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A. C, 1470. treat was conftrued into a grofs affront by the archbishop as well as by Warwick, and his fon-in-law Clarence, who imagined it was a concerted fcheme to fix the imputation of perfidy on them and their adherents: the former animofity was rekindled by this circumstance, and both fides reproached one another with great bitterness.

Richard

Willes is defeated by

Stamford,

Cicely, dutchess of York, the king's mother, endeavoured to effect a reconciliation, and they met the king at in her house of Baynard's caftle; but their mutual jealoufy was too deeply fixed to be eradicated at this interview. Neverthelefs, Edward impowered Clarence and Warwick to array men in the counties of Warwick and Worcester, in order to fupprefs an infurrection in Lincolnshire, headed by Robert, the fon of Richard lord Willes, Sir Thomas Dymock, and Sir Thomas de la Launde. The pretext for this commotion was the conduct of Sir Thomas Burgh, an officer of the king's houfhold, who had oppreffed the people; though it afterwards appeared that Warwick and Clarence had inftigated the leaders to raise the disturbance. Edward fent for the lord Willes and Dymock to come to London, and give an account of the infurrection. They fet out accordingly; but being informed on the road that the king was incenfed against them as the authors of the rifing, they took refuge in the fanctuary at Westminster, from whence they were drawn by the king's promife of pardon; and the lord Willes, by Edward's command, wrote a letter to his fon, defiring he would lay down his arms, and fubmit to the king's mercy. To this injunction, however, Robert payed no regard; and Edward advancing with an army against him to Staniford, was fo incenfed at his obftinacy, that he ordered his father and Dymock to be beheaded. This act of barbarity enraged him to fuch a degree, that although his army confifted of raw, undifcip

93

lined troops, and he expected to be joined by War. A. C. 1479.
wick and Clarence, who had already affembled a
ftrong body of forces, he refolved to revenge his
father's death without delay, and attacked Edward
with incredible fury, on the fourteenth day of
March. The battle was maintained for some time
with equal refolution on both fides: but, at length,
the rebels were obliged to yield to the difcipline and
valour of the royal army, and were defeated with
great flaughter. Ten thousand men are faid to
have been flain in this engagement; and the gene-
ral, with Sir Thomas de la Launde, being taken
prifoners, were beheaded immediately after the
action.

and the earl

claimed

traitors.

Mean while Warwick and Clarence marched in The duke to Lancashire, in hope of being reinforced by Tho- of Clarence mas lord Stanley, who had married the earl's fifter; of Warwiek. and from thence they intended to advance into are proYorkshire, where they expected to be joined by those infurgents who had rifen under Sir John Conyers. In order to facilitate that junction, they employed emiffaries to alarm them with reports that the king intended to revoke the pardon he had granted: they were disappointed however in both expectations. Stanley refused to embark in their undertaking, and the king got the ftart of them in Yorkshire, where he published a proclamation confirming the former amnefty. The two chiefs, being thus difappointed, Rymer. retired to the western parts of England; and in Iv their route furprised the earl of Rivers and lord Claufe 10. Audeley, whom they confined in the cattle of Wardour, from whence they were afterwards refcued by John Thornhill, a gentleman of Dorsetshire. While Clarence and Warwick were employed in Devonfhire, in equipping a number of veffels to convey them and their families to Calais, Edward obliged Warwick's brother, John Nevil, to refign what he poffeffed of the Piercy eftate, with his patent for the

honour

Frag. Ed.

Ed. IV.

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A. C. 1470. honour of Northumberland, and, by way of re compence, created him marquis of Montacute. In confequence of his refignation, Henry Piercy was declared earl of Northumberland, reftored to all his eftate, and appointed warden of the Eaft and Middle Marches towards Scotland. John Tiptot, earl of Worcester, and constable of England for life, was conftituted lord lieutenant of Ireland, in the room of the duke of Clarence; and a price fset upon the heads of that prince and his father-in-law the earl of Warwick. At the fame time the king published a declaration, representing that George duke of Clarence, and Richard earl of Warwick, had formed an unnatural defign to dethrone his majefty; that they had encouraged Sir Robert Willes in his rebellion, with promife of fuccours, as appeared from the confeffion of the faid Sir Robert and Sir Thomas de la Launde; that the king had fummoned the duke and earl to his prefence, to clear themselves of thofe accufations; but, inftead of obeying his order, they had marched into Lancashire, in order to raise a greater number of forces, with which they hoped to execute their treacherous defigns: that, notwithstanding these repeated acts of rebellion, he was still willing to forgive them, on their fubmiffion, and giving fureties for their future behaviour; and therefore fummoned them to appear before him by the twentyeighth day of March, on pain of being denounced rebels and traitors. As they paid no regard to this declaration, another was actually published at Nottingham, on the thirty-first day of March, declar ing them rebels and traitors: offering rewards for taking them, and prohibiting all perfons, on the Claufe 10. fevereft penalties, from affifting them and their adherents.

Ed. IV.

They retire to France.

That his brother and Warwick might not have time to affemble an army in the Weft, Edward

marched

Comines.

95

marched thither with great expedition; and from A. C. 1470* Exeter iffued commiffions to the earl of Wilts, the lord Mountjoye, Sir John Fortefcue, and others, for arraying men in Devon and Cornwall: but before thefe troops could be affembled, Clarence and Warwick embarked at Dartmouth. When they attempted to enter the harbour of Calais, the cannon of the place began to play upon them; fo that they were obliged to ftand out to fea; and the dutchess of Clarence falling in labour, was delivered of a son named Edward, who was afterwards earl of Warwick. The grandfather of the child was not a little mortified at this treatment from his own lieutenant Vaucler, a Gafcon, who was prevailed upon to consent to the infant's being chriftened in the place, and found means to let the earl know the meaning of his unexpected behaviour. The Philip de place was not provided for a fiege against the power of Edward and the duke of Burgundy the inhabitants were apprehenfive of losing their trade; and the lord of Duras, who was Warwick's enemy, commanded a good part of the garrifon. Vaucler therefore advised the earl to retire into France; and depend upon his fidelity. Perhaps this Gafcon played a double game, and refolved to declare for. the ftrongeft: but in the mean time his behaviour was very agreeable to Edward, who gratified him with the government of the place; while a penfion of a thousand crowns was fettled on him by the duke of Burgundy. Warwick, being obliged to admit of his excufes, failed for Normandy, and landed at. Honfleur, where he was courteously received by the baftard of Bourbon, lieutenant-general of the province; from thence he and his fon-in-law fet out for the court of France at Amboife, where he met with a very favourable reception.

Lewis would not intermeddle in the affairs of England, while the crown was in difpute between Edward

H

between

Warwick and Margaret of Anjou.

She

A.C. 1470. Edward and Henry: but now that Edward had contracted fuch a firm alliance with the duke of Burgundy, his intereft prompted him to effect the ruin of both, and his intereft on this occafion co-operated with his defire of revenging the affront he had received from Edward in the affair of the marriage. Befides, the fuccours which that monarch intended for the duke of Brittany, plainly demonftrated, that while he fhould poffefs the throne of England, the princes of France would always have recourfe to his protection. All these confiderations concurred in favour of the English fugitives, to whom he proConvention mifed a very powerful affiftance. very powerful affiftance. That the civil war, which he hoped to kindle in England, might rage with the greater violence, he refolved, if poffible, to reconcile Margaret of Anjou and Warwick; and in the mean time fent for Margaret, who had retired to the habitation of her father. looked upon Warwick as the author of all the miferies to which she and her family had been fubjected; and the most rancorous and inveterate enmity fubfifted between them: nevertheless the accommodation was easily effected, because they stood in need of each other. Warwick wanted a pretext for dethroning Edward, and the most plaufible he could ufe was the restoration of Henry, which he could not undertake without the queen's concurrence. Margaret, on the other hand, faw no profpect of the re-establishment of her family but in the affiftance of Warwick; and therefore made no fcruple to ask the protection of her antient adversary. Lewis managed the treaty between them, which was concluded, on condition that the duke of Clarence and the earl of Warwick fhould exert all their endeavours for Henry's reftoration; that the queen fhould engage upon oath to leave the adminiftration in their hands, during the life of Henry, or the minority of his fon, in cafe of his acceffion to the

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