Edward thus endeavoured to ftrengthen his throne with foreign alliances, his tranquility was attempt in a little invaded by the return of the earl of Oxford, who had retired to France after the battle of Tewkesbury. This nobleman, meeting with a very cold reception from Lewis, affembled about one hundred men of defperate fortunes, and landing at St. Michael's Mount in Cornwal, took the place by furprize. The king, alarmed at this exploit, ordered a detachment of troops to march against him before he fhould have time to form an army; and being invefted, he furrendered on promife of life; but he loft his liberty and eftate, which Edward confifcated, without allowing the leaft trifle for

the

the fubfiftence of his countefs, who was fifter to the A. C. 147 24 earl of Warwick; and he himself was conveyed to the caftle of Hammes near Calais, where he remained twelve years a prifoner. John Holland duke of Exeter, who had been left for dead on the field at Barnet, retired to the fanctuary at Weftminster; and intreated his wife, who was Edward's fifter, to employ her good offices in his behalf: they had lived feparate fince the beginning of the civil war. She was now fo far from befriending him with her brother, that the defired the feparation might be confirmed by law; and fhe obtained her request, although no fufficient caufe could be fhewn for fuch confirmation. The duke, feeing himself precluded from all hope of pardon, and tired of living in confinement on the charity of a few friends, quitted his asylum fo privately, that no perfon knew the time or manner of his retreat; and in about two years after he disappeared, his body was found on the fea fide in the county of Kent. This nobleman was the laft branch of the houfe of Lancafter that could give Edward any disturbance, except the earl of Richmond, who refided at the court of Brittany with his uncle Pembroke; and although these were in no condition to interrupt the quiet of his reign, he eagerly defired to have the young earl in his power. For this purpose he fent ambaffadors to the duke of Bretagne, demanding they fhould be delivered up but that prince would not fo far violate the laws of hofpitality, as to comply with his demand; though he affured Edward he would keep them in fuch a manner, that they should never difturb his government; and in confideration of this promife the king payed a yearly penfion, on pretence of a maintenance for the two prifoners. The fears of Edward being appeafed by this convention, he teftified his gratitude to Lewis de Bruges lord of Gruthuyfen, by whom he had been so hospitably entertained

I 4

:

A. C. 1472. entertained in Holland, and created him a peer of England by the title of earl of Winchester, after he A&t. Pub. had been naturalized by the parliament.

The duke

During these transactions in England, Lewis XI. of Burgundy of France understanding that there was a treaty of

invades

France.

In

marriage on foot between his brother the duke of
Guienne, and the daughter of Charles duke of
Burgundy, refolved to prevent an alliance which
must have formed fuch an intimate connexion be-
tween his own family and that house which he
wanted to humble: he therefore caufed a dofe of
flow poison to be adminiftered to the duke of
Guienne. In the mean time he concluded a truce
for a whole year with the duke of Burgundy, who
willingly agreed to the fufpenfion, as he had al-
ready loft Amiens and St. Quintin by the war,
which of himself he was not able to maintain.
a few weeks after the conclufion of this treaty the
duke of Guienne died, and Lewis feized his dutchy
without oppofition. Then the duke of Burgundy
perceived that he had been duped by the French
king, who had negotiated the truce, that he might
be at liberty to execute his defign upon Guienne;
and he was fo inflamed with refentment at finding
himself over-reached, that he entered France with
an army, wafting the country with fire and fword.
The duke of Brittany, whofe fchemes were frustrated
by the death of the duke of Guienne, refolved to
join Burgundy in earnest, as the only means prac-
ticable for their mutual prefervation; but Lewis fuf-
pecting that he would take this resolution, had al-
ready ordered a body of troops to affemble in An-
jou, in order to overawe his conduct. Mean while
Charles made himself mafter of Nefle and Roye,
and invested Beauvais, which, however, he could
not reduce. From thence he marched into Nor-
mandy, in hope of being joined by the duke of
Bretagne, who could not ftir from his own domi-

nions; though Lewis by keeping his army in An- A. C. 1473, jou, left Normandy and Picardy at the mercy of the Burgundians. At length, however, the French king found means to make a feparate truce with Brittany; and the duke of Burgundy finding himfelf abandoned by his ally, followed his example in concluding a truce with Lewis, which was frequently prolonged.

an act of re

The fucceeding year is very barren of events in The parlia▾ England, where the parliament, which had been pro- ment paffes rogued, met on the eighth day of February, and fumption. granted a fifteenth as an additional fubfidy to the tenth which had been voted in the preceding feffion. This affembly was again prorogued to the fixth day of October, when an act was paffed for the refumption of all grants of lands and offices, in order to improve the king's revenue, The king of Portu- Rot, Parl. gal, in this interval, demanded the reftitution of fome veffels which had been taken by the English from his fubjects; but as it appeared in the course of the enquiry, that they had been pillaged by the Baftard of Falconbridge during his rebellion, the king of Portugal defifted from his demand. The treaty of Alnewick, which had been long depending, was now concluded to the fatisfaction of the EngJifh and Scottish nations. The difputes with the Hanfe towns were amicably terminated, and the antient alliance was renewed with Denmark.

Rymer.

undertakes

Immediately after the conclufion of the truce A. C. 1474, between France and Burgundy, Charles had in- The duke of vaded Guelderland, as a donation made to him by Burgundy Arnold duke of that country, who had quarrelled the fiege of with his own fon Adolphus. On this pretence the Nuys. duke of Burgundy entered Guelderland, defeated and took Adolphus, and reduced the whole dutchy under his dominion. Then he refolved to extend his conquefts on the fide of Germany, as foon as an opportunity should offer. A conteft for the arch

bishopric