WIGMORE CASTLE, HEREFORDSHIRE. 253 



and dependents, and the men of Herefordshire and the borders 

 flocked to his standard. Owain Tydyr, with his son, the Earl of 

 Pembroke, having joined the Earl of Wiltshire with a mixed force 

 of Welsh and Irish, closely pursued him. Edward, when in the 

 parish of Kingsland, and scarce four miles from his castle, suddenly 

 faced about, and drew up his forces near where the piety of the 

 Mortimers had reared a cross that bore their name ; thinking it 

 wiser to attack this force at once than allow its junction with the 

 main body. His attack was made on the 1st of February, 1461, 

 and with such vigour that he dispersed and cut them to pieces, 

 with the loss of four thousand. Owain Tydyr and seven of his 

 captains that were taken, were sent to Hereford, and there executed. 

 On the 17th of the same month, the Earl of Warwick met the 

 queen's army at St. Albans, and, imprudently giving battle, was 

 defeated, and his troops completely routed. London was now de- 

 fenceless, but the lawless bands headed by the queen committed such 

 ravages that it was thought prudent not to lead them to the metro- 

 polis. Edward's army, strengthened by the fugitives from War- 

 wick's, marched, in the mean time, into London. The battle of 

 Mortimer's Cross had caused the Duke of York to be regarded as 

 the flower of English chivalry, and he was soon greeted with the 

 cheering sounds of '' Long live King Edward !" 



To pursue this further would be to write a portion of the history 

 of England. Suflace it to say that Wigmore thus became part and 

 parcel of the possessions of the crown.* 



The well-known badge of the Yorkists was the white rose, first 

 used as such by Edmond of Langley, fifth son of Edward III., and 

 derived as it is said from the castle of Clifibrd. This was placed by 

 Edward IV. en soleil, he having adopted the sun in consequence of 

 an optical delusion, which occasioned that luminary to appear 

 doubly refracted, so as for a short time to assume the appearance of 

 three suns, on the morning previous to the successful battle of Mor- 

 timer's Cross. The rose and sun, separate, formed the ornaments of 

 a collar which Edward gave to his adherents, and from which de- 

 pended the lion of the house of March. Such may be seen in il- 

 luminations, and on monumental effigies. The white lion had been 



• Cecily, Duchess of York, lived till August, 1496, having made her will 

 on the 1st of April preceding. She therein styles herself " Mother to King 

 Edward IV.", and directs her body to be buried near that of her late hus- 

 band, Richard, Duke of York, in his tomb within the collegiate church of 

 Fotheringay. Her husband's effigy is painted on glass, at Cambridge. 



