248 HISTORICAL MEMORANDA OF 



At the end of the month the Duke of York marched to London, 

 with a retinue of four thousand men, too powerful to be encountered 

 by Lord Lyle, who was sent to arrest his progress. Having 

 reached the palace at Westminster, he knelt before the king, and, 

 representing the disturbed state of the country, intreated him to 

 summon a parliament. The queen would have sent him to the 

 Tower but for the interposition of Buckingham. The duke gained 

 his point ; the parliament was summoned for the following Novem- 

 ber ; and he, in the mean time, retired to his castle of Fotheringay.* 

 Early in the sitting, Thomas Yonge, member for Bristol, moved 

 that the Duke of York be named heir apparent to the crown ; for 

 which he was sent to the Tower. t The duke, at the conclusion of 

 the session, withdrew discontented to his castle at Ludiow. Here 

 he issued proclamations, and one of these, addressed to the citizens 

 of Shrewsbury, in the middle of February, 1452, has been pub- 

 lished by Sir Henry Ellis, among his Original Letters. It assures 

 the people that his intentions were solely for the good of the country, 

 and welfare of the king. The name of March was powerful in 

 the marches of Wales, and numbers flocked to his standard. King 

 Henry was placed at the head of a powerful army, accompanied by 

 the Duke of Somerset, and other lords. York, avoiding an engage- 

 ment, crossed the Thames, at Kingston, and proceeded into Kent, 

 where he hoped to gain a considerable accession of strength. He 

 entrenched himself on a heath near Dartford, which he fortified 

 with artillery. The royal forces were encamped at Blackheath, 

 whence the bishops of Winchester and Ely were despatched to in- 

 quire the cause of his hostile appearance. The duke demanded 

 Somerset's being put on his trial,J and being assured that he was 

 in custody by the king's command, disbanded his followers, and 

 repaired to the royal tent, where, to his surprise, he was confronted 

 by his antagonist, and found himself a prisoner. He was placed on 

 horseback and conveyed to London, where Somerset urged his trial. 

 The king was averse to shed his blood, and the council were alarmed 

 at hearing that an army was hastening to his relief, commanded by 

 his brave son, the young Earl of March. The Duke of York will- 

 ingly consented to renew his oaths of fealty and allegiance, as the 

 price of his liberty. This done, he was permitted to return to his 

 castle at Wigmore.lT 



• William of Wyrcester. 

 -^ Parliament Rolls. 

 X Hall's Chronicle. 

 % Stowe. 



