A. C, 1467. Ireland under the duke of Clarence; and the fur-vivancy of the constable's place was conferred upon the earl's fon Anthony Wideville. The queen's fifter Catharine was married to Henry duke of Buckingham; and another fifter called Anne matched with George fon and heir of the earl of Kent, formerly Edmund lord Grey of Ruthvin: William, eldeft fon of the lord Herbert, efpoufing Mary a third fifter of the queen, was created lord of Dunftar, and afterwards earl of Huntingdon; and his fifter Margaret was given in marriage to Thomas Talbot viscount L'Ifle. These honours and alliances given and contracted in favour of an obfcure family, excited the hatred and envy of the commons as well as of the nobility, who could not but repine at the king's partiality, in behalf of his wife's relations; but of all the nobility, the earl of Warwick and his brothers had the greateft reafon to complain of these promotions, to fome of which they were more than any other perfons in the kingdom, intitled, by the great fervices they had done to Edward. Inftead of being recompenfed as they deferved, over and above the indelible affront offered to the earl in the affair of the lady Bona, he was excluded from all fhare in the administration, fubjected to a series of flights and infults from the queen and her kindred, who seemed intent upon driving him from court, left he should one day retrieve his credit at the council; and at last, the king, by act of parliament, refumed all grants of lands and offices fince the day of his acceffion, except in certain cases mentioned in special provifos, added to the act when it obtained the royal affent. These were chiefly in favour of the clergy and corporations; but Edward's real view in this bill, was to render the houfe of Nevil dependent on his pleafure, for the enjoyment of thofe eftates with which their fervices had been rewarded. So many con

curring

curring motives could not fail to operate ftrongly A. C. 1467, on the resentment of Warwick, who was one of the proudest noblemen that England ever produced : he therefore could no longer diffemble his difguft, but retired to his castle of Middleham in Yorkfhire.

concludes a

commerce

In the mean time Edward amufed the ambaffa- Edward dors of Lewis, with hopes of a perpetual alliance, treaty of until the marriage between the duke of Burgundy with Breand his fifter Margaret was concluded; then fhe de- tagne. parted from England, accompanied by the dutchefs of Exeter and Suffolk; and the nuptials were folemnized at Bruges with incredible magnificence. The remaining part of the winter was employed in negotiating an alliance with the duke of Brittany, under the mediation of Edward's new brother-inlaw, who was so much embarraffed by the war of Liege, that he could yield very little affiftance to that ally. At first the truce was prolonged till A. C. 1468. July, when Edward's commiffioners figned a treaty of commerce with Brittany; and next day orders were iffued to levy troops for the defence of that dutchy. In the beginning of Auguft, the king fent ambaffadors to France, on pretence of treating with Lewis about a perpetual peace; and in lefs than three days after their departure, fubfcribed a treaty, by which he obliged himself to reinforce the duke of Brittany with three thousand archers. Thefe troops being levied, the king bestowed the command of them upon his brother-in-law Anthony Wideville, lord Scales, who proposed to set fail for Brittany in the beginning of October. During thefe negotiations at London, the dukes Accommoof Bretagne and Berry were reduced to great dif.. tween ficulties. The truce they had obtained of Lewis France and was almost expired; the English fuccours were not yet arrived; and the duke of Burgundy was ftill hindered by the war of Liege, from marching to

G 2

their

Rymer,

dation be

Burgundy,

A C. 1468. their relief. At length, however, that prince found

Adventure
between
Lewis of
France and

an opportunity to bring his enemies to a battle, in which they were defeated, and obliged to fue for peace; which was granted on pretty favourable conditions. Immediately after the ratification of the treaty, he began his march into Picardy, and had already advanced to the banks of the Somme, when he was informed, that his allies had made peace with Lewis; that the duke of Berry had renounced all foreign alliances; and refigned all claim upon Normandy, in confideration of a moderate penfion, and a small eftate in land. Charles was not a little confounded, when he received the account of this tranfaction; nevertheless, he would not retire, but continued encamped in the fame place; on this fuppofition, that as the duke of Brittany had fubmitted on compulfion, he would retract his engagements with Lewis, upon feeing himself so powerfully fupported. This refolution of Charles alarmed the king of France, who began to fear what the other hoped; and in this apprehenfion set out for Picardy, to treat of an accommodation with the duke of Burgundy. That prince, uncertain with respect to the refolves of the duke of Bretagne, confented to retire, on payment of four hundred thousand crowns, which Lewis difburfed for the expence of his expe dition.

Hitherto the French king had fucceeded to his wifh, in diffolving the league which had been formed Charles of against him, and reducing his brother to an incaBurgundy at pacity of hurting him for the future; but, ftill he Peronne, hankered after the execution of his firft project, to ruin the duke of Brittany, that he might afterwards humble the rest of his nobility; and even reduce the overgrown power of the duke of Burgundy. This was his favourite scheme; and feemed to engrofs his whole attention so much, that he was betrayed by it into the most dangerous inadvertency.

2

After

After having figned his treaty with the duke of A. C. 1468.
Burgundy, he refolved to confer with him per-
fonally; hoping by his eloquence and infinuation,
to detach him intirely from the interests of the duke
of Bretagne at least, he thought he should be able
to fow fuch jealoufies between these allies, as would
produce an harvest that would turn out to his ad-
vantage. With this view, he demanded a fafe-
conduct from the duke, by virtue of which he
might vifit him at Peronne; and this being granted,
he repaired to that place with a very flender retinue.
Before he took this refolution, he had fent ambaf-
fadors to perfuade the inhabitants of Liege to re-
nounce the laft peace, and take arms against Charles;
in which cafe he promised to fupply them with
powerful fuccours. He had even forgot to recal
the ambaffadors, who fucceeded fo well in their ne-4
gociation, that the Liegeois immediately recom.
menced hoftilities; and, intelligence of this was
brought to Charles while the king of France was
with him at Peronne. The duke of Burgundy
was fo incenfed at this double-dealing in Lewis,
whofe aim he imagined was to furprise him unpro-
vided for his own defence, that he put the French
king under arreft in the castle of Peronne; and
detained him prifoner for fome days, during which
he wavered in his refolution, about the conduct he
fhould obferve on fuch an occafion. Lewis, whose
own knavish difpofition taught him to dread the de-
figns of his enemy, remained all that time under
the utmoft terror and agitation, and refolved to
purchase his liberty, by fubmitting to all the con-
ditions that the duke fhould please to impofe. But,
he found in Charles fuch generofity, as even tranf-
cended his warmeft hope. All that he demanded
was that Lewis fhould beftow Champagne and
Brie on his brother, the duke of Berry, in lieu of
Normandy, which was granted to him by the treaty
of

1

G 3

A. C. 1468. of Conflans; and that he would accompany the
duke in his war against the Liegeois. In a few
days after this convention, they fet out together for
the country of Liege, and Lewis had the mortifi-
cation to be an eye-witness of the deftruction of the
capital city, which he himself had inftigated to its
own ruin.
At length he obtained his liberty, after
having undergone the moft dreadful apprehenfion
of lofing his life, or being detained in perpetual
imprisonment.

Philip de

Comines

Perfecution

mas Cooke.

About this period, Edward renewed the antient of Sir Tho- alliance between England and Arragon; fo that being at peace with almoft all the princes of the continent, he had nothing to fear but from domeftic troubles; and of these he feemed to have but little apprehenfion: though a fpirit of difcontent began to diffuse itself through the nation, which was disgusted by "the pride and infolence of the queen's relations. Sir Thomas Cooke, who had been mayor of London, was accused of treafon by one Hawkins, a fervant of lord Wenlock, and ar refted; but, bailed at the requeft of the princess Margaret, before her marriage with the duke of Burgundy after her departure he was again apprehended, and fent prifoner to the Tower; and his houfe and effects, to a very confiderable value, were feized by the earl of Rivers, as treasurer of England. After having lain a long time in prison, he was tried and acquitted by feveral juries, though not released: then a bill being found against him, for misprifion of treafon, he was committed to the Compter, and from thence conveyed to the King's Bench in Southwark. There he continued for a long time, while the fervants of Rivers plundered his houses, until he purchased his liberty with eight thousand pounds, by way of fine to the king for his offence. Nor was this the end of his perfecution. The queen demanded an hundred marks for every thoufand