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that everj person who had auy acquaintance with the 

 family, might come to his kitchen, and take away as 

 much sodden and roast meat as he wanted, and as he 

 could carry upon a long dagger, to be consumed either 

 at his own house, or at any tavern. These extraordinary 

 circumstances, the splendour of his manner of living, his 

 valiant and soldier-like qualities, his generosity, hospi- 

 tality, and talents, as well as the general tenor of his 

 conduct, made him the most popular man of the nation. 



He was Admiral to King Henry VI., and was styled 

 Great Captain of the Sea, having for his support in that 

 office, not only all the tonnage and poundage belonging 

 to the king, but a thousand pounds per annum out of the 

 revenues of the Duchy of Lancaster. By the King's 

 favour, he had a grant of pre-eminence above all the 

 Earls of England ; and moreover, to add to his greatness, 

 a peculiar officer-at-arms, for his service in martial em- 

 ployments, called " the Warwick Herald." 



We are much in the dark respecting the early life of 

 the Earl of Warwick; the Baronages and Chronicles 

 afford very little information upon that subject; nor is it 

 at all clear where he acquired the knowledge of the art 

 of Avar, and the capacity for military command, which 

 afterwards distinguished him in the disastrous conflicts of 

 York and Lancaster. He had, however, rendered valu- 

 able service in the wars of Scotland ; and as his father, 

 the Earl of Salisbury, was a commander of eminence, and 

 served in the wars in France, it is not unreasonable to 

 conclude, that the Earl of Warwick may have accom- 

 panied him to France, in some of the campaigns, and 

 there acquired a knowledge of military matters, of 

 which he had so many occasions to avail himself in the 

 wars of York and Lancaster. 



The Duke of York, having formed the scheme of de- 

 throning King Henry VL, and of obtaining the crovrn of 



