But this seeming harmony was but of short continu ance; a scuffle which happened between the retainers of the Earl of Warwick, and those of the king, revived their animosity and hatred. The Earl apprehending his life to be aimed at, fled to his government at Calais, and the Yorkists immediately prepared for hostilities. The royalists, under Lord AwlIcy, though superior in num bers, were defeated at /31orcheath by the Earl of Salis bury, who was hastening to join the Duke of York at Ludlow. But when a general engagement drew near, a body of veterans, which Warwick had brought over from Calais, deserted to the king, which so dismayed the rebels, that they separated without coming to action. The Duke fled to Ireland, and the Earl of Warwick, with some of the chiefs of his party, retired to Calais. This nobleman was the most celebrated general of his age, and had rendered himself extremely popular among the military, by his bravery and munificence. Nume rous partisans flocked to his standard, and he soon found himself in a condition again to take the field. He landed in Kent, with the Earl of Salisbury, and Edward eldest son of the Duke of York, and was received in London amidst the acclamations of the populace. The royal army hastened from Coventry 'to give him battle. They met at Northampton, and the action continued for five hours. Both sides fought with the utmost obsti nacy, but the desertion of Lord Grey of Ruthin, who commanded the van of the royalists, turned the battle in favour of Warwick, who gained a complete victory. The slaughter fell chiefly on the nobility and gentry ; and the Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Shrewsbury, with the Lords Beaumont and Egremont, were killed in the action or pursuit. Henry was again taken prisoner; but Margaret and her infant son escaped into Scotland. This victory was followed by the arrival of the Duke of York from Ireland, and a parliament was assembled at Westminster to decide upon his claim to the crown. Richard was now at the head of a victorious army, and could have stepped into the throne without resistance ; but his moderation and irresolute temper made him averse even to the least appearance of violence. He now, for the first time, openly advanced his claim to the crown, and pleaded his cause before the House of Peers. He stated his title by descent ; detailed the cruelties by which the house of Lancaster had paved their way to power; described the calamities which attended the present reign, and called upon them to do justice to the lineal succession. His claim was taken into considera tion, and was solemnly debated for several successive days. It was at last decided that his title was certain and indefeasible ; but it was also determined that Henry should enjoy the crown during life ; that Richard should have the present administration of the government, and should be acknowledged the true and lawful heir to the monarchy, to the utter exclusion of the young Prince of Wales.
Margaret did not continue long in her retreat. Her spirit rose superior to her misfortunes. She possessed inexhaustible resources in the energies of her own mind. She animated her old friends by her courage and per severance, and new ones were attracted by compassion for her helpless situation. No time was to be lost, and however unfavourable the present aspect of her inte rests, she determined again to assert the rights of her family. By her insinuating address, by caresses and promises, she so gained upon the northern barons, that they all armed in support of her cause ; and she found herself at the head of an army 20,000 strong, before her enemies were informed of her intentions. The Duke of York hearing of her return, but unacquainted with her force, hastened with 5000 troops to suppress her adherents. But when he came to Wakefield, he was surprised to find himself completely outnumbered. Dis regarding, however, the dictates of prudence and expe rience, he listened only to the suggestions of pride. Ri chard, though deficient in political courage, was emi nent for his personal bravery. lie deemed it unworthy' of his character and reputation to retire before a woman, and he boldly offered battle to the enemy. His little army was surrounded and cut to pieces: the body of Richard was found among the slain. His head was cut off by order of Margaret, and fixed upon the gates of York, with a pa per crown upon it, in derision of his title. His second son, the Earl of Rutland, and the Earl of Salisbury, were taken prisoners. Salisbury was immediately beheaded by martial law ; the other, a youth only of seventeen, was barbarously murdered in cold blood by the Earl of Clif ford, in revenge of his father's death, who fell in the bat tle of St Albans.
Margaret improved her victory by hastening to Lon don, but weakened her army by sending a detachment under the Earl of Pembroke, against Edward, the new Duke of York. Pembroke was defeated at Mortimer's cross, with the loss of 4000 men. His father, Sir Owen Tudor, was taken prisoner, and immediately beheaded by Edward's orders; and this spirit of revenge, when once begun, continued to actuate both parties during this long protracted contest. On the approach of Mar garet, Warwick, who had been left with the command of the Yorkists in London, led out his army, and gave battle to the enemy at St Albans. The Queen was again victorious. Warwick was. compelled to fly and take shelter in the capital, which was firmly attached to his party, and the king was left in the hands of the victors.
But Margaret was scarcely conscious of her triumphs, when she was threatened by the advance of Edward ou the opposite side, with a superior army, and found her self under the necessity of retiring to the north. The young Duke then entered London amidst the shouts of the citizens. The beauty of his person, his youth, his bravery, and his affability, had secured their affections ; but they were as yet unacquainted with his nature, which was cruel and unrelenting. He was more decid ed and resolute than his father, but he had none of his mildness and moderation. Aware how prejudicial these estimable qualities were to his father's cause, he resolved to throw aside all reserve ; to insist openly on his right to the throne ; and to assume at once the title and dignity of a king. He assembled the people in St John's Fields; and after Warwick had harangued them on the title of Edward, and the tyranny of the rival fa mily, they were asked, whether they would have Henry of Lancaster, or Edward, Duke of York, fot their king The multitude unanimously shouted, "a York:" Up on this, an assembly of bishops, lords, and other per sons of distinction, was immediately called at Baynard Castle, who ratified the popular election, and the Duke was next day proclaimed in London by the name of Ed ward IV.
The new monarch was every way fitted, both by his talents and his dispositions, for the dangerous situation which he had to maintain. Bold and enterprising, vin dictive and cruel, he was unawed by danger, and inca pable of pity. He seemed to exult 'in scenes of slaugh ter and devastation ; and, during his reign, the scaffold, as well as the field, incessantly streamed with the noblest blood of England. The first act of his government gave symptoms of his sanguinary disposition. A harmless tradesman, who kept a shop at the sign of the crown, had said, in a punning humour, that he would make his son heir to the crown, which gave such offence to the king, that the poor man paid for his wit with the loss of his head. But Edward was soon called to gratify his savage nature with nobler deeds of cruelty. Margaret, in a few weeks, had collected an army of 60,000 men among her partizans in the north, and was returning to the capital to strike her strongest blow. But she was met at Ton ton by 40,000 Yorkists, under Edward and Warwick. Previous to the engagement, a body of Yorkists under Lord Fitzwalter, had been dispatched to secure the pas sage of the river Are at Fcrrybridge, but they were driven from their post with great slaughter by Lord Clif ford, and their leader slain. The disaster at Ferrybridge was revenged by the defeat and death of Clifford by Lord Falconberg, who recovered that important post. This was immediately followed by a general battle, on the issue of which depended the fate of the contending fac tions. As the Queen's army advanced to the charge, they were blinded by a shower of snow, which blew full in their face ; and Lord Falconberg, taking advantage of this circumstance, led out some infantry before the line, and after discharging a volley of arrows, immediately retired, The Lancastrians imagining that they had come within reach of the opposite army, let fly all their ar rows, which fell short of the enemy. Edward then ad vanced with his main body, and dealt such havoc among the dismayed Lancastrians, that they were totally de feated. As this prince had issued orders to give no quarter, the routed army was pursued with terrible slaughter, and 36,000 men, among which were some of the principal nobility, are computed to have fallen in the battle and pursuit. Margaret, with her son and husband, fled immediately to Scotland, and Edward proceeded to York. He took down, from the gates of that city, the heads of his father and the Earl of Salisbury, which he buried with their bodies, and put in their place the heads of the conquered generals.