the refult of their conferences was, that the duke A.C. 1451. of York fhould retire to Wales, where the house of March had always great influence, and fecure the affiftance of his friends, in fuch manner, that he fhould be able to affemble an army at pleafure. These previous steps being taken, he should write to the king, informing him of the difcontents of the people; and, defiring that juftice might be done upon the duke of Somerfet. According to this refolution, he retired; and having secured the people of Wales in his intereft, wrote a remonftrance to Henry, importing, that the whole kingdom was difgufted at his conduct in countenancing traitors; and, that he could not help taking the liberty of advifing him to prevent the fatal confequences of popular diffatisfaction. He exhorted him to bring delinquents to justice; and in particular, to give up the duke of Somerfet, who, tho' accufed by the house of commons, had been fet at liberty, and reestablished in his majefty's favour, without having undergone the leaft examination; and, in cafe the king should be disposed to grant that fatisfaction to the people, he offered to affift him with all his power in the execution of such a laudable design. The court eafily perceived, that he wanted no more than a pretence for revolting; and, as they were refolved, that the odium of a rupture fhould not lie with them, the king favoured him with a civil answer, in which he affured him, that he had laid down a refolution to reform the abuses of his government; for which purpose, he was determined to choose a certain number of wife and virtuous counfellors, among whom the duke of York fhould be one of the first; that no traitor fhould be countenanced, or even pafs with impunity; but, the punishment of fuch delinquents being an affair of great confequence, required the moft mature deliberation as to the duke of Somerset, in particular, C 2 : he A. C. 145. he should be brought to answer any nals. A. C. 1452. York ad Brentheath. accufations laid This was fuch an inftance of condefcenfion, as The duke of deprived the duke of York of all pretence of taking vances with up arms. Nevertheless, as he had prepared an army, an army to and looked upon this fhew of moderation as a lure to decoy him into blind fecurity, he refolved to profecute his defign of removing the duke of Somerfet from the council, and proceed or defift as he himself should see it convenient or practicable. He therefore affembled his troops; and began his march for London; but, he did not find the court fo unprepared as he had imagined: the queen no fooner understood that he had retired to Wales, than gueffing his defign, fhe began to levy forces in the king's name, without mentioning the service for which they were deftined; fo that the duke had fcarce begun his march, when he received intelligence, that the king was advancing at the head of an army to give him battle. Surprised at this information, he did not think proper to expose himself to the iffue of an engagement, until he should be furnished with a better pretext for fighting against his fovereign. He hoped the people would espouse his cause, and was very defirous of engaging the city of London in his intereft, before he fhould venture to declare his real defign. He therefore, instead of waiting for the king's approach, changed his route; and, by forced marches arrived before him at London, where he expected to be received with open arms. He had the mortification, however, to find the gates fhut upon him, and the inhabitants determined against taking any step in his favour, while the king was at his heels with a more numerous army than that which he commanded. In this emergency, he was obliged to pass the Thames at Kingston, and intrench himself at Brentheath, at the diftance of twelve miles from London. The duke of York difbands his forces. London, The king following him by the way of A. C. 145a, London bridge, encamped within four miles of him; and fent two bifhops to know the cause of his appearing in arms against the government. The duke, difappointed in one part of his expec. tations, refolved to temporize, that he might not ruin his affairs by too much precipitation. He replied, that his intention was not to renounce his obedience to the king, but folely to remove from him all evil counsellors, of whom the duke of Somerset was the principal; and that if his majefty would commit that nobleman to prifon, and detain him in confinement till the meeting of the next parliament, he would immediately difband his forces. He concluded, that his demand would be rejected by the king and queen, as they were entirely governed by the perfon against whom he had remonftrated; and he hoped their refusal would be of great service to his cause, in demonstrating the queen's refolution to involve the nation in a civil war, rather than part with her minion, who was odious to the whole kingdom. Here again, he was mistaken in his conjecture. The king immediately accepted the propofal, affuring him, that Somerset fhould be fent to the Tower; and, that nobleman was immediately put under an arrest. The duke of York was not a little furprised at this condefcenfion, and wished he could have revoked his engagement; but, as he could not retract without declaring his real aim too openly, he determined to run fome rifque in his own perfon, rather than forfeit the favour of the people, on which his chief hope of fuccefs was founded. Without the leaft hefitation he difbanded his troops; and vifited the king, tho' unprovided with any fecurity for the fafety of his perfon. When he was introduced to his majefty, he accused the duke of Somerset as a traitor who had facrificed the intereft of the king 』,? A. C, 1452. dom to his avarice, and ambition. The duke, who flood concealed in the tent, hearing his character thus impeached, quitted his hiding-place; and not only denied the charge with great warmth, but in his turn, taxed York with a traitorous defign to dethrone his majefty. Richard, feeing his antagonist at liberty in the king's tent, after having been affured, that he was in confinement, perceived he had been duped; and at once comprehended the danger of his own fituation. Nevertheless, without appearing difconcerted, he complained of the deceit which had been practifed upon him by the fuggeftions of the duke of Somerset, on whom he affected to lay the blame of this double-dealing. The court was at very little pains to excufe the collufion; and when York took his leave of Henry, and would have retired, he was arrefted by the king's order. If his enemies had followed the impulse of their animofity, he never would have extricated himself from the fare in which he was entangled by his own imprudence: but, feveral circumftances con-" curred towards his prefervation. The queen and Somerfet dreaded the refentment of the people, among whom he had acquired great influence and favour. The court had received falfe intelligence, that his fon Edward, the young earl of March, accompanied by all the friends of the family, was at the head of a ftrong army advancing to the duke's affistance; and, at this very juncture, deputies arrived from Gafcony, with offers of renouncing the dominion of France, if the king of England would fend a body of troops for their fupport. They forefaw, that the death of the duke of York would involve them in a civil war, which, exclufive of other confequences, would hinder them from fending a fupply of forces for the recovery of Guienne. Thefe confiderations induced them to fet the duke at liberty, tho' the fafety of themfelves and and the house of Lancaster seemed to demand the A. C. 1452. facrifice of his life; but, before his enlargement, they compelled him to take a new oath of allegiance, by which he obliged himself to remain faithful to Henry till death, and promised he would never take arms against him on any pretence whatsoever; then he was permitted to retire to his eftate of Wigmore, and the duke of Somerset continued to enjoy his Stowe. influence at court without a rival. Speed. " bury is fent with a re inforcement to Guienne. King Henry was not more difturbed by the in- Talbot ear fluence and defigns of York, than Charles of of Shrewf France was perplexed and chagrined with the conduct of the dauphin, who was proud, turbulent, and ambitious. He refided in Dauphiné, where he acted as fovereign, and payed very little regard to the orders of his father. He had even demanded in marriage Yolante, daughter to the duke of Savoy; and that prince had granted his requeft, without deigning to intimate the defign to king Charles, who was fo much incenfed at their prefumption, that he affembled an army of thirty thousand men, and marched towards Lyons, to chaftife his fon, and punish the duke of Savoy for this contempt of his character and authority: but he was diverted from his purpose by an unexpected revolution in Guienne. The Gafcons had acknowledged the French dominion for no other reafon than that of being left deftitute of resource by the English; and the army of Charles had no fooner quitted Guienne, than the nobility, in concert with the inhabitants of Bourdeaux, refolved to recal their ancient mafters. For this purpose they fent deputies to London; and as foon as the commotions were appeafed, the queen and council deliberated upon their propofals, which they approved. They concluded, that the fuccefs of fuch an enterprize would raise their credit among the people; and they determined to fend over a body of forces, under the command of the renowned C 4 |