diffembling politician, who knew how to difguife A. C. 1465his fentiments and designs; who could stoop to the meaneft condefcenfions, when he thought his interest would be promoted by fuch compliance; and whofe reign was a continual exertion of low cunning, by which he fometimes overfhot his purpose, and never failed to incur the contempt of his neighbours. credit de England. The earl of Warwick returned to England glow- Warwick's ing with refentment and revenge, which, however, clines in the he concealed with great care and circumfpection; court of and from this very diffimulation Edward divined the nature of his fentiments: but, as it was the intereft of both to disguise their real thoughts, the king continued to treat him with exterior marks of refpect; and the earl maintained his place in the council, until his credit and influence were wholly fuperfeded by the earl of Rivers. In the mean time the ceremony of the queen's coronation was performed at Westminster on the twenty-fixth day of May, with great pomp and magnificence; tho' neither Warwick nor his brothers, the earl of Northumberland, and George lately promoted to the archbishopric of York, affifted on this occafion. These two seem to have abfented themselves from disgust; but the earl of Warwick was at that time in Boulogne with the lords Hastings and Wenlock, as ambaffadors from Edward, fent to treat about a commercial truce with the count of Charolois, and the envoys of his father, Philip duke of Burgundy. This negotiation mifcarried, through the count's attachment to the house of Lancafter, from which he was defcended by his mother: but Warwick and his colleagues, being empowered to treat with the ambaffadors of France and Brittany, concluded a truce with both of these powers, though they were Rymer. at war with each other. 4 The A. C. 1469. State of France, Philip de Comines. The duke of Brittany had not only engaged the count de Charolois and the duke of Bourbon in the war of the Public Good, but even brought over the French king's brother the duke of Berry, to the intereft of the confederates. The count de Charolois was perfonally incenfed against Lewis, who had, by bribing the minifters of his father Philip, obtained the reftitution of the towns upon the Somme, for the confideration of four hundred thousand crowns, according to the treaty of Arras; and afterwards employed the Baftard of Rubempré, and others, to furprise the persons of the duke and the count, and bring them to him dead or alive. His fcheme being detected, the count de Charolois was so exasperated at his perfidy, that he raised a numerous army and approached Paris, while the duke of Brittany and the reft of the confederates made preparations to join him with a strong reinforcement. Lewis, who was then in the Bourbonnois, being informed of his motions, marched directly towards the capital. Their armies meeting at Monthlery, a battle ensued, and both fides claimed the victory. The king threw himself into Paris, and took fuch precautions for the defence of the capital, that, when the confederates joined, they found it fo well fortified, that they could not undertake the fiege with any profpect of fuccefs. At length the war was terminated by a treaty figned at Conflans, by which Lewis restored to the duke of Burgundy the towns fituated upon the Somme; and granted Normandy as an appenage to his brother the duke of Berry. After the ratification of this agreement, the count de Charolois returned to the Low Countries; and the duke of Berry, accompanied by the duke of Brittany, went to take poffeffion of Normandy, where, in a few days, these two princes happening to quarrel, the duke of Brittany retired to his own dominions. Lewis, taking advantage of this dif fenfion, fenfion, marched without delay into Normandy, A. C. 1465 from whence he expelled his brother, who found himself obliged to take refuge in Brittany, where, notwithstanding his quarrel with the duke, he met with an hofpitable reception. concludes a Charolois. All these different powers negotiated at the fame A. C. 1466, time with Edward, who politically amufed them all Edward with hopes of a folid alliance; but in the mean treaty with time agreed to a fhort truce with each, that he the count de might keep himself unengaged until he should fee the iffue of the war, and take his measures accordingly. During these transactions, Ifabel de Bourbon, fecond wife of the count de Charolois, dying, he began to look upon Edward in a different light from that in which he had confidered him before. He faw him triumphing over all oppofition, and firmly fettled on the throne of England; he forefaw nothing but mischief to himself from the conjunction of Edward and Lewis; and the faireft advantage from an alliance with the king of England. In thefe fentiments he demanded Edward's fifter Margaret in marriage; and this propofal was very agreeable to the English monarch, who knew that Lewis hated. him in his heart on account of his fifter-in-law Bona; that all his advances and profeffions were infincere; and that fooner or later he would manifeft his refentment: befides, it was not the intereft of England to fit tamely neutral, and fee the French king ruin the dukes of Burgundy and Bretagne. He therefore, on the twelfth day of October, figned a treaty of perfonal alliance, friendship, and fraternity, with the count de Charolois; and fent a fafeconduct to Lewis of Bruges lord of Gruthuyfen, whom the duke of Burgundy had appointed as his plenipotentiary, to treat with Edward concerning a perpetual peace, and regulate the conditions of the marriage between the count de Charolois and the princess Margaret. Mean Rymer. 7 A. C. 1466. Mean while the duke of Brittany was hard preffed Birth of the by Lewis fince the duke of Berry had been exElizabeth. pelled from Normandy, he was fupported by this princefs Rymer. A. C. 1467. of Bur gundy. prince, who endeavoured to execute the treaty of Conflans; and the count de Charolois engaged to make a powerful diverfion in Picardy. But his father Philip having undertaken a war against the inhabitants of Liege, the count could not poffibly perform his promife; fo that the duke of Brittany was obliged to temporize with Lewis, by entering into a negotiation with him about his giving up his right of fovereignty. This, however, was no more than an expedient to gain time, until the count de Charolois fhould be in a condition to give him effectual affiftance. Accordingly, the war of Liege being fufpended by a truce, the count was on the eve of marching into Picardy, when Lewis, by his intrigues, induced the Liegeois to recommence hoftilities, which prevented him from carrying his scheme into execution; and the duke of Brittany was left to ftruggle alone against the whole power of France. By this time Edward's queen was delivered of the princefs Elizabeth, who proved the means of extinguishing the fatal quarrel between the houses of York and Lancaster; and the kingdom enjoyed profound tranquility. The young monarch concluded treaties of perpetual alliance with the kings of Caftile and Denmark; and prolonged the truce with Scotland for the term of five and forty years. Lewis of France continued his operations against Philip duke the duke of Brittany, who loft all the places he poffeffed in Lower Normandy, and faw himself on the brink of being attacked in his own proper dominions, while the forces of Burgundy were still employed against the inhabitants of Liege: but the French king understanding by his fpies, that the negotiation between Edward and Philip related to to the defence of Bretagne, he exerted all his art A. C. 1457. and influence to divert the king of England from thofe engagements with his enemies. He fent the Baftard of Bourbon and the archbishop of Narbonne, as his ambaffadors to London, with propofals of alliance with Edward, who pretended to be entirely free of all connexions, and immediately appointed commiffioners to treat with these envoys: but he found means to protract the negotiation; and Lewis was afraid to drive the duke of Bretagne to extremity, left the king of England fhould break off the treaty, and declare in that prince's favour. Such was the fituation of affairs when Philip duke of Burgundy died; and was fucceeded by his only fon the count de Charolois, who, on the very day of his father's death, ratified the alliance with Edward, and declared himself more zealous than ever in fupport of the duke of Brittany. Rivers and the queen's tions engross tion. Mean while the court of England underwent con. The earl of fiderable changes, which were productive of infinite mischief to the nation. As the queen's relations other relaadvanced in Edward's favour, the earl of Warwick the whole and his brothers declined in their intereft, and were adminiftraevery day fubjected to new mortifications. The poft of chancellor, which had been occupied by the archbishop of York, was taken in an abrupt and difobliging manner from that prelate, and given to the bishop of Bath and Wells, one of the queen's most zealous partifans. The earl of Warwick was no longer employed in any affair of importance; and his brother the marquis of Montague was kept at a distance from court, by his office of warden of the Scottish marches. On the other hand, the earl of Rivers was elevated to the highest pinnacle of greatness. To the poft of lord high treasurer, which he already poffeffed, was added that of high conftable, vacant by the refignation of the earl of Worcester, whom the king created his lieutenant in G No. 42. Ireland |