115 



finding his nephew, Henry, Earl of Richmond, then scarcely ten years 

 of age, iu the care of the widow of his deceased rival, William Herbert, 

 Earl of Pembroke, he removed him from her superintendence, took 

 him and presented him to Henry VI., who, on seeing him, is said (with 

 what truth may well be doubted) to have made a speech almost pro- 

 phetic of Pdchmond's future fortunes. 



Another sudden and startling change occurred in this strange and 

 wonderful drama. Edward IV. returned to England in 1471, obtained 

 a decisive victory over the Earl of Warwick, at Barnet. Queen 

 Margaret landed at Weymouth, the Lancastrians once more took up 

 arms, and Pembroke proceeded to raise forces in Pembrokeshire, with 

 the intention of succouring her. The disastrous battle of Tewkesbury, 

 and the consequent utter ruin of the Lancastrian party, compelled him 

 to retire to Chepstow, and to disband his forces. He then had a very 

 narrow escape with his life. Edward IV. sent Roger Vaughan, a 

 valiant person, to surprise Pembroke there ; but he captured Vaughan, 

 beheaded him, and proceeded from thence to the town of Pembroke. 

 Still he was in imminent danger ; Morgan-ap-Thomas pursued him, and 

 commenced the seige of that town, but David-ap-Thomas, the brother of 

 Morgan-ap-Thomas, although of the party inclined to assist Jasper, 

 came to his assistance, and succeeded in raising the seige, and Pembroke 

 got from thence in eight days, and sailed with his nephew, the young 

 Earl of Richmond, from Tenby, intending to proceed to France. His 

 ill fortune still pi'evailed ; the winds drove them upon the coast of Brit- 

 tany ; they were forced to put into a port of that country, and could 

 not well be excused from paying their respects to the Duke of Brittany, 

 but when they would have taken their departure, they were given to 

 understand that they were not at liberty to proceed. The Duke of 

 Brittany, considering that these two noblemen might be of some advan- 

 tage to him, assigned to them the town of Vaunes for their residence. 

 They were outwardly treated with all respect due to their birth and 

 rank, but were narrowly watched. Pembroke's exile was a protracted 

 one, and he remained abroad, an outlaw, a fugitive, and iu poverty 

 during several years, most of which he passed in Brittany, but a short 

 time was spent in France, just before his return to England as after- 

 mentioned. His earldofn was conferred by King Edward IV. upon his 

 son, Prince Edward, and was afterwards held by lung Richard III. At 

 length, in consequence of the death of Edward, the odium and unpopu- 

 larity in which Richard was held by many, and the Enghsh nation 

 being at last weary of civil war, violence, and bloodshed, the prospect 

 was open of his return to England, and of the accession to the throne 

 of his nephew, Henry, Earl of Richmond. 



